Update on Gathered: Inclusive Worship with Neurodivergent Children

Community Stories

This spring, we shared the news about Gathered, a five-year project funded by a $1.25 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Nurturing Children Through Worship and Prayer initiative. ECMN and St. Clement’s Episcopal Church in St. Paul are partnering on this project that focuses on creating and supporting welcoming worship and community spaces for neurodivergent children and their families.

The work of Gathered has three main components: 

  1. Create a new worshiping community intentionally designed with and for neurodivergent children and their families. 

  2. Train and support leaders – clergy, church staff, and lay people – across Minnesota who want to deepen their understanding of neurodiversity and make their churches deeply accessible and welcoming 

  3. Develop online resources for any church seeking resources in supporting, welcoming, and walking with neurodivergent kids as they grow as disciples of Jesus. 

Much of the work so far has been behind the scenes. Over the spring and summer, staff from ECMN and St. Clement’s have been collaborating on administrative, financial, and communications systems to support the project’s long-term success, preparing for new staff, connecting with people inside and outside the church to talk about accessibility and worship, and are currently forming a guiding team that will help shape the ongoing vision and strategy of the project.

A major focus this summer has been preparing to hire two new part-time staff who will be central to the work of Gathered. These positions are now posted, and we would love your help spreading the word:

Both roles will help bring this work to life on the ground, and we hope to begin reviewing applications on October 20th. Please share these opportunities widely!

As we move from behind-the-scenes work into more public-facing ministry, we are grateful for the support we’ve received and energized by the excitement we’ve already heard from communities across Minnesota. We’ll be sharing more soon, but in the meantime, feel free to Rev. Elizabeth Lienesch with questions or thoughts (elizabeth@stcstp.org). This is just the beginning—and we can’t wait to see what unfolds as we gather together.