Does our worship include everyone?

The Worship Stream was an incredible launch into the Outpouring Conference. I am so grateful to Darlene Zschech, Stacey Hilliar, Joth Hunt , Luke Taylor, Dave Balestri, Beth Glee and the amazing worship team, for sharing all their wisdom and experience that gave me a deeper revelation of worship.

One thing that I have been deliberating since I returned home was raised at the Q&A session with the Worship panel. It was the question regarding whether worship in our church includes everyone.

Darlene’s answer to this question has made me consider how we do church and the people who may be excluded (unintentionally) from worshipping God. e.g. those with ASD, DS, epilepsy or hearing impairments. Can we really say ‘our church is for everyone’ when these people are excluded?

Darlene’s response was that where possible, we need to make allowance for people who are in these categories and work towards making the church accessible and inclusive to all. She shared how Hope UC offer a special sitting for their events, such as Christmas productions, that was free of these sensory triggers.

I have been doing some research into the triggers around the impact of strobe lights and epilepsy, Irlen syndrome and the sensory spectrum of DS. It was an eye-opener to read that strobe lights could trigger an epileptic reaction in people with no prior history of epilepsy.

As legislation is becoming more stringent around equal opportunity for people with mobility, sight and hearing, the Church has an opportunity to lead the way and be more inclusive for these communities. While it may not be possible for a dedicated program, but we can definitely look at the opportunities to offer services that were more inclusive for individuals and families with these conditions.

– Steve, NSW