Spaces, Uses, Neurodiversity, & Noise
October 2024
Dearly beloved,
Grace to you, and peace, from God our Parent and our brother-Lord Jesus. I hope you are experiencing the power and presence of the Spirit of the living Christ today.
TL;DR
I’m writing to tell you about a new idea for managing our life together in the Big Red Barn, especially during worship on Sunday nights. It employs a “red light, yellow light, green light” system for helping everyone understand what certain spaces are meant for. It’s our hope that these adjustments will help us live into our missional priorities, especially the second one: doing kindness around mental health and celebrating neurodiversity.
Even shorter: If you need quiet, calm space during worship, consider sitting on the right side of the room.
A little history:
Over the summer the Missional Logistics Team became aware (through our summer cohort meetings) that neurodiverse (ND) adults are not always experiencing the welcome our church intends. Noise levels and lots of human movement during worship are not only distracting; they can be distressing.
At the exact same time, we hear from young kids and their families that they’re happy to be part of a church where kids’ ways of being are welcome. Galileo Church has a historical commitment to intergenerational worship and church life. We are deeply committed to not churning out another generation of spiritual refugees with church trauma, and we know that research shows separating kids from the whole church does not serve their discipleship of Jesus in the long term.
This is not the first time Galileo Church has seen our Very Good Intentions bump into each other. How, as we do life together, do we make adjustments so that everyone’s dignity is honored? Every couple of years, at least so far, we have needed to revisit the implicit culture of how various groups, including and especially young children, participate in worship and church life in ways that allow maximal engagement by all who share the space.
Our joint commission
To think through this problem, we assembled a “joint commission” with folx from the MLT, the Spiritual Care Team, parents of young kids, and staff. This team met in early October: Carissa (youngster czar), Deanne (SCT), Janice (SCT), Jillian (MLT), Kate K (barn boss, MLT), Katie, Meghan P (parent), and Wendi (SCT).
In anticipation of our meeting, Carissa spent several Sundays observing and mapping the movement of kids during worship. This data was helpful for our understanding of how children are engaging each other and the space during worship.
Our team named several non-negotiables for children in our space:
safety and wellbeing (in part, kids should not be allowed to wander the space, go outside, or be in a room without adult companionship, for their own safety);
an intergenerational church experience, dependent on a whole-church commitment (i.e. this is not only parents’/guardians’ responsibility);
some time and space to just be kids;
our facilitation of their learning how to do/be church; and the accompanying grace for learners; and
spaces and boundaries for participation well defined and explicitly stated.
Similarly, we named some non-negotiables for ND adults in our space in order for the church to meet our basic commitments to kindness and celebration:
safety and wellbeing (acceptance of one’s whole self, unmasked, vulnerable, and honest);
aural and visual calm; and
spaces and boundaries for participation well defined and explicitly stated.
We also considered the inherent neurodiversity of young children: by definition, they cannot assess situations, grasp shifting expectations, and regulate their actions as many adults can (and as we are all practicing, all the time). Clarity about group expectations is a gift for all individuals in that group, and so we began to imagine the shape of that clarity, not only for kids, but for all worshipers in the Big Red Barn.
Red Light, Yellow Light, Green Light Spaces
We worked out a Red-Yellow-Green Light system for spaces in the Big Red Barn, and we’ve already begun to talk about with the kids.
Red Light spaces include the Quiet Room, both tech desks, the Prayer Wall, the communion table, and the stage. Basically, think of the whole “right side” of the worship space, if you were standing at the back.
In a Red Light space, these are the expectations:
This is purposeful space. (I.e. pray at the Prayer Wall, share communion at the table, de-stress silently in the Quiet Room.)
Here we whisper if we must talk at all.
Here we practice slow walking.
This space is not for playing.
Yellow Light spaces include the annex, the Worship Learners tables, the Toddler Corral, the Spare Oom, the Sensory Library, and the open floor at the back of the worship space on the left side. Basically, think of the whole “left side” of the worship space.
In a Yellow Light space, these are the expectations:
Spaces here are arranged with kids in mind.
Here you can move a bit if you need to.
Here you can whisper with friends.
Here there are activities to help you enjoy your time.
Green Light spaces include the G-Kids room, the playgrounds outside, and the back patio.
In a Green Light space, here are the expectations:
Here is where kids can be kids!
Here you can talk out loud!
Here you can run and play!
It is important to note that young children should never be unaccompanied by a trusted adult, even in Green Light spaces. Please know that the church leaders hold kids’ safety as the highest possible priority, and it is never a good idea for children to hang out without trusted adult companionship in any space in or around the Big Red Barn.
What comes next?
Look for green, yellow, and red symbols on the floor in various spaces in the Big Red Barn. Symbols are better than wordy signs that list a bunch of “thou shalt nots,” don’t you think? (No offense, God. You do You.)
Carissa and parents have already begun helping our kids understand the expectations in each space. We can all help each other honor our togetherness, perhaps simply by saying, “Hey, this is a red space” when people of any age get too chatty at the Prayer Wall. 😉
We’ll be eager to hear from people who migrate to the right (quieter, calmer) side of the worship space about whether we’ve accomplished what we hoped. This system can be refined, reimagined, or rejected if it’s not quite right. We’re always happy to try again!
An important note: No parent I have spoken with about this topic has voiced anything but complete support for the clarity we’re offering here. Similarly, families are glad for companionship in raising their worship learners to be companionable, engaged co-conspirators with our church. In other words: befriend a kid! Learn their name and what grade they’re in, their favorite subject in school and what they like to do in their free time. Our kids are our first evangelistic priority, and research says they’re far more likely to remain engaged with their Christian faith if adults in their church (not only their parents) take the time to know them.
Do you have questions? Are you worried, hopeful, relieved, confused? I’d love to hear from you. And I’d love it even more if you would join me in praying our thanks for God’s astonishing trust in us to get this right. As always, church, it is a joy to be in ministry alongside each of you.
“May the favor of the Lord our God be upon us
and prosper for us the work of our hands –
O prosper the work of our hands!”
Psalm 90:17
grace and peace – Katie