Let the Little Ones Come—As They Are

“Let the little children come to me” - Matthew 19:14

Churches are meant to be sanctuaries—places of refuge, belonging, and healing. But for many families raising autistic children, that sanctuary has quietly slipped away.

They’ve felt the stares. Heard the whispered judgments. Watched as their children were excluded, misunderstood, or simply ignored.

And far too often, the church has remained silent.

We believe it’s time for that silence to end. The church must rise—not just as a building of worship, but as a true body of Christ that embraces every member, every family, every child.

Why This Matters

Autistic children are fearfully and wonderfully made. Yet, in too many places of worship, they’re treated like disruptions instead of divine. Parents are left balancing their faith with deep wounds, quietly asking: Is there really space for us here?

It shouldn’t be that way.

"The body is not made up of one part but of many... those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable." — 1 Corinthians 12:14, 22

We are all the body. And the so-called “weaker” parts? God calls them indispensable.

A Call to Church Leaders and Ministries

This is not a gentle nudge—it is a challenge. A call. A commissioning.

If you are in ministry, ask yourself: Have you made space for the child who flaps their hands during worship? For the teen who struggles to make eye contact or remain still? For the parent who arrives late and exhausted, unsure if they’re even welcome?

If the church won’t embrace them, who will?

What Inclusion Can Look Like

We’re not asking for perfection. We’re asking for intention.

Here’s how your church can begin:

• Educate and Empower: Offer autism awareness training for your pastors, children’s ministry leaders, and volunteers. When leaders understand, compassion follows.

• Sensory-Friendly Services: Create quiet spaces. Turn down loud music. Offer noise-cancelling headphones or visual schedules.

• Start Support Groups: Make room for parents to exhale, pray, and share. The church should be a space for shared burdens and shared healing.

• Buddy Systems: Assign a trained volunteer to support an autistic child during Sunday school or service. Inclusion doesn’t happen by accident—it takes people.

When Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me” (Matthew 19:14), He didn’t add conditions. He didn’t say “the quiet ones” or “the well-behaved ones.” He simply said: Come.

If we are truly the hands and feet of Jesus, then we must stretch those hands out wider. We must walk toward the families who are waiting, hoping, praying that this time—this place—might be different.

Let your church be that place.

Let your ministry take up the cross not just in word, but in deed.

Let the little ones come—as they are.