When Neurodiversity Collides with Ministry and Missions

When neurodiversity enters the already complicated landscape of ministry and missions, it can feel extremely overwhelming and challenging.

For me, it drove me into books, research, emailing professionals, meeting with coaches, and trying to navigate something that felt so foreign and unknown. You’ll find a lot of this information by clicking on the links in this post.

I wrote more of my story here and described how I learned of and navigated the journey of neurodiversity for my family.

But when that story collides with ministry and missions {Leslie Vernick podcast link}, it really becomes a whole other journey of things to learn and navigate.

I was working on a project recently with Global Trellis, aptly named “Neurodiversity Week” after the concept of “shark week” because it can feel that big and hard to digest such a vast amount of information.

I realized in that project how much I used the words hard, difficult, challenging, and really hard, difficult, and challenging.

One of my favorite ADHD books is creatively titled, “ADHD is Awesome.” Awesome meaning, “extremely impressive or daunting; inspiring great admiration, apprehension, or fear.”

I use those words often in this discussion because learning about neurodiversity, understanding it’s full impact on your family or marriage, and then figuring out the next steps can be exactly those words.

I was able to share more of my story on a podcast with Dr. Stephanie Holmes of Neurodiverse Christian Marriages.

With both Leslie’s and Stephanie’s episodes, I dove into the actual difficulties that neurodiversity can add to the already complex life of ministry and missions.

It is a journey that is not well-understood by missions, organizations, and teams.

You might be living a similar journey of neurodiversity in ministry and in missions or overseas life.

You might relate to my story of just knowing things were extra hard, difficult, and challenging but not really knowing why or how to describe your experience..

You might be looking at your capacity and realizing that you have something else impacting your energy and capacity on the field.

You might just be learning that something might be different and that neurodiversity could be a part of your story. Neurodiversity might play into your decisions and challenges in ways that require special ways of processing.

Global Trellis Podcast: Embracing Neurodiversity Empowering Cross Cultural Workers

Modern Day Missions Youtube: Parenting Neurodivergent Children on the Field

When that something else is autism, executive function difficulties, ADHD, AuDHD, special needs, or anything spectrum related, it can be isolating and lonely.

If you’re handling the executive functioning, care, and support for your family while living overseas, homeschooling, and parenting, you might be at your limit.

Your brain and your body are probably flashing all the red lights that something isn’t working well.

How do you fully describe the tension of everything colliding together?

Recently, on Velvet Ashes, I shared about how this kind of tension needs a healing team, a support team, a safe space.

As a neurodiversity coach, I love being on this team for ministry and mission families. I love when ministry women reach out and say, “Yes, I’m on this journey and I need someone to talk to about all of it!”

Some of my clients are neurodiverse women on the field and they are just learning about why it’s been so hard for them!

Some are moms of kids, teens, or young adults on the spectrum.

Some are wives who are struggling silently in very difficult marriages, while living in the glass houses of ministry and missions.

Some are couples who are just realizing that this might be behind some of their communication and ministry challenges.

What if this is you?

If this is a totally new concept and you’re wondering what I’m even talking about, you can read more and find online tests, resources, and links here.

Feel free to connect and talk more about it, ask questions, and explore this new topic!

Another podcast resource for Neurodiversity and Missions/TCKs

Thankfully, this topic is coming up more often in ministry and mission circles. It’s gaining attention and growing so that more orgs can be equipped to help, support, train, understand, and learn more about how neurodiversity is impacting their people.

Neurodiversity can have an incredible impact and it’s very unique to each family and each situation.

If neurodiversity is part of your story and you feel alone in the difficulties and complexities of ministry and/or missions, please feel free to reach out or jump into any of the above resources. A coach can help.

We can talk about the specifics in your story, resources, books, podcasts, and other ways of being supported in your ministry and neurodiversity work and family.

I’d love to hear your story, hold it with you, and help you on this journey.