Gathering together is a core part of the Body of Christ; we sharpen each other, encourage each other, and learn together. Across Aotearoa, groups gather with one thing in common: Christ. Two significant gatherings Elevate has loved having connections to are Northern Eastern Camp and Festival One. Festival One is an intergenerational Christian festival […]
Book Review: A Place Where I Belong
By Manuele Teofilo If you’re looking for an informative and insightful book on neurodiversity, then A Place Where I Belong by Staci McLean is for you. She is an author, a speaker and the mother of a neurodivergent child. McLean is also the founder and director of The Neurocollective NZ, creating places where we ALL […]
The Sunday Morning Struggle
Written by Staci McLean, Director of ‘The Neurocollective NZ’ Is going to church on Sunday worth the effort? For many families getting to and through a church service on a Sunday morning is a marathon effort. As the mother of a child who is neurodivergent, the Sunday morning struggle was real and at times the […]
Belonging to the Body: Beyond Sunday
Written by Evan Clulee John Swinton said, “To be included you just need to be present. To belong you need to be missed.” (From Inclusion to Belonging. Pg 184, line 6). I agree with John, and it is a powerful and important distinction. This speaks volumes to me. Being missed by the community, or […]
The Difference Between Inclusion and Belonging
We often hear the words ‘inclusion’ and ‘belonging’ when talking about welcoming more people with disabilities into our churches and ministries. But the difference between these two is not always clear. As it’s December, let me use a Christmas example to try and explain. Most of us will have different Christmas traditions, such as a […]