Beginning June 25, the Chelsea First Congregational Church will offer a look at Parables: An All Abilities Inclusion Worship Service beginning at 5 p.m.
The church is located at 121 E. Middle St.
Parables is a no-shushing, 40-minute worship service designed for all abilities; but especially for families who would like a progressive faith community where people on the margins, because of intellectual or developmental disabilities, are empowered to share their gifts, whether it is a kind touch, smile, high-five, reading aloud or performing.
This is an ecumenical service open to anyone from other churches, or with no religious background at all. It is an option for those who may find it difficult to attend services in the morning for whatever reason.
Sometimes families whose children have visible or invisible disabilities feel judged or pitied by those around them, even by the most well-meaning. At Parables, we seek to create ease of belonging for the nonverbal child with autism who may like to continuously walk and flap…or to the elder with dementia, or to the child who just seems to not fit in some circles, because like Jesus, they are “little red fish” who swim in a different direction than the rest of the world. And like Jesus, there is a little red fish in all of us as well, that sometimes swims in a different direction than the mainstream.
The setting is fragrance-free, the freshly baked communion bread is gluten-free, and sensory headphones, fidgets and a therapy dog and handler will be available throughout the service.
The short order of worship will follow a similar flow each week for those who appreciate predictable structure. After June 25, the church will continue to meet on the 2nd and 4th Sundays of each month at 5 p.m. with a meal afterward.
For more information call, 734-475-1844, go to www.chelseafcc.com, www.facebook.com/ministrywithinthemargins
