Equipping Churches to Understand, Disciple and Make Room for Different Minds
Biblically grounded teaching. Professional psychosocial insight. Practical strategies for church leadership.
The Church is called to make disciples, nurture spiritual growth and create communities where people can encounter Jesus Christ and discover their place within His body.
But what happens when someone genuinely loves Jesus, desires to grow in their faith and wants to contribute to church life, yet struggles with the ways we traditionally organise worship, discipleship and ministry?
What happens when difficulties with attention, executive functioning, emotional regulation or sensory processing are misunderstood as a lack of commitment, discipline or spiritual maturity?
These are important questions for today’s Church.
Through Simon Cornwill Ministries, I work to help pastors, ministry leaders and Christian communities explore these questions with biblical understanding, professional insight and practical compassion.
My purpose is not to challenge the authority of Scripture or diminish the importance of spiritual discipline.
It is to help churches recognise the difference between the unchanging message of the Gospel and the methods we use to help people engage with it.
At His Feet
Making Room for Different Minds in the Church
A leadership presentation for pastors, ministry teams and Christian conferences.
Not everyone experiences church in the same way.
For some people, sitting through a lengthy service, following a structured Bible-reading programme, navigating a busy worship environment or managing the responsibilities of volunteering can present challenges that are not immediately visible to others.
These difficulties do not automatically indicate a lack of faith, willingness or commitment.
Sometimes, they reflect differences in how a person processes information, manages attention, regulates emotions or responds to their environment.
Drawing on the biblical account of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38–42, At His Feet invites church leaders to consider how we recognise spiritual engagement and whether some of our established ministry practices unintentionally create barriers for the very people we are called to disciple.
This presentation is not about diagnosing members of a congregation or excusing behaviour.
It is about developing greater pastoral understanding, recognising individual needs and exploring how churches can support meaningful participation while maintaining biblical expectations and accountability.
The invitation to sit at Jesus’ feet is not reserved for one kind of mind.
What Will Your Leadership Team Learn?
At His Feet explores five key areas relevant to contemporary pastoral leadership.
1. Understanding Neurodivergence in Church Life
Develop a practical understanding of neurodivergence, including ADHD and autism, and how differences in executive functioning, sensory processing and emotional regulation may influence participation in church activities.
Learn why an individual’s outward behaviour does not always accurately reflect their motivation, intentions or spiritual commitment.
2. Recognising Unintended Barriers to Discipleship
Consider how conventional approaches to worship, Bible study, small groups, volunteering and spiritual disciplines may work well for many people while presenting challenges for others.
Explore the difference between welcoming someone into a congregation and making meaningful participation accessible.
3. Strengthening Pastoral Understanding
Discover how listening, asking better questions and recognising individual circumstances can improve pastoral conversations and leadership responses.
Explore the importance of balancing compassion, appropriate expectations, accountability and individual support.
4. Adapting the Pathway, Not the Gospel
The message of Jesus Christ remains unchanged.
However, the methods we use to communicate biblical truth, encourage prayer, develop spiritual disciplines and support discipleship can be adapted to accommodate different learning and processing needs.
Explore how churches can maintain sound biblical teaching while creating more accessible opportunities for spiritual growth.
5. Moving from Awareness to Practical Action
Consider realistic changes that can strengthen ministry participation without requiring significant budgets, specialist programmes or a complete redesign of church services.
Leadership teams are encouraged to identify one assumption to reconsider, one barrier to reduce and one conversation to begin within their own church community.
Who Is This Presentation For?
At His Feet has been developed for those responsible for leading, teaching, supporting and discipling people within Christian communities.
It is particularly relevant for:
- Senior pastors and executive leadership teams
- Associate pastors and pastoral care teams
- Church staff and ministry coordinators
- Small-group and discipleship leaders
- Volunteer and serving-team leaders
- Christian leadership conferences and denominational gatherings
Whether your church is beginning to explore neurodivergence or already considering how to improve accessibility and pastoral support, this presentation provides a framework for meaningful leadership discussion.
Presentation Formats
Recognising that every church and leadership gathering has different needs, At His Feet can be adapted to suit several settings.
Leadership Presentation – 40 Minutes
The core At His Feet presentation, exploring the biblical foundation, three key areas of neurodivergent experience, common ministry barriers and practical leadership principles.
Christian Conference Presentation – 45–60 Minutes
An expanded presentation suitable for pastoral conferences, denominational gatherings and Christian leadership events, allowing additional time for examples, reflection and practical application.
Interactive Leadership Workshop – 75–90 Minutes
A facilitated session designed to help ministry teams examine practical scenarios, discuss existing approaches and identify opportunities to strengthen participation and discipleship within their own church context.
Presentation content and delivery arrangements can be discussed according to the needs of your leadership team or event.
A Conversation Worth Having
Every congregation includes people with different strengths, challenges, personalities, backgrounds and ways of engaging with the world.
Some of those differences are obvious. Others remain largely unseen.
As pastors and ministry leaders, we cannot always know what someone is experiencing simply by observing their behaviour.
But we can become more intentional about listening, understanding and recognising the barriers that may prevent someone from participating fully in church life.
The goal is not to remove the challenges of discipleship.
It is to ensure we are not unintentionally adding unnecessary obstacles to the journey.
When we better understand the people we are called to shepherd, we become better equipped to help them follow Jesus.
Invite Simon to Speak
Are you planning a pastoral leadership meeting, church staff development session, ministry training event or Christian conference?
I would welcome the opportunity to discuss how At His Feet – Making Room for Different Minds in the Church could contribute to your leadership team or event.
Whether you are seeking a focused presentation for a small group of pastors or a broader session for a Christian leadership gathering, my aim is to provide biblically faithful teaching, meaningful discussion and practical insights that can be applied within your ministry context.
For speaking invitations, availability and presentation enquiries, please get in touch.
Helping churches make room for different minds at the feet of Jesus.