The Bible says in Romans 12:2, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Back in January, I wrote an article for the Forward in Christ magazine called “Welcome to My Pew.” I was not prepared at all for the things that happened next. It felt like I had disturbed something, like when you are digging in the dirt and your shovel goes “clink” and you’ve hit something that has been buried for far too long. Apparently what happened here was I had stumbled on an issue that feels like it has been too long buried in our Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, although I have since learned that for decades many people and organizations within the WELS have been making efforts in this area—efforts that many of us parents were not aware of!
The article was about worshiping at church with my daughter Aria, otherwise known as Shifty, who has an alphabet soup of diagnoses-but most notably, ADHD, autism, and anxiety. She tends to look at expectations and social norms and say, “Nope. Not today, not ever.”
I poured my heart into what church looks like from our pew—the wiggles, behaviors, meltdowns, and elopement—and how unpredictable any given Sunday is with her in tow. I also talked about the many thoughts that buzz around my head before we leave the house: Can she handle church today? Do we have her fidgets, backpack, and headphones? Does she need her fan? I hope she survives the sermon. Where are the exits? Are we even wanted here?
I was honestly overwhelmed with the response. I received messages from people all over the country. I started forming connections with people I had never met. In short, people said, “We need more of this and we need to keep talking.” Families sound similar to mine and in some cases are no longer sitting in our pews. We are carrying challenges that people do not see.
In March of 2026, a group of moms got together. It was supposed to just be a casual meetup of moms who saw themselves like I did, on the outside of our churches and schools looking in. It became very clear that none of us were interested in that role anymore. We had stories and ideas and very real frustrations. But we also had resources, children we fiercely loved, and we wanted to dig in and be part of a change. The best part? We all recognize the transforming power of the gospel. In all that beautiful WELS Lutheran bubbling cheesy casserole of caffeine, advocacy, lived experience, faith, and sanctified squirrel energy, The WELS Mindshift Project was born.
By God’s grace, it quickly grew legs and feet and perhaps some wings. Our mission became clear: We wanted to change minds, open hearts, and make room.
Our Mission statement is: The WELS Mindshift Project exists to equip, encourage, and unite families, caregivers, teachers, pastors, and other called workers in faithful advocacy for neurodiverse and medically complex individuals.
We want to help God’s people see every person through God’s eyes: fearfully and wonderfully made, deeply valued, redeemed by Christ, and belonging to His Church. Belonging should not be based on how they are able to communicate or participate in worship, school, Sunday school, youth group, catechism class, or VBS.
They belong because Christ died for them.
What are we trying to shift? We’re WELS Lutherans. I don’t have to tell you how much none of us like change. Please know that we are not trying to change Scripture, water down doctrine, or preach a different gospel.
We are asking our Synod to stretch, grow, and remove barriers for families with extraordinary challenges. Remember Romans 12:2? “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
The mindshift here is in our expectations, assumptions, and definition of “good behavior.” It’s in understanding what a behavior communicates. A child underneath a pew can still be listening to a sermon. A kid wearing headphones isn’t trying to tune everyone out. If someone can’t make good eye contact, it doesn’t mean they are ignoring you. A person who cannot speak is not a person with nothing to say. The exhausted parent in the narthex with a dysregulated child doesn’t need a look of disapproval.
The mindshift is learning a different approach and thinking outside the box. It’s asking what might be making participation difficult and how to help. How can an accommodation help this family hear about Jesus? How can we, as a church body, walk alongside a struggling family and serve them? Get your theological running shoes on, and let’s move!
Since the first meeting in March, things have moved faster than any of us anticipated. We’ve held in-person meetings at Shepherd of the Hills in West Bend. We created a Facebook group focused on collaboration amongst parents, called workers, and trained professionals that has grown to more than 130 members. And we learned about and connected with other individuals and existing WELS organizations, including WELS Special Ministries, Light for Parents, and
Christian Educators for Special Education (CESE) that have been working in this area for some time.
On August 6, 2026, we cohosted a workshop titled “Called to Care” alongside Light for Parents. About 130 WELS teachers and pastors came together to talk about service children and families with disabilities and complex needs. Jane Mose served as our keynote speaker and gave two workshop sessions about de-escalation and efficient tools that teachers can use in the classroom. WELS Mindshift parents also sat on a parent panel and answered questions from called workers to provide honest, real life, lived experiences and feedback. Several organizations also partnered with us to offer information and support, including WELS Special Ministries, Kingdom Workers, the Commission on Lutheran Schools, and Northwestern Publishing House.
It was a beautiful thing to see so many resources working together. I know if you’re reading this, you’ve heard it over and over: “We do not have enough resources”. In 2026, this no longer needs to be the end of the conversation. We have more resources these days than you think. We now know that we have seasoned parents and special education professionals. Both Martin Luther College and Wisconsin Lutheran College have special education programs. Current WELS teachers are getting creative in their classrooms, and pastors are finding ways to make catechism classes more accessible. We have mental health resources available through organizations like Christian Family Solutions. Assistive technologies, communication tools, and training programs now exist. Let’s connect the resources!
None of this is inclusion for inclusion’s sake. The goal is not to follow educational trends or to make church more fashionable, comfortable, or culturally acceptable. The goal has always simply been Jesus. We want children to know their Savior and we want exhausted parents to hear the saving truth of the Gospel. We want schools equipped to serve the souls placed in their classrooms and for pastors to be supported as they shepherd increasingly diverse and complex congregations. We want to be a unified body of Christ.
Where do we go from here? God has an interesting way of accomplishing his purpose with wildly ordinary people, or, as I like to call them, sanctified squirrels. We hope to coordinate more workshops, build resources, and connect more families and called workers. We will keep returning to Scripture and push to make more room at the foot of the cross. Every one of us needs the same Savior, no matter how drastically different we are. There is room in God’s family, so there should be room in ours.
That’s the mindshift: Changing minds. Opening hearts. Making room. All through God’s power and by his grace.
God’s Word never changes, but his Word is what changes us.
Kaycee Welke
The WELS Mindshift Project