Creating Calm: New Life Seventh-day Adventist Church Leads with Inclusion

3 Jul 2025, 12:38Norma Julius, Head of Children’s Ministry, New Life SDA ChurchFinsbury Park, Islington, London, Greater London, England, United Kingdom

Creating Calm: New Life Seventh-day Adventist Church Leads with Inclusion

The church can be an extremely challenging place for those with sensory processing disorders. To mitigate this problem, New Life Seventh-day Adventist Church in Finsbury Park, London, has established a sensory room to create a welcoming space for individuals with sensory processing disorders. This initiative positions New Life Church as a leader in inclusivity.

On Sabbath, 28th June 2025, Dr Hezron Otieno Adingo, Pastor of New Life Church, blessed the newly decorated children’s Sabbath School room and commissioned the sensory room in the presence of congregational elders, children, the Children’s Ministries team, and the wider church, which participated via livestream.

The sensory room is designed to stimulate or soothe the senses, providing a safe and calming environment. It features various lighting, textures, sounds, and scents to support individuals with sensory challenges, autism, ADHD, dementia, or anxiety.

Key uses of the sensory room include:

  1. Sensory regulation: Supporting people in calming down.

  2. Relaxation and stress relief: The environment often provides a peaceful retreat from loud, chaotic, or overwhelming spaces.

  3. Inclusion: Creates opportunities for individuals with differing needs to feel safe, included, and engaged on their terms.

  4. Versatile spaces—sometimes calming like a starry galaxy of fibre-optic lights, and other times energising with interactive panels and textured walls. Whether it’s for grounding, learning, or simply escaping the world’s buzz for a bit, a sensory room meets the user exactly where they are.

New Life Church prioritises compassion and understanding, recognising the challenges faced by parents of children with autism and ADHD. This sensory room serves as a sanctuary within a sanctuary—a sacred space where neurodiversity meets grace, allowing parents and children to retreat during overwhelming moments.

Parents can still connect to sermons via Bluetooth, ensuring they remain part of the service. With a diverse membership experienced in special needs and disability, New Life Church is dedicated to valuing inclusion and promoting a welcoming environment for all.

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