Want to make your youth ministry more welcoming and accessible for all young people? This workshop will equip you with practical strategies to support neurodivergent youth, helping them feel valued and engaged. Learn how to create an inclusive environment, adapt activities to different needs, and foster a sense of belonging for every young person in your group. Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to refine your approach, you’ll leave with ready-to-use ideas and resources to make a lasting impact.

Kyle Hastelow is the Associate Youth Enabler for Presbytery Central and has been involved in youth ministry for over two decades. Passionate about creating spaces where all young people feel welcome and included, he works alongside youth leaders to make ministries more accessible and engaging. His journey is also personal—both of his children have been diagnosed as neurodivergent, and he and his wife suspect they are too. This lived experience fuels his commitment to ensuring every young person has a place to belong, grow, and thrive.

Are you already caught up in God’s work of love in your community but wondering how to sustain the journey? Or perhaps you long to step into God’s mission but don’t know where to start. Maybe you feel called to seek out the lost, the lonely, and the hurting—but you’re looking for companions to walk the road with you. If so, Forge Aotearoa could be the next step on your journey.

Forge Aotearoa exists to inspire and equip followers of Jesus to become Christian Wayfinders—people who courageously listen for God’s voice and step out in faith wherever they are. Through storytelling, spiritual practices, and times of deep reflection, alongside twice-yearly huis in places like Ōhope Marae and beyond, Forge creates space for hearts to be stirred and lives to be sent.

If something in this invitation speaks to your spirit, we warmly invite you to take a step and join the Forge Aotearoa workshop. Come and discover where God might be calling you next.