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Opening worship to everyone
Sarah Northing, leader of Glory Group: Meeting the spiritual needs of adults with learning disabilities.
Glory Group is a monthly accessible church service. We have two Makaton signers, myself and Dawn.
“Church is meant to be a place where everyone can belong. Yet for many people with learning disabilities,
communication differences, or limited speech, traditional church services can be difficult to access.
One simple but powerful way to address this challenge is by using Makaton, which can transform
worship into a more inclusive and welcoming experience for all.
Importantly, using Makaton does not only benefit those who rely on it for communication. I have seen that
signing helps everyone engage more deeply with the message. Visual and physical expression can reinforce
understanding, especially for people who are new to church and unfamiliar with Christian vocabulary.
Introducing Makaton does not need to be complicated. I’d recommend starting by signing key words during
worship songs, which allows people who struggle with spoken language to join in more fully. It also encourages
the whole congregation to engage physically and visually with the words they are singing. I found that once a
few simple signs were introduced, the message became clearer and more accessible. Over time, our group has
built a small, shared vocabulary of signs that have become a natural part of our worship life.
As confidence has grown, the group now participate more actively rather than feeling like observers. This
involvement has built self-belief, with people joining in and successfully using signs in front of others.
Makaton has helped our group members feel valued, capable, and self-assured.
Want to take it further? In addition to being Makaton Level 4 qualified, Dawn and I completed
Know and Grow training, which offers a comprehensive introduction to Makaton, tailored
specifically for use within the Christian church setting.
In a world where many people feel excluded or overlooked, small changes can have a profound effect. By using
Makaton, we can open the door wider—ensuring that worship is not just something people attend,
but something everyone can truly share in.
Perhaps the most important impact of Makaton in our group is the message it sends: everyone is valued, and
everyone’s participation matters. When churches take steps to make communication accessible, they reflect the
inclusive love at the heart of the Christian message.”