Growing in Jesus’ Love: Nolan’s New Community

In 2018, we were introduced to Nolan in this blog post. This 2026 blog post continues Nolan’s story.

“But wouldn’t he be better off in a specialized program designed exclusively for students with autism?” This is a question that I get asked sometimes when I share that my son, Nolan, is with his twin sister in a Christ-centered school community.

Nolan is joyful, patient, and eager to be with people. He is hard-working, nonverbal, and recently wrapped up his freshman year in high school. My wife and I were nervous about that transition from middle school to high school – a shift into a new setting, new people, different expectations, and a new chapter for a child who thrives on routines, familiarity, and most of all – friendships. Change is hard for anyone, but for a family navigating disabilities, it can be significantly more complex.

When we chose Christ-centered education for Nolan, we shared the hopes of many parents, while carrying an amplified sense of wonder because of his support needs. We believed that, beneath all of Nolan’s unique support needs, he shared the same fundamental need we all have: to know that he is an image-bearer of God and to experience the love of Jesus Christ. We realized we could not teach him that on our own—it would come through the people who do life with him each day, the worship he participates in, and the kindness he experiences.

All Belong has been a consistent partner throughout his school journey—now engaging with the staff of Nolan’s new high school and actively collaborating on adaptive, ongoing plans that recognize his strengths and areas of growth. These plans include efforts to help peers not only better understand Nolan, but also to more intentionally create beautiful faith formation opportunities through a discipleship group with his peers.

Nolan also has peers who serve as sidekicks in his classes. These students receive credit for their participation, but what happens in those relationships goes far beyond a class requirement. They are learning what it means to notice another person, make space for someone else, communicate in different ways, offer support, and become a community together. Pause for a moment and ponder this question, “Who gains more from a discipleship group or sidekick experience – the person with the disability or the disciple and sidekick?”

I have heard it said, “Choose your garden wisely—the flowers you stand among will scent your thoughts.” This depicts our parent perspective on Nolan’s experience through the transition this first year of high school. We have become experts at reading his nonverbal language. His deepest moments of joy have come in simple, powerful moments—when the car pulls up to drop him off for school, at a football game when dozens greet him and give him high fives, in class when a peer sidekick helps him, or in the choir concerts where he joins in. Nolan is known by his whole high school and celebrated by friends across grades—recognized and valued simply for BEING who God has made him to be: a person who brings peace and stability. His sense of belonging is healthy, and his identity as an image-bearer in Christ is clear.

If I could go back to the 2018 version of myself that first shared Nolan’s story, I would have one word of encouragement knowing what I do today: “I know this feels scary and you wonder if others will lean in and walk with him; I can assure you that God will guide each step. All Belong will be along, and his classmates will be the hands and feet of Jesus to him. What will surprise you is that Nolan will teach the rest how to more deeply embrace empathetic gentleness, patient kindness, and the kind of joy that can only come from God’s love in the experience itself.”

Each of us as educators, as community members, as workers in God’s kingdom are part of God’s global “garden”. Please wonder with me what actions we can collectively continue to take in our classrooms and communities to “scent the garden with beauty?”