Offbeat Expedition: a Micro-Worship Experience

Offbeat Expedition is a "choose-your-adventure" worship and spiritual enrichment experience for anyone, anywhere, and anytime!

Offbeat (n.) From off- +‎ beat; not following the beat (e.g., of a drum that sounds out cadence). An unconventional person, someone who does not follow the beat, who chooses not to conform.

Expedition (n.) From Latin expediō (“bring forward”) +‎ -tiō (noun-forming suffix). A trip, especially a long one, made by a person or a group of people for a specific purpose.

Infinitus Ministries invites you to Offbeat Expedition: A Micro-Worship Experience (OEx), a DIY, choose-your-adventure worship experience designed with the needs and context of the neurodivergent community in mind. 

Beginning Sunday, September 7, 2025.

What is a "micro-worship" experience, and why?

There are many reasons why some, especially among the autistic, AuDHD, and other neurodivergent populations, find it challenging to attend a conventional church service. While livestreamed online worship services can be a solution for many, they are still limited in how to meet the needs of this community.

Some of the reasons that keep many neurodivergent folks from attending churches include anxiety and sensory issues making it an insurmountable barrier, executive dysfunction making it a huge undertaking just to "get ready for church," "odd" waking hours and sleep patterns that do not go well with typical church schedules, limited economic resources making regular church attendance a challenge (gas money, transit fares, parking costs, etc.), and more. In addition, other conditions such as physical disabilities and a weaker immune system may co-occur with some neurodivergent individuals, presenting additional challenges. 

Livestreamed services, such as those available on Zoom, can also be difficult if one finds making phone calls anxiety-inducing, especially if such services are bi-directional and interactive.

Additionally, different people have different ways to find spiritual connections, just as they have different learning styles. Passively watching a church service over YouTube or Facebook Live may work for some, but others may want a more tactile or kinetic experience instead. Some find sitting in front of a computer screen for an hour just too long for their attention span. 

Offbeat Expedition (hereafter "OEx")  seeks to provide an experimental alternative for these people to empower themselves in their spiritual and religious life. OEx is a self-directed, "choose-your-adventure" micro-worship experience with different options to choose from. A private online forum is available as a support and a platform for fellowship. Each week, Infinitus makes available an "Expedition Map," which guides OExers through a weekly worship experience outline, a weekly message (usually based on the Revised Common Lectionary), a short self-study material, and a "holy scavenger hunt" suggested activities list that invites them to try some or all of the suggested experiences. OExers are also invited to utilize the online forum to post prayer requests, share what the Holy Spirit is speaking to/through them (a bit like unprogrammed Quaker meetings), or other reflections and comments, and more. 

Covenanted membership in the Infinitus Community, pastoral care, and the possibility of small group leadership development are available to committed OExers. While the Offbeat Expedition program can be experienced individually on your own, it is also great with friends or family members. OExers are also welcome to use the Expedition Maps to form and hold small group micro-services where they are (in such case, please let Willow know!). 

We are starting OEx first, even as we also continue to plan for in-person gatherings and potential online synchronous gatherings for the near future. 

The weekly Expedition Maps will be made available every Sunday on the OEx forum. For the first four weeks (September 7, 14, 21, 28), they will be posted on this website, infinitusministries.net, as samplers; however, you are strongly encouraged to join the OEx web forum as soon as possible.

For more questions and information, contact Willow by email or through Infinitus Fireside/Wellside.

Past Expedition Maps

Week of September 14, 2025 (Expedition 2)

Week of September 7, 2025 (Expedition 1)

We are making the past week's Expedition Map available here as a sampler. Please join us at the OEx online forum.