Recommended area churches

This list of recommended Portland, Oregon, area churches is provided to the visitors to this website as a service to the neurodivergent community. While we are presently working towards meeting in person for worship, due to limited resources and logistical challenges, that may not happen for a while. Some people prefer in-person church services in which they can physically engage. We also acknowledge that not everyone shares our cultural or theological backgrounds, and some prefer a worship experience that is more familiar to them (e.g., more liturgical). Also, we know that not everyone is able to travel across town. 

When we start in-person worship, 

• It would be in the spring of 2026 at the earliest, and more likely, in the summer of 2026.

• It would be unlikely to be weekly, at least in the beginning stage; twice a month is more likely.

• It would likely be Friday evenings or Sunday afternoons (based on feedback so far).

• It would very likely be in varied locations, which include outdoors, but mainly in eastern Washington County (around Tigard, Tualatin, or Beaverton) or western Clackamas County (around Wilsonville, Lake Oswego, or West Linn). 

The provision of this list should not be taken to imply that we have abandoned our church-planting goals. Nor should it be interpreted as our endorsement of any particular theological views held by the following faith communities.

The only criteria we use for inclusion in this list are as follows:

• Either Willow or someone else in our team has personally visited the congregation in person and taken a look at the building, its surroundings, and its worship services.

• The congregation has taken at least some conscious and intentional steps towards a better inclusion of the neurodivergent individuals.

• Easily accessible by public transit and TriMet LIFT (C-VAN, or equivalent) service.

• The worship space is not too crowded, too noisy, or otherwise too overwhelming.

• While these churches don't need to be officially "open and affirming" (or any similar verbiage), any known overt hostilities or discriminatory attitudes (in words or deeds) toward disabled people, LGBTQ+ folks, immigrants, refugees, houseless folks, and so forth disqualify them from inclusion in this list. Church Clarity and similar sources of information may be utilized if there is any question on this matter (in addition to a random sampling of recorded sermons, if available).

Additional notes are made under each entry to describe the environment and the community.

Milwaukie, Clackamas County, Oregon: The Storyline Community PDX

• Meets at a community performing arts hall called the Chapel Theatre.

• The main parts of the buildings are wheelchair accessible, and there are a few parking spaces right in front of the ramps.

• Great TriMet access (Line 33 is a frequent service route) with a bus stop one block away at the Milwaukie Safeway/7-Eleven.  

• Anna, the community's co-founder, says a very large percentage of the congregation is neurodivergent. 

• The service is very engaging, interactive, and laid back, and the congregation is multigenerational (lots of young people and kids).

• Denominational affiliation: ELCA (Lutheran) - Oregon Synod (But not liturgical like typical ELCA churches)

• Very queer positive

• Efforts made: sensory tent (for small children), box of fidgets

• Great if: You like a very informal, laid-back environment, in a setting that does not feel too religious.

• Beware: No service on the last Sunday of each month.

• 4107 SE Harrison Street (NOT to be confused with the same address in Southeast Portland!), Milwaukie 97222

• Sundays 10:15 a.m.

Beaverton (Raleigh Hills), Washington County, Oregon: Spirit of Grace

• A unique joint Lutheran-Independent Catholic congregation, originally founded as a joint project of a Lutheran church and a Roman Catholic parish back in the 1980s (it is no longer affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church as of 2023).

• A large, modern building with a large atrium that doubles as an event space, connected to a traditional sanctuary and to a fellowship hall. The building is ADA-compliant.

• There is a TriMet stop nearby, served by Lines 56 and 78. Neither line is a frequent service route.

• The service is liturgical and structured based on the rubric of the Latin rite, consisting of the service of the Word and the Holy Eucharist, so this would be a good fit if you are from a Catholic, Anglican (Episcopal), or Lutheran background and are looking for a familiar worship experience.

• Efforts made: the library room (inside the fellowship hall) doubles as a sensory room; the area by the fireplace (in the atrium, outside the sanctuary) has a large screen monitor and is a good, quieter space if you need to step out of the sanctuary during the service; a box of fidgets.

• "At Spirit of Grace, we affirm our welcome to all sexual orientations, gender identities, shapes, sizes, races, languages, faiths, and spiritual perspectives."

• Denominational affiliation: ELCA (Lutheran) - Oregon Synod; with a Lutheran pastor and an independent Catholic priest.

• Great if: You are looking for a progressive worshipping community rooted in traditions.

• Spirit of Grace livestreams its worship services on Zoom, so you can "preview" the service first.

• 7400 SW Scholls Ferry Road, Beaverton 97008 (next to the Harman Swim Center)

• Sundays 8:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.

This list is still being developed, but it will be slow, as it takes time for us to actually visit different churches in person. If you have a recommendation, drop Willow a note.