The ADHD Christian
Faith With a Brain That Will Not Sit Still
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Fourteen years of hard wooden pews and a brain with other plans BUY FROM INGRAMSPARKAMAZONREAD A CHAPTERTABLE OF CONTENTS 184 pages · Paperback ISBN 978-1-946458-46-9 · ebook ISBN 978-1-946458-76-6 |
| 184Pages | 14Years in the pews | 3Services a week | 4Verses of Amazing Grace |
Fourteen years of hard wooden pews and a brain with other plans
I grew up in the Church of Christ. Sunday morning, Sunday evening and Wednesday night, for the first fourteen years of my life. Looking back with the clarity that comes from understanding ADHD, I can see why those years were a struggle, and that it was not only a spiritual problem.
The tradition values order, consistency and careful adherence to pattern. Opening prayer, a cappella singing, communion, sermon, invitation, closing prayer. Children were expected to sit quietly and absorb it.
I could not sit still through the sermons. My mind left during prayers that seemed to run forever. Four verses of Amazing Grace could not hold me. I fidgeted with the communion cups, dropped hymnals into quiet moments, and asked the wrong questions at the wrong times.
The rejection sensitivity that comes with ADHD turned every correction into a verdict. When adults said pay attention or sit still, I heard that I was not good enough. Watching other children follow expectations that mystified me, I concluded I was flawed in a way that made me unfit for the community. That conclusion was wrong, and this book is the long answer to why.
What is inside
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Foundation
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Daily life
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Community
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Going forward
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Who this is for
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Worth your time if
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Not for you if
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Why me
Richard Lowe, the Writing King
Fourteen years in Church of Christ pews as an undiagnosed ADHD child who concluded he was unfit for spiritual community, and decades afterward working out that the conclusion was wrong. I am not a pastor or a clinician. I am somebody who lived the specific collision between this brain and this tradition.
Questions people ask
Also in The ADHD Series
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Marketing With the Brain You Have |
You were not badly made
The expectations were built for a different brain, and that is a different problem entirely.
BUY FROM INGRAMSPARKAMAZONREAD A CHAPTERTABLE OF CONTENTS
Paperback and ebook.
A chapter
The ADHD Christian
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1, NIV)”See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1, NIV)”But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10, NIV)
You’re seven years old, sitting in the principal’s office again. Your teacher sent you there because you couldn’t sit still during the lesson, again. You tried. You always try. But your body wouldn’t cooperate with your intentions, and now you’re watching the door, waiting for the look on your parent’s face when they arrive.
By twelve, you’ve internalized the script. You’re the kid who tries hard but can’t seem to get it right. You forget your homework, lose track of time, say the wrong thing at the wrong moment. The feedback comes constantly: try harder, pay attention, why can’t you just be normal?
In high school, you watch your friends get into their dream colleges while you struggle to maintain a C average despite being obviously intelligent. Teachers write “not working to potential” on your report cards. You start to wonder if the potential was ever really there.
By adulthood, you’ve accumulated decades of evidence that you’re fundamentally flawed. You’ve been fired from jobs, ended relationships badly, missed important deadlines, and let people down in ways that still wake you up at three in the morning.
This is the brutal accumulation of shame that many ADHD Christians carry into their faith journey. Years of criticism, failure, and rejection have created a narrative: something is wrong with you at a fundamental level.
ADHD brains are vulnerable to developing shame-based identities because the symptoms often manifest as behaviors that society interprets as moral failures. Forgetting isn’t seen as a symptom, it’s seen as not caring. Interrupting isn’t seen as impulsivity, it’s seen as rudeness. Emotional dysregulation isn’t seen as a neurological reality, it’s seen as immaturity or weakness.
Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria amplifies every criticism and perceived slight until they feel like devastating indictments of your entire worth as a person. A mild correction from a supervisor can feel like you’re being told you should never have been hired. A friend’s casual comment can spiral into hours of shame and self-recrimination.
Table of contents
The ADHD Christian
- Preface
- Introduction
- Part I: Foundation – Your Neurodivergent Identity in Christ
- Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
- Understanding Your ADHD Brain
- Building Sustainable Spiritual Disciplines
- Part II: Navigating Daily Life – ADHD and Christian Living
- Focus and Attention in a Distracted World
- Emotional Regulation and RSD (Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria)
- Masking, Authenticity, and Social Struggles
- Time, Organization, and Stewardship
- Relationships and Communication
- Part III: Workplace and Calling – Using Your Gifts
- ADHD in the Workplace
- Creativity and Innovation
- Ministry and Service with ADHD
- Part IV: Special Challenges
- Addictive Behaviors and Impulse Control
- Rejection, Failure, and Shame
- Part V: Thriving, Not Just Surviving
- Celebrating Your ADHD Strengths
- Building Support Systems
- Parenting and Legacy
- Part VI: Special Considerations
- When ADHD Comes with Autism (AuDHD)
- Introversion and Overstimulation
- Medication, Treatment, and Faith
- A Note for Pastors and Church Leaders
- Conclusion: Embracing Your Neurodivergent Calling
- A Guide for Groups and Leaders
- Part I: Foundation — Your Neurodivergent Identity in Christ
- Part II: Navigating Daily Life
- Part III: Workplace and Calling
- Part IV: Special Challenges
- Part V: Thriving
- Part VI: Special Considerations and Closing
- For Pastoral Staff and Church Leaders