Stacie Williams

Review of Athey Creek Christian Fellowsh...

I started attending (mostly the Wednesday evening)...

I started attending (mostly the Wednesday evening) services here over a year ago and enjoy the sermons and Brett s perspective. I don t always agree with him but I enjoy his views and the people are friendly. I also have a son that enjoys their grade school events. I have however had a very difficult time getting connected there (similar to Portland in general). I was considered terminally ill and mildly on the autistic spectrum. I reached out a few times to ministry and explained it via voicemail and played phone tag for a couple of days but got no support. Leaving a message in the general voicemail won t get any response at all. Email is much easier for me but not something ministry does there that I can find. It is sometimes overwhelming. My son and I need family and support given our circumstances out here and it s an uphill climb even at Athey Creek. I ve asked for help and need some hand holding which they don t do. I can sit for 15 minutes waiting for the service to start and not one person approaches me. We attended the summer BBQ which was fun but again, we didn t have support or people to talk with or help us connect so we sit there and entertain each other and leave early or I watch my son play with other children in the sand pit and sit there alone for an hour. Not one person even says hello or engages with me. I am a beautiful lady who wants connection and support. I dress well and I don t look like a druggy or even strange but I m treated a little like an outcast. People talk to each other but not to me. My son doesn t always want to attend (I suspect because he doesn t get the right support either) and I have to make him go. We need a point person as do others with cognitive disabilities but they don t have that there. It s an accommodation and the western states in general are horrible at it. I would like to make friends and get the right support as I had in the Midwest but it s been next to impossible out here and then they wonder why there are so many suicides and why it s on the rise. I enjoy the atmosphere and energy there but not the neglect that is so pervasive here in Portland. I would give this church 3.5 stars for someone who needs an accommodation, even a mild one.