An autistic man shares the light of the gospel with the world around him.

When Cindy Schultz watched her smiling and babbling toddler son, Gavin, gradually retreat into silence, she knew in her heart that he had autism. What she could never have predicted in those trying early years, however, was how God would use Gavin to richly bless her life and the lives of those around him.

Waiting to be heard

Gavin, a member at Water of Life, Racine/Caledonia, Wis., is a 26-year-old autistic man with a warm smile and a heart for sharing the gospel. “I have always had a strong faith,” Gavin says. “God always is with me. I feel his presence, and he gives me peace. I trust him to help me. I pray to him so much. He never leaves my side.”

This eloquent proclamation of faith is even more poignant knowing that Gavin has limited verbal communication skills. While he sometimes may be able to speak certain words or phrases, communicating through speech is extremely challenging. For Gavin—and so many others like him—being autistic can feel like being trapped inside his mind. Telling his body to move or speak in a certain way can sometimes feel insurmountable.

“We are in here waiting for help,” Gavin explains. “Many still sit in silence, and they need their voices heard. Our bodies do not always listen to our minds. Behaviors happen for reasons. Do your best to figure us out. . . . We have no way of telling you we hurt. We are all different, and everyone should realize we are extremely smart. Believe in us. Everyone is special in God’s eyes.”

To help Gavin express his thoughts, Cindy has chosen to use the Rapid Prompting Method, or RPM. Using this method, nonverbal individuals or those with limited verbal communication skills are prompted to point at letters on a letter board or screen as they spell words and sentences. “My iPad has an app called Assistive Express, which is like a keyboard,” spells Gavin. “Mom holds the device, and I type. I am learning to hold the iPad and type my thoughts, but sometimes that is harder.” When Gavin types out words and sentences, the app reads the words aloud.

This process can be time-consuming and difficult because Gavin’s body does not always work the way his mind would like it to. But for Gavin, the benefits of being able to communicate with the world far outweigh the challenges. “To be heard and understood because of [RPM] is awesome,” he says. “It gives me the ability to share the wisdom God has given me to the world. It is important to me to bring other lost souls to Christ. This gives them eternal life in heaven.”

A strong Christian foundation

Gavin is the youngest of five children in a family that has always had its foundation built firmly on Christ. When Cindy first learned of Gavin’s autism diagnosis, she and her family clung to God’s love and faithfulness. She says, “I’m grateful our family has a strong faith and a church home. We never could have made it through any of this without God in our life on a daily basis. . . . God has always been a part of life raising our family, and I knew that he would see us through all things—the good and the bad.”

Since he was young, Gavin has consistently heard the message that he is the loved child of a faithful God. As the years have gone by, this message has been reinforced by both his home congregation and Jesus Cares, a ministry now part of Kingdom Workers that offers faith-based programs, resources, and community outreach tailored for individuals with disabilities. On one Thursday evening every month, Water of Life’s Racine campus hosts Worship at the Cross, a simplified worship service for people with special needs and their families.

In 2018, Gavin was confirmed alongside four other individuals with varying special needs. Confirmation class consisted of weekly hour-long sessions led by Michael Zarling, pastor at Water of Life, and Heather Martyn, a board-certified behavior analyst and member at Water of Life. Each week, the students would come together with their families for a devotion and a lesson.

Cindy shares, “They told a Bible story and put together materials . . . like a Bible graphic novel, a children’s Bible, or a video to teach these hungry souls. It was truly wonderful to be part of it as a parent.” Gavin amazed everyone with how he learned and how well he participated—even reciting the Lord’s Prayer and responding to questions during class.

For Gavin, being a confirmed member of Water of Life has brought an immense sense of joy and peace. “I get so excited when it is time for Communion. I sometimes even jump for joy,” he spells. “And I repent of my sins and believe in Jesus. I am a saved soul.”

Proclaiming the gospel

Gavin, a self-proclaimed social butterfly, loves spending time with his friends and being active in the community. Every Sunday, he attends church with his family at Water of Life’s Caledonia campus. Then during the week, he stays busy with a wide variety of programs and therapies—including yoga, chiropractic care, and two adult day programs called Matthias Academy and BiG Great Lakes.

During his free time, he loves playing baseball, bowling, taking walks, and going to movies with his friends. “I have wonderful Christian friends that I enjoy spending time with,” spells Gavin. “My friends make me happy and laugh. . . . We pray for each other and encourage each other.”

“My message is never give up, because God uses our weaknesses to be our strongest strengths.”

Gavin has also discovered a love for writing Christian poetry. On his Facebook page—The Hopeful One: Gavin Schultz—he shares his poems with the world. “I hope my writings encourage the readers with hope and bless them,” Gavin writes. “They come from my heart, and God puts the wisdom in my mind. It is truly a humbling experience to do his work touching one letter at a time because my voice does not work well. My message is never give up, because God uses our weaknesses to be our strongest strengths.”

To help his message spread even further, Cindy has aided Gavin in designing T-shirts and cards that feature themes and phrases from his writing. In the past, Gavin has even had the opportunity to do some public speaking—including at Autism One in Chicago and at local churches and schools. In addition, a family friend is working closely with the Schultz family to help Gavin publish a devotional book of his writing and poetry.

Cindy says, “We have come to appreciate how the gospel can be spread through special-needs individuals. Having Gavin in our life has made us look at life differently. . . . Gavin has always witnessed his faith boldly, and we are very blessed to have him as part of our family. He truly is a gift from God!”

While autism certainly still presents challenges for Gavin and his family, the Schultzes place their confidence in their loving and faithful God, who has used Gavin in countless ways to touch the lives of others.

Ultimately, Gavin says, “I know God and my family believe in me no matter what challenges I am up against. I can always count on them.”

Watch more of Gavin’s story in this video from Jesus Cares Ministries. 

Author: Stephanie Boeckman
Volume 111, Number 09
Issue: September 2024

A full church

Gavin enjoys writing Christian poetry, including the poem “A Full Church.” He spells, “I wrote ‘A Full Church’ because God wants us to worship him. I feel his love surround me when I am in church and in his beautiful world he made. Do not just go to church on Easter and Christmas. I hope my writing will encourage others to worship regularly. The friendships you make with Christians are remarkable. I give God the glory for giving me his Son and loving me so much.”

A Full Church

Come hear what I Am has to offer.
It is preached each week with purity.
Lift your voice to sing Alleluia.
Fold your hands in prayer.
It is worship and Christian fellowship at its best.
See the cross, that says it all.
He lived a perfect life for us.
Our sins, not his, his blood, not ours.*
Jesus died and rose so we shall live.
Don’t be a stranger in his house.
The Word of God is free.
Come and share it with me.

*One line from Gavin’s poem “A Full Church” stood out to Cindy as a perfect line for a T-shirt or an Easter card: “Our sins, not his, his blood, not ours.” This prompted not only T-shirt designs but also a number of additional designs for sympathy, Christmas, thank-you, graduation, and Easter cards.

Read more of Gavin’s writings on his Facebook page, facebook.com/thehopefulonegavinschultz.

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