Accessible Church

Theologically grounded and deeply practical, Accessible Church will give clear direction to any church that desires to be welcoming and accessible to people with disabilities and their families. I’m grateful for Sandra Peoples’s advocacy on behalf of families like mine and creating ways for all people to experience God’s plans, purposes, and blessings through disability.

Sandra Peoples has provided a biblically grounded and clinically aware guide to disability ministry. As the dad of a young adult with autism, I was moved by the compassion and intentionality expressed in Accessible Church. As a church leader, I’m grateful for a resource that’s practical and scalable for congregations of different sizes and budgets. This will be my go-to recommendation for churches looking to start or mature a ministry to special-needs children, students, adults, and their families.

Few churches are equipped to welcome our brothers and sisters with disabilities, not because we don’t want to but because we don’t know how. Sandra Peoples wants to help churches be well prepared for the task. Her pioneering work is a gift to the church. If you are a pastor who desires to serve saints with disabilities, you and your staff need this book.

As a father of a son with a disability, I’ve seen firsthand the profound beauty and challenges that come with raising a child who doesn’t fit the world’s narrow definition of ‘normal.’ But Sandra Peoples reminds us in Accessible Church that God’s grace shines brightest in our weakness. This book is a powerful call to the church to embrace families like mine—not with pity but with purpose. People with disabilities are not to be looked down on; they are some of the greatest teachers of God’s goodness, joy, and unconditional love. Sandra weaves together theology, personal experience, and practical wisdom to show how every church can be a place where the gospel reaches and transforms everyone. This is more than a book; it’s an invitation to see God’s glory in unexpected places.

Sandra Peoples has given us a plethora of practical steps in this important book. Her many years of living with people with disabilities and working ‘in the trenches’ has produced wisdom that she translates effectively into pragmatic, down-to-earth models for ministry in the church. The church needs to read, absorb, and apply this wisdom. I am grateful Sandra has labored long to produce this faithful resource, and I recommend it heartily and with gratitude.

In my estimation, this is the most complete book on disability ministry that is currently available. Sandra Peoples approaches a bevy of crucial topics with biblical wisdom, ministerial understanding, practical knowledge, and personal experience. This is more than a book; it is a valuable resource, and a necessary tool, for anyone who has come alongside individuals whose lives are impacted by disability.

Every church should be accessible to everyone. In Accessible Church, Sandra Peoples casts a compelling vision of the why and how of becoming more accessible to the disabled community. Read this book, but more importantly, do whatever it takes to implement the wisdom it contains.

Gospel centered through and through, built on a rock-solid theological foundation, and practical on every level: This wonderful book checks all the boxes! Its theme—‘the goal is the gospel’—rings consistently in every chapter. What a beautiful gift Sandra Peoples has given to the church.