When I Go To Church I Belong is a beautiful story which looks to reassure children they are welcome at church whatever their needs and differences.

I really appreciated the sensitivity of the author in this. Evans explains in simple, but not condescending terms, some of the challenges children may face, how the church addresses them and that each child can be known and loved by their community. As an auntie with nephews with additional needs, I could see myself reading this to them and chatting about it. It’s also a brilliant way to start a conversation about inclusion with any child.

I loved the author’s note and the heart behind it. Thank you for sharing such a beautiful message of hope and inclusion.

This is a amazing inclusive book. I would definitely recommend this for your childs first time going to church. It explains the many things they may see, hear, or feel while at church. The many options they have to help with those who has special needs. Making kids feel welcome in church. The exclusion of special needs children and adults in church isn’t talked about much in any church ive been in. This book made me wish even i was at a church so accessible! Beautiful book!!!

When I Go to Church, I Belong is specifically written for children/families with children of disabilities. This helps to explain how all kids are different in many ways. It shows how church is a safe place that is full of acceptance and love from God. It emphasizes accommodations that a church has/can make in order to make those with disabilities more welcome.
This book has a great message.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

When I Go to Church, I Belong is a brilliantly illustrated story of six families and the way their children with disabilities are both seen and assisted by their church community.

While the words are simple, the message is clear: Whether it be ramps installed for easier mobility, a room dedicated to sensory issues, or a special friend to follow along when a child's focus doesn't stay the expected route, children with disabilities deserve understanding and space in a church setting. Thankfully, there are even more disabilities addressed and each is illustrated with the same care, attention to detail, and weight the author intended her story to hold.

Though the book is marketed to families and children, it's my personal opinion that churches would benefit the most in experiencing a visual guide on how to incorporate accommodations for their disabled youth. While it may not make the best-seller list or appear in a list of children's favorite books, it is an important story with a beautiful message of inclusivity.

Great story on keeping everyone included. All kids should feel like they have a purpose. Everyone church needs a copy. Illustration are fantastic!

Great story about how the church welcomes everyone! I love that it gave so many examples across a wide range of differences people experience. The only feedback I'd give, is that not all churches have the accommodations it showed in the book. I wish it had given examples of what to do when those things are not available.

Such a beautiful message of inclusion told in simple words and gorgeous pictures. The welcome that churches offer is made clear and the words are reassuring if Gods welcome to all and a church’s welcome and love to all. A positive , bright book for children,

When I Go to Church, I Belong
Finding My Place in God's Family as a Child with Special Needs
by Elrena Evans
Pub Date 19 Sep 2023
InterVarsity Press, IVP Kids
Children's Fiction | Christian | Religion & Spirituality


When I Go to Church, I Belong was provided to me by Intervarsity Press, IVP Kids, and Netgalley for the purpose of review:



Children with disabilities often find it difficult to fit in, but church can be a place where everyone feels welcome and included. The story of six children with special needs is told in When I Go to Church, I Belong, which makes it easier for us to better understand the experiences and feelings of those with disabilities.


In addition, it reminds us that despite our differences, we also share a great deal in common. Written by Elrena Evans and illustrated by Rebecca Evans, this message of inclusion and belonging can be enjoyed by children and their adults. There is also a note from the author that encourages further discussion about the content.


I give When I Go to Church, I Belong five out of five stars!


Happy Reading!

Such a cute book filled with adorable illustrations about kids with various disabilities and how the church provides them with the space and means to truly be themselves and belong. A great example for how churches can provide inclusive environments where everyone belongs.

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Loved this book! Inclusive, warm, simple, great pictures. We’ll definitely be adding the physical book to our congregation’s library and I plan to get a few for our Little Free Library, too!

Synopsis: When I Go to Church, I Belong is a beautiful story of children with special needs and their experience as the navigate going to church. The characters have several differences including having a wheelchair, speaking through sign language, having food allergies, and a few others. This book explores the challenges and beauties of a church that shares the love of Jesus to all who come through their doors.

Analysis: I LOVED this book. Growing up in church, I’ve seen both sides of this story with a church that welcomed those with special needs and a church that just didn’t know how to handle it. This book is a great starting point for conversations with your kids. And the illustrations are beautiful. This story shares the beautiful truth that Jesus loves everyone, and as his children, we should be sharing that love with others:

Great book with a message for all of us and great pictures too!

In this book the illustrations are perfect for the message that is being communicated. It is important that people and children with special needs are loved and accepted at church and everywhere they go. There are many different special needs children represented in the book. This book would be great to study in church for adults and children. We all need and want to feel loved and accepted.

As a child, before I entered school, Church was where a large majority of my socialization came from, beyond my immediate family. All of my exposure to anyone who did not look or think like me, was at Church. This book is a great tool for both families, and church workers, to explain that if you want your Church to be inclusive (and I sincerely hope you do) changes may need to be made, and that is okay if some people need different things than others.

Thank you NETGALLEY for the arc in exchange for a review

I absolutely loved this book for my 2 young nephews, it’s so great to be able to talk about these issues in a way that isn’t confusing for them, it was easy enough to understand and to follow along.

Oh my goodness, what a sweet book. I have a sister who has a mental disability, and it is my honest hope that this is how she feels when she goes to church! I LOVE this story and will certainly be adding this to our family shelves at home and picking up a copy for my sister in law. The pictures were beautiful and showed such diversity! The font was easy to read, making this book accessible for so many people. Seriously, 5 stars!! I'm so thankful this exists.

Written for children and families with children of disabilities. Children with disabilities need help to get around and when a church makes accomodations for those with disabilities, it becomes a place of welcome and love. Church can be a second family with sharing meals and helping others. It can look different. A great book for families and church to be more aware.

A special thank you to Intervarsity Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review.

This book shows a diverse group of kids and highlights each of their disabilities, but the message is that everyone is welcome in Church. It can be their safe space.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

The art in this book was gorgeous. Just what I look for in a children's picture book. I appreciated the biblical view of diversity and the encouragement to include people of all levels of ability in the church and in worship.

The churches depicted tended to be large or very modern churches which does not appeal to me and does not reflect the variety of smaller, traditional churches which in my experience are the ones that really need this encouragement to provide resources for the differently abled, as they are often the ones with lower budgets and would not necessarily be in the position to have these facilities in place.

This story made me cry. We all feel like we belong when we go to church, but there is a segment of the population that maybe doesn't feel as if they are maybe as welcome as they could be. Children with disabilities sometimes look or even act differently from others their age. Sometimes it's hard to explain to others why the do some of the things they do. They can even be disruptive to the services. But everyone should feel like they belong when they go to church. This book helps especially young children maybe understand some of those differences and will help them accept others that can be different. It is beautifully written with lovely illustrations. Add it to your church's library today.

This picture book gives examples of how churches can be welcoming, meaningful places for children with special needs. The book goes through multiple characters with different experiences, talking about how they feel about being at church. The book is warm and positive, and although the characters' experiences certainly won't be reflected at all churches, this is a nice book about how kids can feel at home in a spiritual community in spite of their differences.

One girl talks about her church putting in a ramp, and a boy talks about how he feels welcome at church potlucks whether he can eat something there or has to bring his own food. I appreciated the attention to dietary sensitivities, which are very common and often a source of angst for people who are not visibly disabled and have to field intrusive questions. Since that is my experience, I really appreciated the book mentioning that the boy can bring his own food and feel welcome, since I have often had to argue with people to convince them that they really can't provide anything that I can eat, and that I will feel more welcome if they don't try. I'm so glad that this book didn't set the unreasonable standard of the church always providing food that is right for this child.

I appreciated this book's many examples, great message, and sweet, diverse illustrations, but I was somewhat disappointed by the assumption that everyone is attending a church with plenty of space and financial resources. For example, a girl with sensory issues is able to relax in a spacious, attractively decorated calm room, but some churches are meeting in a rented storefront and storing everything in a trailer, and they can't provide a luxurious space with lots of great furnishings. Also, not every church is in a community with enough financial resources to make everything look this nice or anticipate every possible need. I would have liked some visual representation or textual acknowledgement that even when churches don't look the same, aren't in traditional church buildings, and don't have the same resources, they can still be welcoming places full of love.