Sandra Peoples (M. Div, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) is one of the leading voices in the special-needs community. She is the author of three books, including her most recent release, Unexpected Blessings: The Joys and Possibilities of Life in a Special-Needs Family (Bethany House, 2018). Sandra is currently as PhD student at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in the area of family ministry with an emphasis on inclusion for special needs families.
Sandra and her husband Lee have two sons—David and James. James has level 3 autism. Sandra also has a sister with Down syndrome, which gives her a life-long perspective on being in a special-needs family. Her family lives outside of Houston, TX where Lee is a pastor. You can learn more about Sandra and her family on this Focus on the Family interview from Jan. 2022, Experiencing God’s Grace in a Special Needs Family.
Sandra serves the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention as their special-needs ministry consultant, helping churches around the state start and strengthen their disability ministries. She also teaches a disability ministry cohort through Gospel Centered Family. Sandra is a monthly cohost for Key Ministry: The Podcast, where she will share her perspective on family aspects of disability ministry and inclusion. She and her friend Tiffany Crow also host All Access, a yearly conference held in February in the Houston area for ministry leaders and volunteers.
Sandra’s writing has been featured by the following sites and publications:
- Lifeway Research
- The ERLC (the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission for the SBC)
- The Gospel Coalition (and here)
- Christianity Today
- Everyday Faith Magazine from DaySpring
- CrossWalk
- Outreach Magazine
- Key Ministry, where she was the former editor and many of her articles about special-needs ministry can be found
Sandra enjoys reading (and talking about books with her book club friends), gardening (especially growing cucumbers and making pickles), cooking (her family’s favorite meal right now is Greek chicken pitas with tzatziki sauce), and watching her son David in his theatre performances.
What do you want to do next?
- Buy a copy of Unexpected Blessings: The Joys and Possibilities of Life in a Special-Needs Family
- Subscribe to Sandra’s newsletters
- Get access to Sandra’s posts and videos about disability ministry
- Learn more about her cohort through Gospel Centered Family
- Listen to Key Ministry: The Podcast episodes
If you have booked Sandra for an event and need her headshot, you can download and use the image below:
