Growing Up Saved

When Loving God Feels Like Losing Yourself

What do you do if the faith that raised you seems to fail when you need it the most?

Kristen LaValley grew up a church kid through and through. She said “the sinner’s prayer” before she could write her name―and spent the next few decades trying to prove she meant it; in a body that couldn’t rest, with a mind she didn’t yet understand, under a God she was afraid to disappoint. She learned to perform the kind of faith that got praised: one that hid pain and swallowed questions.

But in the thick of depression, spiritual exhaustion, and a late ADHD diagnosis, she found herself wondering if the faith she’d built her life on could really hold her.

In Growing Up Saved, Kristen maps the slow undoing of a faith formed in certainty and what it took to find God in the middle of her unraveling.

In these, you’ll find authenticity, empathy, and compassionate theology as you explore:

• how to find your way through a faith that was formed in fear
• the intersection of trauma, mental health, neurodivergence, and spiritual identity
• the healing work of making peace with your body, your mind, and your story
• a path for those navigating life after disillusionment, burnout, religious trauma, or pain

This audiobook isn’t a call to give up on faith. It’s an invitation to hold it differently. With tenderness, grit, and humor, Kristen offers a hard-won way through grief and grace to a messy, holy rebuilding.

©2026 Kristen LaValley (P)2026 Tyndale Elevate

When a Book Says the Quiet Parts Out Loud

I had to pause more than once. Not because I didn’t understand, but because it felt like she was saying things I had thought… but never fully let myself say out loud.

At times I felt exposed - like, excuse me… how is what I’m feeling suddenly public information?
Oh wait… I didn’t just share my insides - someone else has the same weird vibes too.

Even though our stories are different, something felt deeply familiar. I grew up in the church, and in many ways it felt like a third parent - one I’m now slowly untangling as I sort through what is actually mine, what was the church, and what is God.

One of the biggest gifts of this book was language - for things I’ve felt for years but couldn’t quite name. Not as something wrong, but as part of how I’m wired.

It didn’t tell me anything wildly new.
It just met me where I already was and quietly said, “You’re not making this up.”

I laughed, I cried, and I felt accompanied.

My late sweet mum used to pray I’d find a “bosom buddy.” Turns out… sometimes it’s a book.

If you grew up in church or you’re raising your kids in church, this is worth the read!

I’ve followed Kristen on Instagram since 2021. She’s always been a transparent breath of fresh air. Her book Even If He Doesn’t spoke straight to my heart and the season I was in. When she first shared about Growing Up Saved, I knew it would be worth the read (in this case, the listen). I’m so thankful that I’ve mostly grown up in a very healthy church environment but there was still so much good I needed from this book; “Godliness is a response to His love, not a requirement for it.” “When sin is put in the right light, shame loses its grip on you.” If you grew up in church, or if you’re currently raising your kids in church, this book is absolutely worth the read. Thank you, Kristen. ❤️

So refreshing

This book is a must for any woman who has experienced church trauma. Kristan speaks with a voice that is relatable and healing.

For those who always wondered if you needed to rededicate your faith, again.

If you ever wondered WWJD or kissed dating goodbye o rededicated your faith again, just for good measure, you may relate to this book. For those who felt like they hoped to find their way in the church but may have gotten lost along the way.

Kristin names the pain that you may have found in the church, without throwing the baby out with the bath water. There is so much food found in the church, but also so much hard stuff. This book helps you navigate the good and the bad, and see hope for the future.