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Resources for the Journey - Sexuality & Gender

FCRC’s Sunday (Nov. 15) morning worship service, Our World Belongs to God- Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be, focussed on God-given pathways to human intimacy. The message concluded with telling three stories of intimate Christian communities helping each other in their sexual expression.  We were challenged to reflect on the question- How can/does our Fleetwood community encourage such intimate support? 

If sermon reflections evoke some wonderings and questions and you want to read or learn more,  the list below shares some related titles in the church library, several with links to websites that may be helpful.  Scroll to the bottom for directions on how to request books from the church library. 

Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be: A Breviary of Sin by Cornelius Plantinga, was the Christianity Today, “1996 Book of the Year”, and continues to speak to us in 2020.   “Plantinga has carefully staked out the nature of sin and restated aspects of its relevance for a new generation”.  

To support parents including healthy sex education in their children’s development of faith, there’s How to Talk Confidently with Your Child About Sex by Lenore Butt.  It’s accompanied by the Learning about Sex for the Christian Family Series and other miscellaneous titles to share with toddlers to early teens. It includes a child’s book about sexual abuse, I Can’t Talk About It   by Doris Sanford.

For young adults, Sex God: Exploring the Endless Connections Between Sexuality and Spirituality by Rob Bell, a follow up to his best seller Velvet Elvis, or The Naked Truth Sexual Purity for Guys in the Real World  by Bill Perkins.

Helpful also is the scope of expertise and up to date technical tips to protect your computer and children’s devices from pornography- by a team of researchers and educators who work hard on creating safe internet spaces:  https://protectyoungeyes.com/

In the weeks to come watch for a new title recommended by CRCNA Safe Church:

Unwanted: How Sexual Brokenness Reveals our Way to Healing, by Jay Stringer.   https://jay-stringer.com “Whether it’s pornography use, an affair, or buying sex,  unwanted sexual behaviour will inevitably affect you or someone you love.” Stringer’s goal is to treat the cause and not the symptoms of unwanted sexual behaviours.                                                                           

Sexual Abuse and Trauma:

The Wounded Heart: Hope for adult victims of childhood sexual abuse by Dr. Dan. Allender https://www.thetraumatherapistproject.com/podcasts/   

Learning to Trust Again: A young woman’s journey of healing from sexual abuse by Christa Sands https://christianheartcounseling.com/christa-sands-counseling/

Every Young Woman’s Battle: Guarding your mind, Heart, and Body in a Sex-Saturated World  by Shannon Ethridge.    Workbook Included    www.shannonethbridge.com  

Intimate Issues: 21 Questions Christian Women ask about Sex by Linda Dillow and Lorraine Pintus.   Includes a 12-week Bible Study on subjects appropriate for group discussions. https://www.marriagetrac.com/linda-dillow-books/

Other Books on Sexuality and Gender:

What Does the Bible Teach about Homosexuality? by Kevin DeYoung.             

Does Jesus Really Love Me? A Gay Christian’s Pilgrimage in Search of God in America by Jeff Chu. “The quest to find an answer propels Chu on a remarkable cross-country journey to discover the God ‘forbidden to him’ because of his sexuality. “ http://byjeffchu.com/book/

The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert is Rosaria Champagne Butterfield’s first book in which she “details her conversion and the cataclysmic fallout- in which she lost ‘everything but the dog,’ yet gained eternal life in Christ.”   https://rosariabutterfield.com/biography   

God and the Gay Christian: the Biblical Case in Support of Same- Sex Relationships by Matthew Vines.

“In its affirmation of both an orthodox faith and sexual diversity, God and the Gay Christian has sparked heated debate, sincere soul search­ing, and widespread cultural change on the issue of what it means to be a faithful gay Christian”.

How to Request Books from the Church Library:

To access these books, one can go to the library on-line and place a reservation.  Your user name is your “lastnamefirstname”  ie. doejane and a way will be found to connect the book with you.  Alternatively, visit the self-help library during open church hours.  The books are on display, simply leave a contact phone # and the name of the book.

Categories: Library Resources