Announcing a new book: Across the Kitchen Table

You sit there bewildered. Across the kitchen table, your young’un has just declared “I am queer non-binary” or “this body is not who I am.” You did not think your family was that messed up but this is throwing you for a loop. Once again, you feel out of your league in this whole parenting thing.

Or, perhaps a friend has confessed to your teen that he or she is trans. Your child is asking you how to respond. You are at a loss.

Or, a relative has transitioned and is asking your family to use a new name for him. How do you advise your child on engaging with him? Or, is it her? How do you even interpret the request? What is actually being said? And how do you prepare your younger children to live in and engage the now prevalent trend in the culture?

Or, maybe you have seen some clothing in a drawer that stopped you in your tracks. You are putting two and two together and realizing that the child you thought you knew has begun leading a double life. At school, your child has taken on a different persona and the school authorities have not informed you, out of a fear that you wouldn’t understand what your child needs. You know you belong in the equation, but feel intimidated by the professionals. How do you win back your kid?

Transgenderism is a big umbrella of a term, covering many conditions and experiences. Thus, a parent or teacher of a teen who stands under it needs a flowchart to get to the heart of what is really going on. Then, you need Biblical principles to help someone reconcile with her body, or embrace a vision for his God-given gender. Where can you find such help?

Announcing my new book:

Across the Kitchen Table:

Talking with Your Teen about Trans

I have just completed a manuscript that answers these questions. While I consulted with licensed counselors in their valuable work, researched the social science literature for its important insights, and engaged with western culture’s puzzling trends, the dearth I am seeing is in pastoral counsel. So this book is really just an arrangement of notes from this pastor’s desk.

Many different voices now confront us about how to understand distress about one’s body and gender. As I have taught and counseled people about gender issues for many years, I have found the Bible to be an invaluable guide to navigate these rough waters of transgenderism. So, in the book you are getting the biblical principles I arrived at in helping those I love, written down so you can gain confidence in helping those you love.

This biblical-pastoral book is for parents and their teens who want to know how to address the trans-phenomena in a calm way as it impacts their home. You don’t have to be a professional. You don’t have to freak out. God does not leave us adrift in navigating these waters.

If you are interested in listening to more about this, I will be doing a live interview with Chris Arnzen on his radio program, Iron Sharpens Iron. You can tune in to listen this Monday, May 15, 4 to 6 pm EST.

Click the title below if you would like to be notified when the book becomes available.

So we can be ready for that conversation…