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Parenting without Panic in an LGBT-Affirming World

Discipling Our Kids with Jesus' Truth and Love

from 8 reviews

Helps parents to teach young children what the Bible says about sexuality proactively and positively in a culture with contrasting ideas and values.

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Description

As Christian parents, we long to equip our kids as they venture out into a culture where LGBT is affirmed and celebrated. We want them to know what God says, and to love what God says. But, it’s hard to know where to start. That's where this book can help.

Author Rachel Gilson helps you to teach your children proactively and positively about God’s beautiful design for human sexuality, gender, and relationships. This book will help you to provide your children with a Christian framework for sexual ethics, rather than letting the culture lay the foundations of their worldview in this area. 

Rachel writes with understanding and clarity to help fellow parents engage with the wider LGBT narrative with faith rather than fear. Since she herself experiences same-sex attraction but has chosen to follow the Bible's teaching, she has put much thought into this topic. She reassures us that Jesus gives us everything we need to be faithful disciples in a fallen world, and that God works out his perfect purposes despite human sin. She also shares her wisdom on how to respond with grace and truth to people with different beliefs in this area. 

This book is ideal for parents of preschool through elementary-school children.


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Specification

Contributors Rachel Gilson
ISBN 9781802541120
Format Paperback
First published September 2024
Dimensions 5.1" x 7.8" x 0.4"
Weight 5.11 oz
Language English
Pages 128
Publisher The Good Book Company
Endorsements

J.D. Greear

J.D. Greear, Pastor at The Summit Church

There are few voices I trust more for clarity, guidance and wisdom than Rachel Gilson. In this book she enables parents to approach intimidating subjects with confidence and skill, taking advantage of the divinely orchestrated discipleship moments God supplies as we raise our children. Practical, faithful, discerning, insightful—Rachel is a gift to the church, and I love learning from her.

Kathy Keller

co-author of The Meaning of Marriage and Assistant Director of Communications at Redeemer Presbyterian Church, New York

I hope that every Christian parent, teacher, pastor, counselor, or anyone else who ministers to children will take the time to read this short primer on preparing children to withstand, as disciples, the cultural affirmation of LGBT+ narratives, as well as what may be their own confusion. Rachel Gilson is both rock solid in affirming all God’s commandments and will for male and female identities, while at the same time, urging graciousness and kindness to those who have adopted a broken understanding of sexuality. For that matter, I would hope kind and gentle Christians would be moved to pass this small volume along to those who hold a different view from the Bible, in the hopes that they would learn that to disagree is not to hate and that the gospel of Jesus is our resource for all kinds of brokenness.

Ray and Jani Ortlund

President and Executive Vice President, Renewal Ministries

Rachel Gilson’s Parenting without Panic in an LGBT-Affirming World can be welcomed by parents with a huge sigh of relief! She writes as a true friend who understands what you are facing and as a brave ally who can help when your child needs support. Let’s all thank Rachel for her honesty, faithfulness, and wisdom.

Customer reviews


Nov. 4, 2024

“Practical and relational”

Really appreciate this very practical and relation look at how to navigate the issues of our current culture and how we can best prepare our children without fear and panic, but also shower them and those we disagree with with grace and love.


Oct. 31, 2024

“Solid, Practical, and Encouraging”

This short, conversational book tackles tough topics in a gracious and winsome way. The author shares from her own experience and covers core biblical principles, exploring ways that parents can approach conversations about sexuality with young children and school-age kids. The book is well-organized and easy to follow, and the highly readable, personal writing style helps defuse some of the stress parents will feel around the topic. There are also bullet-point summaries at the end of each chapter for easy reference, reminding readers of principles and suggested practices from that chapter.

This book is thoughtful, compassionate, and nuanced. The author explains God’s vision for sexuality, as represented through the Bible and the created order, and she writes about ways that parents can start teaching their kids about sexuality and reproduction in age-appropriate ways early on.

She also writes about the impact of both chosen sin and unchosen brokenness on people’s bodies and lives, offers suggestions for LGBT-specific conversations, and shares biblical examples and encouragement for parents who are fearful about teaching counter-cultural concepts. The final chapter offers helpful, sensitive insight on how to respond when LGBT issues hit close to home, especially when a child is questioning their sexuality or comes out.

This book will appeal to Christian parents who want to teach a traditional biblical sexual ethic to their children, but who feel overwhelmed because of cultural opposition and their uncertainty about how to do things differently than their own parents. I also appreciate that the author doesn’t just write to parents, but addresses other important adults in a child’s life as well. Overall, this book is a solid resource, and its brevity will make it accessible to busy parents who don’t have time to read something more extensive.

I received a free copy from the publisher, and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.


Oct. 18, 2024

“Needful & Helpful”

This book is so helpful as we parent in a world that is against so much of what we hold true. Christian parents, this is a great resource!


Oct. 16, 2024

“Great resource for Parents of young children”

I read this book in tandem with What Do I Say When…?. Apparently both Crossway Publishing and The Good Book Company had similar plans to release a short parenting guide on some of the cultural issues of the day and how to relate them at age-appropriate levels.

I decided to read them back-to-back and compare them.

In brief, I would say that I liked Parenting without Panic better, however it was written for parents with kids 11 and under— which is me— and I felt like she did a better job providing more specific illustrations and ways of communicating.

This book is a good starting point but as the authors of both books reiterate, as parents we need to be well-versed in the lies they might hear and how to combat that. That will require reading more than this book.

I will agree with another review regarding caution as it pertains to Preston Sprinkle's book and theology. I don't think Rachel Gilson was necessarily recommending him as something to mirror but more of a, educate yourself on how people who claim Christ can twist God's truth, but you'll have to hold it all up to Scripture regardless.

I’m still working on quelling all of my fear regarding my kids’ faith and future, but I can tell you that I have a lot less fear and a lot more confidence in parenting from reading books like this that remind me that my beliefs regarding LGBT topics are not hateful, bigoted, or misguided. They are grounded in the love and truth of God who created each of us on purpose with a purpose. I don’t have to wonder if I’m on the wrong side of history because I know I am on the right side of God’s truth.


Sept. 10, 2024

“Helpful & Biblical”

The world our children are growing up in looks quite different than the one most of us were raised in and as such the messages our children will receive on this topic will likely happen much earlier.

Rachel approaches this topic with encouragement for parents to not succumb to the fear that may naturally spring up in us but provides principles to guide these conversations while praying for and applying God’s wisdom.

One of the things that I appreciated most about this book was the first few chapters where Rachel dives into God’s vision for marriage and sex before even approaching the LGBT topic. I loved her emphasis on teaching our children about God’s good design for these things from the start. As a bonus, she also has some great conversation examples for talking about sex with your kids.

Once they have a base level of knowledge for God’s good design for marriage and sex, it’s easier to then point out when the culture promotes distortions of this original design.

Rachel’s past experience with same-sex attraction and commitment to the Bible’s teaching on the subject offer a unique perspective that balances both the truth of God’s word and the call to show love to our neighbors recognizing that every single one of us has been impacted by sin and the fall.

Upon finishing the book, you may be left wanting more, which Rachel herself addresses. She writes "I expect you feel an itch remaining to be scratched from the many questions that were not answered. The itch is also an opportunity. What I've tried to supply you with in these few pages are principles for guiding you."

It's a difficult topic and one with no exact script that could possibly match every situation parents will encounter with their children. But this book is a great guide to help you navigate the conversation around marriage, sex, LGBT+ and God's word.

*Thanks so much to @thegoodbookcompanyusa for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


Sept. 2, 2024

“faithful option to navigate LGBT+”

Although this isn't the first Christian book to address the LGBT+ movement, it is another timely addition to the others. I am always hesitant and skeptical of books like these. Mainly because there are many books that seem to come from a biblical perspective but end up using the name of Jesus to affirm LGBT+.

Thankfully, Rachel brings a very precious perspective as she, herself, walked the road of LGBT+ for many years before being confronted with the Gospel and immediately changing her direction in life. I was thankful for Rachel sharing her own experience and how the Lord brought her into His Kingdom. These are stories we need to hear more of in order to gain wisdom and love towards the LGBT+ community.

Gilson structures the book with six chapters sandwiched between an introduction and a conclusion. The chapters include:

- God's positive vision
- Sex Talk
- The Impact of the Fall
- Tools for LGBT+ Conversations
- Fear Not
- In the Family

Although this is a small, short book, she provides a plethora of invaluable wisdom, experiences, stories, and practical. She writes specifically to parents with kids younger kids and preteens.

Each chapter ends with two sections:

- Key Principles: summarizes the important points of the chapter.
- Practices for Parenting: provides simple ways to implement the concepts discussed in the chapter through teaching your children and living it out daily.

This is a wonderful book for parents to walk alongside their kids and navigate a society that affirms LGBT+ while staying faithful to the word of God.

I received a copy of this book from The Good Book Company in exchange for an honest review.


Sept. 2, 2024

“A Gift to the Church”

I received Parenting Without Panic in an LGBT Affirming World compliments of The Good Book Company in exchange for my honest review.

Parenting Without Panic in an LGBT Affirming World is the second book by author Rachel Gilson. The book gives parents practical tips for talking to their children about sex, homosexuality, and transgenderism from a biblical perspective. At the beginning of Parenting Without Panic in an LGBT Affirming World Rachel wrote about the importance of teaching children God's design for sex and marriage.

While these conversations can feel awkward, they are important and Rachel equips parents with the tools they need to start the conversations. She has a few sentences parents can easily memorize and implement when teaching their children that are so helpful.

Rachel offers readers a unique perspective as a Christian who struggles with same sex attraction. The book helpfully reminds readers that struggling with sins other than homosexuality and transgenderism doesn't make one better or less of a sinner and that the ground is level at the cross. Her approach to each topic maintains an excellent balance of truth and grace. She doesn't shy away from what the Bible teaches and she does so with compassion and gentleness. Her example is one I hope to see many Christians, including myself, emulate.

Parenting Without Panic in an LGBT Affirming World concludes with ways parents can love their children if their children are homosexual or transgender. This section of the book is full of principles backed by Scripture and I found myself so encouraged upon reading it.

I'm deeply grateful for Rachel's voice and eagerly anticipate reading and learning more from her in the future. If you are a parent and/or disciple children in any capacity, I highly recommend purchasing a copy of Parenting Without Panic in an LGBT Affirming World. This book is a gift to the church and a must read for those who minister to children.


Aug. 30, 2024

“A practical guide for parents.”

Editing the story so that there are two people representing Christ, or two people representing the church,  distorts the gospel picture just as deeply as the distortion of adultery, or the distortion of sexual violence in marriage. To these distortions and more, God says "No" because they are sin against his great "Yes" in Christ. " -Rachel Gilson

This book won't give you all the answers to this complex topic, but is more of a guide. I actually found it so practical even though my children are still very young. I love how she pulls some advise from Birds and Bees for talking with your chidlren about sex. The advice given in Chapter 2 about having "the talk" was so helpful and practical. At the end of each chapter, there are takeaway points labeled "key principles" and a section on "practices for parents" with practical steps to take from the chapter. This is such a hard topic to broach with our children and it can seem so overwhelming. This book is a great tool to help parents know how to approach this with both truth and love.

The author shows the connection between our sexuality and the gosepel and also shows how it has been broken because of the fall. I also appreciated this quote and reminder, "Every time something in our life exalts romance. We can talk to our kids about how that desire is met in the marriage of God with his people."

My only note of concern with this book was her recommendation for a book by Preston Sprinkle who I have heard some concerning stuff about on his views on this topic. Otherwise, this book was really good and I definitely recommend.

Thank you @thegoodbookcompanyusa for a copy of this book for my honest thoughts!

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Parenting without Panic in an LGBT-Affirming World | Rachel Gilson |
$14.99 $12.74