Recommended Reading: Books
We've curated these resources that we have reviewed and endorse. Please note that some of the authors of these resources may hold views that do not align with our values, so we are not necessarily endorsing their whole body of work.
For your convenience click on any book cover to order it from Amazon.
Embracing the Journey
by Greg & Lynn McDonald
Publication Date: 01/07/2020 Greg and Lynn McDonald had never interacted with members of the LGBTQ+ community until they discovered that their son was gay—and without resources or support, they had no idea how to handle this discovery. At first they tried to “fix” him, to no avail. But even in the earliest days of their journey, the McDonalds clung to two absolutes: they would love God, and they would love their son. This book follows the McDonald family’s journey over the next 20 years, from a place of grief to a place of gratitude and acceptance that led the McDonalds’ to start one of the first Christian ministries for parents of LGBTQ+ children. Based on their experience from counseling and coaching hundreds of struggling Christian parents, they offer tools for understanding your own emotional patterns and spiritual challenges. They also help you experience a deeper relationship with God while handling difficult or unexpected situations that are out of your control. You will discover tested principles, patterns, and spiritual lessons that can change the way we all see our families, and help Christians at large think though Christlike ways to respond to the LGBTQ+ community. Written in an unvarnished, honest, reassuring, and relatable voice, this is a practical guide for parents and a blueprint to learning to love God, the people He created, and the Church, even when they seem to be at odds.
Love Is an Orientation: Elevating the Conversation with the Gay Community
by Andrew Marin
Publication Date: 03/25/2009 2010 Outreach Magazine Resource of the Year Award winner: culture category 2010 Golden Canon Leadership Book Award winner Relevant Magazine: Top 20 Best Overall Books of 2009 winner Englewood Review of Books: Top 20 Best Overall Books of 2009 winner Christian Manifesto 2009 Lime Award winner Andrew Marin's life changed forever when his three best friends came out to him in three consecutive months. Suddenly he was confronted with the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community (GLBT) firsthand. And he was compelled to understand how he could reconcile his friends to his faith. In an attempt to answer that question, he and his wife relocated to Boystown, a predominantly GLBT community in Chicago. And from his experience and wrestling has come his book, Love Is an Orientation a work which elevates the conversation between Christianity and the GLBT community, moving the focus from genetics to gospel, where it really belongs. Why are so many people who are gay wary of people who are Christians? Do GLBT people need to change who they are? Do Christians need to change what they believe? Love Is an Orientation is changing the conversation about sexuality and spirituality, and building bridges from the GLBT community to the Christian community and, more importantly, to the good news of Jesus.
The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming
by Henri Nouwen
Publication Date: 3/1/1994 Inspired by Rembrandt’s painting, Nouwen reflects on the parable’s spiritual depth, exploring themes of forgiveness, reconciliation, and God’s unconditional love.
The Big Reveal: Loving Your LGBTQ+ Child While Strengthening Your Faith
by Debbie Causey with forward by Justin Lee
Publication Date: 05/10/2022 This important book is a must-read if you're a Christian parent with an LGBTQ+ child, pastor, or ministry leader. Debbie Causey approaches this book as a loving, caring Christian mom, licensed counselor, and pastor in a megachurch. She tackles this lighting rod topic by sharing her personal story with her son Noah in an honest, candid, and relatable way that will help countless hurting Christian families with LGBTQ+ loved ones; this book will indeed save lives, maybe even your child's life.
Understanding Gender Dysphoria: Navigating Transgender Issues in a Changing Culture
by Mark A. Yarhouse
Publication Date: 11/25/2025 Few topics spark more debate today than gender identity, fueling intense discussions across social, political, and cultural spheres. Understanding Gender Dysphoria is an essential guide for those who wish to approach this topic with empathy and informed insight. Mark Yarhouse, an expert in sexual identity and therapy, challenges the church to rise above the political hostilities and listen to people's stories. He combines biblical principles and scholarly research to offer a Christian perspective on transgender issues that eschews simplistic answers and appreciates both psychological and theological complexity. In this updated edition, you'll find updated sources and references, language that reflects the most recent Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR), and new content on more recent trends, including rising numbers of young people identifying as transgender and non-binary. 2010 Outreach Magazine Resource of the Year Award winner: culture category 2010 Golden Canon Leadership Book Award winner Relevant Magazine: Top 20 Best Overall Books of 2009 winner Englewood Review of Books: Top 20 Best Overall Books of 2009 winner Christian Manifesto 2009 Lime Award winner
It's Not Supposed to Be This Way: Finding Unexpected Strength When Disappointments Leave You Shattered
by Lysa TerKeurst
Publication Date: 11/13/2018 What went wrong? Why did God let this happen? Reality often ends up so very far from the life we long for, doesn’t it? Bible teacher Lysa TerKeurst deeply understands daily disappointments and life-altering loss. By walking through her own valley, she’s discovered that in God we can find unexpected strength as we wrestle well between our faith and feelings. With solid truth, vulnerability and honest humor, Lysa will help you: •Find peace and hope for the future when you feel like your life is not what you expected. •Stop being pulled into the anxiety of disappointment by discovering how to better process unmet expectations and other painful situations. •Train yourself to recognize the three strategies of the enemy so you can stand strong and persevere through unsettling relationships and uncertain outcomes. •Discover the secret of being steadfast and not panicking when God actually does give you more than you can handle. •Shift your suspicion that God is cruel or unfair to the biblical assurance that God is protecting and preparing you. •Know how to encourage a friend and help them navigate hard realities with real help from God's truth. This is a MUST–READ for anyone that stands vertical on this earth.
Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World
by Henri Nouwen
Publication Date: 10/1/2002 Written as a letter to a secular friend, Nouwen presents the Christian message of being God’s “beloved” and how to live from that identity amid a busy, skeptical world.
Space at the Table: Conversation Between an Evangelical Theologian and His Gay Son
by Brad and Drew Harper
Publication Date: 2/23/2016 A candid father–son dialogue exploring faith, sexuality, and love, modeling how mutual respect and empathy can bridge deep theological and personal divides.
Talking Across The Divide: How to Communicate with People You Disagree with and Maybe Even Change the World
by Justin Lee
Publication Date: 8/14/2018 Lee offers practical tools for engaging in productive, empathetic dialogue across contentious divides—religious, political, or cultural—without sacrificing truth or compassion.
Us versus Us: The Untold Story of Religion and the LGBT Community
by Andrew Martin
Publication Date: 06/01/2016 Would you believe that 86 percent of LGBT+ people–from the proud marcher at the Pride Parade to the quiet, closeted teen–spent their childhood in church? More than half of them left those religious communities as adults; three out of four would be happy to come back. For decades now we have found ourselves caught up in a culture war: us versus them. Good news: there is no them. Our culture war has been a civil war: Us versus Us. And there is a path toward meaningful peace. Andrew Marin brings the startling findings of his largest-ever scientific survey of the religious history, practices, and beliefs of the LGBT+ community. Marin's findings offer clear direction for both sides of a long cultural battle to meet in the middle, sacrificing neither conviction nor integrity as they rediscover the things they have in common and the hope found in Christ alone. Original, groundbreaking research into the religious lives and beliefs of the LGBT+ community.
Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life (Revised and Expanded Version)
by Richard Rohr
Publication Date: 11/22/2023 Rohr explores how true spiritual growth often comes in the “second half” of life, when people move beyond ego and success toward inner freedom and wisdom.
With Open Hands
by Henri Nouwen
Publication Date: 04/01/2006 Now updated, 'With Open Hands' offers gentle encouragement to readers seeking God & insight to the components of prayer: silence, acceptance, hope, compassion, & prophetic criticism.
The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World
by Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu
Publication Date: 9/20/2016 A warm, humorous dialogue between two spiritual leaders offering insights and practices for cultivating lasting joy amidst suffering and life’s challenges.
The Seven Storey Mountain: An Autobiography of Faith
by Thomas Merton
Publication Date: 10/4/1999 Merton’s spiritual memoir traces his journey from a restless, worldly young man to a Trappist monk, chronicling his search for meaning, peace, and union with God.