Book 1: Embodied by Preston Sprinkle
This is one of the better books written on the topic of transgender identities, what the Bible says about it, and how the church should respond. While I don't necessarily resonate with everything he says or thinks, Preston Sprinkle draws on Scripture, as well as real-life stories of individuals struggling with gender dysphoria, to help you understand the complexities and emotions of this highly relevant topic.
With careful research and an engaging style, Embodied explores:
- Why more and more teens are questions their gender
- What it means to be transgender, nonbinary, and gender-queer, and how these identities relate to being male or female
- Why most stereotypes about what it means to be a man and woman come from the culture and not the Bible
- What the Bible says about humans created in God’s image as male and female, and how this relates to transgender experiences
- Moral questions surrounding medical interventions such as sex reassignment surgery
Here is the link to purchase the book: Embodied
Book 2: Raising Worry-Free Girls by Sissy Goff
I read this book because I have 2 young daughters and this topics makes me nervous, given the extremely high percentage of adolescents dealing with anxiety today. I found it to be so insightful and practical. If you have a daughter, it would be surprising if she doesn't struggle with anxiety and worry--either in short episodes or for longer periods. For a variety of reasons, childhood anxiety rates are soaring, especially among girls. Today's parents need to know what contributes to anxiety and worry and how they can empower their daughters to overcome troubling emotions.
In this book, veteran counselor Sissy Goff shares how you can instill bravery and strength in your daughter. Addressing common age-specific issues, Goff gives you the tools to help you and your child understand why her brain is often working against her when she starts to worry, and what she can do to fight back. With your help, she will find the anchoring truth of God's strong, safe love for her and the confidence she needs to thrive.
Here is the link to purchase the book: Raising Worry-Free Girls
Book 3: The Anxious Teen by Brock Morgan and Hallie Scott
I'm only part way through this book, but so far it has been very eye opening and challenging for me as a pastor. This book is more geared toward youth ministers, but I think it would be very helpful for parents as well. Now more than ever, teens are struggling with stress, anxiety, and fear. Between social media, the 24/7 flood of news from around the world, global pandemics, mental health crises, the pressure of getting good grades or attending a specific college, financial stress at home, and existential threats like climate change, it’s no wonder.
Teenagers today are different from teenagers even 10 or 20 years ago. The issues they are facing are complex and wide-ranging. How can we understand them better? What are the best ways to meet anxious teens where they are and help them feel seen, loved, and known—both by us and by the God who cares for them so deeply?
Brock Morgan uses his conversational style and trademark humor to approach this topic from the starting point of his own experiences with anxiety and his decades in youth ministry. In these pages he provides context to help us understand today’s anxiety-ridden reality, and teaches skills and practices we can develop in ourselves and our youth to move forward in a lasting, healthy faith.
Here is the link to purchase the book: The Anxious Teen
