Hello, friends of Alive in Christ! I recently spoke at a church up in Maine. This was the first time my family travelled with me to a church service. (They had tagged along to some conferences when the kids were younger). This meant my teenage sons (ages 13 and 15 1/2) heard me preach this message for the first time! We had shared some of the general details of my story when each boy was about 11 or 12, but this was definitely more specific. So my husband and I sat them down ahead of time to discuss what they would hear, specifically how I had my first lesbian relationship at age 15 and had another relationship after I became a Christian.
These conversations aren’t always easy or comfortable – even for me! A mother came up to me partway through a recent training to say that growing up, her parents never said a single thing to her about sex. She doesn’t even remember learning much in school! “How am I supposed to talk to my kids about this? I don’t know what to say!” That’s exactly why we have entire trainings to equip parents on how to discuss gender and sexuality. I gave her some resources and shared this great quote with her:
“When you break through the awkward, it means you care enough to try” (Sy Rogers).
All that said, it still surprises me how unfazed the boys are by the fact their mom used to identify as a lesbian. To them, I’m just Mom. They also said I’m a lively and engaging speaker, and my 13-year-old said, “You’re not boring AT ALL.” High praise, I’d say! Here we are, from left to right: my sons Nathanael (15 1/2) and JJ (13), my husband Roy in the glasses, my daughter Maggie (8) and I in front with Pastor Brad Mullins. It really was wonderful to have them there with me!
The Alive in Christ team and I would love the opportunity to come and speak at your church, whether it be a brief introduction or a message during a Sunday service, or presenting one of our seminars. Please let us know how we can serve you! We also want to thank you for your faithfulness in prayer and financial support! As Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus, “I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers” (Ephesians 1:16). We truly could not do this without you. Please continue to pray that we would bring Jesus’s love to those impacted by same-sex attraction & gender dysphoria, sharing the truth that God is still in the business of changing lives.
Thank you!
To Our Financial Supporters: If you would like to give a gift to the ministry, you can either send a check to us at the address below, or you can give under the “Support Us” section of our website. All gifts are tax-deductible.
Alive in Christ, 1 Park Street, Boston, MA 02108, (617) 880-9099