Regional Connects 2023

Main Session + Breakout Resources

The below resources were curated by our presenters and our District team. We hope that you will pursue your own learning. You will find a wide variety of helpful books and articles below. Please note that a recommendation is not necessarily a full endorsement.

God + Politics

Led by Joe Wittwer

Breakout Slides

Books

  • Thou Shalt Not be a Jerk: A Christian’s Guide to Engaging in Politics, by Eugene Cho

  • Not in it to Win it, by Andy Stanley

  • The Political Seduction of the Church, by Michael L. Brown

  • City of Man: Religion and Politics in a New Era, by Michael Gerson and Peter Wehner

  • Truth Over Tribe: Pledging Allegiance to the Lamb, Not the Donkey or the Elephant, by Patrick Keith Miller and Keith Simon

  • What You Should Know about Politics…but Don’t: A non-partisan guide to the issues that matter, by Jessamyn Conrad

Articles

  • Political Dealing/The Crisis of Evangelicalism, Doug Labberton

  • How do Christians fit into the two party system? They don’t. Tim Keller

  • The Evangelical Church is breaking apart, Peter Wehner

  • How politics poisoned the Evangelical church, Tim Alberta

  • Christian nationalism cannot save the world, Russell Moore

Sermon

  • Arguing about Politics, by Tim Keller (July 15, 2001)

Gender and Sexuality

Led by Pastor Cody Whittington

Breakout Slides

Books

  • Allberry Sam. Seven Myths about Singleness. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2019. 

  • Bunt, Andrew. Finding Your Best Identity: A Short Christian Introduction to Identity, Sexuality, and Gender. London,  EN, Inter-Varsity Press, 2022. 

  • Bennet, David. A War of Loves: The Unexpected Story of a Gay Activist Discovering Jesus. Grand Rapids: Zondervan,  2018.

  • Coles, Greg. Single, Gay, and Christian: A Personal Journey of Faith and Sexual Identity. Downers Grove, IL:  InterVarsity Press, 2017. 

  • Collins, Nate. All But Invisible: Exploring Identity Questions at the Intersection of Faith, Gender, & Sexuality. Grand  Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2017. 

  • Grant, Jonathan. Divine Sex: A Compelling Vision for Christian Relationships in a Hypersexualized Age. Grand  Rapids, MI: Brazos, 2015. 

  • Harper, Kyle. From Shame to Sin: The Christian Transformation of Sexual Morality in Late Antiquity. Cambridge,  MA: Harvard University Press, 2013. 

  • Hill, Wesley. Spiritual Friendship: Finding Love in the Church as a Celibate Gay Christian. Grand Rapids, MI. Brazos,  2015. 

  • Hill, Wesley. Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality. Grand Rapids, MI:  Zondervan, 2016.

  • Johnson, Greg. Still Time to Care: What We Can Learn from the Church’s Failed Attempts to Cure Homosexuality.  Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2021. 

  • Jones, Beth Felker. Faithful: A Theology of Sex (Ordinary Theology Series). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2015. 

  • Loader, William. Making Sense of Sex. Making Sense of Sex: Attitudes towards Sexuality in Early Jewish and  Christian Literature. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2013.

  • Loader, William. Sexuality in the New Testament: Understanding the Key Texts. Louisville, KY: Westminster John  Knox Press, 2010. 

  • Pearcy, Nancy R. Love Thy Body: Answering Hard Questions about Life and Sexuality. Grand Rapids, MI: 2019. 

  • Sax, Leonard. Why Gender Matters? Why Gender Matters, Second Edition: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know About the Emerging Science of Sex Differences. New York: Crown Publishing, 2017. 

  • Sprinkle Preston. Embodied: Transgender Identities, the Church, and What the Bible Has to Say. Colorado Springs,  CO: David C. Cook, 2021.

  • Tushnet, Eve. Tenderness: Gay and Catholic: Accepting My Sexuality, Finding Community, Living My Faith. Notre  Dame, IN: Ave Maria Press, 2014. 

  • Yarhouse, Mark A. Understanding Gender Dysphoria. Downers Grove, IL. InterVarsity Press, 2015. 

  • Yarhouse, Mark A. and Olya Zaporozhets. Costly Obedience: What We Can Learn From the Celibate Gay Christian  Community. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2019.

  • Yarhouse, Mark A. and Julia Sadusky. Emerging Gender Identities: Understanding the Diverse Experiences of  Today’s Youth. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2020. 

  • Yuan, Christopher. Holy Sexuality and the Gospel: Sex, Desire, and Relationships Shaped by God’s Grand Story. New  York, NY, Multnomah, 2018.

Articles

Online Resources

The Center for Faith, Sexuality, and Gender: www.centerforfaith.com

Living Out: www.livingout.org

The Center for Sexual & Gender Identity Institute: www.wheaton.edu/academics/school-of-psychology-counseling-and family-therapy/sexual-and-gender-identity-institute/

Main Session: Cultural Engagement

Led by Pastor Cody Wittington

Main Session Slides

Books

  • Burton, Tara Isabella. Strange Rites: New Religions for a Godless World. New York, NY: Public Affairs, 2022.

  • Brooks, David. The Second Mountain: The Quest for a Moral Life. New York NY: Random House, 2020.

  • Cleveland, Christena, Uncovering the Hidden Forces that Keep us Apart. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2013.

  • Metzger, Paul Louis. Connecting Christ: Connecting Christ: How to Discuss Jesus in a World of Diverse Paths. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2012.

  • Sayers, Mark. Disappearing Church: From Cultural Relevance to Gospel Resilience. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers

  • Trueman, Carl R. The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2020.