Uncommon Love: God’s Heart for Christian Parents of Gay Kids

A Bible Study for Parents of LGBTQ Kids, By Mary Comm

 Uncommon Love: When Same-Sex Attraction Hits Home, A Bible Study for Parents of LGBTQ Kids is a landmark Bible study, and the first of its kind.  This Bible study is a much-needed navigational map for Christian parents whose kids have SSA or are living the LGBTQ lifestyle.  In a culture where gay rights, gay marriage, and a plethora of gender issues has recently exploded in the media, more and more kids are coming out—and many of these are from Christian homes with Christian parents.  These parents don’t know what to do, how to respond, where to draw boundaries or if they even should. Scripture, which is the foundational basis for how to live the Christian life, has even been brought into question, further confusing the hearts and minds of Christian parents.

This Bible study focuses on God’s Word, and His heart for Christian families facing this difficult and heart-wrenching issue.  Parents want to maintain good relationships with their kids, but as Christians, they are torn by the “letter of the Law,” understanding God’s heart for those caught in this sin, the voices of people on every side of the issue, and their own feelings and emotions.  It is a complex and harrowing situation for these families, and too often one of two things happen: either the parents blow up the relationship by rejecting their kids or their lifestyle in harsh or inappropriate ways, or they completely compromise their faith in God and their own identity as Christians.

The primary purpose of this Bible study is to help parents to maintain loving, mutually respectful relationships with their LGBTQ children, offering them compassionate understanding and unconditional love without compromising their own identity, faith, and values.  Although the title refers to parents of “kids,” this book applies to every family facing LGBTQ issues regardless of the ages of those involved.  Whether their child is a minor and has just begun struggling with Same-Sex Attraction, or the child is an adult who has been living the LGBTQ lifestyle for 25 years, the principles in this book apply.  However, it should be noted that the primary audience for this book is for parents whose gay child is an adult.  Further, from my experience in leading parent support groups on this topic, Christian parents often continue to struggle with feelings of inadequacy or questions of obedience to God even after 25 years of dealing with an LGBTQ child.

Because this book is a Bible study, its reach will be comprehensive within the evangelical Christian community.  Church leaders (including pastors, youth and young adult leaders, women’s ministry leaders, small group leaders, recovery group leaders, and more) will be interested in this book for their churches, parachurch organizations, and communities.

This Bible study is for every Christian parent who wants to show unconditional love to their LGBTQ child (minor or adult) without compromising their own Christian identity, faith, and values. Thoroughly biblical and theologically sound, this book reveals God’s heart for everyone affected by this complex and difficult situation.  Mary strikes that delicate balance between compassionate love and understanding, while empowering parents to set healthy boundaries that help to preserve authentic relationship with their LGBTQ children, and in a manner that honors God, their faith, and the LGBTQ person.

Of particular value to parents is the focus on hope; as parents of LGBTQ kids, our hope rests in God alone—in His power, plans, and purposes for both our children and us.  Parents will find compassion, strength, hope, and invaluable tools for loving and accepting the path their children are on while honoring God, preserving their Christian faith and values, and keeping the family unit intact.  In short, heart of this study is in employing biblical truth and compassion without condoning sinful behavior.  This Bible study provides the ultimate win-win scenario that establishes mutual respect, trust, and hope in a painful and seemingly hopeless situation.

Praise for Uncommon Love: God’s Heart for Christian Parents of Gay Kids

• So real…so needed…so relevant.  At times, we see a huge hole that needs to be filled—this is one of those times.  This unique Bible Study builds a bridge of hope for parents wanting to reach their SSA child through a caring relationship.  My friend Mary Comm has “uncommon love”— you can have it too.

June Hunt

Hope for the Heart Founder & CSO (Chief Servant Officer)

Author: How to Forgive…When You Don’t Feel Like It

 

• Hope, peace, healing, help, and direction are just a few of the words that describe what the Uncommon Love Bible study provides for parents whose children, of any age, have SSA or are involved in the LGBT community. Uncommon Love provides parents with a sound Biblical approach to dealing with this current issue in a practical, loving, grace-filled way in today’s culture. I highly recommend this one-of-a-kind study to any parent or ministry leader who is dealing with this sensitive topic.

–Dan Schmidt

Family Ministries Pastor

Foundations Church

Loveland, Colorado

 

• “Mary Comm has written this Bible study from the compassionate and compelling viewpoint of a woman who deeply loves both her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and her daughter. Mary is astonishingly vulnerable about the deep pain experienced by parents of SSA kids, while also shining a brilliant light of hope through the prism of faith in God’s Word. More than a Bible study for parents, Uncommon Loveis a beautiful tool for Christians and churches to use in beginning a new and better conversation around the issue of homosexuality—a conversation focused on Same-Sex Attraction as the result of deep heart wounds, and our Great God who still heals hearts and transforms lives today through His uncommon love for all.”

–Susan Eastham

Wife and mother of an adult son transformed from SSA

Author, Bible Teacher, Speaker

College of Biblical Studies/Houston

Dallas Theological Seminary

 

• “This study has been a marriage changer for my husband and me! It has challenged us both to dig deep about how we really felt and then more importantly, to TALK to each other! Before this study we would just argue IF we even talked about our son. It also gave me the peace I desperately needed by knowing God’s heart on this issue. Many Christians don’t support parents with SSA kids; instead they judge us or alienate us because they believe the lie that this is who God made our kids to be.”

–Beth F., Bible Study Participant

 

• “Uncommon Loveis replete with faith, hope, and compassion woven through every page. The message is clear: God’s love and compassion reach even those caught in Same-Sex Attraction; His heart is broken for them and with them—as well as their parents—and He is faithful. Thoroughly Biblical; beautifully written. Uncommon Love is fresh, creative, and stimulating—written well by one who has walked this path.”

–Barbara Hanno

 

• “Uncommon Love moved me from feeling helpless and hopeless to being full of hope as I try to navigate this journey with my SSA child.  Prior to this study I was feeling isolated. Now I know I am not alone.”

–Jan R., Bible Study Participant

 

• “God brought this Bible study exactly when I needed it. The study really helped me work through a lot of the questions I had.  I really appreciated the Biblical foundation as I was wrestling with how to hold on to truth and still love my daughter. I highly recommend this study.

–Michelle B., Bible Study Participant