When Children Come Out

A Guide for Christian Parents

By: Mark Yarhouse, Olya Zaporozhets

Narrated by: Fred Sanders

When a child comes out as LGBTQ+, Christian parents often find themselves navigating unfamiliar, unsettling terrain. Mark Yarhouse and Olya Zaporozhets, therapists and researchers with decades of experience, have written this book to provide perspective, insight, and the chance to learn from others who've shared a similar journey. Using data from studies of Christian parents of LGBTQ+ children, they deliver research-based insights and faithful wisdom that is accessible for parents, their friends, and church leaders.

Yarhouse and Zaporozhets reframe the focus away from "culture war" questions that are not helpful to families in favor of practical counsel for maintaining and deepening relationships. Parents and the church leaders who care for them will benefit from understanding key developmental considerations among teenagers and emerging adults who are navigating questions around sexual and gender identity and faith.

Identifying common patterns while acknowledging the uniqueness of each family, here is a book to guide parents in processing their own experiences, beliefs, and relationship with God. They will also discover techniques to reduce fear-based parenting choices and to express love, as the parent-child relationship continues to change and grow over time.

©2022 Mark A. Yarhouse and Olya Zaporozhets (P)2023 eChristian

He importance of maintaining a relationship stood out most.

This book is for gay children who come out my my child is transgender and so a lot of this I feel doesn’t really apply to my situation. I agree that maintaining the relationship is important but I will never like the fact that my child wants to use hormones which I feel is more like self harm rather than gender affirming. God is not lukewarm about this. I’m hoping the psychologist I’m working with who recommended this book will have more insight on how I am supposed to go forward in dealing with my child’s gender dysphoria. I do not feel empowered with any kind of a plan after finishing this book. God will eventually reveal what he has planned for my child. To anyone reading this, all God’s peace and blessings to you on this journey.