Andrew Marin
Zondervan, 2011, Participant Guide 107 pp., DVD 6 Sessions, $31.99
It is no secret that the gay and lesbian community and the evangelical church community have had their fair share of disagreements. It is safe to say that within the church at large the topic of homosexuality is polarizing. As a result of these differing opinions, many may find this curriculum to be too controversial to walk through.
The 6-session DVD and participant guide stem from Marin’s 2009 book of the same name. There’s no hard-nosed stance on either the right or wrongness of homosexuality. Marin’s goal is not to change your doctrine but to train churches to listen to and love the gay community well.
Youth workers may find the session on “Adolescents and Sexuality” particularly enlightening, especially the video components that specifically train youth workers how to minister well when a student comes out to you.
The sessions occasionally drag during their 25-minute duration, but the interviews and production elements are well done. The participant guide has tough questions that will challenge everyone who participates to evaluate how they personally are loving people on the other end of the bridge. This resource may not determine where you stand on this issue, but it will force you to consider how well you love people.
