(Originally posted at The Equip Blog)

You’re a parent, and your child just shared that he is gay. Or you’re a pastor, and a woman at your church just told you she’s dating a woman. How do you respond?

In these moments, there isn’t time to attend a conference or read five different books. You need to learn—and quickly—so that you can respond with the love and compassion of Christ.

We’ve put together a resource just for you. It’s a Virtual Course of over 40 videos and articles, including a 16-video series with customized handouts for parents and pastors. 

For just $50 you can gain one-year access to this powerful tool! It addresses the following questions:

• When should parents talk to children about sexuality?

• How can parents and pastors compassionately teach about God’s wisdom for gay people?

• How can our churches become places where gay people can thrive?

• How can Christians respond compassionately to coming out and Gay Pride?

• Does same-sex attraction change?

• What part did God play in the development of sexual orientation?

• How can Christians who are gay identify?

• How can parents and pastors minister to LGB Christian women better?

• How can gay people meet their intimacy needs in healthy ways?

• What good plans does God have for gay people?

• and much more!

The content focuses on same-sex attraction and sexual identity questions. You’ll notice that the videos refer to youth pastors, student ministry, teens, and parents, but the principles and reflection questions can be transferred to ministry to LGBT+ people of any age.

The core of the content is a series of videos, each focusing on a specific question such as “How can our church welcome LGBT+ people?”, “Does same-sex attraction change?”, and “What future does God offer LGBT+ people?” Each video comes with a handout that includes EQUIP’s notes, reflection questions, and space to journal. You’ll also find links to additional videos and written content from EQUIP.

More than 75 parents and pastors have already used our Virtual Course. 100% of parents surveyed said they gained deeper understanding from using the platform. And 100% of pastors surveyed said they expanded their skills to minister after using the platform.

The parent of a LGBT+ woman said this about our resource:

My husband and I watched the videos and read your articles. We often wonder what it would have been like if our church (and we as parents) had been better educated about what our daughter was going through in middle school and high school...how we wish she could have felt safe with us and in our church to talk to someone without fear and misunderstanding....to be parents and church members who had learned how to offer a listening ear and walk with her on her journey.

A pastor who learned from the course said this:

Props for developing empathetic but also clear, challenging, and bold content.  This content continued to broaden my language, understanding, and knowledge in these areas.  It continued to strengthen my awareness of some of the deeper conversations within this topic.  I also feel more comfortable engaging some tough conversations thanks in large part to this content.

Anyone who seeks a deeper understanding of this topic and wants to know how to walk with people lovingly could benefit from this content. Plus, this never comes off as an argument that you've set out to win. This ALWAYS comes off as trying to equip pastors, leaders, and friends to love people well and walk with people well who may have questions or feel on the outside. It is a loving attempt to equip others to walk through something complex and difficult - to prevent pain, to initiate healing, to fight brokenness, and to lift up the marginalized.

We think parents are best served in person by a trained expert, but this powerful tool will help you play catch-up before the next conversation and keep you learning throughout the year. And while churches will be best equipped by an in-person partnership with EQUIP, these training materials can be an adrenaline-shot of knowledge for better ministering to those who experience same-sex attraction. 

To check out a sample video or gain access, visit equipyourcommunity.org/virtualcourse today. Got questions? Email us at info@equipyourcommunity.