What this book is about:
You sit there bewildered. Across the kitchen table, your young’un has just declared “I am queer non-binary” or “this body is not who I am.” You did not think your family was that messed up but this is throwing you for a loop. Once again, you feel out of your league in this whole parenting thing.
Or, perhaps a friend has confessed to your teen that he or she is trans. Your child is asking you how to respond. You are at a loss.
Or, an uncle has begun estrogen treatments and is asking your family to use a new name for him. How do you advise your child on engaging with him? Or, is it her? How do you even interpret the request? And how do you prepare your younger children to live in and engage the now-prevalent trend in the culture?
Or, maybe you have seen some clothing in a drawer that stopped you in your tracks. You are putting two and two together and realizing that the child you thought you knew has begun leading a double life. At school, your child has taken on a different persona and the school authorities have not informed you, out of a fear that you wouldn’t understand what your child needs. You know you belong in the equation, but feel intimidated by the professionals. How do you win back your kid?
Or, savvy parent that you are, you perceive the enormous cultural changes taking place and you want to know how to teach your younger children on what they are about to encounter just outside your door.
Transgenderism is a big umbrella of a term, covering many conditions and experiences. Thus, a parent or teacher of a teen who stands under it needs a flowchart to get to the heart of what is really going on. Then, you need Biblical principles to help someone reconcile with her body, or embrace a vision for his God-given gender. Where can you find such a guide?
Endorsements
There is no conversation more important than this one, and no book more helpful in forging it. Before one more child is lost to the alienation and deception of the transgender phenomenon, please buy and read this book. Pastor Andreades demystifies this politically charged debate, bringing pastoral care and scripture to bear on its heartfelt questions. This is a must-read. I recommend this book to every Christian home.
—Rosaria Butterfield, Author of The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert, Openness Unhindered, and The Gospel Comes with a Housekey
Across the Kitchen Table was an absolute privilege to read. There were so many “This section is great” places I highlighted in yellow, topics addressed by someone who has really thought through these matters deeply in conjunction with many experiences in ministering to people.
Overall, this book is meeting a huge need. I’m just glad that I now have a go-to resource to send fraught, searching parents to. I’ll definitely be having our staff read the book as well because I’m sure we’ll be referring back to it time and time again. This labor of love will be used for the benefit of so many families who are in such desperate need.
—Mark Sanders, President of Harvest U.S.A.
Most of the church is woefully ill-prepared to respond to the many pressing challenges posed by the “trans” phenomenon. Sam Andreades’ latest book, Across the Kitchen Table, will help equip you to do so with great charity and great clarity. With keen insight and sound counsel, Andreades places today’s confusion about the body and gender exactly where it belongs: in the context of our creation, fall, and redemption. In the process, he shows us that true hope lies not in the technological promise of salvation from our bodies, but in the biblical promise of the salvation of our bodies.
-–Christopher West, Th.D., Author, Our Bodies Tell God’s Story: Discovering the Divine Plan for Love, Sex, and Gender, host, Ask Christopher West
What Sam has written is a much-needed resource. It’s not a word-for-word guide for what to say to your children struggling with gender or declaring a trans or non-binary gender identity. Rather, it’s a tool to know how to respond to whatever your children might say, laying a foundation of truth from Scripture and general revelation. His flow-chart for navigating the different types of gender confusion is invaluable. And he has unearthed some real gems from the Bible that are desperately needed in this discussion, giving insights to buttress against potential “got ya” rebuttals and doubts that our children may have.
-–Andrew Rodriguez, MS, LPC, Integrity Christian Counseling
