Living Out Podcast

Friendship. We all need it, and it's especially valuable in making the single life plausible. But how do we do it well? How can we foster healthy intimacy in friendship? What example does Jesus give us? All this and more to come in our new podcast series - stay tuned!

Who’s the Tiny Tim of the Living Out staff team? And the Scrooge? How can we keep going as single people over Christmas and New Year, and look out for the single people around us?  All this and more in our (slightly chaotic) podcast Christmas Special!  Resources mentioned and related The Loneliest Day of the Year Dani Treweek God Gets You Andrew Bunt Coming Home for Christmas Dan Reid A Poetic Gift This Christmas Ed Shaw 

James, a youth leader and Kaleidoscope contributor, shares his experience of trying out the series with some of his youth group, including what they particularly enjoyed about the series.  We also hear from Eleanor, who tells her story in episode 3 of Kaleidoscope, about some of the blessings of singleness, her reflections on how the Church has handled the wider issue of sexuality, and why she as a church leader is excited about Kaleidoscope.  Finally, Adam tells us about his experience of faith and sexuality as a teenager, what’s changed in our culture and in the Church for young people growing up today, and what stands out to him about Kaleidoscope. Resources mentioned and relatedKaleidoscope  What I Would Tell My Teenage Self About Singleness Adam Curtis  True Freedom Trust Born Again This Way Rachel Gilson A War of Loves David Bennett Is God Anti-gay? Sam Allberry Meet the Authors #2 – Adam Curtis 

We speak to two parents, Jo and Claire, about the world their children are growing up in and their experience of talking to them about sexuality, gender and faith. They share how their churches have tackled these issues so far, and why they’re excited about Kaleidoscope. We also hear from Sean – a parent, church leader, and someone who experiences same-sex attraction – about the difference Kaleidoscope would have made for him as a teenager and how he hopes it will help start good conversations on these big topics. Resources mentioned and relatedKaleidoscope What I Wish I Was Told about Sex When I Was a Teenager Ed Shaw  

What is Kaleidoscope? Why have we made it? Andrew and Ashleigh, our Emerging Generations team, share their hopes for the series, and catch up with two of the people who contributed to it.  Katherine tells us what conversations about sexuality were like for her growing up, and why she’s excited for Kaleidoscope giving space for more open conversations in churches. And Ben shares his thoughts on how we can have those conversations well, with some particular tips for youth leaders. Resources mentioned and relatedKaleidoscope Katherine: The Power and Beauty of Stories (Different Stories #3) Christ and the Culture Wars Ben Chang A Better Story Glynn Harrison 

As a teenager, Nat was fascinated by God and got confirmed. But when she came out as a lesbian at 16, she was met with rejection from her peers and a Christian school teacher. At university, she joined the LGBT society and remained angry at God and at Christians for the way she’d been treated. But then she met Matt when she started working, and his reaction to her story was different. They tell the story of how they met, how Nat gave her life to Jesus, how they started dating, and share some of the benefits and challenges of their mixed-orientation marriage. Resources mentioned and related God Healed My Experience of Rejection Nat Sean and Gaby’s Story This episode contains a reference to self-harm.

This episode contains discussion of childhood sexual abuse, depression, and suicidal thoughts.Sometimes God breaks into our lives in the most unlikely circumstances. Robert was sexually abused by a teacher at school, forced into becoming a Christian, and went on to marry a woman and lead a church – all while being same-sex attracted and not truly knowing Jesus. From there things fell apart, and Robert began living as an out gay man. Only later would he come to know the love of God for the first time, and give his life to Christ.  Resources mentioned and related If you’re affected by any of the issues raised in this episode, please reach out to someone you trust. In the UK, you can also contact Samaritans for support – call 116 123 free, 24 hours a day. Samaritans also provide a full list of organisations you can contact for advice on a range of issues, including abuse and mental health. You can find that here. 

As a gay teenager, David felt rejected by the Church and couldn’t see a plausible way for him to be a Christian. He became an activist set on destroying Christianity and opposing it at every turn. But his time at university found him looking for something deeper, eventually leading to an unlikely encounter with Jesus and the love of God. Now a theologian, David shares how his research has helped him see that living a single and celibate life can not only be a way to flourish, but also to subvert and challenge the ideas of the society around us, pointing people to Jesus, our subversive saviour.  Resources mentioned and related: A War of Loves David Bennett A War of Loves: A Review Stuart Ferguson David’s Story Video Kaleidoscope

Looking for purpose and meaning at medical school, Laura spoke to a Christian friend who invited her to church. She decided to put her trust in Jesus, and it was only several years later she realised she was same-sex attracted. We chat with Laura about how she’s found trusting that God’s ways are good since then, and why good friendships are so important as she seeks to follow Jesus. She shares how her friendships have sometimes been complicated by attraction or emotional dependency, and some of the things God has taught her about friendship along the way.  Resources mentioned and related Simon: Intimacy and Emotional Dependency (Different Stories #4) Adopt An Aunt Ed Shaw Transforming Friendship: A Review Ed Shaw True Friendship Vaughan Roberts Made for Friendship Drew Hunter 

Paul tells us how he came to faith as a teenager, and how a combination of clear teaching and sharing with good friends has helped him navigate same-sex attraction and stay faithful to Jesus. Paul also shares how he unexpectedly fell in love with his now wife, and his advice for any same-sex attracted Christians considering an opposite-sex marriage.We also chat about how we respond to our desires. Is it harmful to deny ourselves things we desire? How do we know which desires are good to act on and which aren’t? What are the different lenses we might look at those questions through and how do they influence our approach? Resources mentioned and relatedStrong Desires and Deep Desires Andrew BuntWhat Are Your Desires Telling You? Amy RiordanYou Are Being Lied To Andrew BuntHandling Sexual Urges (Part 1) Jo Johnson