Public Square
A bibliography of resources on addressing the questions that are currently debated in the public square
Bioethics
- The Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity, a trove of resources for pastors and churches to navigate ethical issues of embodiment
Race Issues, CRT, BLM
- Be The Bridge, by LaTasha Morrison
- Confronting Injustice without Compromising Truth by Thaddeus Williams, and the Study Guide
- Embracing the New Samaria, by Alex Mandes, director of the EFCA All Peoples ministry, and the Study Guide
- King Race Theology, by Tony Evans (requires a RightNow Media account, which MWD pastors can get HERE)
- The Myth of Equality, by Greg Wystma
- One Blood: Parting Words to the Church on Race, John Perkins
- Project 378. An approach to the discussing race from the biblical perspective using the EFCA Statement of Faith. Coming Spring 2023.
- Stuck in the Present by David George Moore (CRT and other current issues)
- “What Happened to You?” by Andrew Sullivan (CRT)
LGBTQ+, Gender, and Sexuality Issues, the Equality Act
- Calibrate Ministries / Brady Cone (LGBTQ+ and the Gospel) - (Brady is available to equip churches and parents to minister to those with same-sex attraction)
- The Great Exchange - a series of podcast on the topic, with Brady Cone
- Caleb Kaltenbach / The Messy Grace Group (LGBTQ+ and the Gospel, and a resource for The Equality Act efforts in Congress)
- Choose Life: Answering Key Claims of Abortion Defenders with Compassion, by John K. Goodrich and Jeanette Hagen Pifer
- Christopher Yuan - See also the ReachStudents interview with Christopher
- Desert Stream: seeking wholeness as image bearers
- Embryo: A Defense of Human Life, by Robert George and Christopher Tollefsen
- "How to Talk with your Kids About Transgender Ideology" - article by TGC
- LGBTQ+ roles in the Church - article by Lifeway
- Transgender, by Vaughn Roberts
- Washed & Waiting, by Wesley Hill
- When Harry Became Sally, by Ryan Anderson
- How to love trans people: https://go.efca.org/blog/engaging-culture/how-church-can-love-trans-people
- To Be a Woman: The Confusion Over Female Identity and How Christians Can Respond, by Katie McCoy, Ph.D.
- "Transformation of a Transgender" by Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra of the Gospel Coalition
- What It Means to Be Human: ...and the Challenge of Biomedical Technology & Practice, by Stan Way
Women in Ministry
Note that the EFCA and the MWD hold a complementarian position, but as per the EFCA values, we collaborate with churches who may hold a different position.
- EFCA's position on women in ministry
- Developing Female Leaders: Navigate the Minefields and Release the Potential of Women in Your Church, by Kadi Cole
- Men and Women in the Church, by Kevin DeYoung
- Neither Complementarian nor Egalitarian: A Kingdom Corrective to the Evangelical Gender Debate, by Michelle Lee-Barnewall
- 7 Views on the Role of Women within the Inerrancy Camp, from Bible.org
Grab Bag of Issues
Abortion
- A critique of the methods of the Abortion Abolitionist movement and their opposition to the Value Them Both amendment
- A Theology of Abortion - an argument against abortion based on the Traducian view by C. Michael Patton with Credo House
- "5 Tough Truths on Abortion & Your Church" - an article by Lifeway Research
Evangelicalism
- Can evangelicals get along? (sent in by Eric Hoehn)
- Deconstructionism - Part 1; Part 2
- 6 Fractures in the Evangelical Church
- "Future Church: 8 Church Trends to Watch in 2023" by Carey Nieuwhof
- Moralistic Therapeutic Deism - "fake Christianity"
- One Year Later: Reflecting on Evangelicalism’s Six-Way Fracturing, by Skyler Flowers and Michael Graham
- National Association of Evangelicals - resources for discussing issues in the public square
- We Will Not Be Silenced: Responding courageously to our culture’s assault on Christianity, by Erwin Lutzer
- "Pastors Around the World Apply Romans 13", by the Gospel Coalition.
- Politics and the Christian Witness: https://helps.efca.org/resources/politics-and-the-christian-witness
- Responding to accusations that the EFCA has adopted a "woke" worldview, an unofficial statement by Greg Strand, plus a transcript of Kevin Kompelien's remarks at the national conference. You can request a copy of either from Colby Kinser.
- Science for the Church
- Secular Creed: Engaging Five Contemporary Claims, by Rebecca McLaughlin - how to respond to sensitive issues. For the free e-book from the Gospel Coalition, click HERE. See also her talk on the same topic HERE.
- 3 Essays by Young Adults, from the Gospel Coalition. Titles: "“Advice from a College Student: Go to Church” by Luke Engstrom; “I’m a Gen Zer, and I Believe the Bible Is Inerrant” by Ashley Kim; “‘But God’: Hope and Certainty for My Disillusioned Generation” by Sara Gonzalez
Human Trafficking
- Human Trafficking Training for Law Enforcement in your Community
Blockchain, NFT, Crypto, Metaverse
- How Blockchain Works
- What is an NFT?
- Crypto Coin Vs Token
- "Accepting and Valuing Crypto" by ECFA (not EFCA), requires membership
- Metaverse: "Should Your Church Be Metaverse?" - article by Lifeway Research
- Metaverse: "How to Get Started in the Metaverse"