Now in its 17th year, the 2020 Outreach Resources of the Year honors the past year’s best books that emphasize outreach-oriented ideas and ministries.
The social issues and social justice category was evaluated by Knute Larson, an Outreach magazine consulting editor and a coach of pastors and churches. He pastored for 43 years, and is the director of Pastorpedia, a monthly video and blog for church leaders, accessible through outreachmagazine.com.
RESOURCE OF THE YEAR
Holy Sexuality and the Gospel: Sex, Desire, and Relationships Shaped by God’s Grand Story by Christopher Yuan (Multnomah)
This clarification of biblical sexual purity includes short, strong theology chapters on our highest calling, our being created in the image of God, our fall into sin with its present ramifications, and God’s purposes in being so clear about all sexual morality.
Yuan uses straight talk and very readable writing, always with a gracious mood that stems from his strong alliance with Christ and his past failures in morality. He dispels common theories of what causes homosexuality and clearly offers hope to people in battle. Thoughts on the fall are profound but also hopeful for us who struggle with sin and desire to rise in combination with Christ. “God’s Grand Story”—the title Yuan gives to his first chapter on his conversion to finding his identity in Christ instead of his sexuality—is golden and gorgeous.
Additional resources on social issues and social justice, go to outreachmagazine.com/social-justice.