(Digital Editor's Note: This article was published first in the April 2023 print edition of The Stand.)
What was your biggest concern when you were 9 years old? For many it was a test at school the next day, saving money to buy the latest new toy, or the intimidation of a big game or recital next week.
Ordinary concerns for ordinary children.
But Denise Shick was no ordinary child. Her biggest concern, even as a 9-year-old, was being the sole keeper of her father’s secret – he wanted to be a woman. She was the only one he told. Nowadays Shick ministers to victims of the LGBTQ agenda and their families.
Growing cultural reality
Sadly, such stories as Shick’s are becoming more common for families in the 21st century, and Christians need clear answers. What happens when a spouse comes out as gay? What do you say to a child who says he or she wants to be known as the opposite gender? How can Christians avoid affirming what God forbids while also showing love and care for friends or family members? How can we heal from the pain and grief this news has brought us?
Shick recounts her history of pain, confusion, and forgiveness in several books including My Daddy’s Secret. Among her latest books is Moving Forward in Hope: A Devotional for Families of LGBTQ Loved Ones. She has also authored numerous titles to help children deal with sexual confusion. (Search “Shick” at christianbook.com.)
Her testimony is featured in AFA’s award-winning documentary In His Image: Delighting in God’s Plan for Gender and Sexuality.
Gathering offers hope
Hope Gathering 2023 is a conference put together by Help 4 Families and Living Stones Ministries to equip and encourage those impacted by transgenderism and homosexuality.
Shick is executive director of both ministries, with Help 4 Families focused on issues related to transgenderism and Living Stones focused on issues related to homosexuality. Both ministries serve the same goals of helping Christian families navigate these challenging issues in a way that honors the Lord.
The May event will be hosted at City On a Hill Church in Fort Worth, Texas, where Derrick Bledsoe is senior pastor.
Conference speakers include acknowledged experts in the field:
▶ June Hunt, founder of Hope for the Heart
▶ Dr. Robert Gagnon, author of The Bible and Homosexual Practice
▶ David H. Pickup, licensed marriage and family therapist
▶ James Phelan, adjunct professor at Liberty University
▶ M.D. Perkins, author of Dangerous Affirmation: The Threat of “Gay Christianity”
Breakout sessions will cover topics of emotional dependency, helping people de-transition after leaving the transgender life, and understanding the causes of homosexuality and how they impact children.
“AFA is glad to commend this significant event,” observed AFA senior vice president Buddy Smith. “We’re confident it will have far reaching impact.”
