God’s Design for Gender

There’s a lot of confusion in our society about sexuality and gender identity. A lot of voices are telling our kids that same-sex relationships are normal, or that you get to decide if you’re a boy or a girl. Our kids are confronted with these issues at younger and younger ages.

And we’re not just talking about homosexuality anymore. Our kids are faced with vocabulary like transgender, non-binary, and genderfluid. They’re being asked in public schools what their preferred pronouns are.

As parents, we need to be prepared to have conversations with our kids about these issues. And we need to be proactive about discussions we have with our kids. You want to be the first one having these types of conversations with your kids, rather than waiting until your child comes home from a birthday party wondering what “trans” means.

You may be thinking: hold on, my kids are way too young to talk about these topics. Besides, I homeschool my kids so they don’t have to deal with these issues right away.

Well, there may be some truth to that, but as parents we want to be intentional about teaching our kids about God’s design for gender, sexuality and marriage from an early age. That way, when our kids are confronted with an ideology that opposes the teaching of the Bible, they immediately recognize it as false.

But how do we talk to our kids about these sensitive topics? How do you know what to say? Are there any resources available to help us do so?

Our guest on this episode of Redeeming the Chaos is Elizabeth Urbanowicz. Elizabeth is the founder of Foundation Worldview, an organization that helps Christian adults equip children to carefully evaluate every idea and understand the truth of the biblical worldview. She is a former elementary school educator and holds a Masters degree in Christian Apologetics. She is passionate about equipping parents to teach their kids from a biblical worldview.

LINKS

www.FoundationWorldview.com

Curriculum: God’s Good Design

Curriculum: Studying the Bible

EPISODE OUTLINE

God’s Design for Gender, Sexuality, and Family

Biblical Foundations:

God created humans in His image as distinctly male and female.
Marriage is a God-given institution for procreation and a reflection of Christ’s relationship with the Church.
Families are meant to reflect God’s family and teach children about His role as Father.
Cultural Contrast: These beliefs are counter-cultural in today’s society where gender and marriage definitions are changing.

How to Talk to Children About God’s Design for Gender

Building a Foundation of Truth:

Children need to understand that truth is what is real, and it is not subject to personal feelings.

Establish an early understanding of absolute truth to counter the relativistic views promoted by society.

Practical Activities for Young Children:

True/Not True Game: Children use motions to show when something is true (arms wide) or not true (cross arms).

Treasure Hunt: Different directions lead to finding a prize, illustrating that only true directions lead to the right outcome.

Activities for Older Children:

True vs. Feeling Statements: Baking cookies and categorizing statements (e.g., “These cookies have chocolate chips” vs. “These cookies are gross”) help older kids distinguish between facts and subjective feelings.

Critical Thinking: Older children are taught that feelings are not the most reliable guide to reality, especially in issues of gender and identity.

**Overview of God’s Good Design Curriculum**

Unit 1: Understanding Design:

Focuses on the concept of design and its importance in understanding how things (and people) function best when used according to their design.
Example: A glass used to drink water vs. a glass used as a step stool, illustrating misuse of design.
Key Takeaway: Deviating from God’s design leads to harm and missed purpose.

Unit 2: God’s Good Design for Individuals:

Teaches that each person is created with a purpose as either male or female.
Explores the consequences of sin, such as feelings that can mislead (e.g., feeling like a different gender).
Corruption of Sin: Includes discussions on bad touch and inappropriate images.
Ends with the promise that Jesus will restore all things when He returns.

Unit 3: God’s Good Design for Relationships:

Explores different types of love: friendship, marriage, and family love.
Marriage: Defined as one man and one woman for life, reflecting Christ and the Church.
Sin’s Impact: Addresses how sin corrupts relationships, including same-sex attractions.
Practical Guidance for Kids: How to interact kindly with others who don’t follow God’s design without compromising on truth.

How Children Should Respond

Children should be taught to recognize deviations from God’s design, remind themselves of biblical truth, and respond with kindness.
Example: A child may encounter a classmate transitioning genders. Parents can help their child process this by recognizing the truth of their classmate’s biological sex, reminding themselves of God’s design, and still being kind to their classmate.