Ten Tips for Preaching About LGBTQ+ Inclusion

Appendix L

1) Include us in your stories (always)
Don’t only mention LGBTQ+ people when the sermon is “about” sexuality or gender. Let queer and trans people appear naturally in illustrations—friends, parents, volunteers, leaders, saints.

2) Don’t assume heteronormativity
Audit your pronouns and defaults. Use inclusive language for families, marriages, and households. Avoid jokes that rely on gender stereotypes.

3) Ground affirmation biblically
Say it plainly: our welcome and ethics come from Scripture rightly read. Show how Genesis 1–2/Matthew 19 focus on covenant fidelity, how Isaiah 56/Acts 8 expand belonging, and how the Two Fruit Tests check our conclusions.

4) Model good hermeneutics out loud
Name context, genre, language, and audience when you handle “clobber texts.” Explain debated terms (malakoi, arsenokoitai) without weaponizing them. Show how you weigh cross‑texts and the arc of Scripture.

5) Preach one sexual ethic for all
Covenant, consent, honesty, non‑exploitation—no double standards. Call straight and queer folks to the same discipleship practices (premarital counseling, mentorship, accountability, repair).

6) Be trauma‑informed
Assume people in the room have been shamed, outed, or harmed. Avoid “gotcha” rhetoric. Define terms. Offer grounding practices (breath, prayer) and point to care pathways (pastoral appointments, counselors, crisis lines).

7) Confess church harms and practice repair
Say where the church has failed (conversion practices, expulsion, silence). Name concrete repentance steps: updated policies, training, survivor‑centered reporting, and public welcome.

8) Elevate lived testimony
Invite LGBTQ+ Christians to share how Jesus meets them—without turning them into exhibits. Co‑preach or include testimonies that display fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self‑control.

9) Preach next steps, not just ideas
Give tangible responses: join a small group, read an annotated book, attend a forum, meet with a pastor, serve on the safeguarding team, support youth resources (988, Trevor Project, Trans Lifeline).

10) Mind your pronouns—and your “we”
Use people’s names and pronouns correctly. Preach in the first‑person plural when appropriate (“we,” not “those people”). Avoid debating anyone’s existence; center discipleship and belonging in Christ.