Greg Coles to Address Sexuality, Isolation and Joy in Suffering at Onward Youth this June

25/5/2021

We are so pleased to welcome Greg Coles (Author, ‘Single, Gay, Christian’) to the KCC platform this Friday 25 June for Onward Youth conference. Joining a panel of varied and experienced speakers, Greg will talk about his experiences with sexuality, isolation, and how to find joy in suffering.

We are pleased to welcome Greg Coles to the KCC platform this Friday 25 June for Onward Youth conference. Joining a panel of varied and experienced speakers, Greg will be sharing what it means for the Christian to continue having joy even in sadness and when things are not right.

He will also share his experience of his sexuality, and how even though faithfulness to Jesus means singleness and at times deep loss, he continues to seek to find joy. Greg will be interviewed at Onward Youth and share more in-depth content as part of Onward Deep Dive, an exclusive resource for Onward ticket holders.

Onward Youth 2021 - Gregory Coles from kcc on Vimeo.

Greg is a writer, speaker, and worship leader in Pennsylvania, U.S.A., though he grew up much closer to Australia on the island of Java, Indonesia. He's the author of two books: ‘Single, Gay, Christian: A Personal Journey of Faith and Sexual Identity’ and ‘No Longer Strangers: Finding Belonging in a World of Alienation’ which address Christian faith, sexual identity, and what it means to find belonging in a world where we don’t belong.

When he's not writing or playing piano, you will find him baking! He worked for several years at a bakery, where he specialised in buttercream icing, and he holds a personal record of making 137 kilograms of icing in a single day.

You can get a taste of Greg's teaching here:

1. Christian Sexuality – Interview With Dr Gregory Coles

A Christian Sexuality video compilation where Greg Coles shares his views and life experiences with faith and sexuality.

2. Article: In Which I Stop Saving Myself for Marriage

What’s the real reason for chastity? Greg writes: “We’re not meant to ‘save ourselves’ for the moment we finally belong to someone, so that our bodies can finally matter. Our bodies already matter; we already belong to someone.

3. Video: Gay, Christian, and Coming Out: Greg Coles

In this interview, Greg talks about faith, sexuality and coming out as gay. Greg gives some advice to Christian parents with gay kids and how to respond well when they come out. He also helps those who are wrestling with their sexuality to consider the right context, time, and person to come out to.

4. Blog Post: Your Gay Neighbour is Closer Than You Think

Greg writes: “I wish that people who shared pews with me in church talked about gay people the way they talked about diplomats and florists and concierges, as if we were just people. I wish they didn’t see us as the enemy camp of a protracted culture war. I wish they were more interested in my pursuit of Jesus than in who I was tempted to have sex with. I wish that Christians saw gay people not following Jesus and straight people not following Jesus as all equally in need of Jesus.”

5. Church Leaders Podcast: It’s Possible to Be Same-Sex Attracted and Fully Surrendered to Jesus

What does it mean to love someone in the LGBTQ community without compromising your beliefs? Should we use someone’s preferred pronouns? How should pastors explore these topics with care from the pulpit?

In this Church Leaders podcast with Jason Dayes, Greg Coles talks about LGBTQ experiences and the importance of language for marginalised groups.

6. A Culture Story Podcast

In this interview, Greg talks about third culture identity and his transition from the privileged white minority in Indonesia to the privileged white majority in the United States.

Grab your tickets to Onward Youth this June!

In 2021, we're excited to bring you Onward Youth as an online livestream—and it will be bigger and better than last year! The one-night program will feature practical talks, God-glorifying worship with our friends from Whitefield, real-life personal testimonies, interviews and more.

Tickets are $29 per livestream viewer and includes:

Full access to Onward Youth LIVE
Digital Onward Youth Program Booklet
Access to our DEEP DIVE resource which includes 3 weeks of youth group Bible talks, discussions questions, resources, interviews, Q&A with Onward speakers and more!