Messy Truth: How to Foster Community Without Sacrificing Conviction

From the author of Messy Grace, a former pastor raised by gay parents, comes a compassionate playbook to help Christians, church staff, and ministry leaders create a culture of belonging without sacrificing theological convictions.

What should we do? This is a question many Christians are asking as they face shifting societal norms, conflicting opinions, and often inaccurate scriptural interpretations regarding those who identify as LGBTQ+.

Caleb Kaltenbach believes there's a more helpful question: What am I willing to do to keep and build influence with ______________?

Caleb knows our love for others is best measured by the lengths we'll go to help them. He also recognizes that people find and follow Jesus better in community than in isolation. As a child raised by three activist gay parents, Caleb experienced firsthand the outrage of some Christians. That's why he is committed to creating a sense of belonging for all people.

True community can happen only when Christians are intentional in infusing their attitudes, systems, and values with grace and truth. This hopeful, practical book offers tools for encouraging church involvement, strengthening personal relationships, increasing empathy, and engaging in pivotal conversations about grace and truth with our whole community.

Fostering a culture of belonging is a messy process, but it holds a massive possibility for everyone involved: a growing relationship with Jesus.

Caleb Kaltenbach is the executive director of the Messy Grace Group and the author of God of Tomorrow and Messy Grace, the story of being raised by three activist gay parents, accepting Jesus, and seeing his parents trust Jesus. He speaks widely on issues of faith, reconciliation, and sexual diversity. A graduate of Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, he received his doctorate from Dallas Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Amy, have two children and reside in Southern California.