You want me to come to what?” That seemed to be a common response as Clarke Baptist Association spent the better part of a year in prayer and planning for its church and sexuality event. And the effort paid off.
On Jan. 25–26 more than 120 people gathered for “The Church and Sexuality: Helping to Define what Christ has to say about Real Issues Facing Real People,” facilitated by Joe Godfrey, executive director of Alabama Citizens Action Program.
‘Life is messy’
Tray and Melody Lovvorn of Undone Redone were the speakers for the event.
They have a motto: “Life is messy, bring your boots.” This motto emphasizes the need for the church to address real life issues.
Clarke Association’s goal in presenting the program, which was held at Tompkins Baptist Church, Grove Hill, was to give rural communities insight into the battle raging in the world today.
“By sharing the truth of God’s word, we can all make a difference, even if it’s just one baby step at a time,” Nancy Gill, ministry assistant for Clarke Association, said.
The Lovvorns shared their testimony of how God brought healing and forgiveness to their marriage that previously ended in divorce. They also shared about Tray’s redemption from a life of pornography and sexual addiction.
The Lovvorns provided insight about what the world makes readily available for everyone, including children.
The Lovvorns introduced tools such as My Secure Family, which may be utilized to protect children in the digital age. They also shared many practical resources to aide in the difficult task of raising children in a safe environment and preparing them for the world as they leave the nest.
“The ironic truth is that even in our homes we must seek to protect not only ourselves, but especially our children from the detrimental effects of cyber bullying, sexting and many other types of attack,” Gill said.
Tommy Littleton also was a keynote speaker for the event.
Littleton, a Southern Baptist minister and evangelist, has over 40 years of experience working on university campuses, coastal resorts and inner city streets.
He focused on the importance of the Church maintaining a faithful biblical witness while confronting today’s cultural issues.
Alerting the hearer to be aware of the push against the truth of God’s word, Littleton encouraged the church to remain faithful to God’s word and its gospel principles.
Gospel principles
Littleton shared the Church’s response to this divided culture needs to be modeled after the response of Jesus as He engaged with the woman at the well in John 4.
Jesus addressed her thirst for the Living Water as He confronted the sin and revealed Himself to her. The result was a transformed person.
“This is the only hope for our culture,” Littleton said.
“It is the hope of Clarke Baptist Association that those who took part in this relevant and timely event will take back to their family, their church and their community a renewed knowledge of the truth about what God’s word says concerning our sexuality,” Gill said.
“May we have a new resolve to stand firm on the word of God while exposing the fallacies of Satan.” (TAB)
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