In a culture that reaches out to teenagers with sex-saturated messages, youth pastors and ministry groups often feel the challenge of combating such messages with Christ-centered programs. Many Alabama Baptists have found a variety of ways to teach sexual purity to today’s Christian teens.
At First Baptist Church, Thorsby, in Chilton Baptist Association, Youth Pastor Philip Wigley said he and his wife, Amanda, focus on a purity-centered program each year for their students. “We always get parents to sign off on the program because it’s something not everyone is comfortable with,” Wigley said. He added that purity is an issue too important to bypass.
Today’s teens are bombarded with so many issues and the line between what’s appropriate and not gets blurred very quickly, Wigley said, noting that even Christian teenagers don’t always have their priorities in line with God. He usually uses the Passion for Purity program offered by Student Discipleship Ministries. It offers a full program with resources for leaders and students.
The Wigleys also utilize resources from The Safe Harbor, a Birmingham-based interfaith group. It focuses on issues facing teens today, such as drugs, alcohol, gangs, cults, emotional and mental health, dating and sexual health.
“They (the resources) really help us know what’s going on in teen culture today and what issues they (teens) are dealing with,” Amanda Wigley said.
Kevin Carroll, student pastor at The Church at Brook Hills, Birmingham, in Birmingham Baptist Association, said he and his leaders cover this topic in discipleship classes, conferences and large-group services.
“We have had Leslie Gary present the Beyond the Eye girls’ conference and have other professionals who share periodically,” Carroll said. He said they deal not only with abstinence but also issues such as the dangers of online predators and the hazards of online chat spaces. In approaching such topics with teens, age appropriateness is always important, Carroll noted. He added that students often want to expand their understanding of the topic by studying on their own, so he recommends books by several Christian authors.
Carroll said he teaches that Christians are free to make choices but that “you are not free to choose the consequences of the choices you make.”
“Purity and abstinence flow from your predetermined choice to follow biblical teachings and your passionate, committed relationship with Christ,” he said.
Many churches still utilize the tried and true True Love Waits program and find it very effective. According to Larry Jenkins, student minister at First Baptist Church, Prattville, in Autauga Baptist Association, his church has an annual youth and parents True Love Waits commitment service.
Jenkins said he has also incorporated information from the curriculum The Power of Sex by Doug Fields and the video “Sex as God’s Gift” by Mary Ronan.
“I have also read and used ideas from Joshua Harris and research from Josh McDowell,” Jenkins said.
According to Thom Craig, manager of the LifeWay Christian Store in Birmingham, youth pastors have a number of different resources available that deal with sex and purity. He said he senses, though, that many youth pastors are still shying away from the topic.
Craig also recommended “And The Bride Wore White” by Dannah Gresh, “Every Young Woman’s Battle” by Shannon Ethridge and Stephen Arterburn and “Sex 180: The Next Revolution” by Chip Ingram and Tim Walker.
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