A monthly message from Fred Lynch. Fred is the founder of GodStyle Productions, a ministry committed to changing youth culture. For more information on Fred, visit his website or check out his latest project, The Epic (the gospel of John translated into rap).
March 2007
With spring right around the corner I bet everyone out there can't wait for a change to come. Winter was rough for most of us, and although it may not even seem like a change for some yet, (I'm thinking 'bout my people up in Minnesota, Wisconsin and way up there in Toronto) rest assured spring is on its way and it won't be denied. Another undeniable force of nature that seems to stir up this time of year is that old mystical magical thing called love. I see it in my student's eyes: it's time to come out of that winter den and get all friendly! I don't know if it's the birds & bees or just that its starting to get warm so everybody wants to get rid of the extra layers; but when the spring comes in so does the romance. Although statistics will show you that more sexual activity occurs during the summer season than any other time of the year for teens (because they don't have anything to do; an idle mind/body...), spring seems to be the critical time where so many seeds of passion are planted in the mind and bodies of our adolescents. This month we're going to talk about helping students make godly decisions in the area of purity and abstinence.
Our goal as youth workers is to help teens plant the seeds of passion into the fertile ground of a vibrant love for God and respect for others.
M.U.D. Reality (Here's what's up)
The Church is in a heated battle to help students keep their minds pure when it comes to sex and romance. In every arena that teens gather the pressures of sexual relationships seems to mount a stronghold; from music videos to online communities to the school campus students are drawn to the subject of their sexuality. Our goal as youth workers is to help teens plant the seeds of passion into the fertile ground of a vibrant love for God and respect for others.
M.U.D. Battle (Here's why)
A recent survey that was completed by 21,000 college students showed that 21 percent of the students believe their own sex lives are not normal; one in three feel degraded by their sexual behaviors; and more than 15 percent of the students score in the highest range of risk for developing a sexual addiction. The last statistic amounts to twice the rate of American adults in general. This simply means that the enemy is aiming low when it comes to age and sexuality1. Half of all new HIV infections in men occur among black men2. Additionally, African American and Latino young men who have sex with men are more likely than other to be infected with HIV3. In 2001, the chlamydia rate among African American males ages 15 to 19 was 12 times higher than that among white males (1,550 and 128 per 100,000 respectively)4. Recent data documents rising rates of syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia among young men who have sex with men5 These differences are not biological, but more than likely behavioral and reinforced by societal concepts of how men should behave.
M.U.D. Tip (Here's how)
Face it.
There are so many great resources out there to help you help kids stay pure. One site in particular that has helped me find the latest research and resources on abstinence is called The Abstinence Clearinghouse. This is the place to find the latest news, facts, media and resources to help you help students make the right decisions even though they're hormones may be swinging (or 'springing') to a different beat. Another staple site that I'd like to showcase is a ministry that has been helping teens for the last 30 years, in fact many of you may have been helped by this brother when you were teens. His name is Josh McDowell and he's my hero! Josh has been putting it down for over 30 years and he's still out there making a difference (you go Josh)! Josh has a special spot on his site where he posts all of his professional research up for youth workers to keep up with the latest statistics and findings. So here You go: www.josh.org/lovewaits. This is a 'back door' to a special page on Josh's site where he constantly updates his personal notes on everything from Parenting to Crime and Violence, to Education to Teen Sexuality and a whole lot more!
FREDDIE FREEBIE:
I have a cool web site that I'd like to share with you this month. One last site to share is a great site for any of your students (or yourselves) who've been plagued by porn addiction. www.xxxchurch.com is an incredible web site ministry that specializes in helping break the bondages of porn addiction and establish a system of accountability that can work. Please go and check out the site and bookmark it for a future resource.
1College Students at Higher Risk of Sexual Addiction than American Public - The Christian Post.
2 through 5 Advocates for Youth
Sharing the gospel from 'Street to Street',
Fred Lynch III
GodStyle Productions
Fred Lynch is the founder of GodStyle Productions, a ministry committed to changing youth culture. For more information on Fred, visit his website or check out his latest project, The Epic (the gospel of John translated into rap).
