Why a teens event on sexuality? (October 2024 at First OPC)
Some of the thinking behind our upcoming teens event on biblical sexuality.
I would like to use this month’s newsletter to share some of our plans and prayers for the special event we are hosting on Friday, November 15. The title is “Real Identity, Deep Desire: A Biblical Vision for Sexuality.”
This is an event for teenagers, and the goal is to communicate a foundational biblical perspective on sexuality, in order to equip teens to live faithful and fruitful lives in the middle of our cultural confusion.
If you would like to know more about the event, check out the event webpage. We would love to have you join us!
Why are we hosting an event like this?
Perhaps you are wondering why we are organizing an event like this. It may seem distasteful to focus a whole evening on this topic, especially for an audience of young people. Or it may seem unnecessarily controversial. Wouldn’t it be better to handle these topics privately and discreetly?
Let me offer a few points in reply.
1. Mature Infants
It is true that we need to avoid anything dishonorable or impure in an event like this. Indeed, one goal of the event will be to model a God-honoring way of speaking about these matters. I think Paul gives us the right balance in 1 Corinthians 14:20, “Be infants in evil, but in your thinking be mature.” We want our teenagers to be innocent with respect to sin, but not naive or gullible.
2. Foundations for Personal Application
It is also true that there are some very controversial and personal aspects of this topic. Every one of us comes to the subject with particular views, questions, relationships, and experiences. Our goal is to present the most basic teachings of Scripture, which apply to everyone: creation and the Gospel. Our aim is to provide a foundation for thinking carefully about the many specific problems or questions that we each face.
3. Massive Shifts in Gen Z
If you’re still not convinced, have a look at this graph:
The graph indicates that very few older people identify as LGBT, and that has not changed much in the last decade. My generation, the millennials, is more likely to identify as LGBT. The big difference is Generation Z (currently ages 12-27). In just four years, according to this data, the number of young people identifying as LGBT doubled, with the result that one in five young people identified as LGBT. That number may be even higher today. Perhaps the teenagers in your family and church are the exception, and none of them are inclined to identify as LGBT. Even still, the world is changing so fast on this issue that they will face questions and challenges that never occurred to us when we were younger.
Help Us By Your Prayers
Tragically, the data in this graph are not just numbers. They are real people whose lives are being deeply shaped by sin. In light of all this, please join us in prayer:
- That God will use his word to equip young believers for a lifetime of faithfulness and fruitfulness.
- That God will draw unbelievers to repentance and faith in Christ.
- That we will all gain an attractive vision of sexuality that reflects the goodness of God’s creation, and points to the grandeur of his Gospel.
And if you know any teenagers or families who might want to join us, please let them know.