If it's true that we as leaders of girls must help stem the tide of sexual immorality in our culture and even in the church, how do we do that? While it may seem like an overwhelming and daunting and scary task, instilling the vision of purity in teenagers is possible.
1. Keep the message alive. You may think to yourself, "we had a True Love Waits ceremony last year," or "we had this discussion a few months ago, we don't need to talk about it again." Yes, you do. The culture bombards girls with anti-purity messages every day. We must be a constant, consistent, compelling voice as well. We can't stop talking about it because we think our message is dated or unpopular or redundant.
2. Think of journey, not event. Purity is an on-going process, not just a one-time choice. Use a teen girl's natural journey through your ministry to reinforce and talk about purity—when she enters the youth group; when she goes on her first group date; when she goes to prom; when she graduates. Each of these milestones is an opportunity to talk about how those changes impact and influence purity.
3. Make the message comprehensive. It's not just enough to say, "don't do it." Talk about why purity matters. Share the consequences of giving your heart and your body away. Highlight the rewards of not having a sordid sexual history. Reinforce this message with mentors and role models who have lived where girls are and yet made good and godly choices. Talk about how you maintain your own purity—even if you're married.
4. Make the topic approachable. While it may be uncomfortable to talk about sex, girls generally don't have the same inhibitions. If you're not willing to answer tough questions in honesty (within boundaries), then girls will find their answers elsewhere.
5. Partner with parents. Girls are facing serious issues that many parents don't think their children are being exposed to (pardon the horrible pun). It's not your job to be a parent, but it is your job to equip parents. Take surveys within your girls' ministry and let parents know the findings (without revealing individual responses, of course). Give them the statistics. Arm them with books and Web sites that will help them talk about the subject. And prepare them for times you will talk about sex.
What tips do you have for discussing purity with teen girls?
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