YBOR CITY —A southwest Florida church issued a challenge for its married members this past Sunday: Hanky panky every day.
Relevant Church head pastor Paul Wirth says the 50 percent divorce rate was the catalyst for The 30-Day Sex Challenge.
“And that’s no different for people who attend church,” Wirth said. “Sometimes life gets in the way. Our jobs get in the way.”
Oh, and the flip side of the challenge? No rolling in the sheets for the unwed.
Church member Tim Jones and his fiancee agreed to take on the challenge, though he acknowledges it’ll be a tough month. But he added: “I think it’s worth trying to find out other things about each other.”
It would be nice if pastors stopped treating sex as some type of taboo subject. I think you can take a conservative stance on sex, and still recognize that everyone is having it.
I am all for promoting abstinence, but uh, as someone who graduated from a Christian Highschool, let you me tell all you parents out there, it is not a very effective message.
What?! A church member admitted (to an outside source) to having sex outside of marriage and no one is freaking out, calling meetings, insisting they break off the engagement?! Seems…so….weird.
Yeah, thanks Chris.
It’s kind of funny. Mostly, pastors are pretending sex doesn’t exist, or maybe it’s something that exists but is certainly something You People Shouldn’t Be Doing, Especially If It’s With Someone Who’s Your Own Gender.
So when all of a sudden, some pastor comes out with a message like this, it looks wierd. It gives me the uh-oh feeling.
Well, I guess we should be glad that he’s not saying the sex has to be with him every night.
Chris is Awesome. We should all give money to Chris.
I saw this article on the web the other day, but hesitated from posting it, not having the courage of Cat.
Let’s just hope your mom doesn’t read this blog!
-joe
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He sent it to me, before you posted your link. And he doesn’t constantly defend City Bible, hence he gets the thanks.
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Not to reveal to much info, but I didn’t have sex in highschool. I actually kind of buy into the whole abstinence message. I think the world would be a better place if everyone only had sex to people they are married to.
But I also understand that that’s never gonna happen. And Christians don’t like to talk about it, but the kids at City Christian High School are having just about as much sex as the kids at Madison High-School. The only thing is the kids at Madison don’t get suspended if they admit to having sex. So they’re more willing to discuss it with adults, and make better decisions. At Christian schools, all the kids are running around pretending they’re at the pinnacle of morality… uh, when they aren’t.
TMI.
At least tell me you made up for it in college.
(Wise words, BTW. There’s real blessing to be had by waiting and sharing intimacy only in marriage).
Cat, inasmuch as I have previously mentioned attending both Madison High and that CCHS affiliate, PBC, I just hope this isn’t a thinly-veiled reference to yours truly.
‘Sides, I thought you didn’t read my posts.
-joe
So, Unscrupulous Man…just wondering…when is your cohort/alter-ego, the noble Samaritan, going to make an appearance round here?
I miss his Holy Ghost-inspired musings, gleaned from the many hours he spends sitting around gazing off — glassy eyed — into space.
What’s the deal? You telling me the worldliness and carnality of ‘Scrupe is winning the battle against the kindly, biblically sound Samaritan man?
-joe
Sam’s got nothing to say, on account he got several friends and family / children going through junk right now and he’s feelin’ them. Sam more of the wait and hear before speakin’ type, unlike ‘Scrupe.
And Sam say he tired of dumbarse defenderers and religious sh!t fl!ppers who come onna blog and give people a hard time agin and agin.
It just easier to be ‘Scrupe.
Maybe they just need a little “goin’ nuclear” from Sammy.
They’re lucky to have a friend like you.
-joe
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When were you at Madison? I was there in the 90s while my wife was at CCHS, and I agree with Cat…lots of sex going on in both places. We decided to wait till marriage and I believe it is one of the reasons we have had a good marriage for the last 9 years. Abstinence is a hard message to get kids to follow but as Cat said the key is lifting them up when they make a mistake and not beat them down.
Someone should tell that preacher to get his big nose out of the conjugal bedrooms and spend some time with the young people. Sounds like they are the group in need of attention!
I don’t think lackanooky is the big problem at that church.
I think that abstinence could be a message received if it was presented in the proper way. “Don’t do it, because the Bible says so” doesn’t work. When presented in a non-legalistic way, I believe that it is effective and people actually get it. The problem is, people hear it one way from generation to generation and that way never works. Parents who did not abstain try to teach their kids the same way it was taught to them and expect different results. Nobody is going to say “No” to something until they have something better to say “Yes” to.
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Great point!
I was a Madison Senator way back in the 70s, my friend. FYI, I just turned 50 a short while ago (Yikes!)
-joebib
Paul Wirth is the pastor of The Relevant Church (www.relevantchurch.com) and the one whose relationship series began this international and national buzz. I enjoyed the interview with Paul and his wife and another couple and a sexologist on a TV clip on this site.
BT’s singles group leader’s many “anti-sex sermons” heaped on guilt and fear to those that had sex before marriage, and now this church is heaping on the guilt for not having sex after marriage.
This sacred intimate expression in a relationship is cheapened by such a directive. Perhaps he should have added and “don’t forget to brush your teeth” since he’s making it equal to such a routine.
Did he recently buy stock in viagra?
This just in:
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Agreed! I never had sex when I was a teen and in high school. I was not a Christian back then. In high school, I knew atheists who abstained from premarital sex. In fact, I grew up in a somewhat traditional family. Some of my family members are into Hinduism and Eastern religions. Hinduism, Islam and other religions/traditions are also against premaritual sex. However, there is a difference when you know Jesus.
I was a legalistic Hindu but legalism wears out. Temptation is real. When I found Jesus and started reading the Bible, the part that really caught my attention was “your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit” and many other parts that talk about my value. I feel God values sexuality and takes sins like adultery, fornication seriously.
I agree that young people and singles need better messages that are honest and real. I don’t believe in sex before marriage but believe in a good sex life after marriage. Sometimes the way preachers talk about sex annoys me.
And here I’d always been told Neil Diamond was the preferred artist in that regard. Guess you learn something new every day…
-joe
Hey pastors, are you tired of reading books on church growth that don’t work? This model guarantees success.
Disclaimer: It will take nine months for the first new members to start showing up and several years before these new members can tithe.