Dear Resurrection Parents,
Bishop Stewart: As you heard on Sunday, we are beginning a sermon series titled Fully Alive: A Pastoral Call to Identity in Jesus, that will run for six weeks from January 22–February 26.
This series will address topics of manhood, womanhood, sexuality, marriage, and celibacy. As we teach, sensitive subjects such as the human body, same-sex attraction, masturbation, pornography, married sexuality, and more will be mentioned in our sermons.
You may be wondering what this series means for your family on Sunday mornings during the next six weeks. If your child is 12 and older and has an introductory understanding of sexuality, we think that most of the sermons would be appropriate for them. There are two sermons which could prove unsuitable for middle schoolers: a sermon on same-sex attraction on February 12, and the final sermon on February 26 that will deal with married sexuality. As you will see below, we are providing an alternate Sunday option for our middle schoolers on those two Sundays (11am service only).
Below, Children’s Pastor Carole Seid and Youth Pastor Will Chester provide age-specific guidance for your children.
What this means for RezKids
Carole Seid: For the entirety of the next six weeks, I strongly recommend that your children (0-5th grade) attend Sunday morning RezKids ministries, which run until the Offertory. The Fully Alive sermons are geared toward adults, and our preachers will be speaking candidly about human anatomy and sexuality, which will be sensitive for children.
Beyond utilizing RezKids ministries on Sunday morning, we are offering an amazing opportunity for our parents as we engage these topics as a church:
- Sex Education in the Christian Family Seminar with Dr. Stan Jones on Sunday, 1/22from 2-4pm. RSVP Here.
Christian parents are the most important sex educators of their children. I urge you to attend an upcoming free seminar with Dr. Stan Jones, a nationally recognized expert on psychology and human sexuality. I cannot emphasize enough what a rare and rich opportunity this will be for you as parents, and one that may not become available again for some time. We will be providing childcare for ages 0-5th grade,in order to make this seminar available to everyone. (Please RSVP to this event here.)
The seminar is titled: “Sex Education in the Christian Family: A Lifelong Approach To Shaping Your Child’s Sexual Character.” Dr. Jones and his wife Brenna have published a five-volume set of age-appropriate books on Christian sex education with combined total sales of over one million copies.
The purpose of this seminar is to begin to equip parents to shape their children to make wise, godly decisions in the area of sexuality. Our goal is to help our children become the kinds of spiritually mature adults of integrity who manifest godly moral character and, whether married or single, can have loving, deep, and mature family and friend relationships.
Beginning at 4:15pm, Dr. Jones will also be soliciting parent feedback that will help guide further revisions of these materials to address recent cultural shifts regarding sexuality over the past decade. Read this letter from Dr. Jones to learn more about this opportunity.
If you have any questions or concerns about what this series means for our children, please contact me at carole@churchrez.org. I am always available to talk with you.
What this means for RezYouth
Will Chester: We understand that students will interact with the Fully Alive series in different ways depending on their level of exposure to issues of sexuality and sensitivity to cultural pressures. RezYouth will be assisting parents and youth in a few different ways:
Junior High:
- Sunday Morning Bible Studies: We’ve identified two Sunday morning sermons as potentially sensitive for middle schoolers: “Fully Alive and Same Sex Attraction” on 2/12 and “Fully Alive Marriage” on 2/26. As a support to families who feel their students are not ready for these teachings, we will offer a Bible study during the11am service on these two Sundays that will pair with the Wednesday series on the Gospel of John. Students may be dropped off in the St. Gregory Room as the service begins and picked up during the Offertory, just as with RezKids.
Senior High:
- RezYouth Wednesday Nights: Senior High will be discussing the topic of identity in Christ as we look at the Book of Numbers. Our series will focus on issues of fear, loneliness, healing, and community. We hope that in our weekly small group discussions, youth will have the opportunity to process their thoughts on identity as it pertains to both the study of Numbers and the Fully Alive series.
- Wednesday Night Healing Prayer Service on 2/8: Senior High will be attending this important worship service instead of our usual Wednesday RezYouth event. Students are invited to sit as a group with their adult leaders.
I am always available to meet with our students if they have questions or need to talk. (If your daughter prefers to meet with a woman, we have leaders available.) Our adult volunteers are also a valuable resource
If you have specific concerns or questions, are looking for resources, or are interested in developing a pastoral care plan for your child, please do not hesitate to contact me atwill@churchrez.org. I would love to connect with you.
Bishop Stewart: Thank you for your courage in pressing forward into these important topics as Christian parents. We are honored to partner with you in the mentoring and discipleship of your children and youth on topics of sexuality and gender. We are praying for your family during this important series, and invite your prayers for us as well as we teach and pastor. We love you all so much.
With joy,
Bishop Stewart Ruch III, Rector
Carole Seid, Children’s Pastor
Will Chester, Youth Pastor