Children and sex

[SiyoNqoba]

I do a lot of work with pre-teens, particularly girls, and one subject that comes up frequently in my discussion with these girls is sex and puberty.

So, I was wondering how you handle sex and puberty in your ministry with children. Is it something you ignore? Do you tell them to talk to your parents? Do you guide conversations about it?

Thanks for any input.

 

[KayLeeRoo]

well sex is some that dose come up from time to time, no matter what ministry your in. i think this is one of those things you need to handl on a case to case kinda thing. but you can't ignore it that would be the worst thing to do. i think it is best if it is posible to have them talk to there parents, but reamember that not every kid has a parent that they can talk to. just reamember this is such a sensitive subject and should be treated as such

 

[twiggysara]

If the subject is coming up a lot, have you considered going through the True Love Waits curriculum with them? It might be time, and then the parents can know in advance exactly what you're covering.

 

[SiyoNqoba]

Thanks for the suggestion, twiggysara. But I don't teach Sunday School. I do follow-up at a ministry camp, so I only see these kids four times a year, and the conversations I have with them are through letters, talking on the phone, Bebo, etc.

I Googled it though, and it seems like they have an individual Bible study (sending out Bible studies are the biggest part of my job), so I might have to order one to have a look at.

 

[kingdom4kids]

What age group? I would make sure parents are in the middle of this. I would probably never address this subject without total approval of pastors and I would make sure the parents are totally advised. Even though parents don't always address this; it doesn't mean that we as ministers are the default. That can mean your demise as a minister. Crucial!!!!

Richest Blessings,

Pat Davis
Kidsministers.com

 

[hedrick]

I work with junior high. Our parents expect us to talk openly. The usual comment is "if they can't talk about it at church, where are they going to get their information?" But you might want to get a sense of what their parents want. Typically we tell parents when we're going to discuss sex, and let them opt out. They normally don't. But I deal with the Biblical and ethical side. There's someone else who deals with more of the biological details. From what I've heard they get pretty explicit.

 

[kingdom4kids]

I agree that the church needs to address this on some level. The world has created a view that is so far from God's heart that we have to play a part. Sounds like you are fully submitted to your leadership and have their heart and the parents. If they don't like this they can always go somewhere else I guess.

Richest Blessings,

Pat Davis
Kidsministers.com

 

[If Not For Grace]

If your going to preach against it-you gotta tell em why, WHENEVER they ask. It's something ministries need to prepare for in the information ages of today.