The PC(USA) continues in debate over standards of sexual practice, particularly homosexual practice, in spite of continual votes by General Assemblies and presbyteries that uphold the Bible and the church's constitution.

The General Assembly also repeatedly has affirmed chastity for unmarried youth and urged churches to influence their youth toward decisions of sexual purity.

When the General Assembly found the contents of the denomination's extensive sexuality curriculum to be contrary to biblical standards, they ordered a rewrite. When General Assembly staff dragged their feet on the rewrite, the General Assembly repeated its directive. Last summer's G.A. directed the Congregational Ministries Division to move "with all deliberate haste" to complete the revisions mandated by the G.A. of 1999. They called for distribution of the revised curriculum by 2003.

Is there a need for the church's teaching on sexuality for our youth? The Abstinence Clearinghouse, citing Youthworker, July/August 2000 and Newsweek, May 8, 2000, gives the following figures on teenage sexuality:

• The percentage of girls 15 years old and younger who have had sex increased from 11 percent in 1988 to 19 percent in 1995. The sexual activity now includes group sex and the increasing incidence of STDs in girls as young as 13.
• Twenty-five percent of sexually experienced teenagers acquire STDs every year. Teenagers have higher rates of gonorrhea than sexually-active men and women aged 20 to 44.
• Forty-four percent of teen girls are on the pill; 38 percent use condoms; 10 percent use injectable contraceptives.
• Of the 905,000 teen pregnancies in the U.S. in 1996, 30 percent ended in abortion.

Tom Kean, chairman of the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, reported results of a poll in the Washington Post in September, 2000. The poll found that nearly two-thirds of teenagers who have had sex wish they had waited longer.

The U.S. leads the industrialized world in teenage pregnancy and childbirth: four out of 10 girls in the U.S. are pregnant before age 20.

What are the most important steps a church can take to protect their youth from the spiritual and physical damage of promiscuity? Consider these four areas of action:

1. Provide positive models of marriage and commitment to families in your congregation. Talk about it; provide opportunities for couples to testify to the blessing of marriage and family. And look for opportunities for youth to give their testimonies.
2. Give tangible support and encouragement from the church to parents in communicating biblical standards of sexuality to their children. Develop good resources and create a supportive ethos in your congregation. The culture at large bombards our youth with the enticement of sex. The church needs to support families with a countercultural approach.
3. Include positive and regular affirmation of biblical standards of sexuality in the preaching and teaching of your church. Don't shy away from the subject or give the impression that it is not suitable subject matter for the church.
4. Teach our children the biblical standards of sexuality and include opportunities for them to make decisions of sexual purity. Be sure to provide opportunities for forgiveness and restoration and a new start where that is necessary.

PPL has a program called Pure Hearts! Pure Lives! with curriculum suggestions for all age groups, along with a format for decision making.

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