Are they Too Young to Learn About Marriage
Amongst the many schools visited by Lovewise, the team are constantly encouraged and surprised that the majority of children look forward excitedly to getting married in the future. Girls love weddings and white dresses but interest in marriage is not limited to these topics or only to girls! Even pupils who have experienced family break-up in their own home often show a positive interest in marriage, wanting something better for themselves than their parents’ experience.
Yet, despite this interest, young people are generally taught very little about marriage and, in many cases, no longer have positive role models of marriage in their homes. Choosing whether and whom to marry is one of the biggest decisions of life. So it is helpful for a young person to know that marriage is based on God’s good design, that the basis of marriage is unconditional love, and to understand the marriage vows and what the benefits of marriage are.
Lovewise has prepared a range of presentations (http://www.lovewise.org.uk/presentations.html) to help address these matters so that young people can be encouraged to live pure lives in this area.
You, as a youth leader, might wonder whether it is helpful to teach about marriage when for many of your young people the prospect of marriage is so distant. A young person can set their heart on investing now for the future. By respecting the opposite sex and seeking a pure attitude to sexual intimacy, they are showing respect for their future spouse and increasing the likelihood of a strong marriage.
The Energize website has a series of meeting plans looking at Relationships… (http://www.energize.uk.net/pages/657). There are also some meeting plans looking issues around sex, sexuality and consequences in the Dare to be Different series (http://www.energize.uk.net/pages/daretobedifferent)