Update: June 2018
Welcome! I began this project in January 2017 as part of my undergraduate thesis. When I finished my thesis in April 2017, I decided to take a break from blogging for a little while. I needed new direction, and the original purpose of the project had been fulfilled. I’m praying through what that new direction may be, but in the meantime, I want to leave this site here as a resource for anyone who may still benefit from it. I still respond to comments and emails, and may even blog occasionally, so feel free to continue to engage in discussion or reach out to me if you’d like, and stay tuned for what’s next! Below is the original explanation of the purpose of the project, and all of the original blog posts are still up on the home page. So read on, and I pray that God will continue to use my feeble words for his glory.
Original content: January 2017
The Proverbs 2 Project is an appeal for wisdom. This blog will focus on topics having to do with inspiring more open and biblical discussion on sexuality in the context of church youth groups. I will explore how the rhetoric of the purity movement and the stigma attached to issues of sexuality has had a negative impact on teenagers in the church. The purpose of this blog is to encourage discussion in the form of comments on the blog posts (or direct contact with the author – see the “Contact” page), and to seek insight on how the church can more effectively minister to teenagers.
Why Proverbs 2?
The inspiration for the title came from… you guessed it! Proverbs 2. The whole chapter is applicable, though I was particularly inspired by the first 5 verses:
1 My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
2 turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding—
3 indeed, if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
4 and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
5 then you will understand the fear of the Lord
and find the knowledge of God. [NIV]
My prayer for the project is that God’s wisdom will penetrate our hearts as we work together to find solutions and advance the Kingdom.
Who is this blog aimed toward?
While I think it is important that we, as Christians, hear perspectives from people who are completely different from us, that is not the sole purpose of this blog. My intended audience is men and women who have been involved in Christian organizations at some point in their lives – church, Christian schools, and other similar faith-based settings. I want to hear from people who have experience in a Christian setting so that they can speak out of that experience in their evaluations of how improvements can be made.
If you don’t fit in this category, I’d still love to hear from you with any questions or concerns you may have. Please feel free to utilize the “Contact” page on this site for that purpose.
The immediate purpose…
This project is part of my Bachelor Thesis, and I will be using responses in my research and final paper. However, my desire is that the project will become something long-term; a part of a larger journey of healing for the church that is already taking place.
The Proverbs 2 Project 