Redeeming Sexuality: How to Practical Redeem Sexuality in a Millennial Culture

Millennials are 3 clicks away from finding whatever they want about sex, relationships, and sexuality. Over 95% of millennials have a smart phone and can explore sexuality over google than the Bible.

With that said, the Church has a great opportunity to respond. What a great opportunity we have to share God’s design about sex, redeeming sexuality, and relationships with the next generation. In a world that is OVER-saturated with EVERYTHING sex, culture will engage the Church IF the Church is willing and able to address sexuality.

Out of the reGROUP seminars this Fall about, “Reaching and Engaging Millennials in the Church and the Community”, an overwhelming response from pastors + leaders have requested resources on HOW to build a strategy around sexuality. Based on that, here are some practical ways to redeem sexuality in a millennial culture:*

Teach about God’s Design of Sexuality (ages 8-12)

Studies have show that children as young as 8-9 have seen porn for the first time. This is happening because we live in an technological and informational age. With this said, the Church needs to share God’s design of sexuality OR google will. This includes:

·      Sharing God’s design of relationships in Genesis 2,

·      That singleness is a gift for a season (to know God, self, and their purpose on earth),

·      The purpose of marriage,

·      That humanity is created for relationship with God + love, not JUST for sex + lust

Teach Young People How to Remain Holy (Pure) in a Sexually Broken World (ages 12-16)

This is nothing new… but after Genesis 3, humanity is experiencing the brokenness of relationships and sexuality outside of God’s design. Due to this, Jesus’ desire around sexuality is to redeem it... In this stage, it is important to teach young people PRACTICAL ways to respond to their PEAKING** desires:

·      Practical ways to deal with porn (see blog post on the "Levels of Porn"),

·      Understand + Respond to Temptation in a HS-filled Life,

·      Differentiate between lust + love + loneliness,  

·      Apologetics around culture norms around sex,

Teach Young People to Think about Sexuality, Discipleship, and the Gospel (ages 15 up)

Last, it is important to teach young people how to THINK about being a disciple of Jesus and sexuality. For FAR too long the Church has tried to isolate and/or protect young people from conversations around sex, relationships, and love. For this, the Church needs to have a “grace + truth” response around:

·      Same Sex Attraction and LGTBQ,

·      Gender Identity,

·      Sexual Boundaries in a Millennial Culture, and

·      Social Sciences around sex, relationships, and love (see blog post "Having an Unrestricted Conversations").

For Churches to engage with Millennials, responding to sexuality is strategic. This includes Sunday morning services, church-wide seminars, equipping Generation X parents to disciple their children around sexuality, and prayer.

Feel free to add to the conversation… what else would you suggest the Church to do to respond to sexuality?

*for more resources, feel free to leave a request in the comments. 

**average age for desire is to PEAK at 14. It is like going 100KM/hr. in a 30KM/hr. zone. In our culture, young people are encouraged to DO + BE whatever they want in this stage. The Church has the responsibility to share ways on WHY + HOW to remain sexually pure in our culture.