Love for Life turns Sweet 16
Magheralin Parish recently hosted a party in Dollingstown church halls to celebrate 16 years of the work of the charity Love for Life. Parents, grandparents and young people were all invited.
Sweet 16 was a party with all the fun and all the trimmings – balloons, bunting, banners, chocolate fountain, photo booth, popcorn, party food and birthday cake. However, understanding the pressures facing our young people today, Love for Life wanted the celebration to be more than just a party.
Gathering the young people in one part of the hall and the adults in the church, the groups were facilitated in conversations about the online world and how we talk about relationships.
Each room was full of buzz and interaction. Lots of information was shared, but in it all there was a sense of encouragement – to the adults, a reminder that family is the strongest influence on young people as they make choices. To the young people, an opportunity to inspire them to think before they post or click – to consider consequences and to encourage them to be wise online.
Love for Life Chief Executive, Judith Cairns (pictured above) said: “It was a positive message and one that needs to be heard. In the context of cyberbullying, sexting and pornography, we can’t bury our heads. The online world has so much to offer yet needs navigated well. We can all play our part in challenging some of the cultural messages and also in creating openness when talking about these issues.”
She continued: “The evening was a great success and there is an appetite for more. It is so important that the Church is discussing these issues and supporting both our young (and not so young) as we try to make sense of all the messages and how we respond.”
Love for Life is keen to engage with Churches and support them as they open up the conversations for all ages about God’s model for relationships and sex. Do get in touch about running a Sweet 16 party in your parish, supporting Love for Life and engaging all ages in this vital conversation. Find out more at loveforlife.org.uk.
Some statistics from Love for Life
- Family is the strongest influence for young people in the choices they make
- 83% of young people say family is a strong influence in the choices they make.
- 38% of 15 year–olds have accessed online pornography
- 27% of our 15 year–old males access online pornography every day with an additional 30 weekly