Involving the Faith Community in Teen Pregnancy Prevention

More documents

Recommendations

Info

INVOLVING THE KEY PLAYERS38REMEMBER...At any initial meetings, staffshould be prepared to cover thisground. Without a commonunderstanding of the problem, littleenergy for a real partnershipwill develop.To help reduce teen pregnancy,faith communities do not have toimplement sexuality educationprograms or become familyplanning clinics. In particular,they do not have to change theirposition on the value of delayingsex until marriage. This may bethe most important idea of all.Much of what faith communitiesalready do is helping to reduceteen pregnancy, and at no pointshould it be suggested thatunless they begin providing sexeducation or related services,they are not helping to solve theproblem. It may be that a particularfaith community will wantto support contraceptive clinicsor sexuality education, but manywill not, and it is vitally importantthat whatever their takeon sex education, they stillbe among a program’s friendsand colleagues.Research increasingly suggeststhat broad youth developmentprograms—some of the best ofwhich are offered through faithcommunities—can make signiicantdents in teen pregnancy.Faith communities are alreadymaking an enormous contributionthrough their work withyouth generally, their supportof families and marriage, theirefforts to improve parent-childcommunication, their childcare services and after-schoolprograms, their sport and recreationalactivities, and theirdirect engagement with valuesand moral choices. Make itclear that regardless of whatspecific activities are undertaken,programs and faith communitiescan support each other aseach tries to reach the youngpeople within their particularsphere of influence. The mainmessage to faith groups is oneof support and respect.At some point, a program maywant to ask a community to dosomething more explicitly aimedat preventing teen pregnancy,but in making such a pitch, it isessential for programs to honorwhat faith communities arealready doing.One model for faith-based youthdevelopment is UnitingCongregations for YouthDevelopment. This is a multiyearproject designed to equipfaith communities to strengthenthe developmental foundationthat all children and youth needto grow up healthy. The projectoffers the opportunity for youthworkers to participate in interfaithnetworks. They receive
training and resource material.They also develop communitywidestrategies for positiveyouth development.The project is now being pilotedin seven communities throughoutthe country.As shown by the ChurchMentoring Network, mentoringis a strategy that teenpregnancy prevention initiativesand the faith community mayhave in common. Formed in1991, the Network believes thatcongregations are key players inpositive youth development. TheNetwork’s goal is to take a leadershiprole in starting mentoringand tutoring projects in faithcommunities. It also replicatessuccessful mentoring projects inother faith communities. Inaddition, it serves as a resourcecenter for organizations establishingtheir own programs.Volunteers trained by the ChurchMentoring Network learn how tobe mentors and how to trainother mentors in their own faithcommunities.39CASE IN POINTFellowship of FriendsThe Chicago Fellowship ofFriends has a 22-year history ofworking in the Cabrini-GreenHousing Project. For years, thisQuaker congregation has beenproviding after-school programmingfor students in kindergartenthrough grade seven. Parentssign a release to allow somereligious instruction. However,students are also taught basicsocial skills, friendship skills,and nonviolent conflict resolutionskills.The Chicago Fellowship ofFriends originally started as ayouth ministry in the 1970s. Ithas now become a faith communityin its own right for people ofall ages. Young men and womenwho grew up with the ChicagoFellowship of Friends are bringingtheir families back. They alsowant to give back by offering toother youth what they receivedthemselves.The surrounding neighborhoodturned to the Chicago Fellowshipof Friends when violence nearlyclosed down a neighborhoodschool. The Fellowship and thelocal ministerial association createda plan to keep the schoolopen and free of violence. TheSuperintendent of Schools agreedto let them try it. The planincluded parents’ meetings,Saturday activities for students,and escorts to accompany childrento school. The school alsoprovided a room where familiescould receive social services.The project quickly became apilot program that will soon beexpanded to several otherschools in the district.THE FAITH COMMUNITY
Page 1: 7CHAPTERInvolving the Faith Communi
Page 4: FOR MORE ONHANDLING CONFLICTSee Cha
Page 7: Reach out respectfullyand carefully
Page 11 and 12: • becoming full members;• sendi
Page 13 and 14: Sustaining a relationship with fait
Page 15 and 16: ReferencesBenson, P.L., Williams, D
Page 17 and 18: APPENDIXNine Tips to Help Faith Lea
Page 19 and 20: APPENDIXwithin the context of your
Page 21 and 22: APPENDIX9. Reach out to other faith
Page 23: APPENDIXThe Role of Religious Congr

Involving the Faith Community in Teen Pregnancy Prevention

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?