Passion for Purity Seminars

Each one of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable.

1 Thes 4:4




150 IPB 7th and 8th grade students at
Passion for Purity seminar

 
“I learned how I should turn into a warrior to protect women and my family, how I can live in a way that is righteous for Jesus.” So noted a male student in his evaluation of the special seminar held last November. Several other students made similar comments.

The occasion was a special presentation at HAFF’s secondary school, the Institut Pratique de Bohoc (IPB). The presentation, called “Passion for Purity: A Biblical Foundation for a Theology of Sex” was also given to the sixteen students in this year's Young Leaders for God class and to students at a neighboring school, an estimated total of 540 students. 

Pastor Don LeClere and high school senior Ryan Schultz traveled from Minnesota to HAFF to present this one hour long (2 hours with translation) PowerPoint to half of the students on one day and to the other half the following day. The men also shared the seminar with 44 area church leaders-- ten hours of teaching over two days.

The 72 slides of the Follow Jesus into Purity PowerPoint were translated into Creole and printed up in a booklet which each student and each church leader received. The church leaders also received another booklet that explained the underlying Biblical principles and counsel on how to lead their congregations in building Biblical sexual purity into everyday life. The church leaders indicated that many of the illustrations could be used in their churches to demonstrate the consequences of other kinds of sins. With the handouts they felt that they had a great resource to share with their congregations. Printed resources of this sort are rare in Haiti.

Top: A sinful life is never full.
Bottom: Knighting a warrior.

The Follow Jesus into Purity presentation included many key Scripture verses like 1 Thessalonians 4:4, quoted above. Many object lessons, demonstrations and video clips reinforced the major points of the seminar. The photos at the right show two of the demonstrations. The top photo shows Pastor Don pouring water into a cup with holes to illustrate how a life full of sin can never be satisfied with things like pornography. The bottom photo shows the “knighting” of a student as a warrior to protect all women. The idea of men being warriors to protect women caught the attention of the students.

Pastor Don also corrected cultural lies about sex. He explained that a hardened heart is dead and doesn't feel pain, Christians should flee immorality, sex is a choice and always has consequences, sin can be washed clean by Christ's grace, and how one dresses advertises that the body is either “Private Property” or “For Sale”. One girl stated, “This seminar changed my life because I didn’t used to do the things in God’s will, in the way I dress.” Many girls commented in their evaluations that they “should dress in a way that is modest”.

Immediately after the presentations a few students expressed a first time commitment to Christ, wanting to know more about Christ and said that the presentation was life-changing. Other students commented that “I learned a lot of things from the seminar.” “I have decided to wait until marriage to have sex.” “Thank you God for your servants.” “I hope God will be with me in these activities.” “Pray for us that it can have an effect in our lives. Thanks.”