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Programs to reduce teen preg- nancy and faith communities are natural partners. A shared interest in strong families and the healthy development of young people provides an excellent foundation for mutually beneficial activities. This chapter describes a variety of ways that religious communities and programs to prevent teen pregnancy can work together productively.
There are at least five reasons to involve faith communities in preventing teen pregnancy. Faith communities:
- focus on values;
- have community credibility;
- have access to young people, parents, and potential volunteers;
- have skills in reducing conflict; and
- are willing to provide in-kind contributions.
Focus on values
Preventing teen pregnancy involves more than just biology. In fact, it touches complex issues of values, personal stan- dards of behavior, power, parent- child relationships, feelings, and beliefs. These issues are at the
core of religious communities— what they teach about, pray over, and communicate. As such, they are natural allies for any program seeking to change the high-risk behavior of teens.
Interestingly, research is begin- ning to show what many have long known from working with teens—that religious faith and a strong moral sense play vital roles in protecting teenage boys and girls from too-early sexual activity and teen pregnancy. By teaching and preaching religious values, faith communities help shape the character of our chil- dren and give them answers to their most heartfelt questions.
- According to the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth, 48 percent of 15- to 19-year-old girls said that they were virgins, and nearly one-half of these young
THE FAITH COMMUNITY
Involving the Faith Community
in Teen Pregnancy Prevention
Why involve the faith community?
WHAT DOES “FAITH COMMUNITY” MEAN? In this chapter, the phrase is used in the most inclusive way to refer to churches, synagogues, mosques, meet- ing houses, and temples within a neighborhood, city, county, or state.
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women said that the main reason they had abstained from sex was that it was against their religion or morals. No other single reason was cited more often (NCHS, 1995).
- Adolescents who feel religion and prayer are important are more likely to delay sexual
activity than are other teens (Blum and Rinehart, 1997).
- Adolescents reporting regular attendance in religious services are less likely to be sexually active than are other teens (Eklin and Roehlkepartain, 1992).
Community credibility
Many churches and other reli- gious organizations are deeply involved in their communities.
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RESEARCH SHOWS... Religious faith and a strong moral sense play vital roles in protecting teenage boys and girls from too-early sexual activity and teen pregnancy.
When Healthy, Empowered, And Responsible Teens of Oklahoma City (HEART of OKC) went looking for partners in the faith community, it was not disappointed. It involved the faith community through an inten- tional, respectful outreach.
During the planning phase of HEART of OKC, youth and adult members of the faith community were actively involved. They helped identify needs and assets, create neighborhood task forces, and outline a positive youth development plan. Their work focused on selected high-needs neighborhoods.
Through needs assessment activi- ties, the project identified many inner-city congregations that were currently involved in youth development, or had the poten- tial to provide significant and positive resources. HEART of OKC staff members also conducted a personal survey of congregational
leaders from different denomi- nations serving central city neighborhoods.
The survey process showcased several particularly innovative programs that were already actively engaging youth. One included a collaborative sexuality education program co-sponsored by Temple B’nai Israel and the Mayflower Congregational United Church of Christ. Every two years these congregations combined their middle school youth groups and provided a four-week pro- gram on sexuality and growing up. The series also offered an ori- entation session for parents. The final session featured the senior clergy from both congregations. Together they talked with the youth about how sexuality and growing-up issues relate to their spiritual growth. The program has been offered for six years now, and rave reviews from youth, their parents, and their congregations follow each series.
HEART of OKC
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and volunteering, and can help programs find mentors, public speakers, and other key players. There are few places a program could go to get better expertise or more diverse skills and pro- fessional abilities.
Skills in reducing conflict
One of the biggest stumbling blocks to reducing teen preg- nancy is the amount of conflict and acrimony that this topic can cause among adults. Accordingly, finding ways to “turn down the heat” is often central to making any progress, and in this con- nection faith communities may be helpful.
Religious leaders are often skilled at finding common ground between people with diverse views and developing values of tolerance for differences. They strive to bridge differences and make personal connections even in difficult circumstances. These are all essential skills in decreas- ing the conflict that can surround community-based programs to prevent teen pregnancy.
Willingness to make in-
kind contributions
Finally, faith communities can offer significant in-kind contribu- tions, such as mailing lists, space in newsletters and newspapers, meeting facilities, child care, office support, help with trans- portation, and related services.
Local faith communities generally are structured around congrega- tions, religious organizations, or
individuals. In addition, many communities have a variety of “interfaith” or ecumenical coun- cils where leaders of various faith groups come together for common purposes. Statewide, they may be represented by denominational offices, affiliates of national religious organizations, or public issue groups with religious affilia- tions. Some major faiths also have national and even interna- tional organizations. Programs may choose to focus on individual
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FOR MORE ON HANDLING CONFLICT See Chapter 17 (Volume 3), “Moving Forward in the Face of Conflict.”
Getting started on a partnership
THINKING ABOUT THE MEANING OF CONGREGATION... A congregation is a place where parents and their children can be found at regular weekly activities, such as worship times, religious education, fam- ily fellowship, and committee meetings, as well as at special faith-based family events.
congregations or pursue relation- ships with these larger entities.
Forming partnerships with faith communities requires some up- front research and some leg work. Here are several ideas of where to begin and what to do.
Learn about local faith
communities
Programs can begin by learning about the number and variety of faith communities in the area or region. They should also be aware of the longstanding involvement of many religious organizations
in community action and social work generally. The YMCA, YWCA, Lutheran Social Services, B’nai B’rith, and Catholic Charities are among the oldest and best known youth-serving agencies. Other faith-based service groups, such as Habitat for Humanity, are more recent. Many individual congregations and faith communities are active in social service work and youth development activities, such as working with homeless families, outreach groups, religious education, athletics, child care and preschool programs, and
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- Believe that the work requires the involvement of the faith community as a whole.
- Put faith communities on a list of key friends and allies.
- Get to know the members of individual congregations, parishes, temples, mosques, and other faith communities. Learn and understand every- thing possible about the beliefs and practices of each.
- Acknowledge and respect the values of a faith community, even if they differ from those of the program staff.
- Ask members of a faith community to explain their traditions, beliefs, and per- spectives. Staff should not act as though they know these traditions when they do not.
- Acknowledge biases or stereotypes. Staff should ask
trusted members of a faith community to speak up when they see them operating from these biases.
- Receive a faith community as a full partner in the program’s efforts. Allow it to inform staff just as staff would like to inform it.
- Focus on the points of agree- ment the program has with a faith community. Do not let the points of disagreement prevent collaboration on specific activities.
- Publicly and privately acknowledge and appreciate the work a faith community has already been doing with its own youth.
- Consistently do all of the above with every member of a faith community.
10 tips for program staff who work with faith communities
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THE FAITH COMMUNITY
Reach out respectfully
and carefully
With the basic research done, programs can make concrete overtures to specific faith com- munities by:
- asking to meet with faith leaders—the best place to start is usually one-on-one meetings;
- outlining the problem of teen pregnancy;
- explaining what the program is already doing; and
- raising the issue of the faith community becoming more involved in teen pregnancy prevention.
In beginning the process of establishing a relationship—and possibly even a concrete pro- gram—with one or more groups, there are two key ideas for pro- grams to keep in mind.
If faith communities are to sign on as partners in preventing teen pregnancy, they must first agree that teen pregnancy is a problem. This may seem like stating the obvious, but it bears emphasis. Not all groups and individuals see teen pregnancy as a problem, or perhaps not as a very important one, so it is essential that any real relation- ship begin with some basic information and explanation. Points to cover:
- Why is teen pregnancy a problem?
- What are its consequences?
- How large a problem is it in the community?
- Is it getting worse or getting better?
- What is its relevance to this particular faith community and why should this group care?
KEYS TO SUCCESS WHEN SELECTING POTENTIAL PARTNERS
Recognize that faith communities have varied starting points on teen pregnancy:
- basic ideas and beliefs about young people, sexuality, and community outreach will differ from community to community. Recognize that faith communities have varied decision- making structures. Decisions can be made by: **- individual faith leaders;
- leadership groups, such as a parish council;
- the entire membership; or
- regional or national denomination leaders.**
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At any initial meetings, staff should be prepared to cover this ground. Without a common understanding of the problem, lit- tle energy for a real partnership will develop.
To help reduce teen pregnancy, faith communities do not have to implement sexuality education programs or become family planning clinics. In particular, they do not have to change their position on the value of delaying sex until marriage. This may be the most important idea of all. Much of what faith communities already do is helping to reduce teen pregnancy, and at no point should it be suggested that unless they begin providing sex education or related services, they are not helping to solve the problem. It may be that a partic- ular faith community will want to support contraceptive clinics or sexuality education, but many will not, and it is vitally impor- tant that whatever their take on sex education, they still be among a program’s friends and colleagues.
Faith communities are already making an enormous contribu- tion through their work with youth generally, their support of families and marriage, their efforts to improve parent-child communication, their child care services and after-school programs, their sport and recre- ational activities, and their direct engagement with values and moral choices. Make it clear that regardless of what specific activities are undertak- en, programs and faith commu- nities can support each other as each tries to reach the young people within their particular sphere of influence. The main message to faith groups is one of support and respect.
At some point, a program may want to ask a community to do something more explicitly aimed at preventing teen pregnancy, but in making such a pitch, it is essential for programs to honor what faith communities are already doing.
One model for faith-based youth development is Uniting Congregations for Youth Development. This is a multi- year project designed to equip faith communities to strengthen the developmental foundation that all children and youth need to grow up healthy. The project offers the opportunity for youth workers to participate in inter- faith networks. They receive
REMEMBER... Research increasingly suggests that broad youth development programs—some of the best of which are offered through faith communities—can make signi- icant dents in teen pregnancy.
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Be concrete
Once on firm ground, programs can offer some concrete sugges- tions about what the faith com- munity might do to help reduce teen pregnancy and how such activities would fit in with other parts of the program. For exam- ple, in Nine Tips to Help Faith Leaders and Their Communities Address Teen Pregnancy, the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy provides sugges- tions and resources to faith com- munities (see Appendix at the end of the chapter). A faith com- munity will not join in an activity that conflicts with its beliefs and values, so programs should not require the church to support everything a prevention program does as a condition of partner- ship. However, a conflict in one area may still mean that a faith community can participate in other areas.
Offering a list of work needed, resources required, and activities to be undertaken gives a faith community the opportunity to choose activities that suit it best. Examples of tangible activities include:
- providing worship service bulletin inserts and flyers that draw attention to teen pregnancy;
- creating teen pregnancy- focused interfaith/inter- denominational worship services with clergy; - offering to speak to religious education classes; - sponsoring a coffee or brunch for clergy and other faith community leaders; - visiting ministerial or clergy associations to raise aware- ness of the teen pregnancy problem; - inviting faith community leaders to attend professional conferences, seminars, and training sessions; - sponsoring seminars and other learning events just for the faith community or its leaders; - using direct mail to keep the issue of teen pregnancy before the faith community; - talking with faith community leaders to exchange information about each other’s work; and - writing, printing, and distrib- uting placemats or other materials that provide facts and information about teen pregnancy for use at fellow- ship dinners.
An additional way to engage a given faith community is to ask for its participation in a community-wide coalition focused on preventing teen pregnancy. A faith community can actively participate in a coalition by:
- becoming full members;
- sending representatives to regular meetings;
- acknowledging coalition lead- ership at worship services and other public meetings of the congregation;
- printing coalition announce- ments in publications;
- bringing the concerns of the coalition before the mem- bership through sermons, lessons, and other types of presentations;
- inviting coalition leaders to speak to groups, committees, and classes within the faith community; and
- publicly supporting the work of the coalition.
Some faith communities may be willing to help offer sexuality education and even family plan- ning services within the context of their faith traditions. A strong case can be made that providing such information in the context of personal faith and spiritual values can be very effective. Many young people are receptive to such education when it comes from their faith communi- ty. Parents in particular are unlikely to object because they are confident that the instruc- tion offers good information in the context of their faith’s teach- ings. Most important, sexuality education from the viewpoint of a faith community encourages young people to consider sexu- ality in the context of faith and spiritual values.
If a faith community is uncom- fortable with highly visible roles, it can still be a vital “behind the scenes” player by, for example, offering volunteer leaders for
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Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington learned just how much a faith community can offer. Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church offered two day care cen- ters for the community. But Allen Chapel’s pastor saw a greater need. He had a vision for a family planning clinic that would offer on-site services. He brought together leaders of his congrega- tion and of Planned Parenthood
of Metropolitan Washington to share his vision. The result was a successful collaboration that con- tinues today. The church provided space and other basic support for the clinic. Planned Parenthood provided the expertise and staff to run the clinic for 15 to 20 hours each week. Together a congregation and a Planned Parenthood helped a community receive much-needed services.
Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington
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Several activities can help turn a new partnership with the faith community into a long-term relationship.
Make sure communication
is regular and personal
A successful partnership needs to be nourished by an ongoing conversation that includes all those involved. This dialogue allows the entire group to find common ground as well as to understand what ground cannot be shared. In addition, programs should solicit feedback on
substantive issues from faith community partners. They are knowledgeable about youth and working in the community, and their feedback, observations, and suggestions can strengthen a teen pregnancy prevention initiative.
As programs establish and con- tinue a dialogue, they need to remember that similar conver- sations also may be going on within the faith community itself. In many communities, teen pregnancy can be a contro- versial issue. The members may have agreed that teen pregnancy
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Sustaining a relationship with faith
community partners
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Members of Our Lady of Guadeloupe Catholic Church in Denver, Colorado, were con- cerned that uninsured people in the predominantly Latino neigh- borhood could not get decent, basic health care. They decided to establish a free health clinic. Exams, immunizations, and diabetes screening are among the services offered by Clínica Tpeyac. As the clinic’s clientele grew, staff began to focus on the needs of the young people in the neighborhood and parish. In response, the clinic started Nuestros Milagros (Our Miracles) to provide regular activities for youth.
In September 1997, the clinic conducted a survey of more than 100 parish and neighborhood youth. In the survey, the youth identified two problems that they felt the clinic and the church needed to address—drug abuse and teen pregnancy. Clinic, church, and youth leaders from the Nuestros Milagros youth group agreed to focus on the issue of teen pregnancy. By the end of the year, they were preparing a training for peer edu- cators and writing curricula for programs. By spring of 1998, the peer educators were ready for their programs.
Our Lady of Guadeloupe Catholic Church
The faith community is a key constituent in any community or state. When a teen pregnancy prevention program initiates and carries out a partnership with a faith community that is
characterized by positive inten- tion, respect, and careful attention to cultivating areas of agreement and resolving potential areas of disagreement, it has everything to gain.
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is a problem, but may have seri- ous disagreements about the best way to solve the problem. Just because congregations sit at one table does not mean they agree on all things. The nature and depth of these differences will affect efforts to unite the faith community on the issue of teen pregnancy. A program’s inten- tional effort to create ongoing dialogue among members of the faith community will help them stay connected to the work.
Recognize the faith com-
munity’s contribution
Appreciate the efforts made by the faith community to be a partner in prevention. Acknowl- edge its contributions to building
those personal “assets” that reduce the risks for adolescents. Programs should provide public acknowledgment of the efforts being made by their faith com- munity partners, and express personal thanks to their partners.
Explore additional ways
to work together
The more programs involve the faith community, the more opportunities for additional col- laboration will materialize. As new ways open for programs and faith communities to work together, programs should be ready to explore the opening frontiers with faith community partners with the idea that it should be good for both.
Conclusion
SIECUS Report, October/November 1997 (Volume 26, Number 1) Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) Monica Rodriquez, Director of Education 130 West 42nd St., Suite 350 New York, NY 10036- (212) 819- Fax: (212 ) 819- Email: siecus@siecus.org Website: http://www.siecus.org Every article in this issue of the bimonthly publication would be helpful to program planners. Of particular interest are “The Journey of Sexuality Educators to Faith Communities” by Maggi Ruth P. Boyer and Ann Marie Donohue, as well as “The Sexuality Education Programs of Religious Groups and Denominations” by Elma Phillipson Cole. Also, SIECUS has
numerous annotated bibliographies of resources related to spirituality, religion, and sexuality. Roehlkepartain, Eugene C. (1998). Building assets in congregations: A practical guide for helping youth grow up healthy. Minneapolis, MN: Search Institute. (Cost: $18.95. To order, call Search Institute at 800-888-7828.) This resource offers practical ideas for congregations that want to engage in youth development through asset building. Chapter titles include: “Helping Youth Grow Up Healthy: A New Vision for Congregations,” “Developmental Assets: A Framework for Focusing Congregational Life,” “Integrating Asset Building into Programming for Youth,” and “Reaching into the Community for Asset Building.”
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Other useful resources
IT TAKES TWO and Worth The Wait Pregnancy Prevention Legacy Resource Group Tom Klaus, President P.O. Box 700 Carlisle, Iowa 50047 (515) 989- Fax: (515) 989- Email: legacyrg1@aol.com www.legacyrgl.com National Black Religious Summit on Sexuality Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice Rev. Carlton Veazy, Executive Director 1025 Vermont Ave., NW, # Washington, DC 20005 Phone: (202) 628- Fax: (202) 628- Email: info@rcrc.org Website: www.rcrc.org
Uniting Congregations for Youth Development Search Institute Ann Betz, Project Manager Thresher Square West 700 South Third St., Suite 210 Minneapolis, MN 55415 Phone: (612) 376-8955 or (800) 888- Fax: (612) 376- Website: www.search_institute.org
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Introduction
Research is beginning to show what many of us have long known from working with teens—that religious faith and a strong moral sense play vital roles in protecting teenage boys and girls from too- early sexual activity and teen pregnancy. For example, according to the 1995 National Survey of Family Growth, 48 percent of 15- to 19-year-old girls said that they were virgins, and nearly one-half of these young women said that the main reason they had abstained from sex was that it was against their religion or morals. Clearly, the role of faith in preventing teen pregnancy is a vital and impor- tant one. By teaching and preaching religious values, faith commu- nities can help shape the character of our children and give them answers to their most heartfelt questions.
To support faith communities in this regard, the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy’s Task Force on Religion and Public Values has compiled Nine Tips to Help Faith Leaders and Their Communities Address Teen Pregnancy. This brochure summarizes a wealth of experience and advice from faith leaders around the coun- try. The members of the Task Force—religious and secular leaders representing a broad ideological spectrum and a range of faith tra- ditions—hope these tips encourage religious leaders of all faiths and denominations to take on issue of teen pregnancy in the context of their religious beliefs. At the end of the tips, you will also find a list of helpful books, lesson plans, and other educational resources available from a number of religious and secular organizations.
Teen pregnancy and birth rates in the United States have begun to decline, although it remains true that our nation still has the high- est rates in the industrialized world by far—with nearly one million teen pregnancies every year. Communities of faith know that teen pregnancy is a complicated problem. They also know that their work with young people must compete with messages from a wider culture
Nine Tips to Help Faith Leaders and
Their Communities Address Teen
Pregnancy
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—————————————— This is an eight-page brochure from the National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy. To order, contact the National Campaign, 2100 M St., NW, Suite 300, Washington, DC 20037, www.teenpregnancy.org. First five copies free. Bulk orders available for purchase.
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within the context of your faith tradition. And help your parents set proper limits for their children’s behavior.
3. Enlist adults in your faith community to help
young people.
Teenagers develop character and personal values through interact- ing with respected and empathetic adults. Sometimes faith leaders themselves are available to work directly with teenagers, but often they carry so many responsibilities that they need help from others. If this is the case, ask highly trusted and knowledgeable adults in your faith community to assist in the important work with teenagers. Whether the adults create an organized mentoring program or some- thing more informal, be sure they understand teenagers and can talk about values and relationships within the context of your faith’s principles.
4. Make sure the children and teenagers in your faith
community understand what your faith tradition says about
sex, love, and marriage in general and teen pregnancy, in
particular. Use clear and unambiguous language.
Young people need to know and understand where your faith tradition stands on matters of sexuality. Faith traditions can have a strong impact on helping teens avoid too-early sexual activity and pregnancy, but messages need to be clear, direct, and precise. Encourage open, honest, and frank discussions about the challenges—and choices— that young people face in their daily lives. Discussions about sex, love, and marriage within the context of religious faith should begin when children are young, rather than waiting until they’re teens.
5. Learn about contemporary youth culture—what
your young people are reading, listening to, watching,
and doing.
Understanding the world of teens makes communicating with and caring for them easier. The influence of the entertainment media, in particular, on youth culture is extraordinary. Know the music that young people enjoy. Watch the television shows they watch so you’ll know which characters they may be trying to emulate. Take a look at the magazines they are reading. With such information in hand, you can better explore with teens how the cultural messages they receive agree with or differ from what is expected of them as mem- bers of your faith community.
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6. Organize supervised group activities for teenagers in
your faith community.
Teenagers need things to say “yes” to, especially when we are ask- ing them to say “no” to too-early sexual activity and pregnancy. Encourage the parents and other adults in your faith community to organize and lead group activities with teens. All the activities that you sponsor for young people—from prayer circles to field trips— are excellent opportunities for fostering fellowship and supportive friendships. By creating a positive and spiritually-oriented peer culture, you can help teens make the right decisions about sex.
7. Reach out to teenagers who are not involved in any
faith community.
Though young people seek answers to spiritual questions, some are reluctant to find them in institutions of organized religion. And it is often the teens who are outside of faith communities and unattached to any positive group who are particularly likely to get in trouble. One dynamic youth minister in California reached out to neighborhood teens by encouraging them to structure their own youth program. He also moved his youth activities into a storefront center just a half- block from the church. A youth group of thirty teens that once met in the church basement now numbers in the hundreds.
8. Celebrate achievement and excellence.
By specifically supporting excellence and achievement of young people, faith communities can help to create an environment for young people that reduces the risk of early sexual activity and teen pregnancy. For example, research has shown that early school fail- ure and dropping out of school are closely associated with becoming a teen parent. By encouraging educational achievement, faith com- munities may be able to help persuade teenagers to stay in school. Organize tutoring, homework assistance, and opportunities for community service. Encourage or offer scholarships for college and vocational training.
Celebrate spiritual and non-academic achievement as well, like volunteer work or excellence in the arts. Consider recognition cere- monies during regular worship services or designate specific days each year to honor teenagers for their accomplishments in a wide range of areas. Give the teenagers in your faith community a place to shine no matter what their abilities or interests.
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