This title is a reference to a car commercial which touts a new perspective on an established brand which has been around for generations – it is similar to the way my children are reinventing the idea of being teenagers. I am a grateful mom of two young people who are stronger in their convictions about the Lordship of Jesus and more determined to be a light to this dark world than I ever thought about being at their ages.
This is reflected in the great church/teen prom experiences my son had as a teen and the amazing events my daughter currently loves to be a part of such as the yearly Teen Prom hosted by Hampton Roads Church in Virginia Beach.
I work with adolescents in the world every day and it is very obvious that their high school prom experience often represent a departure from safe behavior. To hear them speak of drunkenness, drug use, dirty dancing, sexual promiscuity and a night full of disregard for consequences, it seems as though these activities are a mandatory rite of passage which is simply inherent to “normal” adolescence.
My husband, Jack, and I thank God that the teens in the church have the opportunity to experience some of the great things about a prom night such as dressing up and going to a special place with their friends, group photo sessions at the beach, and dancing to fun music in a non-sensual way (if you have ever chaperoned a dance at school, you know this is rare). They experience the thrill of a prom night in God’s kingdom because it is an amazing experience to be in a room of their peers who are having a blast while being like minded about staying true to their Lord. When they go back to school on the following Monday and their friends ask them what they did over the weekend, it is a powerful testimony for God when they can share about their prom night without shame or awkwardness.
We are so grateful for all those who work many hours to make events like these so special for our adolescents! Just having a great event like a church prom can provide a powerful weapon for teens when they have to face down the formidable satanic assaults they are pounded with daily in their high schools. As parents, we feel tremendously blessed by God to be a part of his family at this exciting time!