Silver Ring Thing returning to The Church at Bradenton with purity message for teens
BRADENTON -- The Silver Ring Thing, a nationwide concert tour promoting purity among teenagers, will host a two-hour event at The Church at Bradenton in February.
Silver Ring Thing is "challenging a generation to live up to their worth and boldly embrace their calling to be set apart," according to organizers. The event tackles sex and relationships in a way churches and parents often struggle with, said Jerred Peacock, youth ministries pastor at The Church at Bradenton.
"It's not talked about enough
because it's a little taboo," Peacock said. "We want to create an open dialogue with teens."
The session is presented like a concert festival to hold teen attention and be more relatable. It includes skits, comedy routines, videos and testimonies to show teens purity is about more than just waiting until they are married to have sex. Purity is a pursuit, according to organizers.
The Silver Ring Thing program was created in 1995 by Denny and Amy Pattyn as a response to the escalating numbers of teen pregnancies in Yuma, Ariz., and was moved to Pittsburgh in 2000, according to its website. Since that time, SRT has played host to more than 1,100 events in nine countries, reaching more than 635,000 attendees, including more than 235,000 students who have received rings as a symbol of their commitment to abstain from sex until marriage, according to the website.
The free event will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Feb. 10 at the church, 2520 43rd St. W., in Bradenton. Those who want to commit to wearing a purity ring can buy it after the event for $20. It's the second consecutive year the church has hosted the event.
Organizers are also hosting an "after-party" with a national Christian rapper and a local rapper, Peacock said. Peacock's youth group runs between 60 and 75 teens each week, but he's hoping the event will bring in at least 300 teens through various other church youth groups and working with teens in the community.
"We're on pace to hit that," he said.
A special parent session, which covers the role of parents in the abstinence decision, debunking the "safe-sex" myth and eight key things every parent should do, will run from 7 to 7:45 p.m.
Large parties are asked to register in advance online. Contact The Church at Bradenton by calling 941-742-3462 or visit tcabradenton.com. For about the Silver Ring Thing, visit silverringthing.com.
Meghin Delaney, education reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7081. Follow her on Twitter @MeghinDelaney.
This story was originally published January 29, 2016 at 11:11 PM with the headline "Silver Ring Thing returning to The Church at Bradenton with purity message for teens ."