The Church That Talked About Sex (Part 2)

Idea #4: Be set up in advance to receive prayer needs and refer people to counselors.

I’ve already shared (in Part 1) that at the Love Church marriage conference it was very clear how much people wanted and needed to talk about this topic.

That was even more clear on Sunday morning. It was deeply moving to watch couples being freed from burdens that had caused so much misunderstanding and pain in their marriages. A sense of not feeling alone, coupled with their own leaders’ vulnerability and biblical teaching on the topic triggered a truly amazing response. Dozens flooded to the front at the end of the service, acknowledging a need for prayer and ministry for the pain points in their sexual stories.

This is why Jeff and I do the work we do – to find research-based lightbulb moments that transform relationships. But rarely have we seen such a dramatic response in the area of sexual intimacy in such an immediate way.

And the church was ready for the response. They knew that addressing this topic would lead to the need for direct ministry, so they had people ready to pray. They had counselors standing by to receive calls that next week. They had church leaders available to talk. And they were ready to absorb any pushback and guide the church further in the direction of, “We talk about real stuff here.”