Yr 2 Yfc 100 Free Dare to Be (2009 Edition)

CFC YOUTH FOR CHRIST 3‐Year Pastoral Formation Track Year 2

100% FREE DARE TO BE 2009 Edition

YEAR 2: 100% FREE: DARE TO BE (2009 EDITION)

CFC Youth for Christ

YFC 100% Free: Dare to be TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1: THE YFC 100% FREE, GUIDELINES, AND DYNAMICS A. Rationale B. Overview C. Objectives D. Suggested Schedule E. Guidelines and Reminders in Conducting the Activity ‐ Roles of Service of Service Team ‐ Other Considerations Chapter 2: 100% FREE: DARE TO BE SESSIONS A. Talk 1 – 100% Free ‐ Session Dynamics and Creative Description ‐ Expanded Outline B. Talk 2 – Free to Live ‐ Session Dynamics ‐ Expanded Outline C. Talk 3 – Free to Be. Free to Love ‐ Sisters’ Outline ‐ Brother’s Outline D. Praisefest Exhortation Points APPENDIX: 100% Free Concept Paper

2‐4 2 2 3 3 3 3 4 5‐32 5 7 11 13 17 23 28 30‐33

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CHAPTER 1

THE 100% FREE, GUIDELINES, AND DYNAMICS A. RATIONALE Purity and chastity has always been one of the of the values that we as Christians want to uphold. As sons and daughters of God, it is important for all of us to be holy and righteous just like Jesus. However, this has been an issue for the youth generation especially because of the of the fast paced changing lifestyle that they are experiencing today. The views and stands that they are taught about purity and chastity is either lacking or distorted in information. As Youth for Christ, we always seek to put our name into a lifestyle as we try to live out the 7 YFC Ids. In all aspects of our lives, the aim is be witnesses of God’s transforming love to the millions of youth of youth who wish to experience the same. One of the of the identities as Youth for Christ is to live a 100% FREE lifestyle—a life free from guilt, from worldly standards, and from the bondage of sin. of sin. And in order to reinforce this identity, the basic pastoral formation of 100% of 100% Free is given to all YFC members through the 100% FREE: Dare to be formation module.

B. OVERVIEW The 100% Free: Dare to be module is a one‐whole day activity given on the second year of every YFC member. It is conducted on a cluster level for YFC Community Based Program or sector level for the Campus Based and High School Based programs. It is spear‐headed by the Cluster Couple Coordinator (for Community Based Program) or the Sector Program Coordinator, with the help of their respective Cluster and Sector Youth Heads. This activity is designed to introduce the new concept of 100% of 100% Free a one of our of our basic identities and YFC’s advocacy to chastity and purity. The sessions and activities of this module will focus on fleshing out the three Live, Free to be, be, and Free to Love. Love. basic principles of Free of Free to Live,

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C. OBJECTIVES 1. Explain the new concept of 100% Free. 2. Create an awareness of our God’s given freedom. 3. Move the youth in initiating a 100% Free lifestyle.

D. SUGGESTED SCHEDULE 8:00am – 8:30 8:30 – 8:45 9:45 – 10:00 10:00 – 10:15 10:15 – 11:30

11:30 – 12:30pm 12:30 – 12:45 12:45 – 01:00 01:00 – 01:30 01:30 – 02:30 02:30 – 02:45 02:45 – 03:45

03:45 – 03:50 03:50 – 04:30

Registration Gathering Worship Emcees Adlib SESSION 1: 100% FREE Creative: Talk Proper Sharing Reflection‐ LUNCH GATHERING Afternoon worship ICE BREAKER SESSION 2: FREE TO LIVE BREAK / Snacks SESSION 3: FREE TO BE. FREE TO LOVE Breakout session Men’s and Women’s Forum NOTE: This session is recommended to be done in different areas aside from the main session area where the praisefest will be held. BREAK PRAISEFEST

E. GUIDELINES IN CONDUCTING THE ACTIVITY 1. ROLES OF THE SERVICE TEAM a. Couple Coordinator‐in‐charge Oversees the event; coordinates with the team head about the other needs of the activity. Makes sure that all the members of the team read the manual in conducting the activity. Gathers help and support from other coordinators within the area Acts as mediator and guidance during open forum sessions, and girl/boy sessions. •

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b. Team Head (brother) Spearheads and initiates the meetings. Orients himself and all the members of his team of their roles and responsibilities in the activity. c. Assistant Team Head (sister) Prepares the over‐all budget. In‐charge of the Administration and Finance of the activity. • •

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d. Logistics Committee Head (brother and sister pair) In charge of all logistical requirements of the activity which includes physical setup, over‐all design, sound system, and other requirements of each committee. e. Program Committee (pair) In‐charge of the over‐all program flow and manpower. Taking care of all session creatives, speakers, emcees, worship leaders, and music ministry. f. Secretariat Committee In charge of registration of all participants (includes IDS and kits). •

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2. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS: a. This is a 1 day event. b. This event requires the following: ‐ 2 separate rooms (for session 3) ‐ 1 main session area ‐ Band setup ‐ Good sound system for the party c. This event requires the guidance of couple coordinators for the youth to have a better understanding of the program d. This event should have at least a month and a half preparation time. e. The service team should prepare the following: i. OPENING MODERN UP‐BEAT DANCE o This is for session no. 1 entitled, 100% Free. This is an opening creative performance for the entire day. o It is the ideal that the dance will be in the form of a lively modern beat and music that focuses on the great life that we have. o The objective of this dance is to create excitement and eagerness of the crowd in looking forward to what will happen throughout the day ii. OPENING VIDEO CREATIVE o This is the video that will follow after the dance performance. o This video focuses on the plan of God for us when He created us in the world. o The objective of this video is to realize what it means to be free to live, free to be and free to love.

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100% FREE TALK ONE OF THE YFC 100% FREE: DARE TO BE SESSION DYNAMICS AND CREATIVE DESCRIPTION OBJECTIVES 1. Introduce the YFC identity of 100% Free. 2. Instil that God has always intended for us to be free.

SPEAKER’S PROFILE YFC leader, can be a Mission Volunteer or Fulltime Pastoral Worker, who has integrity to speak about being 100% Free. He/she must be spiritually & emotionally mature.

DYNAMICS OF THE SESSION 1) The session will start with a creative modern dance performance, the objective of this performance is to create the atmosphere of eagerness and excitement towards what will happen for the entire day. SONG PROFILE: The song should be in the genre of modern (hip‐hop or R&B) having the message of how it feels to live and enjoy life freely. 2) The dance performance will be followed by a creative video that focuses on what it means to live in freedom with Christ. ‐ This is the sample storyline of the video: i. Freedom as defined by the world This is the kind of freedom that means to do anything that you want anytime, anywhere, in any way. E.g. Images of freedom: rallyists, liberated youth, pictures that show selfishness, having the attitude of “This is WHAT I WANT” •

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ii. Freedom as defined by Christ This is the freedom that is given to us by God in order for us to fully experience His plan, be who He want to be, and do what He wants to do, all for the purpose of glorifying Him. E.g. Images of Freedom as defined by Christ ‐ Youth that enjoys their simple lives in Christ ‐ Youth with a purpose ‐ Youth that are joyful because they stood up for a cause ‐ Youth in action as they serve God •

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Show the Anchor Verse of Galatians 5:13 “For you were called for freedom, brothers. But do not use your freedom as an

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opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love.” Gal. 5:13 iii. We are all free to live, free to be, and free to love. This part shows images and scenes of people enjoying lives with their family, youth having the clean kind of fun, youth enjoying their talents, youth enjoying with their friends, youth having fun with friends as they serve the poor, or youth having fun serving God. •

3) The video is then followed by the entrance of the speaker on stage. 4) The speaker now proceeds to its talk proper. 5) As the speaker proceeds to discuss the three basic principles, each principle is injected with a creative performance at the beginning of each point. This is done in order to make the principle easily understandable to the eyes and ears of the young. 6) Here are some suggested creative insert mediums that can be used through out the three basic principles: a. E.g. for Free to Love A skit acted as a huge exaggerated drama. o This can be a story of a youth in his “emotional” moment. With lines like, “Why doesn’t she love me? Why did she forsake me? Will anyone love me? I hate myself. This life is worthless. I want to die.” o The scene can be amplified if the team can play emotional songs with the message “I need love. Am I worthy to be loved?” o During his emotional moments, he is approached one by one by different people in his life. They can his friends, little sister/little brother, his parents. o As each of them approach Him, they express their love and affection for them. b. e.g. for Free to Be A skit with actors having dubbed voices that is made live from voice talents hidden backstage. o This skit can start with a scene of a youth in the middle of a drinking session with his/her friends. o The youth is pressured to drink and is called names such as Loser, Kill Joy etc. o The youth is torn between wanting to drink and keeping in mind that he/she feels something wrong in what he/she is doing. o The scene then freezes and posed with a question (voice over) – ARE YOU FREE FROM THIS? c. Creative Video or flash presentations that will stress the points d. A live acoustic or band performance about each point NOTE: The performances should not be more than 1 minute each to avoid dragging and diluting the essence of the talk. •

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100% FREE TALK ONE OF THE YFC 100% FREE: DARE TO BE “For you were called for freedom, brothers. But do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love.” Gal. 5:13

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INTRODUCTION God intended for us to live a great life. Originally, God wanted us to experience His love through the life that He has given us. According to Genesis 1:31, “God saw all that He had made and it was very good.” He wanted us to live in this world knowing that we are free to experience all these things. God gave us the freedom to be who we are meant to be, to make choices, to have our mind and our own beliefs. God gave us the gift of freewill in the hope that it will be used to make the right choices. But most of us today have lack or distorted knowledge of freedom. Sadly, people have used their freedom to fulfil their own wants, their own plans, leading them farther and farther away from God and His plan.

II. THE REAL KIND OF FREEDOM 100% Free is more than just an advocacy. Instead, this is one of our identities as Youth for Christ. This is Youth for Christ’s response to the bigger conviction of Couples for Christ called Pro‐Life. This identity anchors on the verse: “For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery” Gal. 5: 1 Christ intends for us to be free but in this world freedom has a different meaning. It is a common notion to associate freedom with the thought of doing anything that we want to do. The world has placed the real kind of freedom that God has given us into a negative light. As children of God, we use the freedom God has given us to achieve our main purpose of loving, honoring, and serving Him. a. Living in the Fullness of Life (promise) This means experiencing the life that we are meant to live as Christians—fuIl of joy, love, and freedom. It means fulfilling the great plan that God has set out for us, living in the light of His love. It means being who we are meant to be. b. Breaking from Bondage (decision) This means removing the chains of sin and living our life free from guilt, temptati0n, addiction, pretensions, masks, negativity, bad labels, and

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insecurities. This means removing all barriers or hindrances from being with God. c. Advocating Life (conviction) 100% free essentially means living a great life, and this is what we want everyone to know and fight for. 100% free means that every child of God should experience this as well. We pass on this knowledge of freedom and help others to free themselves. III. 100% FREE It takes effort, courage, and the ability to be steadfast in one’s decision, in order to maintain and continue being 100% Free. Our 100% Free identity stands on THREE basic principles and made firm by EIGHT conviction statements. Living the free life allows us to be: a) FREE to LIVE Free to live stands by the conviction statements that support taking care of our own bodies and lives. It supports the principles that discourage substance abuse that will lead us not only to an unhealthy lifestyle but also to sin. 1. Zero Drugs – YFC says no to substance abuse. 2. Smoke Free – YFC says no to smoking. 3. 0% alcohol ‐ YFC believes that drinking alcohol is not a sin itself but as young as we are, our bodies may not be able to handle and control alcoholic content. YFC believes in practicing self ‐control and clean fun. YFC stands by the fact that we don’t have to drink alcoholic beverages and get drunk, in order to experience fun. b) FREE to BE Free to be stands by the conviction statements that uphold being who we really are, both in name and in essence. This means living out our true selves and who we are made to be. It encourages living out the roles of a man and woman, in accordance to God’s plan. 4. Pure Inside and Out– YFC believes not only in the purity of our bodies per se but also purity at our very core. We believe in purity of thought, speech, and action. Our hearts and minds are the core of our being and it is important that these should be free from negativity and lustfulness. This means YFC discourages physical self ‐gratification, and avoids green jokes, and swearing. 5. 100% man and woman – YFC believes that God has created specific roles for us as men and women. YFC believes that we are designed to be man

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and woman, in order to live with each other and work together for His purpose. We encourage the youth to live their identities as they were created, either as man or woman. We also ought to help our brothers and sisters who have trouble in realizing their identity in God’s plan. 6. Free from pornography – YFC believes that our bodies are created sacred by God and should not be exploited for selfish pleasure. YFC believes that minds are powerful cultivators of our actions and thus should be free from lustful/malicious thoughts that are promoted in pornographic materials. c) FREE to LOVE Free to love stands by the basic principles of upholding the genuine kind of love that the Lord has given us. This means loving the way that God has taught us, unconditional and unfailing. This means believing in the kind of love that is learned, experienced, and given in God’s time. This means that we don’t have to enter into a romantic relationship to feel the genuine and real kind of love. As sons and daughters of God, we have the privilege and the ability to love. 7. Virgin and Proud – YFC believes that making love is a sacred gift given by God that is appropriate only after marriage. YFC believes that making love in essence is used for pro‐creation. This also goes beyond technical and physical virginity that only relies on its definition. Being virgin and proud means having dignity and integrity. It means loving yourself and experiencing the kind of love that is not just bound by physical intimacy. This also means that we, as Youth for Christ, should not engage in pre‐ marital sex. YFC believes that making love is a gift intended for pro‐ creation between two mature adults, joined by God in marriage. 8. Real Love Waits – Real love is defined as the genuine kind of love that comes as a GIFT from God. Like a gift, it should be made precious; taken cared off, and received in its proper time. YFC believes that special romantic relationships are examples of this kind of gift. Thus, we believe in the essence of waiting, as we prepare ourselves to receive this in His perfect time. While waiting for the right time and at our age, we, as Youth for Christ, should focus our time, love, and devotion on our relationships with parents, friends, and siblings first. YFC believes that this is the time to build lasting relationships with these people and not lead ourselves to be isolated in early and premature relationships.

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IV. CONCLUSION This is the real definition of freedom, and this is what we are called by God for. He does not want us to use this for our own desires but only for His. This activity will help you better understand what it means to live a 100% FREE life. Let us be open to what we will hear today and enjoy knowing that this is the life that we actually deserve a life free from bondage of sin and experiencing God’s love to the full.

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FREE TO LOVE TALK TWO OF THE YFC 100% FREE: DARE TO BE SESSION DYNAMICS

OBJECTIVES 1. Allow the youth to value and appreciate their lives and seeing it as a gift from God. 2. Realize and explain kinds of substance addiction that they may be going through 3. Encourage them to seek the potential of their own lives

SPEAKER’S PROFILE *the speaker will act as the host of the talk show. A YFC Leader who is skilled in speaking, easily able to establish rapport with the audience, and is able to articulate talk points.

SHARER’S PROFILE 3 Sharers (preferably YFC leaders) that have gone through different types of substance abuse and addiction but has now chosen to be free from it. 1. SMOKING A YFC brother/sister who has experienced peer pressure or curiosity leading him/her get addicted to smoking and was able to overcome it with the help of God’s grace and sticking to his/her commitment to quit; or A YFC brother/sister who has experienced being a victim of second hand chain smoking and was able to convince the other person to quit smoking, because he/she has always believed in the value of his/her own body as given by God. 2. DRUGS A YFC brother/sister who has experienced peer pressure or curiosity leading him/her to be addicted to drugs and was able to overcome it through making a choice to stop, with the help of his/her friends, family, community, a nd God. 3. DRINKING ALCOHOL A YFC brother/sister who has experienced peer pressure or curiosity leading him/ her to be addicted alcohol and was able to overcome it by making a firm decision and commitment to stop drinking, with the help of God’s grace; or A YFC brother/sister who has parents or family members who are strong in drinking but remained firm and convicted by standing by the principles that God wants us to live as Youth for Christ.

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DYNAMICS 1) The talk is presented in an interactive talk show format. 2) The session requires the following: a) 2 hosts – who will act as the main “speakers” of the show. b) 3 sharers c) Venue conducive for talk show (if possible living room /sofa set stage design) d) Seats arranged in “U” format 3) The session starts with an opening song introducing the speakers (acting as hosts). SONG PROFILE: This song should be lively and upbeat. This will be used as a song background for the entrance of the host. The song should talk about the greatness of life. 4) Talk Show Proper st 1 SEGMENT: The CHOICE WE MAKE The struggle in curiosity and peer pressure There will be 3‐4 sharers illustrating their experience with curiosity and peer pressure and how they were able to overcome it. Commercial Break nd 2 SEGMENT: Breaking Free How to Break free Question and Answer Portion • •

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FREE TO LOVE TALK TWO OF THE YFC 100% FREE: DARE TO BE “Do you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price, therefore glorify God in your body?” Eph 4: 22‐24 I.

INTRODUCTION Living the fullness of life, experiencing God’s plan for us, is free for us to attain. We are actually free to attain only if we choose to. Most often, we don’t take into consideration the great impact we make with our choices. God has given us a great ability to choose the path we take, in the hope that we are to choose to live out His plan for us. Most of the time, we aren’t aware that sometimes the choices that we make today may have a lasting effect in our lives in the future. The world has presented us a lot of options that can often distract or make it difficult for us to make the right choices. The strength of worldly influence has convinced us that there are other options apart from the plan of God.

II. CURIOSITY AND PEER PRESSURE As YFC members, we have to be aware of the things that can cause us to do some things that we don’t normally do. In being aware of them, we can start making conscious effort to address them. 1. Curiosity As a young, it is natural for us to want to experience a lot of things. We are eager and curious of the things that we haven’t tried before. This curiosity leads us into trying things. Though sometimes this can be considered good, there are also instances that this may lead us into danger and trouble more than we expect. 2. Peer Pressure We, too as youth, are subjected to peer pressure. Peer pressure is defined as “a force or influence placed on one person by his/her set of peers, to make them do something they don’t normally do.” This pressure can either give us positive or negative effects. NEGATIVE Peer pressure is what we need to look out for. Negative peer pressure is defined as “a great influence that can force us to do something wrong and sinful.” Peer pressure can sometimes lead us making choices immediately without thinking of the consequences that we may experience afterwards. Both curiosity and peer pressure influence our choices greatly that sometimes, when the need arises, it is impossible for us to say “No”.

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And not being able to say no is where everything starts. As youth, we get interested in things experiencing substances like smoking, drinking, or drugs. (NOTE: At this point, the hosts finally introduce all three guests/interviewees. The hosts then, articulate more the feeling and experience of being addicted to something, through the stories of the sharers.)

III. BREAKING FREE It all starts with a decision. It all starts with realizing that there is more to life than what we are experiencing now. We have to realize how much our choices can affect the rest of our lives, and that the influence of the world can be great on us. Ultimately, realizing God’s love, purpose and plan for us, is the only thing that can truly fill and help us break free from our bad habits. As we break free, the best thing we can do is to: a) Pray for the strength and courage to say I AM FREE. b) Immediately be accountable to a youth pastoral head, or a couple coordinator. Make sure that he/she is someone you can trust with everything. c) Constantly make the decision everyday to continue. d) There will always be a possibility that we will be tempted to go back – important: decide to stand up again.

IV. OPEN FORUM (After hearing the stories of these people and realizing that it is only a matter of deciding, the hosts now opens the floor for the audience to ask questions. There may be a tendency that the forum may get out of hand since we may be dealing with strong opinions‐whether for or against the stand to be free) Guidelines in conducting the open forum: a) There should be a presence of facilitators on the audience side. One of the hosts can act as the facilitator of the open forum. b) The facilitator from the audience should filter out and check the questions if there are any. c) The forum should last for at most 15 minutes. d) Household heads should be present to take note of possible questions that weren’t addressed during the forum

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(To set a standard in the manner of asking questions, it is advised that there are planted questions. Here are some of the scripted questions with their respective answers. It would be ideal if those who will ask the question have undergone or experienced the given situations.)

SCRIPTED QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS: Q: How do we approach an older sister/brother or our leaders when we feel we have a problem? A: We must always remember that our leaders are given by God to us. He/she is given by God as gift in order to help us and be there for us when we have problems. Let us not fear them. But instead, let us be open and trusting to them. You are free to approach any household heads, older sister/brother who you can feel can guide you and listen to you. You can always ask for confidentiality and trust that they will be patient with you in every step of the way. Talk to them openly and don’t leave out anything. In order for them to understand the whole situation in order for them to fully help you. Q: What can we do to stay away in a situation that may tempt us to take in substances (alcohol, drugs, smoking)? What do we say? What are the alternatives? A: First, it is always wiser not to put yourself in a situation that you will be tempted to do so. It will just make it harder for you to resist peer pressure. Know that your friends should be able to respect you for your decisions and not put you down when you stand by your principles. Second, if you have no choice and find yourself in a situation that is too late for you to get out of, remember what you stand for. Remember that you are Youth for Christ and you are not bounded by these substances. Tell yourself “I am free from this. I do not need this. I only need God.” Affirm yourself of the conviction that you chose to stand up for. Third, try to do something else than just watching everyone. Take the lead in the conversation or simply walk away. Q: Why do I feel bad when I don’t drink? How should I handle this? A: Sometimes, we feel bad because we feel left out and ridiculed by our friends. We feel “different”. There is nothing bad in choosing to stick to our convictions. This is what we should never forget. Instead of focusing on saying “no” to it, shift your focus to what you just said “YES”‐ yes to your own freedom—freedom from the pressure, freedom that will lead you to sin, freedom from being addicted to things that we don’t really need.

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V. CONCLUSION: Free to Live We only have this body in our lifetime. We only have this lifetime to achieve the dreams, the goals, or the vision we have for ourselves. It is important that we always be aware of the choices that we make. Living the free life means breaking free from the bondage of sins that constrains us to be who we are meant to be. It means being free from guilt, emptiness, pretensions and insecurities, and being fully consumed in God’s Love. It is time to stand up and make a choice.

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FREE TO BE. FREE TO LOVE TALK THREE OF THE YFC 100% FREE: DARE TO BE “So get rid of your old self, the old self that was being destroyed by its deceitful desires. Your hearts and minds must be made completely new, and you must put on the new self, which is created in God’s likeness and reveals itself in the true life that is upright and holy.” Ephesians 4:22‐24

(SISTERS’ OUTLINE) OBJECTIVES 1. For the sisters to realize our true identity as daughters of God. 2. Understand the real meaning of love according to the original plan of God. 3. Create a venue where the participants can discuss issues with their fellow sisters. 4. Instil the values of chastity, patience, and self ‐control. DYNAMICS 1. The session will then be divided into two: 1 for brothers and 1 for sisters. 2. Talk Proper 3. Open Forum NOTE: Couple Coordinators (Wife/ Tita) should be present during this session so that they, along with the speaker can guide them. SPEAKER’s PROFILE A sister, who can be a FTW/CFC young couple/SFC, who is spiritually and emotionally mature to talk about issues regarding identity, love, and relationships; someone who is able to tackle these issues carefully, making it more understandable for the youth. TALK OUTLINE: I.

INTRODUCTION: We know that God has a plan for women. He created us, women, as the finale of His creation—the finishing touch, the final stroke which made God remarked “Alas, it was very good.” (Gen 1:31). We knew by then that He meant for us to experience His love and special favour for us. God created man and woman together, to co‐exist and be stewards in this creation. He designed a special partnership for both so that together, man and woman may be able to bring glory to God.

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II. GOD’S IMAGE of a WOMAN After creating man, God said that “... It is not good for man to be alone I will make a suitable partner for him. (Gen2:18) So then, God created woman with distinct characteristics made to compliment Man. He designed woman to be full of emotion and vibrancy, a source of love and nourishment to others. He created us to be: A. Source of Encouragement God designed women to be naturally vocal about their emotions. With this, He designed us to be open in our support to our one another and motivate achieve to our goal. The woman’s presence is enough to ensure support and encouragement to anyone. This because our presence always brings an assurance that everything is taken cared for. B. Nurturers It is women’s human nature to be loving. Though we may love differently from each other, God designed us to love in whatever way we can. We see things differently to the point that even small things matter. When we see these things, it is natural for us to be appreciative to efforts made by others. C. Providers of constant and endless affirmation Since we are created differently from Men, we think differently too. Our insights, wisdom, and our ability to be more in touch with emotion allows us to bring out a different perspective on things. D. Providers of detailed information Women have an eye for detail. We have the ability to look into things with keen eyesight allowing us to think through in any process. This provides a lot of help to our partners or brothers who are not able to notice those things easily. We, women, are able to notice details in any situation and provide a more thorough assessment in the things we do. This information helps our brothers deliver a more excellent output and be efficient with the things they do. These attributes associated to us by God allow us to be a good compliment towards our fellow brothers. God created a strong, vibrant, and loving spirit in every woman allowing us to work in hand in hand with men in order to give glory to God. III. DISTORTION OF THE IMAGE Since we reflect the image and likeness of God, and the fullness of our roles allows us give glory to Him, Satan would naturally want this image of God in us destroyed. Women, nowadays, are starting to forget the image of God created in them. They tend to forget their own worth, thus submitting to the standards dictated by the world today. The image of God in women is starting to fade because of:

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A. Short‐changing special relationships We are all in the search of love. We have this great need to be loved in return. When we don’t find love in our homes or in our relationships with our friends, we try to find love somewhere else. We start forgetting the existence of God’s love in our lives that we find ourselves eager to get this love from the person of the opposite sex. We think that this can satisfy our need for love so even if we are young, or not ready, we get into it just to make ourselves feel valued and worthy of something. B. Pre‐Marital Sex In our desire to feel loved, needed, and valued, we tend to want to give ourselves to anyone who make us feel those things. This happens to the point that sometimes we give ourselves totally including our virginity. We start to lose respect for ourselves; our dignity fades, and our value diminishes. We sell ourselves short thinking that people would leave us if we don’t give what they want. C. Feminism (the dominating woman) We forget the anointing placed on our fellow brothers to lead and guide us. Sometimes, we lose trust in this that we tend to over dominate them. We forget to support and offer encouragement to the point that we do the things that they are supposed to do. We have a tendency to over play our roles in having a different perspective on things, that we feel we should be followed instead of our partners. D. Homosexuality When we forget our roles, we create an image of what we think we should be. We create an image of what we think the world would like to see or what we are more comfortable in being. As a result, this can sometimes turn to attaining a different set of roles that are not of women. There are instances that we would rather acquire qualities of men to the point of overplaying it, and making ourselves look like one. E. Victims of verbal, physical, and emotional abuse Sometimes, we do not see ourselves as created in the image and likeness of God. Some of us, would rather allow ourselves to be victims of these abuse and bear them out than feel rejected and left alone. F. Low Self ‐Worth/ Esteem We tend to look at ourselves less worthy than what we are originally made and created. Thus, we tend to veer away from how the Lord looks at us so that we can be accepted by others. We allow our insecurities to dwell on us.

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IV. THE REAL PICTURE: The Image of THE FREE WOMAN We are all created to be free to be who we are as women, and live our lives free to love and experience the genuine kind of love through our fellow brothers and sisters. We all have the capacity to free ourselves from the bondage of sin. There is more to life than these standards and sins that we have experienced in this world. As we discover and enjoy our being and who we are, He also wants us to experience the true kind of love. He wants us to experience fully what it means to be loved like He does, unconditionally, unfailing, and ever lasting. F – Feel and realize that God’s love is around us, with us, and for us. As sisters, we need to realize that God’s love is all we need. We need to realize that He is the ultimate source of what we are looking for. Knowing this will free us from feeling empty and having to resort to seeking love in the wrong places. Knowing this will allow us to live freely and fully secured in the abundance of God’s love. ‐ Learn to love through your family and friends first before going into a serious relationship. ‐ List down at least three things everyday that have made you feel loved. ‐ Learn to express love as well little by little to your parents ‐ Be faithful to your prayer time R – Remember the promise and the original identity that we have as daughters of God We are God’s princesses. We are destined to experience the fullness of His plan and feel His greatness in our lives. Let us all look forward to the promise that He has for us as His daughters. Let us all remember that we are to fully experience His plan through the roles that we are to play. Let us practice our roles as source of nourishment, support, and inspiration to our friends and our family members. ‐ Have a quality time with yourself at least once a week. Call it your “Me” time and do something that you’ve been wanting to do that you missed doing for a long time. (e.g. Have a massage, Read good book, relax at home etc.) ‐ Try to learn something new at least once in a quarter. (e.g. learn how to cook, a new recipe, play an instrument etc.) E – Empower each other as we move further into living a free life Let us ask for God’s grace and the Holy Spirit. To remove ourselves from the bondage of sin is challenging because the devil easily knows our weaknesses. This is why it is important to pray constantly. Let us be accountable to each other. As sisters, let us listen and be ready to be there when someone needs to confide to us. ‐ Make it a habit to check on your fellow sisters at least once a week. You can do either through text or phone. ‐ Be faithful to your sisters household. ‐ Have a regular one to ones with your household head.

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E – Envision the hope and the dream that God wants you to look forward to as His daughters. As we work our way throughout living a 100% Free life, look forward to the dream and the rewards that await you upon doing this. Look forward to the feeling of experiencing a life that is free of guilt, free of attachments to worldly things, to a life that is anchored and overflowing on God’s amazing power and love. Never run out of hope and take courage in His promises for us. We are all destined to experience who we are and His plan for us freely. We are all meant to live freely in loving. ‐ During one of your prayer times, do a self ‐evaluation. Allow God to direct you in this. Remember the things that you are good at and the things you want to improve on. Pray for the grace that God can help you change for the better ‐ Learn how to dream by list down things of what you want to do in your life. Pray for this everyday. ‐ List down the non‐negotiable(s) of what you want to have in your partner in life. Pray that God will bring him to you someday, in His proper time. V. CONCLUSION: Going back to the verse, God doesn’t want us to succumb to the standards of the world. God wants us to be who we freely are and experience His love freely. He is encouraging us to change our mindset and believe in the promise He is giving us. Let us pray to God ask for His wisdom to guide us in choosing our path, and make us sensitive to the real kind of love. Let us pray for the grace to be pure and chaste in our relationships, practicing self ‐control and patience.

SUGGESTED REFLECTION SONG From the Inside Out Song Profile: About God changing and renewing us. REFLECTION DYNAMICS 1) The participants will choose a partner that they will be accountable to. 2) After choosing, the speaker will lead everyone into a prayer, as the reflection song starts, seeking for God’s grace to allow their hearts to be open to one another, for the courage and for trust between partners. 3) In the middle of the prayer, the speaker will allow them to reflect more and talk to more to their God. The speaker will give instructions for the pair to start sharing. (NOTE: After the prayer, the speaker should remind everyone on the confidentiality of what each has shared) 4) Guide questions for sharing: a. What are my struggles in being a 100% man/woman for God? b. What can i do in order to be free from the standards of the world? 5) The sharing may be around 10 minutes (5minutes each person)

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6) After the sharing, the speaker will give instructions for the pair to pray over one another. (e.g. praying for the grace to break the addictions, overcome the struggles, forgiveness etc.) 7) The speaker ends with a prayer.

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FREE TO BE. FREE TO LOVE TALK THREE OF THE YFC 100% FREE: DARE TO BE “So get rid of your old self, the old self that was being destroyed by its deceitful desires. Your hearts and minds must be made completely new, and you must put on the new self, which is created in God’s likeness and reveals itself in the true life that is upright and holy.” Ephesians 4:22‐24

(BROTHERS’ OUTLINE) OBJECTIVES 1. For the brothers to realize their true identity as sons of God. 2. For them to understand the real meaning of love according to the original plan of God. 3. Create a venue where the brothers can discuss issues with their fellow brothers. 4. Instil the values of chastity, patience, and self ‐control. DYNAMICS 1. The session will then be divided into two: 1 for brothers and 1 for sisters. 2. Talk Proper 3. Open Forum NOTE: Couple Coordinators (brother/ tito) should be present during this session so that they, along with the speaker, can guide them. SPEAKER’s PROFILE A brother, can be a FTW/CFC young couple/SFC, who is spiritually and emotionally mature to talk about issues regarding identity, love, and relationships; someone who is able to tackle these issues constructively, making it more understandable for the youth. TALK OUTLINE I.

INTRODUCTION We know that God has a plan for all of us. He created us as the finale of His creation. We all remember after He created us, He considered everything as good. (Gen 1:31). We knew by then that He meant for us to experience His love and plan for all of us. HE created man and woman together, to co‐exist and be stewards in this creation. He designed a special partnership for both so that together, man and woman may be able to bring glory to God.

II. GOD’S IMAGE OF MEN The day before God rested, upon looking at the wonder of His creation, He knew that He needed someone to personally take care of it. Thus, He created Adam, the first

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man and “…settled him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and take care of it.” (Gen 12:15) Thus, men were created to have a strong, bold, and courageous spirit in order to lead and take care over the things entrusted to Him by God. He created men to be: A. Servant‐King He created men to be to take lead in being the servant for many. He created in us the capacity to build and make things flourish. Like a king, he created us to watch over the things assigned to us, governing it with love, ruling it with justice, and with a firm conviction on his decisions. Our firmness and courage in spirit provides security to our members as well. B. Mighty Warrior More than just having the built, we have the boldness in our spirit to be courageous and protect the people entrusted to us. We are equipped to keep others from harm at all costs. We treat our members specially the sisters with care protecting them from harm in anyway possible. C. Prudent Mentor Assigned to lead others, we are also given by God the capacity to guide our members, to be pastors, and stewards of what is right and wrong. God has given us the capacity to be examples of holiness and righteousness, influencing others to do so. We have to make sure that the people whom God entrusted to us are also guided in the right path. We are designed to look out for the welfare of others which also goes that we look out for. D. Faithful Friend We are also designed to be a source of good companionship to our members. We are not just there to lead others but also designed to have a good friendship with them. Our leadership goes beyond function and service but is meant to have good, faithful and lasting relationship with them. III. DISTORTION OF THE IMAGE Since we reflect the image and likeness of God, and the fullness of our roles allows us give glory to Him, Satan would naturally want this image of God in us destroyed. Satan distorts the image of men by making them overplay their roles or not play them at all. The image of God in men is starting to fade because of: A. The Need for Personal satisfaction Instead of man giving and serving others, the image is distorted into selfishness. Men want to satisfy themselves, getting what they want when they want it. Instead of seeing love as a gift that is to be waited for, the ability to do things and create solutions has led us to resort to self ‐gratification and pornography.

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We want to feel that we have that power to the point that even in our relationships, we want them feel them it too. Sometimes, men find that need and manifest it by forcing others into it. Instead for them to be a source of protection, men, nowadays, have a tendency to be a source of danger. Cases of rape, or abuse, have created a dangerous image of men. B. Homosexuality When we forget our roles, we create an image of what we think we should be. We create an image of what we think the world would like to see or what we are more comfortable in being. As a result, this can sometimes turn to attaining a different set of roles that are not of men. There are instances that we are not used to being emotional, or sensitive to the point that these would make us think that we are playing the roles of women. C. The macho man image ‐ Power trip We want to feel that we have the power. Because of this, we sometimes have a tendency to “power trip”. We abuse the anointing given to us to lead. This is the point that we get hot tempered when we don’t get what we want. This is to the point that our pride gets the best for us causing us to be unwilling to listen to what others have to say. We think we’re the best. We think that we are the solution. As a result, we do not govern with love. D. Laziness and Sloth On the other hand, instead of maximizing the anointing given to us to lead, we back down and grow slack on our duties and responsibilities. Our image of a man destined for greatness has turned to a man that is fearful of failure. As a result, men tend to back down and not step up to the plate. Sometimes, we tend to give up easily and would rather do nothing than fail. IV. FREE IN LOVE AND BEING We are all created to be free to be who we are as men, and live our lives free to love and experience the genuine kind of love through our fellow brothers and sisters. We all have the capacity to free ourselves from the bondage of sin. There is more to life than the standards and sins that we have experienced in this world. As we discover and enjoy our being and who we are, He also wants us to experience the true kind of love. He wants us to experience fully what it means to be loved like He does, unconditionally, unfailing, and ever lasting. “Do not let yourselves be shaped by the world where you live but rather be transformed through the renewal of your mind. You must discern the will of God: what is good, what pleases, what is perfect.” Rom. 12: 2

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F – Feel and realize that God’s love is around us, with us, and for us. As brothers, we too need to realize that the only true source of love is God. It is the kind of love that can change us and transform us no matter what. Let us allow this kind of love to flow through within us in order to experience fully what we are meant to be. Knowing that this kind of love is available for us to experience allows us to be freed from the bondage of our own insecurities, pride, and selfishness. Let us allow this love to help us experience freely what it is like to be who we are, and to love as God has loved us. ‐ Learn how to appreciate the gestures that are shown to you by your partners and your members. ‐ Learn to express love and thanks to your parents and family members ‐ Learn to show care and love for your partner, establish a good friendship with her, appreciate the support that she is giving you. R – Remember the promise and the original identity that we have as His sons We are meant to lead. We are meant to guide and be pastors. We are meant to provide and protect those entrusted to us by God. Let us remember the promise that He has for all of us that He is calling us to a specific purpose. Knowing this promise, keeping in mind the purpose He is entrusting us frees us from resorting to what the world dictates us to be. ‐ Whenever you feel like giving up tell yourself, “ I am a son of the great King. I can do this with Him.” ‐ Be eager for the purpose entrusted to you by God. Pray everyday for the different roles that you play in your life. (e.g. YFC leader, student, eldest son etc.) E – Empower each other as we move further into living a free life “Brother to Brother – Yours till life and death”. Let us maintain our loyalty to one another. Let us pray for each other and motivate each other be eager in changing and being free. Let us be accountable each other as brothers. Let us learn to open up and trust our brothers and leaders who are willing to help us and guide us. ‐ Initiate one to ones with your household head. Be honest and open to the things that he will tell you. ‐ Do not be afraid to offer advice and ask for advice. ‐ Keep the secrets of the brother that confides in you and offer guidance, support, and prayer to him. E – Envision the hope and the dream that God wants you to look forward to as His sons We are all given hope. We are all given second chances. We are all given a plan that we can fulfil. We are all given that opportunity and chance to experience being freed from the bondage of our selfishness, lies, and insecurities. Never run out of hope

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and take courage in His promises for us. We are all destined to experience who we are and His plan for us freely. We are all meant to live freely in loving. ‐ Pray for your anointing. ‐ Set weekly goals for yourself and work hard to attain them. ‐ Pray for the special relationships that you wish to have and pray for God’s proper timing. V. CONCLUSION: Going back to the verse, (Ephesians 4:22‐24) God doesn’t want us to succumb to the standards of the world. God wants us to be who we freely are and experience His love freely. He is encouraging us to change our mindset and believe in the promise He is giving us. Let us pray to God ask for His wisdom to guide us in choosing our path, and make us sensitive to the real kind of love. Let us pray for the grace to remain pure and chaste in our relationships, practicing self ‐control and patience. SUGGESTED REFLECTION SONG From the Inside Out Song Profile: About God changing and renewing us. REFLECTION DYNAMICS 1) The participants will choose a partner who will be accountable to. 2) After choosing, the speaker will lead everyone into a prayer, as the reflection song starts, seeking for God’s grace to allow their hearts to be open to one another, for the courage and for trust between partners. 3) In the middle of the prayer, the speaker will allow them to reflect more and talk to more to their God. 4) The speaker will give instructions for the pair to start sharing. GUIDE QUESTION FOR SHARING: What are my struggles in being a 100% man/woman for God? What can i do in order to be free from the standards of the world? 5) The sharing may be around 10 minutes (5minutes each person) 6) After the sharing, the speaker will give instructions for the pair to pray over one another. (e.g. praying for the grace to break the addictions, overcome the struggles, forgiveness etc.) 7) The speaker ends the prayer. (NOTE: After the prayer, the speaker should remind everyone on the confidentiality of what each has shared. The speaker should also remind them on following up on each other, and to continuously pray for one another)

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PRAISEFEST YFC 100% FREE: DARE TO BE EXHORTATION POINTS OBJECTIVES 1. For the participants to be able to personally surrender everything to the Lord. 2. Encourage the participants to decide to make the first step into being 100% FREE.

DYNAMICS 1. The session is delivered as a praisefest. 2. The session starts with an exhortation pep talk that encourages the youth to start praying for this decision. 3. PRAISEFEST

I.

INTRODUCTION At this point, we have learned that to be 100% Free is more than just an advocacy, it is who we are as Youth for Christ. We are all His sons and daughters and He intends for us to be free. “For you were called for freedom, brothers. But do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather, serve one another through love.” Gal. 5:13 He intends for us to be free. He wants us to live and experience the life freely in His presence and power. He wants us to experience the fullness of His plan. He wants to be free of the struggles that we are in, of the bondages that keep us from being from Him. It is now up to you to make that decision. It is up to you to make the first step. It is up to you to surrender these things – so that God can make you free

II. ASKING FOR HIS GRACE AND COURAGE TO MAKE THE DECISION SONG PROFILE: This song should be a song of surrender and offering. This song is a slow song allowing the people to reflect and offer up everything to God. PRAYER POINT: Lord, we ask for Your grace to be free. We ask for your strength to sustain us and fill us as we live and move closer to breaking our bondages from the sin of the world.

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We offer everything up you. We surrender our hardships, our insecurities, our fears and ask for Your Grace to assure us in Your love and forgiving power. (NOTE: The worship leader should give time for the audience to reflect on the things they need to surrender. After the reflection, as the musical scoring continues, the worship leader will ask the audience to repeat the statement.) “I AM FREE.” “I am free to live. I am free to be. I am free to love.” III. GRATEFUL FOR HIS LOVE SONG PROFILE: This should be a fast song that gives thanks to our God because we have the chance to experience Him in heaven. PRAYER POINT: Lord God, thank you for creating us to experience your love. Thank you for calling us your son and daughter. Thank you for giving us the grace to claim the promise of a free life. Allow us to experience what you intended for us to be, a free Christian. IV. STRENGTH TO SUSTAIN THIS COMMITMENT SONG PROFILE: This song should be a fast song asking for courage and at the same time showing excitement and eagerness to experience His freedom PRAYER POINT: Lord God, we know that this won’t be easy. The realities of this world often create in us the fear to surrender. This is why we ask the help of the Holy Spirit – it is not by our strength alone but God’s strength. V. CLAIMING FREEDOM IN CHRIST SONG PROFILE: This should be a song that claims the fullness of our lives in Christ. This should be a fast song that excites the youth to go out and believe that they are be free to live, free to be, and free to love. PRAYER POINT: We are not alone; we have our brothers and sisters, our accountability partners, household heads, to help us through. Let us have the courage to trust and embrace who we are meant to be. Lord thank you for we know that we are born free. We should break free and we should dare to live free.

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APPENDIX

100% FREE CONCEPT PAPER I.

RATIONALE Purity and chastity has always been one of the values that we as Christians want to uphold. As sons and daughters of God, it is important for all of us to be holy and righteous just like Jesus. However, this has been an issue for the youth generation especially because of the fast paced changing lifestyle that they are experiencing today. The views and stands that they are taught about purity and chastity is either lacking or distorted in information. As Youth for Christ, we always seek to put our name into a lifestyle as we try to live out the 7 YFC Ids. In all aspects of our lives, the aim is be witnesses of God’s transforming love to the millions of youth who wish to experience the same. One of the identities as Youth for Christ is to live a 100% FREE lifestyle—a life free from guilt, from worldly standards, and from the bondage of sin. Though the former 100% Pure program has been effective for a time, with schools and parishes wanting to know more about it, some have commented on terminologies, technicalities and approach. The principles have been said to be too condemning, harsh, or rigid. Thus, a new approach and a new name is formed, the concept of 100% FREE. Below is a fleshed out overview of the new repackaged YFC identity‐ 100% FREE.

II. WHAT IS 100% FREE? 100% Free is more than just an advocacy. Instead, this is one of our identities as Youth for Christ. This is Youth for Christ’s response to the bigger conviction of Couples for Christ called Pro‐Life. This identity anchors on the verse: “ For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery” Gal. 5: 1 Christ intends for us to be free but in this world freedom has a different meaning. It is a common notion to associate freedom with the thought of doing anything that we want to do. The world has placed the real kind of freedom that God has given us into a negative light. As children of God, we use the freedom God has given us to achieve our main purpose of loving, honouring, and serving Him. Therefore, 100% Free is defined as: Living in the Fullness of Life (promise) •

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•

•


This means experiencing the life that we are meant to live as Christians, fuIl of joy, love, and freedom. It means fulfilling the great plan that God has set out for us, living in the light of His love. It means being who we are meant to be. Breaking from Bondage (decision) This means removing the chains of sin. This means living your life free from guilt, temptati0n, addiction, pretensions, masks, negativity, bad labels, and insecurities. This means removing all barriers or hindrances from being with God. Advocating Life (conviction) 100% free essentially means living a great life, and this is what we want everyone to know and fight for. 100% free means that every child of God should experience this as well. We pass on this knowledge of freedom and help others to free themselves. Therefore, we, as Youth for Christ, fight the right to live this great life planned by God for us.

In other words, we proclaim: BE FREE.BREAK FREE.LIVE FREE.

III. THE FREE LIFE It takes effort, courage, and the ability to be steadfast in one’s decision, in order to maintain and continue being 100% free. Our 100% Free Identity stands on THREE basic principles and made firm by EIGHT conviction statements. Living the free life allows us to be: a) FREE to LIVE Free to live stands by the conviction statements that support taking care of our own bodies and lives. It supports the principles that discourage substance abuse that will lead us not only to an unhealthy lifestyle but also to sin. 1. Zero Drugs – YFC says no to substance abuse. 2. Smoke Free – YFC says no to smoking. 3. 0% alcohol ‐ YFC believes that drinking alcohol is not a sin itself but as young as we are, our bodies may not be able to handle and control alcoholic content. YFC believes in practicing self ‐control and clean fun. YFC stands by the fact that we don’t have to drink alcholic beverages and get drunk, in order to experience fun. b) FREE to BE Free to be stands by the conviction statements that uphold being who we really are, both in name and in essence. This means living out our true selves and who

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we are made to be. It encourages living out the roles of a man and woman, in accordance to God’s plan. 4. Pure Inside and Out– YFC believes not only in the purity of our bodies perse but also purity at our very core. We believe in purity of thought, speech, and action. Our hearts and minds are the core of our being and it is important that these be free from negativity, and lustfulness. This means YFC discourages physical self ‐gratification, and avoids green jokes, and swearing. 5. 100% man and woman – YFC believes that God has created specific roles for us as men and women. YFC believes that we are designed to be man and woman, in order to live with each other and work together for His purpose. We encourage the youth to live their identities as they were created, either as man or woman. We also ought to help our brothers and sisters that have trouble in realizing their identity in God’s plan. 6. Free from pornography ‐ YFC believes that our bodies are created sacred by God and should not be exploited for selfish pleasure. YFC believes that minds are powerful cultivators of our actions and thus should be free from lustful/malicious thoughts that are promoted in these materials.

c) FREE to LOVE Free to love stands by the basic principles of upholding the genuine kind of love that the Lord has given us. This means loving the way that God has taught us, unconditional and unfailing. This means believing in the kind of love that is learned, experienced, and given in God’s time. This means that we don’t have to enter into a romantic relationship to feel the genuine and real kind of love. As sons and daughters of God, we have the privilege and the ability to love. 7. Virgin and Proud – YFC believes that making love is a sacred gift given by God that is appropriate only after marriage. YFC believes that making love in essence is used for pro‐creation. This also goes beyond technical and physical virginity that only relies on its definition. Being virgin and proud means having dignity and integrity. It means loving yourself and experiencing the kind of love that is not just bound by physical intimacy. This also means that we, as Youth for Christ, should not engage in pre‐ marital sex. YFC believes that making love is a gift intended only for pro‐ creation between two mature adults, joined by God in marriage. 8. Real Love Waits – Real love is defined as the genuine kind of love that comes as a GIFT from God. Like a gift, it should be made precious; taken

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Yr 2 Yfc 100 Free Dare to Be (2009 Edition)

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