What Do We Believe​ About expectant and parenting adolescents?

YOUNGLIVES​ - BIBLICAL FOUNDATION

We Believe our Teen Parents are Imago Dei...

And they are not defined by their pregnancies. Imago Dei is a Latin word that means “image of God''. We first find this word in Genesis 1:26-27, which says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him, male and female he created them.” We believe our friends are created in the image of God, stitched together in their mothers womb, fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139).

We Believe our Teen Parents are Disciples and Called to Disciple…

One of the primary marks of a disciple is the ability to love. John 13:34-35 says, “by this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another”. Discipleship is giving and receiving love from all of its members, including teen parents. We all give and receive love “within the limits and the full extent of our capabilities” (Dr. Ben Conner). We believe our friends are called to be disciples in their families, communities and world. It is the universal calling as a disciple of Jesus (Matthew 28).

We Believe Teen Parents are Called and Gifted by God....

The Holy Spirit gives EVERYONE gifts. In 1 Corinthians 12 the words EACH ONE and ALL are repeated over again. We are all given different gifts to use for the Kingdom of God, this includes young parents. We believe friends are gifted by God and called to use their gifts to honor God. Our friends are God’s workmanship created to do the good work God has planned for them to do (Ephesians 2:10).

We Believe in the Healing Ministry of Belonging….

Throughout the Gospels we read the healing narratives of Jesus. Jesus' healing ministry was not about ‘fixing’ what was ‘broken,’ but rather restoring community and religious practice to those he healed. Luke 5 and 17 are two examples of Jesus healing men who had leprosy. After they were healed he sent them to the priest to be declared clean, which restored them to full life in their community.

We Believe Teen Parents Deserve Advocates….

Scripture tells us in Psalm 103:6 The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all treated unfairly. Following the Lord’s example, we pursue justice for our friends who may have been treated unfairly. We get to do this by showing up in their lives, sharing God’s unconditional love and advocating. Through collaboration with the community and advocacy, we remember God’s concern for the fatherless, motherless, the forgotten and our friends who may have experienced trauma and/or lack of social support. James 1:27 “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress.”