What Do We Believe​ About expectant and parenting adolescents?

YOUNGLIVES​ - BIBLICAL FOUNDATION

We Believe our ADOLESCENT 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 these words 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 God by His Word and Spirit calls Adolescent Parents to be Disciples...

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 Believe Adolescent Parents are Called and Gifted by God....

We believe our friends are called to be disciples in their families, communities, and the world. Just as Jesus entered the lives of his disciples, he invites them to imitate his life. Jesus commissioned his disciples before they fully understood their calling. It is this universal calling as disciples of Jesus, as described in Matthew 28, that we teach our friends to experience.

We Believe in the Healing Ministry of Belonging....

In the Gospels, we encounter numerous instances of Jesus welcoming those marginalized by society into his circle, including the tax collector, the woman at the well, and the little children whom the disciples attempted to dismiss. He creates communities of inclusivity where even the most vulnerable find a sense of belonging, and it is within these safe environments that healing through belonging takes place.

We Believe ​ Adolescent Parents Deserve Advocates....

By following Jesus’s example, we advocate for righteousness and justice and speak up for young families. Psalm 103:6 tells us, "The Lord gives righteousness and justice to all treated unfairly." We actively pursue justice for our friends who have been wronged, showing up in their lives, sharing God's unconditional love, and advocating on their behalf. We embody the truth of God's heart for young parents and others marginalized by society, such as the fatherless, motherless, and forgotten, who suffer from trauma, the sins of others, or a lack of social support. Our commitment is grounded in the scriptural mandate of James 1:27, which defines pure and faultless religion as caring for orphans and widows in their distress.