Hey guys,
I’m super excited (don’t I say that about every series we do?!) about our upcoming series at ACTIVATE youth ministry, “dating.” Starting Wednesday night, 3.3.10 @7pm, we’ll look at the whole idea of “dating,” and the way it’s viewed in today’s culture. Everyone of us begins looking forward to meeting that special someone, “dating,” and falling in love one day, and that happens very innocently at a young age. I mean most of us were first exposed to the idea of “dating” and falling in love, during an elementary school playground wedding behind the tube slide during recess… 
However, something changes as we get older. Our view of "dating" changes, and it becomes something different for us. Rather than an innocent desire at the age of 9, it becomes a driving NEED for us. Culture, company, circumstances, and consequences all creep into our lives and change the way we view "dating," and our motives to "date" change. "dating" becomes the thing that determines our status, our worth, and our value. If we're "dating' we feel attractive, feel like we're worth something and valuable; if we're not "dating" we feel not attractive, and feel like we have little worth or value. That driving need for status, self-worth and value often drives us to compromise, and make not so great decisions in the "dating" arena.
This series isn't about me, and what I think about "dating," rather it's an opportunity for all of us to look at the concept of "dating" and ask some questions about it. Why? Who? When? What? Why date? Who should I date? When should I date? What should "dating" look like? We'll also take a close look at God's word and see if we can't find better reasons, better options, better timing, and better methods to this whole idea of dating!
Hope to see you guys at AYM as we talk about, "dating."
-J-