​THE PURE AT HEART PHENOMENON

​THE PURE AT HEART PHENOMENON
 
The Pure at Heart events have swept through the church like a wave, touching hearts and lives.  We trust they will leave good things in their wake.  
 
Each event was well attended.  (About one hundred and seventy-five people came for the viewing of Over 18.  One hundred and ten men came to last Saturday’s breakfast, and around one hundred and twenty women attended Wednesday evening’s dessert night). The audiences ranged from teens to seniors.  Clearly, the topic of porn is one that touches people of all ages.
 
The men’s event seemed to be especially impactful.  Comments on the feedback forms were almost universally positive.  The men expressed things like:  “Effective speaker.”  “Great content.”  “Let’s do something like this again.”  “I appreciate Bethel’s leaders for being courageous enough to take on this topic.”
 
Of course, our efforts as a congregation cannot stop with three events, if we are serious about becoming a church that is “pure at heart”.  These events are just the start of a journey.  Dealing with the risks and temptations of pornography will require, on each of our parts, daily vigilance, prayer, a willingness to give and receive support. 
 
In this respect I believe we have reason to be encouraged.  Both the level of engagement in the events, and the feedback expressed to the event organizers, suggest that our congregation intends to fight this battle in God’s strength.
 
The Pure at Heart Team will be following up with those who requested more information or said they would like to be in an accountability group or indicated that they want to support people struggling with porn.  If you have any feedback or want further help, we welcome you to contact any of our team’s members. 

--Pastor Tom (for the Pure at Heart Team: Mark Dubbeldam, Robyn Dubbeldam, Rene Hebers, Melanie Reinders, and myself)

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