talking it over with Dr. Clyde M. Narramore
Dr. Narramore, graduate of Columbia University, New York City, is a pschologist and Consultant in Research and Guidance with one of the largest school systems in the United States.
During the meetings you and your wife and the youth leader and his wife should meet each week to evalu ate the former week’s presentation and to make plans for the coming week. Near the end of the series you should distribute a questionnaire (un signed) on which the participants may record their reactions. This will help you to improve the second series the following year. During the first meeting you will want to distribute 3x5 white cards encouraging the young people to write one question on each card. It will be best if you outline the kinds of ques tions that they might like to ask. The general problems might include: “ Dating,” “What the Bible Says About Sex,” “ Special Problems,” and “What Makes a Good Marriage.” I suggest you do not answer these ques tions until the second, third and fourth meetings. This will give you four adults an opportunity to go through the questions and select sev eral to be discussed at each succeed ing meeting. During the first session you might like to discuss matters pertaining to dating. You will find appropriate materials in my two books “ Life and Love” and “Young Only Once.” During the second and third ses sions you will want to discuss some of the questions which have been writ ten. In addition you should make a list of the things which constitute a good marriage. You might start the discussion by asking the young people what they think makes a good mar riage. Then you can add to their sug gestions. The fourth session should include more questions and answers. In addi tion you should discuss some of the most frequent types of sex problems and their causes. These are found in “ Life and Love” and in my new book entitled “The Psychology of Coun seling.”
Throughout the series you should emphasize God’s Word. You will find that the morale of your young people will rise immediately after such a series of meetings. In addition, many of them will come to you individually to talk about personal problems. I suggest you plan to conduct the series yourself rather than calling in an outsider. With adequate preparation I am sure you can do a very fine job. Let me know if I can help you further. COM PU L S IO N S Question: Please discuss the topic “ compulsions” — just what they are, and how to rid oneself of them. Answer: A compulsion is an apparent ly meaningless impulse to do a cer tain thing. A person may compulsive ly count the steps in a flight of stairs. He may count the cracks in the pave ment or feel he must step on each one. Mild compulsions of this sort are common in every day life. Compul sions are sometimes an attempt to substitute a harmless act for an un conscious unacceptable impulse. Fail ure to carry out a compulsive act “ to the letter” often results in anx iety. People who have excessively rigid stands are called compusive personalities. More serious compul sions are associated with mental ill ness. Compulsions to do illegal acts are called impulsions. Examples are Kleptomania (compulsive stealing) and Pyromania (compulsive setting of fires). LISTEN TO DR. N A R R AM O R E over KBBI, 107.5 me, Los Angeles, Monday through Friday, 12:45 - 1:00 P.M. with "Psychology for Living." (Also heard on selected stations across the country and foreign missionary radio installa tions around the world.)
SEX EDU CA T IO N FOR C H R IST IA N S ?
Question: As a pastor I am interested in your suggestions regarding a series of meetings on “personal living.” These w ill be for our young people. I know that you have some books on the subject, and I intend to get them, but have you any particular suggestions as to our approach? Just how do we go about this, and what do we tell them? W e think that our young people of junior high and senior high age should have some type of Christian sex education, maybe once a year or even more often. W e would surely appreciate any help you can give us along these lines. Answer: I am glad you are concerned about the personal development of your young people. Aside from spir itual conversion and spiritual matur ity, matters of personal living are probably the very most important con cerns of boys and girls. As you know, thousands of Christian young people drift into sexual sins because they have had little or no Christ-centered teaching concerning these matters. I suggest you set aside four Friday nights (including refreshments) for the purpose of talking with the young people of your church. They might be called a “ Personal Living Series.” It should be planned by you and your wife and by the youth leader and his wife. You will also want to consider any other committees or boards in your church which are affected. I sug gest you put a notice of the series in the church bulletin and that you list the general topics to be considered. Such topics would include “ Friends,” “ Dating,” “ Courtship,” “ Christian Marriage,” and “ Special Problems.” In this way the entire church will understand the wholesomeness and value of the series.
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THE KIN G'S BUSINESS
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