speaking_topics

You Are Worth Waiting For!
Recommended for: Any group, any size
Public School: 50 minutes
Youth Group: 60 to 75 minutes

This is the most important message we want to convey: They ARE worth waiting for! No matter what they’ve done or what’s been done to them, every person needs to know they are valuable. We provide information that challenges any social attitude that says, “Sex is just a contact sport, so all you need is a ‘condom helmet’ when you go out to play.” After all, it’s not a game of tennis --- it’s a TOTAL PERSON experience.

This is all about the LIES we believed ourselves about sex. Like the lie everyone buys in to: “It Won’t Happen To ME!” While we don’t use “scare tactics,” the truth about sexually transmitted diseases is scary...
The Center For Disease Control says as many as 1 out of 3 sexually active teens is infected
1 out of 6 girls gets pregnant before finishing high school
The 3 most common STDs have the samne transmission rates with or without condoms!

We use humor and our personal life stories to illustrate some other common lies:
- That won't happen to ME
- Nobody can wait until they get married!
- Having sex means you won’t be inexperienced when you get married.
- Having sex PROVES you’re in love.
- It’s too late for me.

We emphasize every person deserves 100% protection, 100% of the time --- for their bodies, their hearts and their dreams. Because each person is an irreplaceable, unique combination of gifts, talents and abilities.

10 Steps to Choosing a Good Mate
(or how to avoid ending up with a weenie)
Recommended for: Middle School, High School, College or Single Adults
Public School: 50 minutes
Youth Group: 60 to 75 minutes

Understanding what breaks relationships apart and what holds them together is the purpose of this POSITIVELY WAITING message. The truth is, many people (not just youth) have no idea what healthy relationships look like.

Whether it’s single adults or high school students, our culture promotes temporary commitments through serial monogamy. This often leaves both partners emotionally bruised. The heartbreak of “trial and error dating” can be avoided by following sound, scientifically studied principles. Basics like:

Principle #3: Develop "social superglue" by forming a "committee"
Principle #7: Find out if they’re savers or spenders.
Principle #9: Pay attention to what they do when they’re mad or disappointed.

We walk our audience through all 10 essential steps to healthy relationships with humor, real world illustrations and then finish with two challenges: not to repeat the mistakes of previous generations, and to help their friends avoid marrying a “weenie!”

Of course, because it is a POSITIVELY WAITING message, we emphasize and promote the benefits of sexual self-control, as the only way to eliminate all the dangers of non-marital sexual activity.

Who's Writing YOUR Story?
Recommended for: Middle School, High School Students and Youth Gatherings
Public School: 50 minutes
Youth Group: 60 to 75 minutes

This is an interactive presentation helping students see the influences around them that shape their decisions about sex, relationships and the opposite sex. We have 3 goals.

Goal #1: Helping students recognize the different stages of adolescent maturity
Goal #2: Helping students identify the influences of the culture on values
Goal #3: Helping students recognize how the media, their own stage of maturity and pressure from their peers affect their behavior and their decisions.

As with other POSITIVELY WAITING messages, our objective is to demonstrate how sex, love and relationships affect every aspect of our lives.

Abortion: What Is It?
College or High School Students, Mature Youth Gatherings
60 to 75 minutes

This is an explanation of how abortion procedures are performed, the potential risks and an explanation of legal status of abortion under the law. (While we do not show any graphic pictures, we still prefer not to offer this message to middle schools.)

Many people have been deceived, and someone in our audience may have an abortion experience in their past, so we take special care not to brutalize them. But understanding what it is helps dispel the misconceptions about abortion and it’s impact on our society. Maybe young people will choose to make abortion unnecessary in the future.

What Adults Need To Know About What Works... And What Doesn't
Recommended for:Parents, Teachers, Administrators, Youth Workers --- anyone concerned about helping adolescents master sexual self-control
(Flexible) 90 minutes to 2 hours

It’s really not about raging hormones. But it IS about being cool, and avoiding “social suicide.” We teach parents how to guide their child toward making the best choice, even under pressure. We actually have 2 workshops for parents. One is designed for at-home reinforcement after youth have seen POSITIVELY WAITING messages. The other workshop is a stand-alone primer for parents to learn how to shape their child’s attitudes toward sex.

Your Single Purpose
Singles only, flexible time
Best as an afternoon-early evening event. Restricted to 20 participants.

We have a heart for people who are single (never married or single-again) who find the opposite sex is very confusing! These time-tested, researched principles can be found in places as diverse as "eHarmony.com" and in the writings of most major religions! Even people who don’t attend church will find the skills and revelations both fun and useful. It’s an opportunity for singles to gain a fresh understanding and increase their appreciation for the differences between men and women.

We will tailor this presentation to your group, but we do like to combine the 10 steps to choosing a good mate, with other useful tools like:
- Understanding Your Love Language
- Recognizing Emotional Needs
- Making “The List”( how else would you know when you found "the one"!)

We remember what it was like to feel “left out” of programs offered juat for couples. We recommend churches and communities consider this as a chance to acknowledge that singles have value, too. (This event is not intended to be a “meet-market.” It’s really about personal self-discovery and encouraging others.)

(c)2002-2007 Positively Waiting. Please contact us if you want to use these topics for publication. They are positively our experiences, research and effort.