For Immediate Release

Expectations Are Exceeded at 2nd Annual Pure Revolution Conference

 

Top abstinence educators, speakers, and music artists

equip more than 700 to fight the battle for purity

 

Over 300 family tickets sold again.

 

Beckley, West, VA- April 20-21, 2007- The 2nd Annual Pure Revolution Family Conference was held in Beckley, West VA this weekend with the support of 23 local churches and FCA.  Internationally recognized speakers Pam Stenzel, Doug Herman, David Mahan and Ray Sydnor joined music artists Bethany Dillon, Warren Barfield, and Fusebox for a life-changing weekend that brought tears to the eyes of most of the 700 in attendance.

 

"Standing in that room, watching a young junior high boy wipe the tears from his mother's face as his father renewed his vows was nothing short of amazing," said Pam Stenzel following the conference.  "That was a life-changing moment for that boy and his mom." 

 

Stenzel, who has been on various television programs such as Dr. Laura, Hannity and Colmes and Bill Maher, has been considered the top abstinence speaker in the country for the past few years.  Her no-holds-barred, in-your-face presentations offer a great balance to the graceful and compassionate message delivered by conference co-founder Doug Herman.

 

"Research has been screaming at us for years that challenging and equipping students is not enough," explains Herman.  "If we really want to get serious about the problems of pre-marital sex and other high risk behaviors, we have to equip parents and church leaders too."

 

At the first Pure Revolution Conference in Vacaville, CA, more than 300 family tickets were sold and over 650 people attended.  This year showed a slight increase. 

 

"The attendance improvement is a reflection of the great work of our host, Mike White of FCA, our conference director Kim Callender, and the continuously improving conference handbook that guides hosts through a step by step process so they can effectively pull off such a large event," states Gresham Hill, Executive Director of Vertical Ministries.

 

No conferences are planned yet for 2008.  "We're still looking for a church network that has the passion and the vision to pull this off," says Hill.  "I'm shocked that churches are not knocking down our door to host it, but right now, we have not seen that kind of demand for these family events". 

The Message of Pure Revolution

Doug Herman began the weekend on Friday night with a renewed exploration into Genesis.  Doug, who is more of a dramatic actor than a speaker on stage, captured the attention of the parents and teenagers in the room with his powerful teaching set to music.  Doug shared how we were created in the Imago Dei (the image of God) and that image explains the "why" behind God's law.

 

Following Doug, Warren Barfield and Bethany Dillon performed a live concert for the teenagers while Pam and Doug got the parents pumped up for what was going to happen on Saturday.  "I remind my kids that I have friends," shouts Pam in her opening sentences..."And I don't need you."  The parents laugh but the impact is realized as she continues to share that we need to stop trying to be our children's friend and start being their parent.

 

The next day, Ray Sydnor, ex NFL football player, connects with the audience as he shares how the gospel of Jesus Christ changed his life.  He is followed by Pam's signature talk: Sex Has a Price Tag: a hilarious but blistering message about the real dangers of pre-marital sex.  "Did you know that it can take up to five years for HPV to become detectable once you've contracted it,"  she explains.  "So this disease, for which there is no cure can sit invisible in your body for years and cause unrepairable damage to a females reproductive system and eventually cause cervical cancer.  And all this time, you don't even know you're infecting everybody."

 

The father/son and mother/daughter breakouts are powerful as each are treated to a heavy dose of Biblical teaching, humor, and powerful statistical research to back up the message of healthy choices.  Finally, the weekend culminates at 4pm in The Return Ceremony where single parents and teens commit themselves to the one they will marry.  Moms and dads in attendance are able to recommit their vows to one another in front of their children.  An unbelievably powerful moment that will not be soon forgotten in the lives of these families.

 

Find out more about Pure Revolution by visiting www.purerevolution.com. 

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For more information, photos, interviews, etc., contact Kevin Honett, Vertical Ministries, 615-258-4646 x304, Kevin@verticalministries.com.