Groundswell

what it is - why it's important - how to bring it to your community

Groundswell is...

... a Christian event that will equip the Body of Christ to offer the next generation a Biblical and redemptive response to homosexuality. We believe the issues surrounding sexuality and gender present one of the most crucial battlefields for the hearts and minds of young people.

Through Groundswell, we offer an array of events that can be tailored to suit the needs of your community, including:

• Speakers and testimonials for church services and multi-church events.
• Youth rallies for area student ministries.
• Training for youth ministers and volunteers.
• Seminars for parents and educators.
• Providing you with resources for ministry and outreach.
• Information about how to keep your public schools from indoctrinating children with false information about homosexuality.

Groundswell is about...

...…educating and equipping Christian youth ministers and their students to express Biblical truth and Christ-like grace to their schools, their peers and their communities. Our goal is to help the Church fulfill its mission to be salt and light in a fallen world, and to minister the Gospel in a relevant way to a generation struggling for its identity.

We believe the Gospel applies to those who struggle with their sexuality, including those who struggle with same-sex attractions, or identify as gay. The Bible clearly teaches that homosexual behavior is outside of God’s will for our lives, but also teaches that transformation and new life are available to all people through a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-11

Why is Groundswell important?

The fact is, a nationwide movement is underway to promote the homosexual lifestyle and all of its ideals to teenagers and even children--and to silence all other points of view.

Indoctrination in School Policies
Many parents are not aware of their school district’s policies concerning sexual orientation and gender identity, and they don’t know what kind of information on this subject is being made available—and in many cases taught to—their children. This is not a coincidence; keeping parents out of the loop has always been a central part of pro-homosexual activism in the public school system.

In California, for instance, Senator Sheila Kuehl has authored numerous education bills aimed at forcing schools to promote gay-affirming curriculum in all subjects—including math! Her legislation also explicitly instructs that parents are not to be notified about these courses and are not allowed to opt their children out. Many other states and counties throughout the United States have implemented similar policies.

Questionable Material
Homosexual advocacy groups have pushed for a long time to implement reading materials that promote the gay and transgender lifestyles. Books are being made available for high school students, all the way down to kindergarteners.

GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network), which is the group behind the Gay-Straight Alliance club network, promotes a list of gay-affirming reading materials for students. Here are some of the selections they suggest for 7th to 12th grade readers:

Rainbow Boys by Alex Sanchez is a fictional narrative that could arguably be categorized as gay erotica. The story contains graphic descriptions of masturbation, as well as a sexual encounter between a high school student and an adult he meets on the internet.

Revolutionary Voices by Amy Sonnie is comprised of interviews with LGBT-identified youth from around the globe. One of the individuals showcased describes “his journey into sex work as a way of uplifting his self esteem.” The interview talks about how “doing sex work in drag” and sadomasochism can be “empowering” experiences.

Free Your Mind by Ellen Bass and Kate Kaufman is a comprehensive guide-to-life for youth who think they may be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. In truth, this book is full of deceptive, dangerous advice. Teens are encouraged to find “meaningful” new “relationships” via gay and lesbian chat rooms on the internet. The book also greatly overstates the protection offered by condoms, and lists “bathing together” and mutual masturbation as “safe” sexual practices.

Furthermore, Free Your Mind goes on the offensive against Christianity. Throughout several chapters on spiritual issues, young people are repeatedly urged to leave their churches if they do not embrace homosexuality. A whole chapter is devoted to “debunking” the Bible.

“...there isn’t any single truth…The one thing you really should beware of in life is when any human being tells you that they have the truth. Run as fast as you can. No one has the truth.” (Free Your Mind, p. 274)

Not to Mention the Media
There's no question that every facet of the media glorifies homosexuality. The number of gay-themed television shows has exploded in recent years, and integrating openly gay characters has become the staple of nearly every sitcom and "reality" show.

While this at first might just seem like a gimmick to boost ratings, the truth is that there’s a calculated agenda. Gay activists are constantly lobbying network executives to get them to produce more gay shows and include story themes that make homosexuality look appealing.

Celebrities are applauded for “coming out” while Christian values are ridiculed, especially where homosexuality is concerned. The universal message coming from the entertainment world is that sexual experimentation is cool, and truly “enlightened” people celebrate homosexuality.

Can there be any doubt that the Church must speak out with a redemptive and truthful voice?

If you're interested in bringing Groundswell to your community...

Please contact us! We're hear to serve your needs in this area. For more information about the Groundswell event, please contact Mike Ensley at Exodus Student Ministries.

407.599.6872
888.264.0877 toll free
mensley@exodus.to

Responses to Groundswell

Thank you so very, very much for your ministry!!! I think some of the kids were shocked...I don't know if they knew what to expect. But I think it is SO important to hit topics that are hard to talk about in the church. And as a youth director, sometimes it is hard to know how to start. You provided that for me.

On a personal level, I really thank you for sharing your story. My college roommate--one of my dearest friends--has decided that she is going to pursue the homosexual lifestyle. It has really torn me up inside and it has really made me look at what God has to say...and I truly thought through my own ideas, that it was a temptation like alcoholism or even depression ... and when you said you had to tear down the lies in your own mind and heart and build back God's truth, I knew that struggles are the same.

Thank you for really clearing it up in my head. Thank you for giving me the encouragement to keep loving my friend.

Janine - a Florida Youth Pastor