Abstinence rally set for Wednesday

The annual “True Love Waits” sexual abstinence rally will take on a hip-hop beat this year, starting at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Jamestown High School.

“The days of shaking your pointing finger at kids and saying ‘Don’t have sex!’ — that doesn’t work anymore,” if it ever did, said Troy Gunderson, executive director of James Valley Youth for Christ.

Instead, Youth for Christ’s rallies give young people a fresh perspective on the issue, Gunderson said, intended to show a different angle on sexual abstinence every year for middle school and high school students.

Sammy Sweetser, the evening’s speaker, was one of the hip-hop breakdancers who performed in Jamestown as part of the Impact World Tour last year.

“Sammy is by far the best breakdancer that I have seen in my life,” Gunderson said. “He has tremendous athletic skills. He is absolutely amazing.”

Christian rapper Kaboose will also perform on Wednesday.

“We’ve had him a number of times in the past. The kids really like Kaboose,” Gunderson said.

Kaboose, a hip-hop/rap artist from Bemidji, Minn., will bring a positive message of hope and joy with him through his work.

“I’m envisioning a really cool team. These guys could really play off each other and have a lot of fun, and have a really good message,” Gunderson said.

The message is targeted at youth, but applies to anyone who isn’t married.

“We believe that God’s design for sex is within marriage,” Gunderson said. “Any time you’re outside of that, you’re harming yourself and taking risks that don’t need to be taken.”

Youth group leaders are encouraged to bring their students for a positive message that is not graphic and counters the dominant messages about sex, Gunderson said.

Door prizes such as CDs and candy will be given away at the event, which will also feature some interactivity with bringing students onstage.

Between 200 and 500 people usually attend the rally each year. About half the cost of the event — about $2,000 this year — is paid for by Youth for Christ, with the remainder contributed by local churches.

Sun reporter Kari Lucin can be reached at 701-952-8453

or by email at

klucin@jamestownsun.com

Tags: life, religion