By Charles Oliver
Four of contemporary Christian music’s biggest acts will perform at the Wink Theatre on Wednesday, Nov. 12.
Superchick, Stellar Kart, Article One and Starlit Platoon will perform at the Youth WAIT (Walking Always In Truth) Fest, which is being sponsored by Dalton’s Women’s Enrichment Center. The concert is aimed at youth in grades six and up.
“Their music promotes a very positive message for teens,” said Debra Watts, who is coordinating the concert for the Enrichment Center.
Watts says the concert is designed to help promote the idea of sexual abstinence before marriage and to support teens who have made a commitment to abstinence.
According to data from the Georgia Department of Public Health, Whitfield County had a pregnancy rate for girls 15-17 of 49.9 per 1,000 in 2006, and Murray County had a pregnancy rate of 71.7 per 1,000 among that age group. The pregnancy rate for girls 15-17 in Georgia was 37.7 in 2006.
By comparison, in 1994, the pregnancy rates for girls 15-17 was 68.3 per 1,000 in Georgia, 63.7 in Murray County and 79.9 in Whitfield County.
Watts said that at a teen pregnancy conference earlier this year some experts were calling for more aggressive sex education and other steps to combat teen pregnancy, saying advocating abstinence isn’t enough.
“I felt like we were saying our teens were failures, and that’s just not the case,” she said. “But I feel like we have been telling them for so long to just say no and we are not backing it up. I feel like this is a starting point.”
In addition to the bands, Jeffrey Dean, a nationally known youth minister, will speak.
“He’s going to talk about abstinence, but he’s also going to talk about self-worth, self esteem,” Watts said. “He really comes across well to teens. He’s really bold and in your face. He’ll talk about issues like dating, respect and self-worth.”
“We encourage youth leaders to bring their groups,” she said.
Renee Rector, director of the Women’s Enrichment Center, says the message of the concert is that teens do have choices and there are people who support them.
“We hope it gives them some good memories to help them make the right choices,” she said.
The Enrichment Center is still looking for businesses, churches and individuals interested in sponsoring the concert. Those interested in being sponsors can call (706) 278-1050.
Tickets are $10 and are on sale at Lifeway (Chattanooga), Pathway Store (Cleveland), In Heaven’s Name (Dalton) and www.itickets.com.
The doors will open at 5 p.m. The show will start at 6 and Dean will speak at 7, followed by Stellar Kart and Superchick.
