Why we talk about Sex at Higher Ground

By Steve Dulaney, M.A., LMHC, CSAT
President, Prodigals International

In our seventh year, the Higher Ground Men’s Conference has become one of the largest men’s conferences in North America to take-on the difficult topic of sexual integrity. It’s not the only thing we talk about – building more authentic friendships with other men, becoming the dads we hope to be, gaining new tools for meaningful intimacy with our wives, and developing new leadership tools for our workplace and community are also key Higher Ground legacy topics.

But in our current hyper-sexual culture, men and teenage young men are in a constant battle with lust, pornography, and objectification of women, and these issues are challenging to address on a typical Sunday morning at church – or even through sex education curriculum at our local schools. That’s why Higher Ground chooses to GO THERE, not shying away from providing an opportunity for men to come together to receive the grace and encouragement we need to develop a game plan to maintaining our God-given birthright of whole-life integrity, including sexual integrity.

For this reason, I am especially grateful to welcome fellow Seattle area Christian Counselor Jay Stringer to Higher Ground 2019. Jay has just released a ground-breaking new book UnWanted: How Sexual Brokenness Reveals Our Way to Healing, and he’ll be sharing key insights both on our mainstage and in an in-depth breakout session. Jay’s book is a game-changer, and if you’re currently struggling with unwanted sexual behaviors, or you’re a pastor or ministry leader looking for tools to help the men and women in your churches or counseling practices who may be struggling with sexual integrity issues, I highly recommend Jay’s book.

Jay recently recorded three (3) podcasts with The Seattle School’s Dr. Dan Allender, which will give you a great overview of Jay’s research, book and his insight into the transformation and healing that’s possible as we invite God’s grace into our stories.

PODCASTS

Sexual Brokenness and Healing, Part One

Listen to Podcast

Jay Stringer talks with Dr. Dan Allender about the book Unwanted and the need to change the conversation about engaging sexual brokenness.

Sexual Brokenness and Healing, Part Two

Listen to Podcast

Jay Stringer and Dr. Dan Allender discuss the category of shame, which is so often a thread that can be traced through an individual’s experiences of harm, brokenness, and unwanted behavior.

Sexual Brokenness and Healing, Part Three

Listen to Podcast

In this episode, Dan and Jay look toward the hope of healing. How do we foster deep, lasting change in our hearts?

Jay Stringer is a licensed mental health counselor and ordained minister in Greater Seattle. He has spent the last decade working on the front lines of the demand for pornography and sexual exploitation. Jay will present key, game-changing findings from his book Unwanted: How Sexual Brokenness Reveals Our Way to Healing at the 2019 Higher Ground Men’s Conference Saturday, March 23 at Westminster Chapel, Bellevue. Keynotes for the conference will be The Seattle School’s Dr. Dan Allender and ESPN & KIRO Radio’s Brock Huard.