Current Trends in Dating, Marriage, and Parenting

By Kent E. Fillinger When I was young, whenever a boy and girl played together on the school playground, the other kids typically would tease them by singing “The Kissing Song”: “[Boy’s name] and [girl’s name], sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in the baby carriage!” The order prescribed in that song is being followed less and less these days. The purpose of this article is to explore recent data on dating, marriage, and parenting to help church leaders better understand current trends to help shape future teaching and ministry possibilities. DATING

May 7, 2011

Arron Chambers

Family & Relationships Marriage

Cohabitation for Idiots

Arron Chambers argues that cohabitation before marriage weakens covenant love, creates spiritual and relational insecurity, and often leads couples into the very struggles marriage is meant to guard against.

October 3, 2007

Mark A. Taylor

Ethics & Moral Issues Sexuality

Christian Teenagers and Their Sexual Behavior

Two August columns examine research on evangelical teenagers and sex outside marriage. One highlights broken abstinence pledges; another argues weekly church attendance marks dramatically different outcomes—challenging families and churches to model what they teach.