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Newsletter

Education

Registration is now open for STAR Leadership Training at Lovin' Life

   Are you in middle school or older and want to have more intelligent relationships and be more healthy, happy, and successful in 2012?  Are you in college or in high school 10th grade or older and want to qualify to be a STAR Guide for future leadership trainings so you can help youth in our community succeed by abstaining from sex before marriage and abstaining from drugs and alcohol? 
  If so, then register now for STAR Leadership Training at Lovin' Life.  Registration is only $10 for the entire 10 week program.  The program starts on February 12th, 2012 and occurs once per week on Sunday at 5 p.m. at the Emergence Community Arts Collective, 733 Euclid St. NW, Washington, DC  20001.  The registration deadline is February 10th, 2012.
Register here.

Fall Semester STAR Leadership Training at Lovin' Life concludes successfully

By Sarah Urban

Benita Tolson(L) and Dashell at STAR Leadership Training Click here to see more pictures.

ULTRA Teen Choice STAR Leadership Training at Lovin' Life held its last three successful sessions in November and December 2011. On November 27, 2011 December 4, 2011 and December 11, 2011 the last three sessions for the STAR Loving Life program were held. STAR Leadership Training is run by Richard Urban and college youth. STAR means students teaching abstinence and responsibility. STAR Leadership Training has a short youth service on Sunday evenings. After the service there is a light dinner and a discussion of Reverend In Jin Moon's sermon.  Reverend In Jin Moon is the pastor of Lovin' Life ministries. After the discussion there was a power point slide presentation on November 27th on the Fall of Man and Woman given by the STAR guides. The presentations and sermon are presented to middle school, high school and college students. Rev. In Jin Moon's sermon was on being joyful in hope patient in affliction and being faithful in prayer. The power point explains that Adam and Eve fell because they had a sexual relationship before they could receive God's blessing in marriage. Adam and Eve were immature and young when they had a sexual relationship in the Garden of Eden. After having an illicit sexual relationship Adam and Eve covered their lower parts. The fruit is a symbol for sex. If Adam and Eve ate a literal fruit they would be covering their mouths not their lower parts. The slide presentation on December 4th was mainly about the three great blessings. The three great blessings are to be fruitful, multiply, and have dominion over the creation. The first blessing means to achieve individual perfection which means mind over body. The second blessing means to have a family the third blessing to love and appreciates God's creation. On December 11, 2011 the final session of STAR Loving Life program for the year of 2011 was held. On December 11^th there was a Christmas sermon on a DVD given by Reverend In Jin Moon. The people participating in the program had a delicious potluck dinner. Two students participated in the ceremony of pledging a life of abstinence from sex until marriage, as well as abstinence from drugs, and alcohol.  STAR Guides Yun-A Johnson and Sarah Urban led the ceremony. The two students that participated pledged abstinence to their parents/guardians and received a purity ring. The ceremony and the closing of program was big success. For the future ULTRA Teen Choice Star Leadership Training at Lovin' Life will have more students participating in the program. Students or their parents can register at http://urbanlifetraining.org/

45 Youth and youth workers receive Relationship Intelligence Training in Uganda

By Mariana Urban

Richard & Stacey Urban with youth at training in Kalambi Buloba, Uganda Click here to see more pictures.

Urban Life Training provided a training seminar organized by Africa Youth Ministries for 25 youth workers in Kireka, Kampala, Uganda at the Prayer Palace Church on December 14th 2011.  A second training for 25 youth was held in Kalambi, Buloba, Uganda on December 20th.  The young people had needed this counseling and guidance which we presented.  We taught them the outcome of having sex before marriage and also how to prevent the negative consequences of sex before marriage.  We told them that they should be abstinent from drugs and alcohol so that they can be successful in the future and also fulfill their goals.  We also had to ask some of them to share some of their goals and they did it without fear.

Mrs Bette Nakigudde, the sponsor of the program said "We are here in a wonderful environment with Mr. and Mrs. Urban and he has given a wonderful presentation to the youth of Kalambi and we are so grateful and we appreciate and want you to come again and again".

The organizer of the program local youth leader Isaac Ssekatowa shared" All the youth appreciated your seminar.  We thank you for the precious time and we will invite you for other seminars.  I am able to help you to reach out to the youth in any way possible."
View video of the Kalambi, Buloba Training.

Legislation and Governance

Ethics Bill Passes, but change will be slow

An ethics bill was passed by the DC Council on December 19. However, there is no timetable for implementing a new three person ethics panel, and one of the most important changes, prohibiting outside employment by Councilmembers, does not take effect until 2019. If the current group of councilmembers were more serious about ethics reforms, they would apply this important provision to themselves. There is an old saying; "Practice what you preach". That would have been the correct approach for this corruption laden council. At least important elements of change are on the burner. Let's be diligent that they don't get rescinded before they take effect.

 HPV Vaccination is not mandatory for 6th grade DC Girls.

Important Note: You do not have to vaccinate your 6th grade daughter with the HPV Vaccine: You can opt out for any reason: You can find the opt out form here:Click for opt out form
Find out more about the vaccination: Click here

View crucial testimony before the DC Council on May 5, 2011: Click here

Events

Abstinence Awareness Week 2012

Abstinence Awareness Week educates about and celebrates the importance of sexual abstinence in preparing youth and young adults for a happy and successful life.  The seventh celebration of Abstinence Awareness Week in Washington DC is from Sunday March 4th to Saturday March 10.  Here are some suggestions on how to make this week meaningful for your own family and community:

• Pastors, give a sermon that emphasizes abstinence until marriage and the importance of the family on Sunday, March 4th.

• Mothers and Fathers, take this opportunity to speak to your children about your expectation for them to remain abstinent until marriage.  Purchase one of the DVD resources available from Urban Life Training and use it to discuss the topic of abstinence with your children.

• Attend the Abstinence Awareness Week forum with you children.  A panel of youth will speak out about the importance of sexual abstinence.  The forum is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, March 7th.  More details will be forthcoming.

• Help plan Abstinence Awareness Week activities.   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to join the team.

Featured Youth Editorial

Abstinence is Pure and Clean

By Mariana Urban

The Urban Life Training program is about abstinence from sex before marriage and from drugs and alcohol and how the future is always in our hands.  We are the ones who can make the right decision about whether we want to abstain or whether we have sex before marriage.

You have to look forward and check where your future lies.  Having sex before marriage will really determine your future as you can experience early pregnancies or get STDs.  You must remember that partners can not always be trusted to tell the truth about whether they have the HIV virus or STD's.

Actually, our duty is to make sure that we are safe, pure and clean.  We are also responsible to make sure that we achieve our goals and be successful people in the future.

Staff and Volunteers

In Memory: Diane Sims-Moore 6/6/1948 to 12/19/2011
By Richard Urban

Friend, educator, and Urban Life Training Board Member Diane Sims-Moore died on December 19th, 2011.  Diane served as the Executive Director of Families First DC, an organization that worked to encourage marriage and strengthen and assist families in lower income communities in Washington DC.   She was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer that she had not previously known about.

I have known Diane for about five years.  We met since we were both a part of the DC Healthy Marriage and Relationships Coalition, later renamed Families First DC.  She was concerned about youth and wanted to make sure that they grew up free of the worries that come with pre-marital sex.  Diane served as a Board member of Urban Life Training for the past two and one half years.  She helped us to initiate our chapter program, encouraged us to seek grant funding, and believed in our mission to help youth succeed by abstaining from sex before marriage and abstaining from drugs and alcohol.  She thought "outside of the box" regarding crucial issues like sexual abstinence and expressing your faith in God according to the dictates of your conscience, not just based on what somebody else might think is an acceptable or traditional expression of faith.  I will miss her clear analysis of the state of affairs with our organization and our community.  Yet, I know that she will be assisting from the realm of the spirit.

Services Provided

HIV/AIDS, pregnancy prevention, and relationship education Presentations
are available for your school, church or organization.

From left, Alexis, Daryn, and Brieanna during peer counselor training. View more pictures on Flickr

ULTRA Teen Choice is a premier provider of HIV/AIDS prevention services and peer counselor training that is abstinence centered and evidence based. Call Richard at 202-544-5081 to schedule sessions for your school, church or organization.  Click here for more information.

STAR (Students Teaching Abstinence & Responsibility) Guides are young adults who practice sexual abstinence. STAR Guides teach other youth about the benefits of abstinence, and serve as positive role models. To apply to be a STAR Guide, visit our website and fill out a volunteer application: Click Here.

Abstinence-based Resources

Forum 2011:  Sex; What They Don't Tell You. Why Wait for Marriage?
DVD Video

Click here to view video highlights; or view video highlights at ultrateenchoice.org: click here

Purchase the 43 minute DVD video for just $10 at the ULTRA Teen Choice store: Click here to purchase, or call 202-544-5081 to order.

Every family should have a copy. This video is a great conversation starter and a great source of information and inspiration for everyone who wants the best future for all of our youth.

View all items at the Urban Life Training Store: View Now