February 24, 1999
Ovilla youth put feet to pledges
___By George Henson
___Staff Writer
___OVILLA--If a picture is worth a thousand words, how many words do you get with a three-dimensional picture?
___Hopefully enough to speak loudly to teenagers who need to hear the abstinence-until-marriage message of True Love Waits, according toMichael Haun, youth minister at First Baptist Church of Ovilla.
THIS BRIDGE built by youth and leaders from First Baptist Church of Ovilla will be featured at the statewide True Love Waits rally in Austin April 24. That's the next stop for pledge cards from Texas teens who are committing themselves to sexual abstinence until marriage. A nationwide event is planned in San Francisco in October, followed by a worldwide display of commitment cards near the international date line on New Year's Eve.
___This year's True Love Waits theme--"Crossing Bridges with Purity"--struck Haun as something that would communicate to teenagers. So his church decided to make a big statement.
___He met with youth workers Brad Dusenberry and Mike Moller, who designed and cut the wood to construct a 32-foot representation of that emblem. Fellow youth workers Pete Haveron and John Walker were then put in charge of constructing the bridge, which drew a lot of attention in the small community.
___"You can't go through Ovilla without noticing it," Haun said.
___Churches from across Ellis County brought 300 teenagers to a True Love Waits rally at the bridge that featured Christian music artist Al Denson.
___The night was filled with highlights.
___A personal memory for Haun is leading to faith in Christ a teenage boy who never before had attended a church event.
___The collective memory, however, will be the sight of 210 teenagers walking across the bridge with signed commitment cards that they will remain sexually pure until marriage.
___"It was great to see all those teenagers walking across that bridge, and to see all their friends cheering them on as they did. It wasn't something we asked them to do; it was just spontaneous," Haun said. "People were high-fiving people everywhere. It was something to see that many teenagers so excited about something so important."
___Haun said the success of the evening is due in part to community businesses which contributed materials and money to make the event a success. For example, Paramount Tours contributed $2,000 to underwrite Denson's appearance.
___Haun's youth group, which runs 35-40 on most Sundays, will get to see their bridge reconstructed at the state True Love Waits Rally in Austin April 24.
___"It'll be nice for our kids to be in the middle of all those teenagers and to know that their bridge is playing a part," he said.
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