Frequently Asked Questions

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What is the Midland Purity Ball?

The Midland Purity Ball is a father-daughter event with ballroom dancing, dinner, a Christian program, and a commitment to moral purity. Young ladies from 7th to 12th grade in Midland and the surrounding areas are all invited. The ball will take place on Saturday, March 28th at the CAF hangar.

What will the night be like?

As we arrive at the CAF hangar, a “pre-party” with appetizers and punch will welcome us. A photographer will take father-daughter photos to serve as reminders of the evening. (The cost of the photos is included.) After we sit down at tables with our friends, we will enjoy a nice dinner together. The popular Christian music group, BarlowGirl, will present the program. Because they are passionate about encouraging young women to wait on God’s timing for romantic relationships, they have graciously agreed to come to Midland for this event. They will talk about the issue of purity, sing a few songs with acoustic guitars, and even give us a chance to ask questions. Fathers and daughters will sign a commitment to God and each other. You can read the commitment on the website. The evening will conclude with father-daughter ballroom dancing.

What is the purpose of the Purity Ball?

Our purpose is to facilitate and celebrate stronger father-daughter relationships with openness about the issue of moral purity. We want to be a catalyst to encourage conversations about these issues in families and churches.

Who is BarlowGirl?

BarlowGirl is a contemporary Christian music group made up of three sisters. They were the bestselling new Christian artist in 2004. They received 4 Gospel Music Association awards in 2005. The following quote from the Wikipedia article about them describes their commitment to purity:

The band has gained a following with their message from Romans 12:2 "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will." (NIV ) The band advocates waiting on God's timing concerning romantic relationships. They were quoted as saying, ‘We believe that God has one perfect man already chosen for us; therefore we have no need to worry ourselves in searching for him. When the time is right, we know God will bring us together. In the mean time, we are not hiding in a closet avoiding all males; we are still living our lives, just without the pressure of having to have a boyfriend.’

It is because of their commitment to purity that they are coming to the Midland Purity Ball. They will be talking about their commitment to purity, singing some songs with acoustic guitars, and answering questions from the audience about purity.

Is this a BarlowGirl concert?

No. The young women of BarlowGirl will share their perspective on purity, sing some of their songs with acoustic guitars (rather than their full instrumental support), and take questions from the audience. Their involvement is to complement the remainder of the evening. They are coming to the event because they want to see everyone there share their passion for moral purity. It will certainly be a chance to see them in live performance, but this is much more than a BarlowGirl concert.

I haven’t been very close to God lately. How can I go to an event like this?

We want to emphasize that the purity ball is not for pure people. If it were, no one would be there. It is not about the past, but about the future. Those who have made poor choices, or who make poor choices in the future, should look ahead from there with God’s forgiveness and restoration to a life of following Him.

I heard that a recent study showed that abstinence pledges don’t work. Is this the same thing the reports are talking about?

The study in the news in late December 2008 is actually the latest in a series of studies that show a poor success rate for abstinence pledges. One of the authors of that study actually pointed out one of the problems with such pledges:

‘It seems that pledgers aren't really internalizing the pledge,’ Rosenbaum told the Post. ‘It seems like abstinence has to come from an individual conviction rather than participating in a program.’

Our focus in the purity ball is not avoiding a certain line in physical relationships. Instead, we want to focus on God’s higher standard of purity: maintaining His priorities and His focus for our lives in all areas during our single years. The Sermon on the Mount exemplifies the difference between the lower standard of following the law, and God’s higher standard that focuses on the heart. This should spring from that “individual conviction” of the fathers and daughters who participate.

Our focus is also not on an event. We want to facilitate stronger relationships between fathers and daughters, and between Believers throughout the Christian community, who will hold each other accountable with honesty and openness. We encourage individuals and churches to be reading relevant material and discussing these issues openly prior to March 28th. Our hope and prayer is that these conversations will lay the groundwork for a lifetime of moral purity.

Who is organizing the Purity Ball?

Several Midland families came together in the Summer of 2008 and formed an organization known as Midland Purity Ball. Now, multiple families and churches are working together on the event. See the More Information tab for the latest list of contact people.

I’m a mom, and I want to help. What can I do?

We need volunteers to help decorate, serve the dinner, and participate in clean-up. Please send us an email if you’d like to be involved. You may also sign up for the prayer list. Contributions to support the event and scholarships are also appreciated.

Will there be an event next year?

At this point, our expectation is that this will become an annual event. We know that not everyone will choose to participate every year, but having the event available every year will allow more people to participate. We are also discussing the possibility of a purity event for young men. Please email any suggestions you may have for this.