We’ve figured out our biggest problem.
Recently I was talking with a young couple who got married after having done everything “right.” They thought marriage would be easy; instead, sex was the hardest part of their lives. She felt objectified; he felt rejected; and it was a big mess.
Then they found Bare Marriage, and The Great Sex Rescue.
He realized that he had an entitled view of sex. He gave up that entitlement, and things massively turned around.
They found me because they knew they had a problem.
But what about the people who don’t realize it yet?
What about the woman suffering from sexual pain, who read The Meaning of Marriage and thinks she just has to keep giving her husband sex even if it hurts?
What about the woman who is in a conservative church where all her friends are telling her she just needs to submit more, but her husband is emotionally abusive?
What about the man who is overcome by shame whenever he feels any attraction to a woman, and thinks the problem is his lustful heart? And the shame is spiralling to fuel a porn habit?
All of these people are suffering, but none of them realizes there’s an alternative. So they’re not searching for one.
Just like that couple above, for the first five years of their marriage.
Maybe, just like you a few years ago.
If people know there’s a problem, they can find us.
But if they don’t, they likely won’t.
We want to help rescue people who don’t know they need us, and we need your help.
And today, on Giving Tuesday, I ask you to partner with us to do just that.
Last year, we were approached by the Bosko Foundation to lead their Good Fruit Faith initiative, to get healthy marriage and sex advice out there. So we can raise tax receiptable donations for the work we do.
Bosko is a US based public charity and all donations to the Good Fruit Faith initiaitve are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by US law. Bosko is excited to begin to raise money to support the work of Good Fruit Faith. We’re hoping to do the same in Canada and the UK at some point soon, as the Bosko foundation is looking to expand there as well.
And we have some big plans for the upcoming year.
We’d like to focus on four big areas:
- Translating The Great Sex Rescue into Spanish, and hopefully get some more Spanish and Portuguese resources ready
- Create some short, educational videos on key topics that can be shared, as well as start a podcast series (either about lust or Love & Respect; we’re working on it!)
- Help those with sexual pain disorders by creating a vaginismus course, in conjunction with pelvic floor physiotherapists, and based on ANOTHER big study (we’ve got ethics approval already)
- Continue getting peer reviewed papers published, to affect how seminaries and universities train pastors and counselors.
We mostly focused on #4 last year, but we want to go bigger.
Up until now, Joanna has only been able to work part-time, since we can’t fully fund her. And we need some funds to pay for the survey, the translation, the videos and podcasts, the research and everything.
This is a big stretch, but we’re hoping to raise $128,000 by Christmas.
This money will help us get others involved, so that others are continuing the work that we’ve started, and it’s not all on us.
Imagine if, when future pastors went to seminary, the research journals they read were filled with information on how harmful the obligation sex message is.
Imagine if, when counselors were in training, the research journals were filled with the dangers of the love & respect dichotomy.
Imagine if, when a couple was getting married, people were aware of vaginismus and could educate couples about it, and point people to help.
Imagine if Latin America and South America, where Love & Respect in Spanish is the most used marriage book, had an alternative.
That’s where you come in!
Will you partner with us in combatting the toxicity of sex & marriage teachings with a healthy, biblical, evidence-based approach that actually works?
You can give a one time gift, or, better still, sign up for monthly support so we can budget better and start some long-term projects.
We can’t start the translation project until we raise the first $45,000 (since we have other expenses we have to cover first).
Once we get to $75,000, we’ll be able to start the vaginismus course.
And if we raise more? I’ll have to contain how giddy Joanna will be, but we’ll go full speed ahead on our continuing education planning.
Here’s how to give:
To give within the United States and get a tax-deductible receipt
You can sign up for a one-time gift, or, even better, monthly support. Here’s our page with info about Bosko and our giving form:
To give outside the United States (or without the tax-deductible receipt)
If you’re outside of the United States, you can still give through the Good Fruit Faith initiative, but it won’t be tax-deductible.
But you can also join our Patreon and support us that way, along with getting access to our exclusive Facebook group, behind-the-scenes info, and unfiltered podcasts.
This money will fund all new Good Fruit Faith initiatives
This money is not to help the blog or the podcast, which are sustained primarily through course sales and merchandise sales. This money is to start new initiatives where we train new people and offer grants to continue the work. We want to grow our influence–and we’d love for you to be a part of that!
Thank you for your support, your kind comments, and your encouragement. I so appreciate all of you who show up everyday here at the blog, and who leave comments, and who read through our emails. You help us keep going. And your stories fuel us when we get weary.
We’re so looking forward to dreaming big in 2025!
Again, if you’re able to give, here’s the link. https://secure.qgiv.com/for/goodfruits
We appreciate you!
Both here and in your email, you say you have big plans for 2024. I think you mean 2025. Please feel free to delete this comment once you’ve seen it — and I thank God for all that you do. Blessings on all of you.