Life on the Edge Tour Bridges Communication Gap Between Parents and Teens

Focus on the Family
Wednesday, 21 August 2002

The issues teens deal with today are serious, but how they deal with them is even more alarming. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15-24 year olds. While we as a society continue to debate the causes and solutions to these problems, parents and teens can do something immediately to help: communicate with each other.
Focus on the Family will be in Seattle on Sept. 21 to present the Life on the Edge Tour, a one-day conference for parents and teens designed to get them talking to each other about critical issues such as sexuality, conflict resolution, communication, faith and healthy family relationships. The conference will be at Overlake Christian Church from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The day will be packed with concerts from Christian musical artists Rebecca St. James, Eli and Cede, inspirational messages from speakers such as Joe White, and dramas by Acts of Renewal.

"So many conferences address either parents or teens, but rarely both at the same time," said tour director Gary Lydic. "Open communication between parents and teens about these serious, life-changing issues is critical in helping curb the trend of suicide and school violence among teens."

Expected attendance at the Seattle conference is 3,000. Since 1996, Focus on the Family has taken the Life on the Edge Tour to 20 different cities throughout the U.S., reaching over 80,000 parents and teens.

Life on the Edge began as a book by Dr. James Dobson, president and founder of Focus on the Family, and was written for young adults making serious life decisions.

Parents and teens can register for the event by calling 1-800-A-FAMILY. The cost is $35 per person.

For more information, or to contact Focus on the Family, see their website at: www.family.org