District 51 Distributes Flier for Christian Event Targeting Adolescent Girls

June Fellhauer, the local religious woman behind the "Sleeping Beauty" Christian worship event at CMU for adolescent girls. [From a July, 2015 YouTube video titled "Women's Purpose."]

June Fellhauer, the Grand Junction woman behind the “Sleeping Beauty” Christian worship event at CMU aimed at adolescent girls and preserving their “purity.” [From a July, 2015 YouTube video titled “Women’s Purpose.”]

Western Colorado Atheists and Freethinkers was contacted by a Mesa Valley School District 51 parent who is upset over an ad for a Christian religious event targeting young girls that she received through the email system District 51 uses to send electronic fliers home to parents.
The flier promotes a Christian Bible study event for adolescent girls to be held at Colorado Mesa University called “Wake Up Sleeping Beauty: Worship At His Feet.”
The flier contains white text overlaid on a pink silhouette of a girl’s face that says,
“As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. Luke 7:38.”

Pink silhouetteThe program preaches a Christian version of how to handle sexuality to girls while urging them to remain “pure.”
A television ad for the event shows a father leering at his attractive teenage daughter through the doorway of her bedroom as she puts on makeup, while a male voice tells Dad he needs to “protect her purity.”
The parent who contacted D-51 was disturbed not only about the flier being delivered through public school channels, but also by the imagery the flier uses, specifically of a female humiliating herself at the feet of a male figure. The parent points out that District-51 has a policy against distributing material which “demeans a person or group based on gender,” saying “The idea of a woman or girl (“she”) crying at a man’s feet, then using her hair to wash his feet, then kissing his feet, seems pretty demeaning to me. Apparently the irony of this imagery used to promote an event which purports to strengthen or support girls/women is lost on all involved.”
Indeed.

After complaining about the flier to District 51, the parent got the following dismissive response from District 51’s Communications Specialist, Jeannie Smith:

“Dear Ms. *******,
Thank you for your response. Having reviewed the flyer and KHB-R per your request, we do not find that the flyer promotes a religious organization or demeans a person or group on the basis of gender.”

Oh, really.

So What Is This Crazy Religious Event?

Screencap of TV ad for Christian event promoting female purity [Photo Credit: YouTube]

Screencap of TV ad for Christian event promoting female purity [Photo Credit: YouTube]

The “Sleeping Beauty” Christian worship/purity sessions are put on by a Grand Junction woman named June Fellhauer, who operates a religious enterprise called Wake Up Ministries. Among other things, June preaches that girls need to repent for “time spent using social media, such as Facebook, IPhones, IPads, etc., and not spending more time with God and our family.” But June herself makes heavy use of social media to promote herself and her ministry: She has a personal Facebook page, a “Wake Up Ministries” Facebook page, a LinkedIn page and several “Wake Up Ministry” web sites and domain names, including WakeUpMinistriesOnline.com and WakeUpSleepingBeauty.com that promote her preaching. June also published a YouTube video titled “Women’s Purpose” and other videos targeting girls with Christian viewpoints on proper sexual behavior. June also promotes her “Sleeping Beauty” events using EventBrite.com, a web site that allows people to book tickets online. The EventBrite announcement of the CMU event says: “Moms, bring your daughters and listen to June Fellhauer as she confronts the culture war of Facebook and other social media.”

Indeed.

June sells products on her web page, like T-shirts ($20 each), DVDs and workbooks and a package-set for a “small group course” for $200. She sells an e-book on Google Books called Wake Up Sleeping Beauty in which she condemns Madalyn Murray O’Hair, the country’s first “out” atheist who was kidnapped, murdered and mutilated in 1995, and Norma McCorvey, who was the “Jane Roe” whose legal case led the Supreme Court to legalize abortion in the U.S.

District 51 might also do well to notice that one of June’s website lists a goal that involves them:

“We will give everything about education back to God: buildings, teachers, students, administration, etc.”

Fortunately, the flier, website, TV ad and even a billboard on the Redlands Parkway advertising the “Sleeping Beauty” event are all fairly incoherent and poorly legible.

Trouble on the Horizon?

June Fellhauer, Wake Up Ministry

June Fellahuer’s profile pic from her personal Facebook page. June preaches to girls that they need to repent for using social media.

It appears that Grand Junction now has its own home-grown, hypocritical, self-promoting Christian preacher woman who specializes in targeting adolescent girls. Maybe she will follow in the footsteps of other famous preachers like Rev. Jerry Falwell, Tammy Faye Bakker, Harold “End of the World” Camping, Jimmy Swaggart or even Ted Haggard, and bring some kind of notoriety to Grand Junction.

At the same time, we have a public school system that readily agrees to distribute religious material through its taxpayer-funded email system without thinking twice about it.

At least we have some educated parents like the one who complained about the flier being sent through the public school system, and a growing secular population in our area who spot and report such transgressions, and who are getting increasingly frustrated and fed up with religious promotion in our local public schools.

  52 comments for “District 51 Distributes Flier for Christian Event Targeting Adolescent Girls

  1. mmmmm…thanks for all the free publicity for Wake up ministries….great attendance at the conference, web site is getting lots of hits….God Bless you all

    • Agreed and more so, if just one heart was softened to Jesus in the conversations that have happened in the public forum Anne has provided us. I pray that Anne knows she has been purposed for things she may not understand. I know she has the gift of writing and is an intelligent woman, but lacks just one thing; the Freedom that comes in Christ.
      So in the Name of Jesus I pray Anne that you, and your followers know this: “But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His Great Name, He gave the right to become children of God,”—–while you still live and breath, recieve the Truth of God, so you are Truly Free. In The Name of Jesus

    • Hi Francis, I’m glad your site is getting lots of hits. Everyone should have a look at it. Info about the “Sleeping Beauty” program and D-51 using it’s resources to circulate info on it really increased the hits to my site, too, and the info got re-printed on lots of national blogs and sharing sites, like Raw Story, Reddit, etc. I got over 2,500 hits in one day from that story. Here’s a sample of one of the reprinted stories. http://www.rawstory.com/2016/01/colorado-school-district-pushes-christian-purity-training-for-11-year-old-girls-to-find-future-husbands/

      Thank you for the fodder for the blog!

      • mmmmmmmm….fodder: aka as dried hay or feed for CATTLE or other LIVESTOCK…how fitting! I’m sure cattle enjoy your blog! And I have to question your “mind-in-the-gutter” interpretation of the T.V ad for Wake Up Sleeping Beauty….I didn’t see a leering father, but a father who cares for his kid…oy vey, cattle eyes rolling

  2. I sure would have appreciated the efforts of any woman attempting to teach me to honor my body, my heart, my gifts as a young woman. No one, but my own mom, cared enough to say anything about having sex. But her take was “DONT do it! Only slutty girls have sex before marriage.” So I did it! At least I’d fit into an identifiable category; whether it was true or not true.
    Many young girls do not have the positive reinforcement at home to find respect for themselves or enough courage to avoid making decisions that will negatively effect their minds, hearts and souls indefinitely. They don’t have a defendable identity because no one has taken the time to help them find out who they are in this world. “This is Who I Am,” Is an empowering defense when it’s time to take a stand.
    I don’t see any other groups addressing the very real loss of self identity, self respect and self love in the young ladies of our community.
    Why not use the district wide flyer distributor to reach as many young girls as possible with ANY helpful resource? The families that have their children covered, can just hit the delete button. The families that can’t stand the idea of Jesus, can turn their eyes away. But, most importantly, the families who are in need of this important, life changing encouragement, will have a good resource. Science based, Faith based or World knowledge, the event was designed with love and truth in an effort to help young women and their moms identify their relevance in a world where nothing seems relevant. It’s a shame that freedom to help is being condemned by freedom to think. If only “helping,” was protected from all dividing lines.

    • Cynthia, you are missing the point. It is against the law for a public school to use taxpayer-funded resources, financial or operational, to endorse religion. The school doesn’t think it endorsed religion in this case. It is obvious that the school, in fact, did.

      • No Anne, not missing the point, making a point. I have children, young boys, in the school district. So if I received this flyer and it did not apply to my children, I would have simply disregarded it, much like I disregard all e-mail or paper mail that does not pertain to me. It seems unlikely that electronic distribution of any e-flyers uses much, if any, in the way of taxpayer funding. Since the e-flyer system was put in place to trim down printing and distribution expenses, I’m certain, we are coming out ahead. This year I have received e-flyers for baseball camps, Archaeology and Math camps, a lengthy GJ Kiwanis Children’s Resource Directory, including resources for all kinds of needs; all in an effort to make information available to families in our county. I will add, not one of these resources were crammed down my throat. I appreciate modern technology and its usefulness in making ALL resources available; even if it doesn’t happen to apply to my family. I’m grateful the school district and the event hosts have found a way to make sure ALL resources are equally available to those who may otherwise be left out. There has never been a hint of district persuasion, endorsement, arm twisting; just a passing along of valuable resources. If any specific group holds an event that is motivated by the allegiance to help, inspire or encourage others, and it comes through as an e-flyer from Peach Jar, I’ll filter through it, evaluate its relativity to my family and respond appropriately. No harm, no foul. In fact, having many resources available, informs me, and “frees me to think for myself.”

        • “It’s clear that God IS proven for over 70% of the population of this nation.”

          NOT proof of a god, but certainly proof of stupidity by a majority.
          Why would one want to brag about this??

          • Maybe our God, your’s and mine, whether you believe or not, would look differently if instead of using lack of proof as your validation, look for proof. If you seek proof with an open mind, heart and soul, you will find God. Like Jordan Monge former Athiest, highly intellectual author did, “When confronted with the overwhelming body of evidence I encountered, when facing down the living God, it was the only rational course of action.”
            I don’t even know you, but for some reason we are having a conversation about our God…….That indicates the Love God has for you as He waits on you. He draws us to Himself. I’ll be praying you will begin to feel Him drawing you in and that the hardness of your heart toward Him will soften. I understand there are many reasons you haven chosen to disregard God, but apparently God has not desired to disregard you.

            • Listen to yourself…Now you are saying “instead of using ‘lack of proof’ as your validation, look for proof”
              Well, here’s news for you – We have looked for the proof already, found none and have simply moved from being a mono-theist, as yourself, to the position of skeptic and what some call A-theist, ie without belief.
              Almost all of us, atheists, were brought up and taught under one Christian belief system or another.
              All reasonable and valid evidence was missing which leads us to the only rational course of action.

            • Yes, “lack of proof,” you said you believe there is lack of proof of God’s existence. Proof is relevant to the individual seeking it and therefore is proven. I have proof of God and therefore God does exist. You call God unproven; where as, I call God proven. If you stop trying to disprove His existence and instead seek proof, you will find it and you will find Truth. Truth is relevant. I have found proof of God’s existence; therefore He does exist. If you look for it, you will find proof of God’s existence. Closing your eyes to that which indicates God, does not change that He does exist. Though you don’t believe now, you will have this discussion with Him when your life comes to an end. And even though you have not believed Him, He still loves you.

  3. The story of Mary Magdalene is a story of humility in general. Why the need to gender segregate that value? If humility is a good value, why not teach it to girls AND boys? Why not a co-ed class on how to respect your partner, male or female, gay or straight? Because this isn’t about God or the Bible. This is about gender segregation and using religion to set up a sexual class hierarchy in which males are on top and females on the bottom. In the name of God and education. It’s dehumanizing to females AND it’s dehumanizing to males, because it’s socializing them to be superior. It’s socializing them to be sexist. Shameful.

  4. I’m sadden to think there are people out there not wanting the very best for their daughters. Tearing down a program that is reaching out to helping girls make wise choose’s . In our school the superintendent of school paid for all girls wanting to take the classes as he saw a big change in the girls attitudes.. Some day I believe we’ll all have to answer for our actions and believes to God. I’m hoping God will say to June well done my good and faithful servant. It’s wonderful that June will take the time to help your daughters and understand how to make wise choose’s. When the mothers came to June and wanted her to help them also, so they formed Worriers of Love. We are so proud that June is our daughter and she has 5 sisters and a Brother, that are also proud of her for her ministry. God Bless all of you and we hope your hearts will soften. Sincerely, Betty and Gerald

      • Because she “freely thinks” you call her an ignorant fool???? She freely chooses to stand by her Faith and stand by her daughter; this is foolish to you Bill? She doesn’t at all seem foolish, but free to think. In doing so, is labeled an “ignorant fool.”
        Fortunately, she seems rather certain of her identity. Imagine telling a young girl uncertain of her identity, she was an “ignorant fool.” That ugly label given her by one man would bind her until she could understand that her identity does not come from a man.

        • Yes, a fool! Because it is being done for the wrong reason. We had morality and codes of behaviour long before we invented the mono-theisms.
          It is foolish because it is made on the false presumption of a belief in an unproven god.
          Think for yourself and do it for ethical reasons.

          • Thinking for myself…..It’s clear that God IS proven for over 70% of the population of this nation.

            As I have many reasons to know God is God, I’m sure you have reasons for denying His existence. But, whether the Gospel is shared publicly, by email or by snail mail, its Truth harms no one. But saves those who will listen. It saved me from death. If it offends you, close your eyes and ears to it. If it frightens you, then maybe you doubt your own certainty. Either way, publicly sharing the message of Christ is True Love. What else would compel another person to take such a personal risk, lay their own life down, risk persecution than sharing the Greatest Message of Love with all who may not know.

    • The bottom line is that, while we are all free to believe whatever we choose, the laws governing our country prevent anyone from using public, taxpayer funds to promote or advertise a religion. Upholding the law is not equivalent to “tearing down” this program. No one tried to prevent the event from happening, they just didn’t want public resources used to advertise something religious.

      I would think more people would realize that if they demand this Christian organization be allowed to break the rules, they are opening the door for any and all religious groups to follow suit. How would you feel seeing a religion you find intolerable advertising its teachings to your adolescent daughter through school-distributed emails? Please consider the other side of this issue, especially before you accuse the protesting parents of not wanting the best for their children. Harsh, unwarranted judgement does little to resolve an argument.

      • I disagree that no one is trying to tear down this event. I am. Because this isn’t about God or the Bible. This is about gender segregation and using religion to set up a sexual class hierarchy in which males are on top and females on the bottom. In the name of God and education. It’s dehumanizing to females AND it’s dehumanizing to males, because it’s socializing them to be superior. It’s socializing them to be sexist. If they want to promote humility, have a class for males and females on humility, not just females. Using religion to teach subservience to one half of the population is freedom of religion. It’s enabling slavery. Literally. The problem of sex slavery is real. There are slaves TODAY. And the buying and selling of women by men starts with teaching men that women are sexually inferior.

        • typo! I meant to write “Using religion to teach subservience to one half of the population ISN’T freedom of religion. It’s enabling slavery.”

  5. Hey there!

    Other than the complaint to the school district, is there anything else being done to curb this behavior by the school system? They’re using public funds to advocate participation in a forum that is advertising a Christian view (the Bible verse on the flier is the clearest indicator of this).

  6. Well, if they don’t keep pure the father is to stone them to death after taking a ‘who has the biggest p****y gap test’ exclusive to non-hominid bitchs, Exodus 21 also tells you how to sell daughters into slavery… You f***s are dumb-**** and red neck a**** and that is giving you the benefit of the doubt… Oh yeah

  7. I read about this at Raw Story. I am always shocked to read about some public school/school district promoting or endorsing (admitted or not) the promotion of some religion/religious program, usually Christianity. All I can say is that the sane people in that district, especially the parents of children who attend the schools there, should not let this go, especially since the initial concern was dismissed by District 51 Communications Specialist Jeannie Smith, as was reported in the article. This nerve and non-sense should not be tolerated.

    • As a sane parent of children attending District 51 I am so thankful and grateful that someone and our school District would care so deeply about our young girls to do what is being offered through Wake Up Ministries.

      • It’s fine to care about kids, Just A Mom, but not fine to use the District’s email system to circulate material that endorses a religion or is demeaning to a gender.

      • Just a minute, just a mom.

        Sanity aside, the school district is required to adhere to both the letter and spirit of the law.

        The religious predilections of the administrator named are pretty evident. Of course he doesn’t see anything wrong with it, because Jesus. You do understand that, right?

        When you think it is in good taste for me to come to your church and distribute flyers extolling the virtues of sex and sexuality education, that will be a societal improvement. These cringe-ridden flyers promote values from one religion, and more simply, Christianity, and the distribution of a flyer promotes no societal improvement. It merely interferes with the transfer of good knowledge about sexual behavior to people who really need it.. So, if you think you are not a good enough parent to teach these values to your child without religion, let’s remember that every child is born an atheist, and then religion gets hammered into them from the time they can speak.. Religious parents become a sluice gate for dogma and superstition to a child’s mind.

        Hell no, HELL NO, to the distribution of religious bs through the public school system. Keep your purity rituals where they belong, inside the stained glass walls of your church.

      • And when the Satanists demand the equal right to send fliers I am sure you will be just as thankful and grateful for their input into your child’s upbringing.can’t discriminate against any religion or there will be a lawsuit…I wonder if the Wiccans and Muslims know about this?

  8. Useful District 51 policies:
    1) Non-Discrimination Policy – AC – Adopted 11/17/15
    https://www.mesa.k12.co.us/board/policies/documents/AC.pdf
    “No student or other person who is otherwise qualified shall be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or otherwise be subjected to
    unlawful discrimination under any district program or activity on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, creed, RELIGION, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, disability or need for special education services.”

    2) Non-Discrimination Policy AC-E – Adopted 11/17/15
    https://www.mesa.k12.co.us/board/policies/documents/AC-E.pdf
    “Mesa County Valley School District 51 does not discriminate on the basis of
    race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, RELIGION, national origin, age, marital status, ancestry, disability or need for special education services in admission, or access to, or treatment in its educational programs or activities.”

    3) Staff Code of Conduct: (pertains to the child who was told in the lunchroom at LOM Elementary that she needed to believe in God):
    https://www.mesa.k12.co.us/board/policies/documents/GBEB-R.pdf
    “Dignity and Respect: Demonstrate respect toward the diverse viewpoints of others, treating oneself and others as contributing members of the school district
    community. Act with a sense of justice and prudence, pursuing and
    ensuring equity for all.”

  9. I am opposed, as always, to State sponsorship of religious events or purposes. June’s ministries, as I understand them, are just that: ministries and her ‘fliers’ do not belong, nor need to belong, in District e-mails.

    I am surprised at the comments that go to her motives. We cannot know the hearts of our neighbors; we simply cannot know their deepest intentions. To accuse her of greed and hypocrisy is unwarranted and behold the facts as we know them.

    I would – then – encourage leaving questions of motive aside, and all the more since her motives are not germane to the discussion: regardless of what she intends, our government ought not to lend its influence to religious causes.

    I am surprised at the tone as well or perhaps just saddened. The tone here feels something like the tone one hears all over America today, especially from the religious right.

    Still the point is the point: the establishment clause and subsequent interpretation make it clear our gov’t ought not promote religious causes.

    My best to you all, good neighbors. We are more fun – and life is more fun – when we are pulling in the same direction. I miss you all.

  10. Thank you for writing about this! I wrote to the district voicing my concerns both about how women are portrayed (Sleeping Beauty as role model?!) and especially the fact that the District is promoting this religious-based event. I didn’t receive a reply.

    • Shockley, Emily Jan 29 at 12:54 AM
      To
      Brien Smith, Jeannie Schultz, Steve
      Message body
      Hi Brien:

      Thanks for contacting me. The district is aware of this situation and has worked diligently to respond to the concerns of the family involved. All requests for meetings have been met promptly, first with the school’s principal, then with the director of elementary schools. The family received an in-person apology from the staff member in question, as well as written apologies to both the parents and the child, as requested by the family. During their most recent meeting with the director of elementary schools, the family said their concerns had been addressed. If this is no longer the case, we want to make it right and support the family if they decide to pursue a formal complaint. So far, that has not happened.

      These are the actions of one staff member, who has been disciplined. It would be unfair to judge the 2,600 people who work in the school district by the actions of a single person. Still, the district has learned from this event and has pledged to better train its classified staff members in how to handle these situations.

      Sincerely,

      Emily Shockley, Communications Specialist
      Mesa County Valley School District 51

  11. This woman is totally insane! My daughter went to one of her meetings and now she is gay! F*** this bitch!!!

    • Wow, you learn something new every day. I’ve always heard that being gay was NOT a life choice; such as choosing to believe in the Bible.

      So I suppose that which side of this controversy you’re on, pretty much depends on what tickles your phobia.

  12. This woman needs to be exposed. My offer of tibetan prayer flags draped over the 10 commandments at city hall still stands.

  13. They are called “Purity Balls” where the girls are preached at and reminded to promise to use an aspirin between the knees as a lock down. JOKE!!! about the aspirin.
    But for real…there are purity balls that young girls take an oath to their fathers to stay “pure” till marriage. The Father-Daughter pictures make the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
    After living in the Middle East for almost 2 decades (Saudi Arabia), I see no difference between the female denigration of normal social interactions under Muslim hardliners and this woman’s aggressive manipulation. Same processes dictates outcome. Makes the recipient feel guilty so they are
    more compliant and the recipient has less control of their life and self-esteem. Not something I would subject a good kid too that enjoys her friends and communication. Parents should curb their children’s access if social media is a problem with grades or behavior. They don’t need to pay a zealot to bear down on their child’s psyche and destroy their confidence.

      • Nothing is free! She’s making bucks or she wouldn’t be doing it. Why isn’t she teaching the dads how to be dads? Why isn’t she teaching moms to be moms? Kids look up to their parents for clues and right now in America, they have empty homes to come home to after school. Shame.

        • Actually she does teach moms as well! That group is called warriors of love. The men’s group is not taught by her but a group of men. That group is called warriors at heart. I would encourage all her critics to go and listen. She doesn’t make a dime off any of the products or any of her teachings. It all goes back to the ministries. She does it because she has 4 of her own daughters. And she had to learn how to teach them how to deal with difficulties in everyday life, including peer pressure,shaming, and how to make healthy choices regarding sex. she has a huge heart for young girls. She wants to help them and empower them to be strong leaders!

          • “She doesn’t make a dime off any of the products or any of her teachings. It all goes back to the ministries.” – J

            LOL. That’s like saying L.Ron Hubbard didn’t make any money, it all went back to Scientology.

          • “She doesn’t make a dime off any of the products or any of her teachings. It all goes back to the ministries.”

            Really? Then please, open your books to the public so we can see what the “ministries” entails . . . .

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