The smell of stale alcohol lingered in the air Sunday morning as parishioners of Connect Rome packed into McCrobie’s in downtown Rome, where a Girls Gone Wild-themed party had taken place the night before.

And the topic of pastor Josh Robert’s Sunday sermon? Sexual education and marriage.

Roberts, who said he wrote the sermons back in June to launch this month, said the timing of his message was random and had nothing to do with the Saturday night party at the bar. In fact, he has tried to maintain his distance from the controversy.

“We’ve been very clear to say (that) what happens during the week has nothing to do with us,” he said.

He summed up his message about casual sex during the second morning service, referencing Romans 12 and keeping it simple for his audience.

“Great sex happens at the right time with the right person for the right reasons, but only after you’re married,” he said.

The four-week series on lust, cheating, casual sex and pornography started Oct. 18.

Churchgoers at McCrobie’s said they didn’t mind the party so much. In fact, Berry College student Lorena Garcia didn’t hear about it until late last night — and thought the idea of church services following the event was “kind of ironic.”

Tim Bryan said he thought it wouldn’t have any negative impact on the church at all, adding that he was glad the bar also could be used for a holy purpose.

“I guess, in my understanding, it’s good that God can take something we consider to be evil in God’s mind and have something good happen here,” he said.

Connect Rome meets at McCrobie’s on Sunday mornings for two services, at 9:45 and 11:15 a.m. More information about the church can be found at its Web site, Connectrome.com.