If you are on Twitter, you may be familiar with the term "Follow Friday." Basically, you let everyone know who you follow—people you want to get updates from, people you listen to, people who say things that matter to you.
I thought it would be helpful to include a periodic "Follow Friday" and list some Web sites, books, or movies that might be a resource for you in your ministry to girls or in your own spiritual development. I may not agree with everything in the movie, Web site, or book, but I think there are important principles to be gleaned from each. Use your own discretion and discernment. So here it goes!
Crazy Love by Francis Chan (book)
This book continues to encourage my soul and challenge my thinking. It's a combination of The Ragamuffin Gospel, The Irresistible Revolution, and The Sacred Romance, all rolled into one. On one hand it reminds you of the relentless, crazy, all-powerful love of God, and on the other hand, challenges you that being loved by a God like that means a radically different life than what's normally seen in a church pew.
Girl Meets God by Lauren F. Winner (book)
This book released in 2002, but it's still worth the read. It's written in memoir style, and chronicles the author's journey from choosing to become an orthodox Jew near the end of high school to become a believer. This book will help you understand how many young women perceive faith and one woman's quest for authentic faith. It helped me rethink some of the ways I communicate truth to teenage girls.
Center for Parent/Youth Understanding (web site)
This Web site is a storehouse for you as a girls' minister (and a great resource that you can pass along to parents as well). It contains articles, research, trends, cultural quotes, and other helpful information to help you keep up (a little) with youth culture.
Girls' Minister (web site)
This Web site is produced by Amy Jo Girardier, girls' minister at Brentwood Baptist Church in Brentwood, Tennessee. It contains articles, Webisodes, and other helps for you as you work with girls. It's a fairly new site and will be expanding, so keep it on your radar.
He's Just Not That Into You (movie)
Let me say several things: 1) I don't agree with this movie's worldview; 2) I don't agree with this movie's perception of love and marriage; 3) I would never recommend showing this movie to a group of teen girls. All that being said, as I watched this movie (it's PG-13, by the way), I was intrigued by how relationships between men and women were portrayed. I was saddened by the way the women in the movie responded to a guy's interest (or lack thereof). Unfortunately, many teenage girls (and adult women) allow their worth and esteem to rise and fall based on a phone call from a guy. I recommend renting this one (as cheaply as you can) and watch it (especially if you're married) as a reminder of what many women endure emotionally as they try to figure out (?) the opposite gender.
Please respond and tell us what you're watching or reading to help you in your ministry!
Our youth girls who wanted to get a better overall understanding of their Bibles LOVED 30 Days to Understanding the Bible by Max Anders. We recommend it to our small group leaders, volunteers, parents, anybody who wants to understand the Bible as a whole. Each chapter is short (short enough to do several in one day if you want) and is set up as a workbook. At the end of each chapter it gives a "quiz" of what you've learned so far. At the end of the 30 days you've memorized the story line of the Old and New Testaments, major locations, characters and doctrines.
Our youth girls who finished the book now feel much more comfortable when they open their Bibles and more confident studying it on their own! Last time I checked, this book is available at Lifeway!