Note: Today's blog is written by Lauren Farmer, one of our guest bloggers. A newly graduated seminary student and a new transplant to Nashville, Lauren has a passion and heart for girls. She constantly challenges my thinking and helps me maintain authenticity in my approach to ministry. She doesn't come from a Christian background, so she offers a unique perspective to reaching girls who don't come through our doors with a heritage of faith. She loves to laugh, spend time with family and friends, travel the world, curl up with a good book, and drink Diet Coke.
This year I am co-leading a group of 8th grade girls with one of the girl’s grandmothers. Yes, I said grandmother! Now, to be fair, Alice is quite young—not to mention vibrant, energetic and full of life. So often we tend to write-off older generations when we think of girls ministry. And more and more I am realizing what a tragedy that is as I get to know Alice and other precious older women. Each time I watch Alice interact with our group I learn a bit more about how to love these girls and minister to them. Alice hasn’t been to seminary or attended a slew of girls' ministry conferences, but she loves God and she loves those girls. When one of them won’t stop talking about her friend’s cousin’s boyfriend’s little sister’s sick puppy, Alice listens intently with interest and compassion (while I sit waiting for the perfect moment to interject and insist we move on to the lesson). The girls love Alice and they respect her. They love her because she loves them and they respect her because she shares her life with them. Alice is real and honest with our group. She doesn’t try to pretend she is hip or cool; she just loves each girl, prays for them, and tries to encourage them in their walk with Christ.
Each week I learn a little bit more about Alice and her story. It is a story of heartache, sickness, and death. And it a story of God’s faithfulness, love, and grace through tragedy. Alice may not be able to tell you about the most current practices and trends in girls ministry, but she knows God. Alice has walked through the most difficult of circumstances all the while continually testifying to God’s faithfulness and goodness. I have much to learn from Alice. I look up to women like her. Women who have walked down difficult roads and remain sure of their God. I want to be like Alice when I’m a grandmother - a woman who is gracious, compassionate, kind, who loves and trusts God, and who still spends her time pouring her life into younger women.
I fear that many girls are missing out on the blessing of wisdom and experience an “Alice” brings. And I fear that many of us leaders are so busy ministering to our girls that we forget that we need an "Alice” in our own lives as well. So take a few minutes this week to stop and look around at the women God has placed in your church. Pray that God brings you an Alice or two your way. Seek them out if needed. Trust me—the blessing and encouragement to you and your girls will be well worth it.
How do you incorporate different generations in your girls' ministry?
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