Today’s blog is written by Kimberly Futrell, whose heart for preteen girls led her to begin a unique ministry called Club 12 in Kentucky. We thought her idea was a great one and wanted to share it with our readers. Please contact Kimberly if you’re interested in starting Club 12 in your church.
Once upon a time, a 12-year-old girl sat alone in her bedroom. Tears streaked her face as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. Why don't they like me?, she thought. Why did God make me so weird? Will I ever have friends? This frightened, insecure middle school student was having a hard time being 12. She wasn't sure of herself, and she assumed that all the other 12 year olds were accurate in their assessments of her short-comings. But the truth is, being 12 is tough on every girl.
Once this girl grew up, she thought she had left those awkward middle school years behind her for good! But God had other plans. He heard the cries of thousands of other girls crying alone in their bedrooms just as she once did. Something like a light bulb went off inside her heart, and Club 12 was born.
That's no fairy tale. The dream of Club 12 that God gave her is now a thriving community-based ministry aimed at helping 12-year-old girls recognize how precious they are to God. It helps them recognize the importance of making a choice about what they believe about beauty, their own uniqueness, and their connection with Christ. This is done through a once-in-a-lifetime event on New Year's Eve. Club 12 is a combination of a super fun slumber party and an empowering and exciting youth conference designed to help girls recognize that they are incomparable, beautiful, and loved! To accomplish these goals, Club 12 has awesome speakers, exciting music, door prizes, games, and all the fun you'd expect at a big slumber party.
Disney, Harry Potter, and the Internet are all targeting the new "tween-ager." They are hearing all kinds of messages about beauty and who they were meant to be. While not all of these messages are bad, there is a deeper, more important message that they need to hear. God's heart for the "tween-ager" is for her to hear HIS vision of the beautiful, amazing woman He is creating her to be. That is Club 12’s purpose: a party just for them and a chance for God to pull them aside and speak to their hearts in a special way. They leave Club 12 knowing that God sees them, He cares for them, and He created them as BEAUTIFUL!
This New Year's Eve will be the third annual Club 12 event. In the last two years, Club 12 has already ministered to 128 girls from 8 different counties in Kentucky. We’ve seen 63 of those girls give their hearts to Christ! Here are some of the comments girls left on our evaluation cards:
"I asked Jesus to come into my heart and become His princess."
"That was the best slumber party I have ever been to!"
"Club 12 is AWESOME and it has changed my life forever, and I will never forget that day!"
"I love Club 12, and I'm so glad that you let God into our lives!"
"Thanks for helping me."
We believe God has given us a vision to start Club 12 ministries like this all over the country. If you feel that God may be giving you this same vision for your church, we can help! Check out our video and call me, Kimberly Futrell, at 270-898-6531 or e-mail me at Club12@rocketmail.com for more information on starting a Club 12 ministry in your community.
I like this article, Kimberly! You go, girl! Go get those lonely 12-year-old girls and give them the precious gift that has been given to you! You definitely have something to say! Thanks for sharing!