Have you ever been stumped by a tough question you’ve gotten during Bible study from a girl? Ever been blindsided by a really hard question when counseling a girl? Especially when working with upperclassmen, the questions they ask sometimes can’t be answered quickly or concisely, and it leaves you grasping at straws for an answer.
Well, we’d like to help. We want to compile questions that have stumped girls ministry leaders like you, go to Scripture and godly, deep thinkers for the answers, and then answer them. Then, we’ll get them to you in an easy-to-access format. But first, we have to know what kind of questions you’re being asked. Please leave a comment or e-mail me at emily[dot]cole[at]lifeway[dot]com to tell me all about the questions you’ve gotten over the years. (And if you came up with a great answer, let me know that too!)
The charts these days
In music, there’s been some moving around on the charts. According to the Billboard Hot 100, here are the most popular songs across all genres, ranked by radio airplay, sales, and online purchases/listens.
1. “Born This Way” by Lady Gaga
2. “F*** You (Forget You)” by Cee Lo Green
3. “S&M” by Rihanna
4. “F**kin’ Perfect” by Pink
5. “On the Floor” by Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull (Looks like Jenny from the Block is relaunching her music career. Again. But after seeing her on "American Idol," I'm strangely endeared to her and can't wait to see what this song is all about. Judging from the promo picture, however, I'm not so sure I'm going to be able to recommend it.)
6. “Grenade” by Bruno Mars
7. “Blow” by Ke$ha
8. “E.T.” by Katy Perry feat. Kanye West
9. “Tonight (I’m Loving’ You)” by Enrique Iglesias, et. al
10. “Firework” by Katy Perry
Funny story
Perhaps you’ve read past chart reviews when I’ve voiced some concerns about Katy Perry's music's message. Apparently, I’ve not just been questioning her song’s motives on this blog, but also in my senior girls’ small group. While I don’t exactly recall referring to her as “Satan’s mouthpiece,” my senior girls say that I did. And I had the opportunity to put my money where my mouth was just last weekend. We were in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, for our annual girls’ retreat. (Can I just say that I am impressed with the senior girls’ ability to pack themselves into a king-size bed?! Fourteen girls, three beds. Ridiculous and amazing.)
Well, on Saturday night of the retreat every year, we have a glow party—the girls wear white T-shirts, draw on themselves with highlighters, wear glowsticks, and have a blast rockin’ out to fun music under some blacklights. Well, when the leader in charge of selecting the music’s iPod died, a girl quickly volunteered to let us use her iPod. She did a great job selecting the first couple of songs, and then she chose “California Girls” by Katy Perry.
Summoning some courage, I told her to turn it off and that we’d find another person to DJ. When a couple of girls told me they could tell that I was not happy when the song came on and were actually grateful that I’d changed the song, I was so happy that my talk and my walk matched up on this issue—especially since I wasn’t aware I was being watched. Now I think I know what moms and teachers feel like when they have to “spoil all the fun.” I applaud those of you who have to do this kind of thing on a regular basis!!
First I would like to say that I found this blog a little more than a year ago. Actually I don't even remember how. I am sure I was looking up helpful information relating to ministry and teens but I am thankful that I came across this blog.
I work for a non-profit in southeastern Ohio working with kids and teens in our community. I have found some of your entries helpful and encouraging and I must say I went to see the movie It's Kind of a Funny Story mostly because of your recommendation.
Back to this question regarding tough questions. Most of the teen girls I hang out are not usual church/youth group attendees but that doesn't mean they don't have questions pertaining to our heavenly father. One of the main questions they have been interested in is the story of Jesus, you know the virgin birth/son of God question. How could someone be a virgin and have birth? Could God do that again? What if they became pregnant without having sex? These questions I feel are great opportunities to talk with them about what God has done and why this story is important.
We have also talked about issues relating to depression and cutting. This seems to be a popular topic and just last week I was with a group of 4 girls who had a lot to say on this topic. I am interested to hear if anyone else has something to say or encourage with this topic.
Thanks!
this department . wedding dress game Women's Department Carefree Casuals women's clothing, including dresses and women's accessories, will outfit you for every occasion. Find stylish, women's shirts, women's pants, women's jackets and more in an array of colors and designs. Shop Our Selection Of Active Wear, Casual Apparel & Other Specialty