FALL 2010 CALENDAR!

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GIRLS MINISTRY KICK-OFF PARTY - THIS WEDNESDAY!

Hello Girls!

I hope you are getting just as excited as I am for the Girls Ministry Kick-Off Party THIS Wednesday, September 1st at 6:30 PM (doors open at 6:00)! We will have great snacks and even greater door prizes but more importantly we will be talking about why we even have a Girls Ministry here at FBC and we will walk through our rockin' Fall Calendar.

This event is for ALL Girls in Middle School or High School....and please invite your Mom, Aunt, and all your besties from school! Everyone is going to want to learn about all the fun stuff planned for this year!

We are even bringing in Georgie Wilkins from Athens, GA to lead us in worship! This night is to celebrate being girls that worship our King, so help spread the word and make every effort to be there by or before 6:30 pm! Start your homework tonight! Also, check out the sound clip below of Georgie singing "Saved My Soul". She's awesome! I am excited for y'all to meet her!

Can't wait to see you! And who knows...you could be sportin' a new pair of TOMS, earrings, a scarf or a whole lot more cuteness after Wednesday night!

Girls with Gumption...Are You One??

Hello Sweet Girls!

It has been a crazy busy summer and I have loved every minute of it and the relationships that were strengthened with many of you! But I will be honest, I am excited too that school has started back this week as it allows us all to get back into a little more of a routine (though in youth ministry you never have too much routine).

In a couple of months we will be kicking off our SECOND official year of Girls Ministry at FBC with a party! It will be a night of worship, vision sharing, food, fellowship...and of course some fun giveaways. A night you won't want to miss as we will be walking through our Fall calendar and detailing some new events for you! Moms and daughters of all MS and HS girls (and their friends!) are strongly encouraged to join us on Sept 1st at 6:30 in the Fellowship Hall. Help spread the word!

As I have been finalizing plans for our Girls Ministry this year I have continually gone back to our core value of first and foremost glorifying God and using this central theme to evaluate our calendar for the year. This is my heart behind this ministry and focus of everything that comes from it! I want to continually point each of you to understanding the gospel, it's depth and magnitude, to knowing Christ and the Word so that you CAN be girls that glorify God in all you say and do!

I was reading the blog of my friends in girls ministry (www.girlsministry.net) and loved how she furthered this calling to be girls that glorify God by also challenging girls to make a stand for this lifestyle...to be girls with gumption! You are not just following rules but yet living your life in such a way that you are making a stand for Christ! Here's a bit of what Kristen Carr has to say about Girls with Gumption, which also echoes my heart for our girls and this ministry here at FBC (you can read the entire post on the website, day July 27):

"As tempting as it can be as Girls Ministry Leaders to focus our efforts on helping girls save sex till marriage, wear modest clothing and stop backbiting with one another, I don't think these things can be the "back bone" of our ministries. Why? Because it is the person of Jesus Christ that we want these girls to declaratively follow, not the rule book that makes them look like "good Christians." If, then, we set up our ministries to facilitate their growth in knowledge and understanding of who Jesus is, the unfailing love He is pouring out on them, the life He is inviting them to, and the adventure and calling He has already ordained for their lives, I think we create space for our Savior to raise up a generation of girls with gumption. Girls with gumption grounded in the truth and faithfulness of their trustworthy Savior. Girls with gumption enough to say not only with their mouths, but with their lives "I have decided to follow Jesus and even if none go with me, I still will follow. No turning back, No turning back." Girls with gumption based on their decision to follow the person of Jesus Christ, not just a bunch of rules."

Girls I hope that as you mature in your walk with Christ your desire to be a girl with gumption will only grow stronger! I am praying for you as you begin a new school year...I pray that God is preparing to use you in mighty ways to impact your school and community! He will if you will just follow Him.

BY HIS GRACE, FOR HIS GLORY!

Whew!

I just got back from two weeks amongst the awesomeness that we call Camp Cherokee. There really just isn’t adequate words to describe the wonder of this place. Maybe that’s why our camp cheer, “BOBO” is made up of made up words? ha! Who knows. On one hand it is a place to go and be still before the Lord because we are free from the hustle and bustle of our every day schedules, emails, facebooks and to-do lists, but at the same time it is a place of schedule and disciplined time before the Lord. Which is sometime we all need regardless of our consistency to meet with the Lord on our own....it’s just different at Camp Cherokee. The scenery of historic oak trees and glass-like lake water nestled within a bear preserve is just so beautiful that it allows your soul to take a deep breath like maybe it hasn’t in a long while. Yes, there’s bees, biting flies, spiders and mosquitos galore, and yes it’s like thousand degrees and so hot that there’s never really even a single moment that you aren’t completely drenched in sweat...but honestly I think this only enhances the experience.

I come away from these two weeks amazed at how the Lord chooses to move at this place. Sometimes I get fearful of places or experiences like Camp Cherokee...places that everyone KNOWS the Lord the will be at work. I get nervous that we can put too much stock in the PLACE rather than our GOD that is at work. He can work ANYWHERE just like He does and has at Camp Cherokee. But regardless of where the Lord CAN work, He DOES work at Camp Cherokee. While I attribute this more to the “retreat from distractions” I am thankful that we have been so blessed to have such an amazing place to retreat to. I thank God for Camp Cherokee!

Dan DeWitt from Southern Seminary (and author of theolatte.com) did an AWESOME job leading us and teaching us through Galatians both weeks. His main take-away point was for us to know that “God saved us BY His grace and FOR His glory”. Our salvation is rooted in the first half of this statement (by His grace) and our reaction and livelihood is rooted in the second half (for His glory). I think so often people are ready to admit they are sinners and walk the aisle for forgiveness but they miss grasping the magnitude of how it all happens! By His grace means He did all the work...yes! Work we couldn’t do...yes! But the work was INTENSE! He took ON our sin and our judgement! He paid the price so that we are no longer condemned! This understanding should change us! We should be different, we should act different, we should speak different - we should want to praise Him in all things and in all ways! Yes, all for His glory!

Ah, what solid truth! What life-changing, life-surrendering, life-offering truth! Yes, I thank God for time to retreat from distractions, to come and be uncomfortable in the quietness before the Lord so that we could hear (maybe for the first time) the power and freedom that is ours in Christ! Now that you’ve heard, now that you know...choose to live differently. Don’t let it just be an experience at a beautiful place, but instead react to the God that ignited your heart and called you to Himself. React by living a life set apart.

REACT!

BY HIS GRACE, FOR HIS GLORY!

PS - If you missed camp, you also missed this AWESOME video Dan DeWitt created for Southern Seminary, "What is the Gospel"...view it below and pass it along!

BLOG SERIES || PART 3 of 3 || HOW HOT IS TOO HOTT?

Hello, Hello!

Today we will wrap our 3-part series on the Do’s and Don’ts of Photography and Photo Sharing! Be sure to look back at the past two posts if this is your first visit to the blog within this series. I hope this has been an eye opening walk-through for you and has caused you to seriously re-evaluate some areas in your life, or even (and I hope this most of all) it has encouraged you that you are seeking to glorify God “in all things”.

The fact is, when you post something on the internet or you text a picture, you don’t have control of what other people might do with it or how it could be used elsewhere. Once they are posted online, you are giving full rights to your image to anyone, even a creeper! I know this seems gross, but it’s the truth.

The reality is many guys and men struggle with the area of lustful thoughts (which is stimulated by what they see) so we cannot afford to be ignorant about how we, as girls, present ourselves or dress in public. Further, we have gotten too casual with what we are sharing on social networking sites and we can no longer be so lazy in our pursuit of holiness and praise to the Lord. We must take responsibility for how we present ourselves, just as much as guys need to be disciplined in their thoughts.

SO, How Hot is Too Hott?

“Sexy” according to Webster’s dictionary, is “something that is sexually suggestive or stimulating.” Sounds a lot like what pornography does.

With summer time upon us we need to pay special attention to bathing suit pictures. I just posted a blog post challenging you to think differently about the cut of your bathing suit. I challenged you to desire to live the same way when you have to and when you don't "have" to...at church and away from church. You will never be somewhere were you are not a witness for Christ, you are an ambassador! Remember: 2 Corinthians 5:20! Think about this…if guys struggle with lustful thoughts…do you think wearing a bikini would help with that thought process? Do you think a bikini looks like lingerie/undergarments? I do! So if you are posting pictures of yourself (and friends) in your bathing suits, then you have literally just created an online “look book” of lingerie-type pictures….or in reality a form of pornography. Trust me, a guys mind does NOT say…”oh that’s just a bathing suit...not lingerie, so I’m not as affected by this picture showing off a girls body.”

Girls, don’t believe this lie. We must rally together to do what we can do to protect our brothers in Christ!

So, what to post on Facebook or send through Text?

• No Sexy pictures. PERIOD. Remember Sexy is something that is sexually suggestive or stimulating. So stray from posting pictures in your bathing suit, in a low-cut shirt, short skirt, inappropriate postures or angles! Instead, P.R.A.I.S.E God through your pictures!
• Also, I would strongly suggest never posting pictures you take of yourself by yourself. Having an entire album of arm shot pictures of yourself is just not necessary. This goes back to the question of motive!
• Who should see our pictures?
• Consider if this is a fun memory for you or for everyone?
• Not EVERY picture you take needs to be uploaded online. Some pictures need to be kept as a private memory. Others might not look at each of your pictures the same way you do.
• As for texting? My rule: Only text pictures of a group of people or a scene shot describing where you are. Not just of yourself….and NEVER at anyone’s request for a picture of yourself!

At the end of the day what you post on social networking sites like Facebook or MySpace is often times how people get to know you. Employers, friends, your friend’s parents…your Girls’ Minister (haha)! What are you sharing with others? How do you think you are being perceived? I challenge you to stop right now and take a look through your online photo albums and re-evaluate what you are sharing with the world. My guess is you might need a photo-album makeover and delete a few!

You are beautiful and your King is enthralled by you! So don't let the culture define you any longer! Instead choose a position of Gospel influence and holiness. BE SET APART!

PS: If you want to see more fun group shots from the event with Ami & Alison Photography then >> click here <<.

BLOG SERIES || PART 2 of 3 || THE DO'S & DON'TS

Hi Girls!

This is part two on the Do’s and Don’ts of Photography and Photo Sharing! Last post I discussed the purpose behind us being mindful of what we share with others through photography (to glorify Christ!!) and in this post I am going to give you some helpful tips to accomplish this!

Psalm 139:14 praises God and reminds us that you were fearfully and wonderfully made! And Psalm 45:11 says “The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord.” At the photo shoot I gave the girls lots of questions for them to ask themselves next time they are taking a picture, and ESPECIALLY if they are posting or sending a picture online or through text. Remember this: you want to P.R.A.I.S.E God in your photo sharing, so check the following before you post!

POSTURE:

• Posture is important! This includes how you sit, stand, and position your body for a picture. It’s important also to make sure you’re not leaning over too much, that your skirt isn’t too short or your shirt too low. Rule of thumb: always sit like a lady.

RIGHT MOTIVE:

• Why are you taking the picture?
• Are you capturing a memory, a stage of your life, are you celebrating something? These are good reasons to take pictures!
• Or are you self-promoting yourself, wanting others to notice you and your fine looks. Remember, the KING is enthralled by your beauty, who else do you need to tell you how beautiful you are?

ANGLE:

• Angle is everything! Trust me, the right angle can help in positive ways…I know this secret for sure. But some angles are not honoring to God – such as giving suggestive looks (the pouty face!) and suggestive posturing. Pictures taken of yourself by yourself with the camera lifted high above you and pointing downward can often focus on your chest and not on your face. This can cause guys to stumble so it’s important to focus on your face only in pictures!

I-WITNESSES:

• It’s important check who your audience is as well!
• Who is seeing the picture?
• Sometimes we take pictures when we are being silly and hanging out with “the girls,” but that doesn’t mean these pictures need to be posted where boys can see them too. One example would be pictures taken at a slumber party in your pjs.
• Before you post/send a picture ask yourself: ‘Would you show this to your grandma? Your pastor? Your brother?’
• Who is taking the picture? Do you trust the photographer to only post appropriate pictures? Be aware of this before a photo session begins!
• Who is asking for the picture and why are they asking for it?
• It’s never ok for a guy to ask you to send him a picture of yourself. The motive is usually not right, especially if he asks you to be dressed a certain way for the picture (like in your bathing suit)…or not dressed at all. There is really never a reason to send a guy a picture of yourself. Ever.

SURROUNDINGS:

• Where are you when you are taking pictures? Is it somewhere you shouldn’t be? (ie: not at school when you should be, at a party, driving a car while taking picture, etc.? Even if you weren’t partaking in things you shouldn’t, a picture can make it seem as if you were. You will be guilty by association. Be sure to ask yourself if you are with people or items you want to be associated with?)
• Is it somewhere that can lead others minds to impure thoughts? (ie: your bedroom, lying on your bed, in the bathroom, etc.) Remember a picture is worth a 1000 words and your surroundings say a lot!

EXTRA CARE:

• What else is in your picture? Be sure to look out for the “little things”:
• Bra strap showing?
• Light through your skirt?
• Undergarments lying in the background?
• Are you revealing more than you want to reveal?

These guidelines will not only help you when you take your next picture or post your next album, but they will also help you look back through your current pictures and reevaluate what you are sharing with the world. Take a moment now and see if you are offering God PRAISE through your pictures. Thursday, I’ll be addressing the question, “How hot is too hott?” I would love to read some feedback as you walk through this blog series. Please comment in the comment section below!

PS: If you want to see more fun group shots from the event then >> click here <<.

PHOTOGRAPHY DO'S & DON'TS BLOG SERIES || PART 1 of 3

Hi Girls!

A couple of weeks ago we had a WONDERFUL time at the Peter’s home for our Girls Photo Shoot. Ami and Alison Photography came and captured gorgeous headshots of each of the girls! If you were at the photo shoot and have not received instructions on how to get your pictures, then please e-mail me as soon as possible. If you want to see more fun group shots from the event then >> click here <<. Since everyone was so cute and dressed up we had a "tea party" style lunch and then all gathered for a talk on the do’s and don’ts of photo taking and photo sharing (online and through text).

It is my hope to recap that lesson here for you through a series of three blog posts. I hope that you will not only use this as a tool for discernment on what you should share online, but also as a resource when sharing your heart on this matter with your friends. We must rally around this together in order to see change and bring God glory in this area!

Today, I want to discuss why we need to be mindful of how our pictures look and what we share with others. In the next post I will walk through a list of questions to ask before you even take a picture or post a picture. The final post in this series will wrap everything up by asking the question, “How hot is too hott?” I hope you will check out each one!

As you know, our purpose as God’s creation (and the heartbeat of this ministry) is to glorify God first and foremost and in all things. 1 Peter 4:11 says:

“If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

Sometimes we can forget that “in all things” actually means ALL things. Glorifying Him in church and in service projects seems like a no brainer. We’ve also talked about honoring Him with your clothing choices, with boys, and how you treat others…but do you think to glorify Christ in your every day tasks like texting, facebook, and through your photo albums?

Check back on Monday for some practical ways in which you can seek to glorify God in theses areas.