VALLEY FORGE, PA (ABNS 12/06/06)âAmerican Baptist Womenâs Ministries announced today the release of the first CD in its new program resource for girlsâ ministry, G.I.R.L.S.: Girls in Relationship, Leadership, and Service. The national leadership team of AB GIRLS began planning the G.I.R.L.S. resource in 2004, and is excited to see its months of planning finally coming to fruition.
The first release is âLeadership 101: Leadership Training for Ministry with Girlsâ, a CD containing articles, PowerPoint presentations, and workshop outlines for adults to build their skills in ministry with girls. It will be followed this spring by âWholenessâ, the curriculumâs first volume for girls from ages 8 to 18, containing 36 sessions that explore a Christian perspective on body, mind, and spirit, as well as journal articles written by teenage girls on various facets of the topic, to be used as part of the session plans in a variety of ways. Each new volume of curriculum will have 36 sessions based on an overall theme. Volume two (available in 2008) will be on the theme âIdentityâ. The G.I.R.L.S. material is available only on CD to allow for the inclusion of multi-media resources.
The new G.I.R.L.S. material is built on the foundation of core values and goals which express what the national leadership team of AB GIRLS feels are crucial to the faith development of girls. The G.I.R.L.S. resource will help girls develop in their relationship with God through Jesus Christ, grow in their relationships with authentic, caring adults and with one another. It will equip girls to be critical thinkers to interpret the culture in which they live, will help them become secure in applying Biblical truths to every day life, and embrace a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, cross-cultural context.
âChildren and youth are growing up in a rapidly changing world that clamors to shape their values. This important resource for American Baptist girls and their adult leaders is contemporary for todayâs youth while equipping young disciples to follow Jesus Christ,â said Virginia Holmstrom, executive director of AB Womenâs Ministries. âI applaud the foresight and planning of the AB GIRLS National Leadership Team and the projectâs design team to produce this curriculum resource.â
In addition to the members of the national leadership teams of 2004-2007, a design team contributed to the shaping and development of this resource. The design team included Rev. Mayra CastaÃeda, experienced in childrenâs and youth ministry, cross-cultural/multicultural ministries, and ministry in Hispanic churches; Dawn Doerr, the national coordinator of AB GIRLS, active in girlsâ and womenâs ministries in a local church and regional level, and middle school teacher; Rev. Loretta Jones, associate pastor in the DC Baptist Convention, active in girlsâ and womenâs ministries, and probation officer with a focus on youthful offenders; Rev. Dusty Minnis, pastor and volunteer in womenâs and girlsâ ministries (DC Baptist Convention), and retired police officer with experience working with youthful offenders; Rev. Jackie Saxon, who has served as co-director of National Youth Gatherings sponsored by Educational Ministries (ABCUSA) and National Ministries (ABCUSA), with experience in childrenâs ministries, youth ministries, and campus ministries; Bonnie Sestito, former member of the national leadership team of AB GIRLS, active in girlsâ and womenâs ministries with a special heart for mission; Shelly Wanamaker, former youth member of the national leadership team of AB GIRLS, served in the childrenâs church and VBS in her church in Massachusetts; and Rev. Sandra Hasenauer, associate executive director of AB Womenâs Ministries, with experience in youth ministry and curriculum writing.
âLeadership 101: Leadership Training for Ministry with Girlsâ is available now for $20. Item #W4894. To purchase, visit www.abwministries.org/store or call 800-4-JUDSON.
Andrew C. Jayne American Baptist Churches, USA Mission Resource Development http://www.abc-usa.org/