Grow

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Helping Girls Grow in Jesus

Welcome to Grow!

If you’re considering using Grow, chances are you are already invested in supporting teen girls in practical ways as they navigate the often-tumultuous journey from childhood to adulthood. Thank you for your heart’s desire to walk alongside girls as they mature into the women God has called them to be.

While all teens struggle with things such as purpose, confidence and identity, girls’ struggles are often magnified in light of the considerable cultural pressures placed upon the female gender in general. According to Ellen Duffield, author of The Brave Way, by age six girls in the West have already been socialized to believe that boys have the potential to be smarter than girls, and by age seven many girls believe they are valued more for their looks than their character. Similarly, Claire Shipman, Katty Kay, and JillEllyn Riley, authors of The Confidence Code for Girls, found that girls’ confidence falls 30 per cent from age 8 to 14 and often does not recover as they transition into adulthood.  Writing for The Atlantic, they share:

"The girls we talked with and polled detailed . . . a worrisome shift. From girls 12 and under, we heard things such as “I make friends really easily—I can go up to anyone and start a conversation” and “I love writing poetry and I don’t care if anyone else thinks it’s good or bad.” A year or more into their teens, it was “I feel like everybody is so smart and pretty and I’m just this ugly girl without friends,” and “I feel that if I acted like my true self that no one would like me."

The vision of Grow is that, through intentionally investing in teen girls, some of these trends might be reversed or even stopped before they take root. We long to see girls grow in their identity as beloved children of God and to understand their worth and potential to make a positive impact in the world around them as their “roots grow deep into Jesus.” (Colossians 2:7 NLT)

We recognize that ages 12 to 17 feels like a wide age range – that’s because it is! If you have the resources, we would suggest breaking your girls into two groups: ages 12 to 14 and ages 15 to 17. If this is not possible, be mindful of the differing maturity levels and life experiences present in your group. That said, not all girls of the same age will be of the same maturity, nor will they have similar life experiences. Avoid making assumptions or stereotyping the girls based on age, and be sure to listen well to the parts of their story they are willing to share. 

How Grow Works

The Grow curriculum is divided into 12 modules:

Modules 1 to 5 are about self-leadership

1.     Grow Your Story

• You have a story. Your story matters

2.     Grow Your Individuality

• You are unique. Your personality matters.

3.     Grow Your Identity

• You are loved. Knowing who you are matters.

4.    Grow Your Purpose

• You have a purpose. Knowing why you are here matters.

5.    Grow Your Ambition

• You can dream big. Your goals matter.

Modules 6 to 10 are about spiritual formation

6.     Grow Your Faith

• You can trust God. Your faith matters.

7.     Grow In Grace

• You are forgiven. You matter to God.

8.    Grow In Discipleship

• The choices you make are important. Who you choose to follow matters.

9.     Grow Together

• You exist in community. Your relationships matter.

Modules 10 to 12 are about social justice

10.   Grow Your Gratitude

• You can choose to be thankful. Your attitude matters.

11.    Grow Your Voice

• Your can choose to speak up. Your voice matters.

12.   Grow Your Courage

• You can be brave. Your actions matter.

Each module can be done in a single session of approximately three to four hours (an evening youth group, for example), though we acknowledge this would be a lot of material to cover. We recommend modules be divided into several shorter sessions. Elements from several of the modules can also be used to create a weekend retreat for girls in your ministry unit. This has been designed intentionally to be flexible in nature so it can fit the format that works for you.
Each module contains the following elements:

Grow is written by
Captain Laura Van Schaick