SPEAKING

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IDENTITY

So here's the thing...I handed out Skittles as a Middle School student thinking that was a GENIUS way to get friends. It was the first week of Middle School and because no one was talking to me, I thought something was wrong with me. "I must be damaged. I must not be good enough."  Little did I know that I was developing a "truth" inside my precious Middle School mind that the words and actions of others defined who I was.  The last 20+ years of my life have been spent understanding what God says about me matters the most, inviting students to understand that same truth with me. 

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you glow, girl

I have always been passionate about empowering girls to have a strong self image, to love themselves, and know their value and worth. You Glow, Girl was born out of a desire of women in the North American Baptist Conference to empower, equip, and encourage Middle School and High School girls. YGG is an opportunity for girls to see they are a part of a global 'girl gang' that is changing the world by shining their own unique light.

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3 ways to support teenagers

Being a teenager is more complex today than it ever has been. Yes, the felt needs of a teenager are still the same, asking the questions of ‘Am I loved? Am I enough? Do I matter? Do I belong? Can I contribute? Do I have a purpose?’ but there are so many more complex layers to those longings and questions. As parents, caregivers, and trusted adults, we play a crucial role in supporting students through the rollercoaster of adolescence. This seminar is an opportunity for people who have a teenager in their home or work with teenagers to reflect on three big ways they can show up for the teenagers they know and love.