It’s not easy to be a teenage girl in today’s world, but one of the best tools for getting through these difficult years is a strong faith foundation and support from Catholic peers. About 10 years ago, Molly Mitchell helped to start a faith-based group for girls to find that support and a space to grow in faith. At the time, Molly partnered with a mom of a junior high student to start God’s Girls.
“We felt like they needed more for everyday life than religion class offered,” Molly says. “They needed something to show them how to deal with the ups and downs that junior high girls face.”
God’s Girls is a weekly Bible and book study group, but Molly soon found that the girls valued the group as much more than that. Although the group is geared towards sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade girls, Molly has had many members ask to continue coming through high school. As a space for safe discussion, rooted in the Catholic faith but open to girls of any faith, God’s Girls has provided its members with the support that Molly hoped it would.
“I remembered what it was like as a teenager and I felt like I would have had more confidence if I’d had a better relationship with Christ and knew my Bible better,” Molly says. “I grew up Catholic but I didn’t really have a personal relationship with Christ. I knew how difficult it was for girls growing up — there’s so much judgment and comparison. At that age, you only listen so much to your parents, so it’s nice to have a support group for these girls where they can talk about their faith and feel comfortable.”
Molly found that there is no established Catholic curriculum for girls this age to guide them through the topics that are important for them, so she commits a lot of time to finding good books that the girls will relate to, often piecing together a variety of resources and infusing Catholic ideas. It’s a lot of work and Molly is searching for someone willing to serve as her assistant and perhaps to take over the group as Molly gets older. Year by year, as she prayed about continuing the group, Molly continued to receive signs that this group was vital to the girls she serves.
“Even though there are times when I feel like no one is paying attention or that I’m too old, something always happens to show me this is a need and they ask for the group back,” Molly says.
God’s Girls is open to sixth, seventh, or eighth-grade girls at any of the local schools, Catholic or non-Catholic. The group meets weekly during the school year and offers the opportunity for service projects and conferences. Molly is looking for someone with a heart to serve these girls to help her plan and lead meetings.
To learn more about joining God’s Girls or serving, contact Molly Mitchell at 812- 259-7777.