I’ve been excited to write this blog for weeks, and finally found the time today.

It’s Monday!!! It’s time for another awesome edition of the Make a Difference Monday Linkup!! And today I’m talking about one of the ways I’m making a difference in the world – and how you can do the same exact thing.

For several years now, I have been part of a great weekend for ‘tweens and teens called the One Girl Conference. The Conference is an off-shoot of a great book called “One Girl Can Change the World” written by my friends Claudia Mitchell and Kim Goad. One Girl is all about helping girls see that they are important; that they matter; that they were created for a purpose and that they truly can change the world.

This is a cause that is near and dear to my heart. Without going into a lot of details, middle school was really, really hard for me. It was a dark time and I struggled with friendships, with relationships, and with knowing who I was. High school was a lot better, but still had moments of feeling like I couldn’t do anything and that I didn’t have a purpose and a plan. I could have benefited from a weekend like One Girl- a chance to know without a doubt that I was on this earth to DO SOMETHING and BE SOMETHING more than I ever thought possible.

One Girl is that conference. For an evening and a day, we pour into girls in 4th-12th grade. We tell them they are important. We tell them they were made with a purpose. We tell them they matter. We tell them that there is a big, huge, amazing plan for their life. We tell them they can change their world. We tell them they are loved by God. In big ways and little ways, we build up girls and then unleash them to the world.

One Girl, oh One Girl. I have served on the drama team and on the creative team in the past. This year I took on the crazy adventure of being the conference director, which is awesome and fun. The reality is that there is an awesome team of people who know what they’re doing, so I just do a lot of checking in to make sure they are empowered and encouraged. It’s a little stressful and a little crazy, but it’s also so rewarding. I’ve already gotten emails from leaders planning on bringing their groups to One Girl. I’ve seen the excitement in our high school students that will serve as leaders and teachers and just be loved on that weekend. I’ve watched people who’ve never led groups like this step up to be all they can be to help make this a weekend these girls won’t forget.

The conference is September 19 & 20 right here in Bloomington, Indiana. Here’s how you can help make a difference with this awesome conference:

• Pray for One Girl! I am praying for 300 girls this year, which is almost double our previous attendance.
• Send your ‘tweens and teens to One Girl! We’ve had girls from as far away as West Virginia, and we’re working on places for girls to stay and spend the night that weekend.
• Volunteer to help at One Girl! Do you love serving ‘tweens and teens and can be available September 19 & 20? Drop me an email at director@onegirlconference.com and let’s talk!
• Spread the news about One Girl to your churches, families and organizations. Go to www.onegirlconference.com for more information or to learn more about the conference.
• Read the book and spread the message of One Girl with your small group.
• Pray for our 2014 theme: IN PURSUIT. We are going to be talking about a God who pursues you, pursuing community and pursuing life change!

Those are just a few of the way you can help with One Girl. I’d love to talk to you more about the conference, the book, and the message for 2014!

I’ve been excited to write this blog for weeks, and finally found the time today.

It’s Monday!!! It’s time for another awesome edition of the Make a Difference Monday Linkup!! And today I’m talking about one of the ways I’m making a difference in the world – and how you can do the same exact thing.

For several years now, I have been part of a great weekend for ‘tweens and teens called the One Girl Conference. The Conference is an off-shoot of a great book called “One Girl Can Change the World” written by my friends Claudia Mitchell and Kim Goad. One Girl is all about helping girls see that they are important; that they matter; that they were created for a purpose and that they truly can change the world.

This is a cause that is near and dear to my heart. Without going into a lot of details, middle school was really, really hard for me. It was a dark time and I struggled with friendships, with relationships, and with knowing who I was. High school was a lot better, but still had moments of feeling like I couldn’t do anything and that I didn’t have a purpose and a plan. I could have benefited from a weekend like One Girl- a chance to know without a doubt that I was on this earth to DO SOMETHING and BE SOMETHING more than I ever thought possible.

One Girl is that conference. For an evening and a day, we pour into girls in 4th-12th grade. We tell them they are important. We tell them they were made with a purpose. We tell them they matter. We tell them that there is a big, huge, amazing plan for their life. We tell them they can change their world. We tell them they are loved by God. In big ways and little ways, we build up girls and then unleash them to the world.

One Girl, oh One Girl. I have served on the drama team and on the creative team in the past. This year I took on the crazy adventure of being the conference director, which is awesome and fun. The reality is that there is an awesome team of people who know what they’re doing, so I just do a lot of checking in to make sure they are empowered and encouraged. It’s a little stressful and a little crazy, but it’s also so rewarding. I’ve already gotten emails from leaders planning on bringing their groups to One Girl. I’ve seen the excitement in our high school students that will serve as leaders and teachers and just be loved on that weekend. I’ve watched people who’ve never led groups like this step up to be all they can be to help make this a weekend these girls won’t forget.

The conference is September 19 & 20 right here in Bloomington, Indiana. Here’s how you can help make a difference with this awesome conference:

• Pray for One Girl! I am praying for 300 girls this year, which is almost double our previous attendance.
• Send your ‘tweens and teens to One Girl! We’ve had girls from as far away as West Virginia, and we’re working on places for girls to stay and spend the night that weekend.
• Volunteer to help at One Girl! Do you love serving ‘tweens and teens and can be available September 19 & 20? Drop me an email at director@onegirlconference.com and let’s talk!
• Spread the news about One Girl to your churches, families and organizations. Go to www.onegirlconference.com for more information or to learn more about the conference.
• Read the book and spread the message of One Girl with your small group.
• Pray for our 2014 theme: IN PURSUIT. We are going to be talking about a God who pursues you, pursuing community and pursuing life change!

Those are just a few of the way you can help with One Girl. I’d love to talk to you more about the conference, the book, and the message for 2014!