While I’m out speaking in Korea, I’ve asked some friends to write some guest posts…Neely McQueen is a friend, a great youth worker, and an advocate for girls.


The girls in your youth ministry have specific needs and it’s possible for you to know them and to minister to them. Here are three small actions you can take that will make a big step toward meeting the needs of the girls in your ministry and helping them fully follow Jesus.

1. Provide Grace
Teen hormones are hilarious! Unless of course, you are a 14 year old girl who feels like the world is against her. Teen girls are emotional beings. Sometimes the extremes of their emotions don’t match the circumstance. You can help by offering words of encouragement and by showing them grace when their emotions seem to be getting the best of them. A lot of times these emotions allow them to work out their faith in a very real way…as long as they aren’t distracting from the message don’t quench them.

2. Provide Guidance
Every day girls are bombarded with messages from the world about what it means to be a girl and how to get the attention of a guy. Girls need positive advice and direction from godly men and women. A guidance that loudly counters the messages of the world, both with words and with action…guidance that helps them see God’s truths for their lives.

3. Provide Girl-Specific Challenges
Use stories of woman from the Bible, women from your church/ministry or stories from your own life of women who have made an impact in your personal faith story. These stories connect and challenge the girls in your youth ministry. They allow the girls to visualize themselves being used by God in powerful ways.

Neely is married to a pastor and is the mom of 3 super cool and cute kids. She’s been spending her extra time with teen girls for the past 16 years at the mall or church. She thinks they are super fun and one of the greatest potential for world change. She wrote 99 Things Every Girl Should Know and she blogs at www.morethangossip.com

Question: What do you consider important in your ministry to girls? Would love your ideas! Leave a comment HERE.