Conference attendees browsing the book table
My sisters and I (Sara) had the privilege of going down to help with the Bright Lights conferences in St. Cloud, MN, October 8-12. It was an amazing week of ministry and fellowship as we served as part of the staff for the conferences.
“Let your light so shine before men, that those who see might praise your Father in heav’n…”
Bright Lights is a discipleship ministry for girls encouraging them to be strong for the Lord in their youth. There are over 500 Bright Lights discipleship groups in the U.S. and internationally (visit our Bemidji group’s blog), and during the summer/fall the Sarah Mally (founder of Bright Lights ministry) and staff conduct conferences all over the place.
One of the main sessions
We were so blessed to be able to help with the Strong In the Lord conference and the Radiant Purity conference. Both conferences include main sessions packed with teaching, stories, skits, testimonies, chalk drawings, and music. There are also small groups for the girls attending to discuss what they are learning in the main sessions, as well as sessions for the parents.
Sarah & Grace Mally teaching during one of the main sessions
Bright Lights staff singing “I Am Your Shield”
The distressed Princess, maiden Flirtelia, and IQ
Preparing for the horse race
A news report from Nickie and Grace of CBN (Conference Broadcasting Network)
Abby K. sharing her courtship story
Small group making prayer journals
Sarah Mally teaching during one of the chalk talks
“This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine…”
We were glad to have the opportunity to serve as small group leaders (Sara) and small group assistants (Deborah and Abigail) for both conferences, as well as helping with many other aspects of the conferences, such as making snacks, greeting attendees, helping them to find their name tags, handing out notebooks, sharing a testimony, and Abby even got to help out with a skit! 🙂
Sara, Ruth, & Erica assisting conference attendees in finding their name tags
Abby assisted Hayley in leading the Fireflies group for the Strong in the Lord conference
Rachel, Ruth, & Deborah making trail mix as a snack for the conference attendees
I led the Lanterns group with my assistants Amanda and Ruth for the Strong in the Lord conference
Abby (under the blanket) and Ruth were Strawberry the horse for Cowgirl Chelsy in one of the skits
Deborah assisted Annie in leading the Garnets small group for the Radiant Purity conference
We were so refreshed by the fellowship with the other young ladies on the team. It was great to spend time sharing insights from the Word, praying together, sharing reports and responses from the girls in our small groups, and simply talking and laughing together. On Thursday (our “off-day), we also had the opportunity to go witnessing at a nearby mall and then spend time outdoors at a nature park.
Sharing from the Word and leader’s training on Tuesday morning
Lily and Abby at the park
Prayer before heading into the mall to witness
Annie and I were witnessing partners at the mall
Sharing stories and prayer requests at the end of a conference day
Grace and Deborah at the park
Playing ultimate frisbee at the park
Celebrating Bekah’s birthday with a special song
Friends on the observation deck at the park
We are continually blessed and encouraged by the Bright Lights ministry and the role that it has played in our lives. It was so nice to get to know Sarah and Grace better over the week… they are such sweet, godly young ladies with a passion for serving the Lord.
Sisters in Christ
The entire staff at the end of the Strong in the Lord conference
“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. “
-1 Timothy 4:12-
Note: Thank you Grace, Annie, Chelsy, and Karen for sharing pictures for this post!
We just wanted to let everyone know about the Creation/Evolution debate that is taking place this evening between Bill Nye the Science Guy and Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis (The Creation Museum). We are very excited about this debate because the the Creation/Evolution issue is so important… if we don’t believe that the creation account in Genesis 1 is true, then how can we trust the rest of God’s Word? Evolution is used to explain away God and His authority, and ultimately comes to the conclusion that we are simply an accident of random chance and there is no purpose or meaning to life. My family has been very encouraged by the ministry of Ken Ham and Answers in Genesis (and have enjoyed 2 visits to the Creation Museum in Kentucky). So if you can, we would encourage you to watch the live stream tonight (7:00pm EST) for free. Go to DebateLive.org for more information.
