Our Mission
Mission
To encourage, promote, and nurture Christian stability in the rapidly changing lives of teenage girls. ~Titus 2:1-5
Method
Fellowship and service that is anchored, centered, and focused on the source of truth - God's Word - The Bible. ~II Peter 1:12-13, John 8:31-32
Motto:
Believing we are - Girls Raised In The "SPIRIT" - GRITS. We have a common desire. We will support and encourage each other to walk in the Spirit. ~Romans 8:1
The teenage years can be some of the most difficult, lonely, and insecure years of a girl's life. They bring great changes as girls anticipate the unknowns of approaching adulthood and eagerly observe the expanding privilege of personal choice. Girls must decide how they will dress, what their language will reflect, what kind of entertainment to listen to or watch, which activities they will participate in, and with whom they will associate.
Sounds exciting and simple doesn't it? Yet these years represent a pivotal time in a girl's life. Choices made at these new crossroads profoundly affect a teenage girl's journey both now and later. The decisions she makes can positively or negatively influence the character and reputation that precede, follow, and define her throughout life's journey.
Though the choosing process may appear simple, its consequences are far reaching because choices affect not only character and reputation, but also one's spiritual, physical, and emotional well being. The "best" choice, as well as the "not so good" choice, will at times intensify the difficulty, loneliness, and insecurity common throughout the teen years. Without Biblically grounded encouragement at these times, girls can feel burdened by the weight of their sin, and their spiritual growth can be hindered by feelings of isolation, desperation, and inadequacy. Biblical grounding and encouragement can equip girls to make the wiser choices, and just as importantly, equip them to deal with past and future unwise decisions.
A result of the increased "privilege of choice" is that temptation's assault becomes bolder, and prevents girls from always making the right choice. Teens must be reminded that when they make unwise choices, they need to claim the assurance of I John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins…." They need to be reminded that no amount of sin can separate them from the love of God (Romans 8:37-38 ). No one can err beyond the reach of God's forgiveness and grace. The weight of guilt was not designed to condemn and exclude, but to convict and lead to repentance. Although a girl's sin may loom larger than life in her own eyes, it cannot weaken the power of Christ's blood which was shed for us at Calvary, and "cleanseth us from all unrighteousness" (Luke 15).
Christian girls need to be informed about the Bible and its teachings about sin. Girls need to be taught what the Bible says sin is (James 4:17), who is subject to sin (Romans 3:23), how to avoid temptations associated with sin (Psalms 119:11) , the consequences of sin (Romans 6:23), and how to deal with those consequences (I John 1:9) . They need to know that their struggles and temptations haven't come because there is something wrong with them. As the apostle Paul explained, "Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me" (Romans 7:20). Sin is an ongoing battle that we all face. Learning to cope and deal with sin and its consequences is a lesson God uses to shape and mold us into who He wants us to be. Facing and resisting temptation and sin are parts of growing in Jesus and in His Spirit.
Teenage girls also need to be made aware of the freedom given them from sin because of their belief in Jesus Christ. Romans 6:23 states, "…but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." We do not deserve eternal life. It is a gift given to us by our Lord and Savior because of his love for us. Romans 8:2 tells us, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." Christ's spirit dwelling within us gives us freedom in Christ Jesus. Such an incomprehensible concept is not something a teenager will hear every day. When claimed , this promise can bring hope and unspeakable joy into the life of any struggling Christian.
Girls need to be taught how to search for Biblical answers to daily struggles. Romans 10:17 states, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." God's word is "…quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword…" (Hebrews 4:12). Getting these teenage Christian girls into God's word, will start to build their foundation of faith on Jesus Christ. Nothing else can help anyone like God's word. If out of obedience girls will just delve into it, God will do the rest because He desires to transform them into his likeness by renewing their minds. This gradual transformation is how others begin to see Jesus in Christians. This process does not happen overnight. It takes time. Encouraging teenage girls to study and read God's word daily encourages them to think and develop spiritually. The Bible says in Romans 8:6, "… to be spiritually minded is life and peace." Isn't that what everyone wants?
Girls Raised In The Spirit, GRITS, is a Bible based organization with the goal of educating girls in the Holy Bible by teaching and encouraging them to walk after God's spirit: "But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, self control: against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23). Total surrender to God's spirit frees girls from the fears and worries of this world and brings honor and glory to God in the process.
The motivating force behind the GRITS ministry evolved from personal reflection of my own teen years. As an adult and mother of a beautiful teenage daughter, I am ministering in the hope that God might use GRITS to help girls grow in their faith, and minimize the potential for unwise choices through Bible study aimed at Biblical thinking and application.
