More than 700 teenage girls, their moms, mentors and youth leaders are expected at Moore, First Nov. 9-10 for Converge 2012.
Sponsored by ID Ministries (Individually Designed), a non-denominational ministry begun in 2002, the conference will feature three general sessions and three breakout session on specific topics.
Speakers will include Courtney Bullard, Jenks, founder of ID Ministries; Mike Keahbone, youth speaker; Robert Smith, former youth pastor, now teen conference speaker; Julie Rodgers, Mercy Street Ministries, Dallas, Texas; Cari Trotter, head of Glorious Daughters Ministry, Weatherford; Lara Izokaitis, Mercy Ministries; Ava Sturgeon, blogger and Bible study writer; Sarah Farley, associate campus director at Louisiana State University; Alicia Crawley, author of Wonderful Counselor; Sarah Roberts, director of women’s ministry for the Oklahoma Fellowship of Christian Athletes; Marilyn Fine, co-author with her husband, Jerry, of One on One With God, and Angela Sanders, author of Highpoints, a series of family devotional books.
Dove Award nominee Dara Maclean will lead music and worship both days.
Included in the breakout topics are “The Truth about What Guys Are Thinking,” “Finding Balance in an Active Life,” A Glorious Becoming,” “How to Help Someone Struggling,” “Being Pure in a Dirty World,” “Messy Girls Who Matter,” A True Story: Misconceptions of Sexuality,” “More Than a Quiet Time,” “The Media Monster,” “Being Intentional” and “Wonderful Counselor.”
Theme for the conference, “UNmuted,” reflects topics that don’t usually get talked about, but are prevalent in today’s culture.
“We will cover some of those tricky topics that teen girls deal with, like coping behavior, bullying and moral dilemmas,” said Bullard. “We want to help the girls and their mothers and mentors understand the truth of God’s Word in these areas and help start conversations they can continue even after the weekend is over.”
Bullard added that the goal is for every girl to leave with a firm grasp of God’s love for them, tools to help them live a God-honoring life and the courage to walk in purity.
“We want to provide a forum for these young girls to come to a safe honest place and have these tough topics ‘unmuted,’” said Paula Homsey Vawter, chairman of the board for ID Ministries. “We are concerned for our young Christian teenagers and the things they are exposed to at school and in life; shocked by what’s put forth in the media that influences and provides negative, worldly peer pressure to conform to how many girls act, dress and talk. Thus the emphasis of the weekend dealing honestly with the influences around us and finding and applying biblical truth in each one.”
In its first decade, ID Ministries has reached more than 13,000 girls in four states and five countries.
Cost for the conference is $55 or $50 each for groups of 25 or more. To register or for more information, go to www.convergeOK.com.
