Check out our new website and blog at sageministries.org!

Yet another article addressing concerns with the quickly evaporating duration of a girl’s childhood, citing that the obsession with appearance and celebrity is a “ticking time bomb.”

Wanna know the history of SAGE Girls Ministry? Check out a recap of the first 10 years and what is planned for the next ten!

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “SAGE Celebrates 10 Years of Reaching …“, posted with vodpod

Check out our new video channel on Vimeo and catch a sneak peek of this year’s Outfit Conference!

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about “Girls Ministry World on Video!“, posted with vodpod

As someone who has dealt with the frustrations of this retailer’s salacious advertising strategy for years, I am intrigued to find that it may be the economy more than the demand for modesty that brings them down. 

With everyone hard pressed financially, even teens are realizing that paying outrageous clothing prices may need to be a thing of the past.

Q&A: Why do you think A&F has been so successful in the past?
Q&A: Have you noticed your girls making more cost-effective choices for their clothing?
Q&A: What impact do you think the economy will have on students and their views on materialism?

The media has inundated us with information about the recent incident between pop superstars Chris Brown and Rihanna. 

While there is debate from all sides, it is clear that Rihanna has no intention of ending the relationship at the present time. While I wish that I could be shocked by this choice, I believe it embodies the course of action that the typical teen girl takes today. With some statistics finding that as many as 1 in 4 teen relationships is abusive, how can we be surprised that even celebrities are proving the validity of the unfortunate numbers? 

At our SAGE events two years ago, we included an entire segment during our dating session entitled Red Flags in which we tried to uncover some of the warning signs of an abusive relationship. So many of the girls who attended could relate to one or more of the red flags based on personal relationship experiences. If we do not continue in our efforts to highlight this violent epidemic and educate girls about the warning signs, I fear that we will be faced with the issue far closer to home than an Entertainment Tonight report on teen pop stars.

Q&A: Have you encountered girls in abusive relationships within your student ministry? If so, how did you respond?

We’re so excited about our upcoming conference in Lubbock this weekend. This is our fourth year to serve there, and we can’t wait to see old friends and make new ones.

http://www.sageministries.org/TransparentLubbock.htm

While we have spent the last few years educating and warning girls about the dangers of online predators, it appears an even greater adversary has been lurking much closer than cyberspace.

PBS revealed personal testimonies of girls assaulted at their workplace in their feature, “Is Your Daughter Safe at Work?” 

Some estimates say as many as 200,000 teens experience an assault at their workplaces each year.

Q&A: Do you believe companies should implement greater security measures?
Q&A: How should we educate girls about these dangers?

Sex can undoubtedly be one of the most challenging topics to address with teens. Even more challenging, however, is the need to address teen sexuality with parents. Dr. Kara Powell’s  “Good Sex” resource has been updated and re-released, so we encourage you to check out a free excerpt here. 

We’re excited to announce that Dr. Powell will be joining us this year at Outfit 2009 on October 2-3, 2009. We’re so pleased to have her as our keynote speaker, and we look forward to listening and learning from this incredible youth ministry expert.

Research suggests that many of today’s personal care products may have harmful effects on their users. In an effort to “look their best,” girls are using on average a staggering 17 personal care products each day.

Studies link the chemicals in many of these products  to potential health effects including cancer and hormone disruption. Since most girls are uneducated and indiscriminate in their shopping choices, I would guess that few are aware of the damaging ingredients often included in the products they use. 

Q&A: Do you think girls take time to review the ingredients in the products they use?
Q&A: Why do you think girls are using so many products at once? 
Q&A: What concerns do you have about how these products can affect teens?