Other women can be mentors, too. Enlist elderly women to share wisdom with the girls, either in special events or Bible studies.

Empowering Teen Girls

The value system of girls today comes from empowerment. They are empowered when they are vicious to someone and by many different outside influences. They need to understand value comes from God. One way to guide their value system toward a positive change is by serving others. Serving comes from inner pride and love. While serving others, a person can find her true gift in life. When a young woman begins to discover her gifts and talents, she will begin to beam with a strong sense of confidence.

Youth ministries need to provide an arena for young people to use their gifts and talents. Allow students to use their talents to enhance the ministry. This will give value to the girls, and they will have an outlet for all their emotional energy. Music is one talent, but drama, teaching children, cooking, writing, art, dance and tutoring peers are just some of the other talents youth ministries can use with the students to change the value system young people have.

Along with confidence comes the value of using time wisely. When girls are busy serving and using their talents, there isn’t much time to gossip, slander or think about other girls. The church needs to guide girls to occupy their minds with things from above and not be filled with empty, meaningless thoughts.

Demonstrating the Love of Christ

Gossip and slander, a perennial problem for the church as a whole, are behaviors that must be controlled in our youth ministries. The two sins may not be eliminated, but they can be lessened. Youth workers need to refrain from all gossip and slander. They should not be tolerated under the guise of prayer requests. Youth ministries need to set up guidelines to help eliminate these destructive actions. This would be a great area in which our youth ministries could take the lead and bring healthy relationships to the church.

We need to show grace to our students when they err. Girls will be mean, but we still need to love them. Within small groups, use examples of changed women in the Bible. Some examples are Mary Magdalene, the woman at the well, and the woman caught in adultery. Use testimonies of other Christian women who may have dealt with low self-esteem due to the bullying of other girls. Give your girls a safe place to be open without being bullied, and the meanness will lessen. Encourage the girls to be empowered by Christ through the gifts and talents He has given them.

Recently, I began dealing with these issues among my students. I, with my fellow teachers, decided it was time for an intervention. We showed the movie Odd Girl Out and had a discussion. The floodgates opened. One positive result is the girls now know we care.

As a woman, I know I always will have a nemesis. However, the way I choose to deal with the mean women in my life will determine whether or not I experience redemption and meaningful empowerment.