Dear Parents, As you know, I was one of the counselors who had the priveledge of spending the weekend

with your daughter during D-Now with Olive Branch Baptist Church. It was such a blessing to worship the Lord with them and get to know them better. For those of you who don't know me as well, I've been a member of OBBC for just over 2 years. Currently I teach the K-2 grade Awanas class on Wednesday nights, and the 3-4 grade Sunday school class every other month. I consider it a privled ge to work with the elementary age group, but have recently felt the Lord callin g me to move in another direction. I believe that direction is in working with t he youth. I have a heart for youth who are struggling to obey God's word in a so ciety where most of their peers are heading away from it. During D-Now, our Bible study sessions focused on having a personal relationship with Christ, the powerful effects of kind words versus hurful words, and how we can meet the needs of others. Our daughters were very receptive to this message , and named our group, "The Ripple Effect" because they believe that even small acts of kindness and service can make a big difference throughout our community and in their own lives as well. With your support, I'd like to plan and lead a s mall group of girls who are willing to committ to this beleif. I believe that ha ving a core support group of christian peers will greatly benefit our daughters as they grow and learn who they are in Christ. This would entail one or two meetings a month where the girls and I (parents alw ays welcome) would get together for a Bible study, and/or community serivce, fol lowed by fun and fellowship. I've loosely defined fun and fellowship as anything from having a sleepover to taking them swimming. My hope in leading such a grou p is to introduce or strengthen a saving belief in Jesus Christ and to then prov ide them with sources for spiritual growth where they will have the opportunity to develop a Godly lifestyle that will create mature relationships and promote s ervice to both God and others. The book I plan on using for our Bible studies is called 'Truth Unplugged' by Da vid Cook. It's a girl's devotional that offers real-life stories from teenage gi rls, like our daughters, who are trying to figure out what's right, what's wrong , and how life should be lived. It addresses real-life situations like: what it means to have a good self-image; being a good friend; winning over fear and ange r; getting along with parents; and letting God help you become the person He cre ated you to be. You may purchase this book for your daughter if you like, but it 's not necessary as I will be making copies. Thanks so much for your time in reading this lengthy letter. This is the first t ime I've ever done something like this, so your questions, comments, concerns, a nd/or participation are welcome! In Christ, Wendy Priest 434-755-5646 Also on Facebook @ wendyirp@aol.com