Gratefulness Banquet

Last night we ended the year with a banquet for the families in our Bright Lights group. It was a blessed time of celebrating what the Lord had done in our group over the past year.

We started out with eating supper together..

The mothers taking care of the yummy food. :)

Then the girls sang & presented Scripture they had memorized with their small groups.

And after a video of gratefulness to the parents, a slideshow & awards.. everyone enjoyed fellowship together.

Future Bright Lights! :)

It was a wonderful evening & a great opportunity to celebrate all God has done in our group this year! I'm already looking forward to next fall and all He has in store for us in the future!

Upcoming Conferences!

 We are excited to announce that Bright Lights Conferences have been scheduled in Topeka, Kansas and Cedar Rapids, Iowa this summer. Taught by Sarah Mally and the Bright Lights staff, these conferences are designed to encourage young ladies to be strong for the Lord in their youth and shine radiantly as bright lights for Him!

Strong in the Lord Conference 

Age: 8-14

Topics:

• How to be Strong for the Lord in Your Youth

• Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends

• How to Turn Your Heart to Your Parents

• How to Be a Bright Light in the World

• Keeping Yourself Pure from Polluting Influences

• Seeking the Lord with All of Your Heart

• Developing a Disciplined Walk with God

Includes insightful testimonies by godly young ladies, humorous skits, a chalk talk, harp music, singing, small group times with sharing and interaction, hands-on activities, and practical teaching that will challenge and prepare young ladies to remain strong for the Lord through their teen years.

Parents are encouraged to attend the conference in order to hear what their daughters are learning and reinforce it at home. While the girls are meeting in small groups, sessions will be offered for fathers and mothers. Sessions will cover topics such as the importance of protecting your children, how fathers can set a godly pace for their family, how to win the hearts of your daughters, and building strong mother/daughter relationships.

Schedule: Tuesday evening from 6:00 - 9:00 PM; Wednesday from 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Dates:

July 17^th-18^th, 2012: Topeka, Kansas

August 7^th-8^th, 2012: Cedar Rapids, Iowa

           

Location:

Wanamaker Woods Church of the Nazarene
3501 SW Wanamaker Rd, Topeka, KS 66614

Cedar Valley Bible Church 3636 Cottage Grove Ave SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403

Cost:

Early Bird Registration (two months early): $10 per girl / $5 per parent

Regular Registration $15 per girl / $10 per parent

Late Registration (after July 3^rd): $18 per girl / $12 per parent

To Register:

To register online, click here.

Visit the Bright Lights Website to learn more about the conferences.

For questions, feel free to e-mail the Bright Lights staff at conference@brightlightsministry.com  

Radiant Purity Conference

Age: 12-22+

Topics:

• Waiting for God’s Very Best

• Giving Your Heart to Your Parents

• Avoiding the Dangers of the World’s Thinking

• How to Delight in Jesus, Our Heavenly Prince

• Using Your Years of Singleness for God

• What the Lord Says About Modesty

• How to Guard Your Heart When You Have a Crush

• Living for God’s Purposes

• Being Wise in Internet Usage

A young lady who is pure shines with a radiant brightness in this world of darkness. How can a young lady stay physically and emotionally pure as she waits for God’s best in marriage? How can parents protect and guide? Creatively presented through stories and testimonies, practical instruction, skits, and real-life examples, this conference gives Biblical answers to everyday questions and deep life struggles. The material is discreet and appropriate for twelve year olds, yet relevant to all ages. Includes testimonies from young ladies who serve as Bright Lights staff, chalk drawings, and harp music.

                         

Click here to see a 2 minute video clip of Sarah Mally teaching at a Radiant Purity Conference in 2009.

                                                                                             

Fathers & Mothers are encouraged to attend. Parents' sessions will include: Every Mother's Example, 40 Ways to Protect the Hearts of Your Daughters, and Talking to Young Men who Express Interest in Your Daughters.

Schedule: Friday evening from 6:00 - 9:00 PM; Saturday from 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM

Dates:

July 20^th-21^st, 2012: Topeka, Kansas

August 10^th-11^th, 2012: Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Location:

Wanamaker Woods Church of the Nazarene
3501 SW Wanamaker Rd, Topeka, KS 66614

Cedar Valley Bible Church 3636 Cottage Grove Ave SE, Cedar Rapids, IA 52403

Cost:

Early Bird Registration (two months early): $10 per girl / $5 per parent

Regular Registration $15 per girl / $10 per parent

Late Registration (after July 3^rd): $18 per girl / $12 per parent

To Register:

To register online, click here.

Visit the Bright Lights Website to learn more about the conferences.

For questions, feel free to e-mail the Bright Lights staff at conference@brightlightsministry.com  

About Bright Lights

In 1996, Sarah Mally started a discipleship ministry in her living room with the goal of challenging other young ladies to be strong for the Lord in their youth. We have been excited to see how the Lord has allowed Bright Lights to grow, and now there are about 500 Bright Lights groups that have started around the country and internationally. Bright Lights continues to train leaders, host mother / daughter conferences, and provide discipleship materials for young ladies. Sarah Mally is also the author of “Before You Meet Prince Charming,” published in 2006, and co-author of the book “Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends” which she and her brother and sister published in 2002.

Bright Lights

PO Box 11451

Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52410

319-377-6728

www.brightlightsministry.com

www.mallyjournal.com 

Last 4:12 Meeting

Tonight we wrapped up the 4:12 one-on-one discipleship several of the girls in our group have been doing together this semester. These discipleship times have been a wonderful opportunity to spend intentional time in prayer, accountability & Bible study together! Here are a few pictures from the weeks (more pictures in this post)...

This evening each of the girls shared something she appreciated about her partner and something the Lord had taught her through 4:12. It was encouraging to hear young ladies share about a renewed hunger for God's word, a greater desire to honor parents & improved sibling relationships! I encouraged each of these girls to continue intentional relationships with each other, to remain consistent accountability and prayer for each other throughout the summer!

I praise the Lord for all He has done in these young ladies this semester & look forward to hearing of the continued fruit in each of their lives!

Honoring Parents 4/24/12

I apologize, this post is a week late. We had a great time last week wrapping up Set 5 with a lesson on honoring your parents.

Our Gratefulness Banquet is quickly approaching! For the banquet, each small group has memorized a large portion of Scripture to share. During our meeting each group got up & presented the passage they had memorized to the rest of the group. It was so encouraging to hear each group share.

After we heard each recitation, I taught a lesson on honoring parents and gave the girls some practical suggestions for showing honor and respect to their parents. Once the lesson was completed, the girls surprised me with a birthday cake & bag full of birthday cards from each of the girls!

I am so, so blessed by each of you girls! Thank you so much for thinking of me & encouraging me in this way! It truly is an honor to know each of you!

Next, we did a Bible sword drill with various Scriptures related to parents, authority, honor & disrespect. We made it a competition between the small groups and the Miriam group won this time.

I look forward to seeing you all again for our last Bright Lights meeting this semester on May 8th at CBC!

Disputing & Arguing 4/10/12

This evening we discussed yet another way we frequently use our words to hurt others. I challenged the girls to consider their hearts and choose an attitude of humility rather than pride when tempted to argue with others, especially siblings.

"A man's wisdom gives him patience; it is to his glory to overlook an offense." Proverbs 19:11

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Porverbs 15:1

During the lesson I had a few girls come up and "argue" with me about pretend scenarios. Then, the group would analyze the argument, what could have been done to prevent it or what could have been to stop the argument in the middle.

There were lots of laughs!

Many of the girls pointed out how foolish most of the arguments seemed. I reminded them that many times the things we choose to argue about are often trivial as well.

Here are a couple video clips from part of the arguments. (I apologize, the first one is tilted sideways, but it's still amusing)

We ended with small groups and tea time!

silly, silly girls! :)

See you for our next meeting on April 24th!

Group Pictures 3/27/12

 Today was group picture day for our Bright Lights group! Because our group is so large, it took a while to get everyone in place & get a nice picture but we finally got a winner!

Click the photo to view a larger version

Seeing this picture and all these joyful faces makes me so happy.. it is truly an honor to know each one of these amazing BRIGHT LIGHTS!

Silly Picture

We also took some time to take small group pictures as well. Here are the photos of each small group.

The Rebekah Group

Rebekah Group Silly Picture

The Mary Group

Mary Group Silly Picture

The Esther Group

Esther Group Silly Picture

The Miriam Group

Miriam Group Silly Picture

The Ruth Group

Ruth Group Silly Picture

After we finished all the pictures, we returned inside for a lesson on disrespect, small groups & tea. I look forward to seeing you all again on April 10th!

Gossip 3/13/12

One of the girls who was a part of our group recently moved & wrote us a letter. One young lady began our meeting by sharing this letter with everyone.

 This evening our topic was gossip.. something we take lightly but God takes very seriously. Gossip is destructive and rooted in pride. Our desire as Christians should only be to speak words of love that will build up and encourage those around us.

As talkative young ladies, it is easy for us to be caught up in this subtle sin, yet God has called us to a higher standard in the way we speak and place value on others.

"He who covers a transgression seeks love, But he who repeats a matter separates friends." Proverbs 17:9


"Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers." Ephesians 4:29

During the lesson, we played a comical game, telephone charades, which illustrated how a story can get distorted as it is passed from one person to another. Each round a team of 6 was chosen.  While her teammates were out of the room, the first girl was given a Bible story she had to act out. Then her second teammate entered the room and watched her perform the charade. The 2nd person then acted it out for the 3rd person and the game continued until the last person had to guess what the original Bible story was.

It was amusing to see how the charade changed from person to person until the final act had nothing to do with the original story! In the same way, when we repeat stories about people, they often adapt and become a tale far from the truth.

Once the lesson was over, the girls spent time in small groups, began working on a special (secret) project for our upcoming banquet & ended with tea time. See you all again on March 27th!