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"You are what you have been becoming."

This old adage often serves to remind me that my children are adults in training -- that the character qualities they are developing now will stay with them throughout their lives, both the good and the bad. This principle can also be applied to the church:

The next generation of adults will be a reflection of what our children are becoming today.

Be Intentional!

With this in mind, our women's ministry has become very intentional about how we are training our little girls. One way we are doing this is through our Little WICs ministry.

Sherry Bitler, the Director of Children's Ministries in our local church (Glasgow Reformed Presbyterian Church, Bear, Delaware) developed the vision to incorporate the girls into the Women in the Church (WIC) ministry. "We had a Wednesday night program for boys and girls, but after a few years, I thought it was important that our little girls see themselves as girls in training," explains Sherry. "I wanted them to always think of themselves as part of WIC so that it would be a natural transition when they became adults." Sherry also believed it was important for the women to see that the children would be carrying on their legacy when they grew. "Perhaps that would help them be intentional about praying for and connecting more with the children," she continues.

Little WIC's To accomplish this, she changed the name of the Wednesday night program to Little WICs (Little Women in the Church) to reflect the relationship between the younger girls (grades K – 6th) and the older women (Women In the Church). The name became a tangible reminder that these girls would become the Women in the Church (WIC) in the future. To further connect Little WICs and ladies’ Bible study, which met on the same night, the girls studied the same topic as the women. Mothers and daughters could come home and discuss what they had both learned in their respective classes! That first year, the women were studying the book, Treasures of Faith, written by our pastor, Dr. Charles Betters and his wife, Sharon. Sherry and Heiddy DiGregorio, the first coordinator of Little WICs, spent the summer adapting that book into a curriculum the girls could use in the fall semester. To make it even more special, the study guide they created was illustrated by a nine-year-old girl from our church. As the girls studied the heroes of the faith profiled in the book, they colored pictures drawn by one of our very own "Little WICs" What a blessing! Because of the enormous time investment required, we no longer write our own curriculum for each semester, but books are chosen with the goal of developing girls who will become women of godly character, modesty, and virtue.

Moms as Mentors

The leaders are the moms. "We have tried to encourage this time for mothers and daughters," says Sherry, "This helps us carry out the Titus 2 mandate (older women training the younger women) and also allows parents to be the ones encouraging character traits and getting to know the girls' friends at the same time." Because the moms already have a special relationship with their own daughter and her friends, mentoring can take place naturally . It’s just part of life. The girls also have the opportunity to spend time with other women who become their spiritual mothers and mentors. Once the moms catch that vision, they become committed to the ministry.

Including Little Girls

The vision to see the little girls as an extension of the adult women's ministries is also encouraged in other areas by including girls in many women's events. Girls are now invited to attend our annual Christmas TEA (Tuesday Evening Away), Girls' Night Out, and other women’s events. A Mother-Daughter Tea is the culmination of the Little WICs Wednesday night program each spring. And service projects have been planned for women and girls to do together.

Capturing the Next Generation Now

Once they 'graduate' from Little WICs, the girls are encouraged to stay plugged into women's ministry. Teens can become junior counselors at Covenant Camp or a leader in "Super Summer Sunday School". They can serve in the nursery or come back and be helpers for Little WICs. Several of our teens have joined the adult choir and have helped to lead the children’s choir. Once a young woman catches the vision and sees herself as a vital member of the body of Christ, she will find a way to serve.

Then she will truly be the woman that she has been becoming.

Next month: Leigh Ann and her daughter Keri share personal insights and memories about Little WICS from a mother and daughter perspective. Leigh Ann has served in Little WIC’s as a leader and mentor to her daughter and daughter's friends. She is a homeschooling mother of four and has caught the vision of legacy building.

Let us know what you are doing to help little girls grow up to see themselves as a vital part of the family of God. If we publish your article, we’ll send you a gift! Share your ideas by clicking here!

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