More than 675 teen girls, leaders and volunteers attended Complete, a gathering for girls in grades 7–12 sponsored by Alabama Woman’s Missionary Union (WMU), March 13–14 at Eastern Hills Baptist Church, Montgomery, in Montgomery Baptist Association. Worship music, Bible study and workshops focused on the theme, “Only Jesus.”
“I believe God did amazing things in the lives of girls as they were challenged spiritually and received practical, everyday help for living life as a teen in today’s world,” said Candace McIntosh, executive director of Alabama WMU.
Popular Christian recording artist Bethany Dillon led worship in three general sessions as well as presented a late-night concert on Friday. Author and speaker Lorrie Looney Keene was the keynote Bible study leader, challenging the girls to examine their relationship with Jesus and then evaluate how their faith affects their thoughts, speech and interactions with others.
Another highlight of the general sessions was the testimony of a young woman who recently returned from the Pacific Rim, where she served as a journeyman. She urged the girls to be obedient in whatever God might lead them to do with their lives.
Two workshop tracks were offered — one concentrating on missions and ministry and the other on life issues of teen girls.
As part of one missions workshop, the girls rolled bandages for a hospital in Ghana. Several of the missions and ministry workshops were led by young women who shared their experiences as missions volunteers.
The workshops on life issues covered topics such as healthy eating, dressing modestly but fashionably and fasting.
Brittney Gardner, communications specialist for Alabama WMU, led a workshop on relationships with boys, encouraging the girls to guard their hearts emotionally.
“We know that physical intimacy should be reserved for marriage, but I wanted these girls to realize that giving pieces of yourself emotionally to people who don’t value you is dangerous also,” Gardner said. “I told them they are daughters of the King, a priceless treasure of their heavenly Father.”
One teen, Hannah Veazey of Eastern Hills Baptist, said that idea was emphasized by covering all the mirrors at the conference Saturday, leading the girls to focus on their inner beauty. That was one thing Veazey, who is a member of the state’s Acteens Challenge Team that helps plan Complete and was attending for the sixth year, said she loved.
“I came away from the conference excited and overwhelmed by joy just thinking about what Christ has planned for me in the future,” Veazey said.
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