"Gurl 31" weekend connects with teens
Palmerston North, New Zealand

The weekend of June 10 to 12 was a first for 23 teen girls, five women and one boy (four-month-old Griffyn Kapao) from the Palmerston North church. Girls aged from 13 to 19 joined youth leader Tracey Taylor and the four women elders of the contemporary service at Sixtus Lodge for “Gurl 31,” a weekend aimed at inspiring, influencing and encouraging young women in our church. “Gurl 31,” based on Proverbs 31, “A Woman of Noble Character,” was a joint venture between the Palmerston North youth department and the contemporary service female elders.

“It isn’t always easy to connect in a large church community. The “Gurl 31” weekend provided a space for young women and a group of women leaders in the church to connect. In this space we were able to connect socially and spiritually,” reflects Tracie Mafile’o, one of the leaders. 

“A spiritual highlight for me was being able to pray with a small group of young women and to witness them uplifting each other before the Lord—to entrust not only their burdens and worries but also their gifts, talents and fut-ures.”

Features of the weekend were gift bags, Bible study, “tough questions” where girls could ask anything on the heart and the leaders would attempt to answer through their own journey, a candlelight dinner, fashion parade looking at what fashion will be like in 10 years time, and letters of encouragement written by individuals in each girl’s life.

The weekend was a huge success for all involved. Tracey Taylor is excited about the positive feedback and general excitement and says, “The weekend was full of stories of fun, inspiration, spiritual knowledge, girls reporting a positive change in the way they view Christians and view God, and all sorts of things!”