Inspire girls & women…
Who
Inspire is for any girl or woman, regardless of whether they have a Christian faith. It can be used to encourage and equip those already in the church, or as an evangelistic tool to reach out to those who are not.
Age range
The Girls and Women’s course is primarily targeted towards young women between the ages of 14-18. However, by adapting or changing certain activities, it can be used with girls as young as 11 and women of any age.
Time
Ideally, the course requires six half-day sessions to teach, spread out over six successive weeks. Alternatively, it can be split into twelve one-hour sessions to make it more suitable for groups that meet for a shorter time. The course can also be run for five or six consecutive days if used in a Christian camp setting or for overseas mission trips.
Number
Inspire can be used with large groups of up to around 30 people. However, it is also suitable for mentoring smaller groups of girls or women who are particularly struggling with issues related to low self-worth.
Resources
The course is full of imaginative, creative, and inspiring ideas and activities and comes with a comprehensive Leaders’ Guide, Activities Guide (available as an eBook), PowerPoint presentations, and additional free digital downloads. Participant Handbooks and Small Group Leaders Handbooks are also available to purchase separately.
Further resources are desirable for delivering the course, some of which come highly recommended, while others are optional. These teaching resources will need to be sourced and prepped independently. (Please see resource lists below for further information.)
(Please note. Additional resources will also need to be independently sourced for the optional activities suggested throughout the course, and resource lists for these specific activities can be found in the Activities Guide.)
Resource | |
---|---|
True/False signs | Digital Download Provided |
Clay | Recommended |
Pottery examples | Recommended |
3 Balls (different colours) | Recommended |
3 Straws (different sizes) | Recommended |
Foil (50cm per person) | Recommended |
Ink pads | Recommended |
Magnifying glasses (1 per group) | Recommended |
Large clear container | Recommended |
Green food colouring | Recommended |
2 Candles & matches | Recommended |
Chocolate M&M's | Optional |
Resource | |
---|---|
Valuable/Less Valuable/More Valuable signs | Digital Download Provided |
2 Rings | Recommended |
Ring box | Recommended |
Scruffy paper & string | Recommended |
Long peice of string / masking tape / chalk | Recommended |
Bank note | Recommended |
Broken crayons (1 pack per group) | Recommended |
Brand new crayons | Recommended |
A3 paper (1 per group) or A4 paper (1 per person) | Recommended |
Large clear container | Recommended |
Red food colouring | Recommended |
Bleach | Recommended |
Sand (natural) | Recommended |
Thumball | Optional |
Resource | |
---|---|
Kaleidoscope colouring sheets | Digital Download Provided |
Poster of a female model | Digital Download Provided |
Star sticker cards | Digital Download Provided |
Felt pens/coloured pencils | Recommended |
Marker pens/post-it notes | Recommended |
Kaleidoscopes (1 per group) | Recommended |
2 Jumpers (labelled) | Recommended |
Broken bottle (large pieces only!) | Recommended |
Protective gloves (for handling glass) | Recommended |
Star stickers | Recommended |
Sea glass | Optional |
Sea glass jewellery example | Optional |
Selection of fruit | Optional |
Blindfolds | Optional |
Resource | |
---|---|
God’s promises sheets/cards | Digital Download Provided |
Picture of a cross | Digital Download Provided |
Plastic Ziplock bag (medium size) | Recommended |
3 Sharp round pencils (NOT hexagonal) | Recommended |
Play dough or plasticine (enough to mould a hand-held heart) | Recommended |
Small pieces of paper (several per person) | Recommended |
Pens (1 per person) | Recommended |
Fire-proof container (e.g. an old biscuit tin) | Recommended |
Matches | Recommended |
Large wooden cross | Optional |
Kintsugi pottery example | Optional |
Resource | |
---|---|
Cards for mime game | Digital Download Provided |
Candle & matches | Recommended |
Battery operated tea lights (1 per person) | Recommended |
Knitting needles & wool | Recommended |
Examples of knitted items | Recommended |
Large box | Recommended |
Large cake/chocolate/sweets | Recommended |
Wrapping paper | Recommended |
Large bow/ribbon | Recommended |
Plant pot with compost/soil | Recommended |
Sunflower seeds | Recommended |
Electrical item | Recommended |
Small pebbles/stones | Optional |
Large clear bowl | Optional |
Starfish | Optional |
Sapling | Optional |
Fully matured plant | Optional |
Resource | |
---|---|
Truths (on individual pieces of paper) | Digital Download Provided |
Truth scrolls (1 per person) | Digital Download Provided |
Poster of birdcage & bird | Digital Download Provided |
Prayer cards | Digital Download Provided |
Rope (for tying a person up) | Recommended |
9 Large confetti balloons (biodegradable) | Recommended |
Balloon sticks | Recommended |
Black Marker Pen | Recommended |
Pin/sewing needle | Recommended |
Small balloons (1 per person) | Recommended |
Permanent pens (1 per person) | Recommended |
Tiny elastic bands (1 per person) | Recommended |
Pins (1 per person) | Recommended |
Mini glass bottles (1 per person) | Recommended |
White sticky labels/post-it notes | Recommended |
Tiny heart shaped confetti | Optional |
Birdcage & bird | Optional |
Learning Outcomes
Part 1 – “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
By the end of part one of this session, each person should understand that their being here on this earth is no accident and they are not a mistake. Also, they were planned by their creator and have been fearfully and wonderfully made in a beautifully unique way, which is what makes them so special.
They should be able to accept and embrace their uniqueness and be thankful for and respectful of the body they have been given
Part 2 – “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.”
By the end of part two of this session, each person should understand that there are many ways in which they have been created unique and comparing themselves to others is a dangerous trap which should be avoided at all costs.
They should be able to accept and embrace their differences and be confident to be themselves rather than trying to be like everyone else, as well as be thankful/grateful for the life they have been given.
Part 1 – “I am valuable & precious.”
By the end of part one of this session, each person should understand that their value comes from within them, they are precious and of great worth regardless of what they or other people believe, and there is nothing that can ever change their value or take away their worth.
They should be able to embrace the truth that their true value comes from God who created them and who cares for them.
Part 2 – “I am loved beyond all measure.”
By the end of part two of this session, each person should understand that they are valuable and precious to God and are loved by Him. Also, He has provided a way for them to be rescued from their sin so that they can enjoy a relationship with Him, not only now, but for the whole of eternity.
They should be able to accept and embrace the truth that they are a precious child of God who is loved beyond measure.
Part 1 – “I am beautiful from within”
By the end of part one of this session, each person should understand that there is no one way to be physically (outwardly) beautiful and that true and lasting beauty comes from within.
They should be able to challenge and reject society’s beauty standards and ideals and concentrate on developing their inner qualities and character which are of far greater worth.
Part 2 – “I am a work in progress”
By the end of part two of this session, each person should understand that they are a ‘work in progress’, and that developing their character takes time and practice, as well as the power of the Holy Spirit working in and through them.
They should be able to look for and celebrate inner beauty in each other, cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in their own lives, and then share it with others.
Part 1 – “I am accepted NOT rejected”
By the end of part one of this session, each person should understand that God can always be trusted and there is nothing to fear because He is a perfect Father who is always with them and will never leave them.
They should be able to embrace God as their good and loving Father who accepts them regardless of where they have been or what they have done.
Part 2 – “I am broken but beautifully restored”
By the end of part two of this session, each person should understand that God cares about their pain and suffering, that He is the only one who can heal their broken hearts, and that He can bring beauty out of their brokenness and scars.
They should be able to take their broken pieces to God so that He can heal and restore them, as well as trust that He can use everything they have been through to create something truly beautiful with their lives.
Part 1 – “I am made for mission”
By the end of part one of this session, each person should understand that they have been created for a specific mission and purpose and have been called to shine Jesus’ light into this world through their good deeds and ‘acts of kindness’.
They should be able to show their love for others through their actions (both big and small!), creating ripples of love and kindness that will make a real difference in this world.
Part 2 – “I am equipped to serve”
By the end of part two of this session, each person should understand that they have been created to do good works, that learning to serve like Jesus did gives their life meaning and purpose, and that God has equipped them with everything they need to fulfil their purpose.
They should be able to recognise and use their gifts, abilities, and talents to serve others and bring glory to God. They should also be able to ask God for His power (the Holy Spirit) to equip and empower them to make a real difference with their lives.
Part 1 – “I am free to live”
By the end of part one of this session, each person should understand that Jesus is the only one who can set them free, freedom is a choice, and Jesus came to give them life to the full.
They should be able to reject the lies that they still believe about themselves and accept and embrace God’s truths about who they are in Him. They should be able to let go of the things that are keeping them in bondage and claim the freedom that is theirs in Christ.
Part 2 of ‘Created to Live’ should be a time of celebration and fun to end the course.