HIGHIMPACT INSIGHT ADVICE FROM DEDICATED HIGH IMPACT VOLUNTEERS Becky Stone’s journey in American Heritage Girls started in 2012 when, rooted in desire to provide a strong, Christian scout-type experience for her three young girls, she found AHG to be just the ticket. Never one to shy from a challenge, she chose to tackle the formidable job of creating and leading the first Troop she was a part of in Ohio: Troop OH0413. Her first Troop is still going strong, thanks to a tireless crew of women dedicated to serving our Lord and Savior. Since those early days, Becky has served as a Troop Coordinator, created a successful regional summer camp (Greater Than Rubies), served in various Troop capacities across three states, and has even been mentioned in a U.S. Senate Resolution recognizing AHG. She is currently an Explorer Unit Leader in her local Troop, CO2017, as well as serving her fourth consecutive year as a Hometown Mentor. As a military spouse, Becky has been part of AHG Troops in Ohio, Virginia, and Colorado where she currently lives with her husband, three daughters, and crazy husky. One of the characteristics that differentiates American Heritage Girls as the premier character development program is its emphasis on faith and service. Our heart for service is derived from the command to love our neighbors as ourselves prioritized only after loving God. This is evidenced in the fact that “service” is literally our middle name! As a group dedicated to the Godly development of women of faith, we intentionally seek out opportunities to be the hands and feet of Jesus. In AHG, the word “serve” is a verb that requires action, and we strive to be authentic in seeking and responding to needs in our local communities. This dedication and drive to serve others is vitally important and desperately needed especially now to connect and lead those to a deeper relationship with each other and ultimately our Savior. To serve allows girls and adults a chance to look beyond the personal challenges they face and represent God’s love to those outside the church body. It helps us break that selffocused thought process and redirect our energy, attention, and care into the needs of others. I find it an excellent way to break free from the cycle of inward focus and shift to the empathetic and compassionate calling as a follower of Jesus. It is a practical, tangible way for the Lord to reveal my blessings as I am shown the challenges that exist for those I am serving. There is a spiritual, physical, and mental refreshment associated with serving, and I often reflect and think to myself, “who was really served today?” Through my experience working with a variety of Troops across America, I have been blessed to see the beauty of each Troop’s unique sense of “flavor” and outlook on the AHG Program Emphases. Yet, in visiting and talking personally with all those Troops, the heart and desire is always the same—building and strengthening our girls to love the Lord and impact their world for the better in His name. We impact the world for the better through intentionality in our actions and focus on God’s will. By learning to serve at all Program Levels in AHG, we create a group environment paired with individual heart that puts the needs of others ahead of our needs. It indwells an intrinsic desire to focus not on ourselves, but to identify external need and implement a plan to help. Serving becomes a part of what defines girls
and helps mold them into servant leaders that will transform lives for years to come. A common question is: “How can our Troop create a desire and love for serving?” Like so much in AHG, it is a deliberate, intentional, and progressive process. One can sprinkle and interweave service throughout meetings, camping trips, and fun events. If discussion on service is interspersed throughout the meetings, girls will begin to develop a routine to find ways to bless and serve others. By highlighting service to our community as service to God, our Troop members will begin identifying needs in their own community when they are out and about. Talking and brainstorming with girls and helping them identify needs in the community is a wonderful place to start. The next step is guiding girls and adult volunteers to identify their spiritual gifts and how they can apply those in service. Scripture instructs us to do just this: “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10, NIV). When a Troop has started to embrace service as a foundation of the Troop culture, the next step is finding out how to act on the desire or expectation of service. For example, you may be wondering: Where do we serve? Where do we start? Are the girls too young? Will organizations embrace service from minors or a group so varied in age? Pray to the Lord and seek His guidance. Ask for tangible ways the girls can serve to be revealed. Serving can be as simple as helping a leader carry supplies into a Troop meeting. More complex service is when a Pioneer identifies a need at her school and devises a plan to help. It is finding out what these girls are passionate about and channeling it to help others. It is living by example and demonstrating the importance of looking beyond ourselves. Serving is allowing the world to witness the Lord through our actions. Allowing the Lord to use us to impact and transform lives in ways that we may not even realize. Girls and adults will experience growth, confidence, and joy in seeing Him glorified through their servant hearts!
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