LIVE FREE: Embracing the Promises of Christ in a Post-Christian World

Have you ever sat in an open field, wooded area, or nature reserve and observed how birds respond to life in God’s creation? They seem to live with such carefree spirits—not bound by walls of limitations or confined by the uncertainties of their future. They live in the moment and for the moment. As they soar through the sky, bounce from tree limb to tree limb, sing beautiful melodies in chorus, and busily build nests for the spring arrival of their young, they seem to live in confidence and almost joy for what each day brings. They live to do what they were born to do— they live free.

What Does it Mean to Live Free?

According to the Strong’s Bible Concordance, the word “free” is defined as being delivered from an obligation and no longer under restraint. As Christ-followers, we have the opportunity to live free in the joy of His love. Our relationship with Christ allows us to wear different lenses and see things through His eyes. We no longer are bound by the chains of sin but set free through faith! We know that His saving grace frees us from many things that try to trap us in life. We are free from worry, doubt, and fear because we know God is in control. We are free from allowing circumstances to defeat us, knowing God is growing our character. He promises to use everything we face for our betterment and bring glory to Him. A relationship with Christ does not free us to do whatever we want but gives every Christ-follower the privilege to do what is right, just, and true in our Father’s eyes. Free to live a Compassionate, Helpful, Honest, Loyal, Perseverant, Pure, Resourceful, Respectful, Responsible, and Reverent life in Christ, just as the AHG Creed instructs! Join AHG girls, leaders, volunteers, and Staff this Program Year as we dive into the 2021-2022 Program Year Theme, LIVE FREE.

Living Free in Christ in a Post-Christian World

Today’s girls are surrounded by a culture that places great importance on freedom—freedom of expression, specifically. The ability to define oneself and one’s opinions is at the bedrock of the Gen Z identity. This generation of American Heritage Girls has grown up in a self-obsessed, Post-Christian America. Post-Christianity is known to be the loss of the primacy of the Christian worldview in political affairs, especially in our Western world where Christianity had previously flourished, in favor of alternative worldviews such as secularism or nationalism. How crushing it must feel to exist in our world of darkness without the light of Christ. But what would it look like to raise a generation of girls who placed their hope—their joy, their confidence, their fulfillment—not in the promises of the world, but in the freedom Christ offers each of us? AHG works diligently each day to make that vision and the ministry’s Mission of building women of integrity a reality.

Parents of today’s girls are searching for a way to raise up their Gen-Zers with a strong and life-giving faith. American Heritage Girls is that Godly space for tens of thousands of families nationwide. Thanks to a program fully formed and centered around Jesus Christ, girls are learning, first-hand, how (and why!) to live a life of virtue.

Living Free in Girlhood

As a Christ-follower, an American Heritage Girl can, from a young age, learn to establish an identity in Christ instead of in her self-interest. Today’s world places so much pressure on girls to look, speak, believe, and behave in a certain social media-approved way. During adolescence, girls are beginning to discover who they are, and sadly for so many, who they wish they should be based on societal standards. A recent study conducted by the Dove Self-Esteem Project discovered a staggering 80% of girls under the age of 13 have used an appearance-changing retouching app or “beauty” filter on their photos and videos, and 52% of these girls use them every day. In the digital landscape, a girl’s own self-perception is skewed by these unrealistic standards. In today’s predominately online landscape, including virtual school, girls are looking at themselves more than ever before and, in turn, wrapping themselves in the chains of worldly expectation.

At AHG, girls are welcomed just as they are to discover the identity, vocation, and purpose God has in store for each of them. By combining life skills, service, and fun, time spent in AHG shows girls how to keep God at the center of every aspect of their daily lives—not just within the confines of church or religious education time. AHG gives girls the space to develop a healthy understanding of self, a lasting understanding of her faith tradition, and a deep relationship with Jesus Christ.

Romans 8 reminds us that the limitations of this world do not bind us if we are in a relationship with Jesus Christ. God makes us strong in our weakness. The Holy Spirit intercedes for us according to the will of God. God uses all our circumstances for His glory and purpose. If the Almighty God is for us and we have made Him the author of our dreams and plans, who or what can stop our accomplishments?

AHG is committed to teaching girls that nothing can separate them from God’s love. That His grace and mercy give them the ability to try new things, fail, and continue pursuing difficult dreams. When we rely on His strength, instead of our own abilities, we have the courageous ability to live free in Christ and accomplish anything He calls us to do in His unlimited love!

Embarking on a Year of Living Free

Jesus Christ came to the earth to die for our sins and restore our relationship with the Heavenly Father. We can now go to Him with our cares and concerns as He wraps His loving arms around us and reminds us we are forgiven and accepted by Him. To live free as a Christ-follower, Jesus Christ must be our focus and not the feelings, obstacles, or circumstances that face us. God did not create us and desire to be in a relationship with us to merely survive through daily life. He calls us to build a relationship with Him so we can thrive in the life He has given us. Think again of the birds in an open field, wooded area, or nature reserve. Just like those birds living freely in nature, God wants us to live free. He wants us to soar through life under the shelter of His wing, bounce back from difficulties we face knowing He is the source of our joy and peace, sing praises to Him for His goodness, and invest in the new life He brings to our lives and the lives around us. This year, each Troop, each member, and each friend of the ministry are encouraged to remember that through Jesus Christ, we are born to LIVE FREE.

For more information on the 2021-2022 Program Year Theme and LIVE FREE activities, volunteers can visit AHGresource, AHG’s online resource library.