Charter Organization Spotlight

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH NORWALK

NORWALK, CALIFORNIA CA0608

This issue, AHG is excited to shine a light on First Baptist Church Norwalk in Norwalk, CA, home to CA0608. Charter Representative Ronda Ciesa, Troop Coordinator Katie Julius, and Vice Coordinator Sarah Martinez reflect on nearly 10 years as a Troop and two years of chartering with First Baptist Church and the significant impact AHG has had on their Los Angeles area faith community.

ARGUABLY THE MOST IMPACTFUL FORCE IN THE WELL-BEING OF AN AHG TROOP IS THE CHARTER ORGANIZATION.

Every Troop is owned by a Charter Organization, which is typically a church, school, or similarly-aligned Christian organization. Without the support of their Charter Organization, an AHG Troop would not exist. When the Charter Organization and Charter Representative are involved beyond simply providing meeting space, the AHG Ministry can have an incredible impact on the outreach of the organization.

WHY DID YOUR CHURCH DECIDE TO CHARTER AN AHG TROOP?

In February 2022, FBC Norwalk hired a new pastor. First Baptist Church of Norwalk, California had heard about American Heritage Girls through friends who had participated in other Troops. A few months later, in June 2022, the pastor and additional members of our church saw an American Heritage Girls booth at the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting that was held in Anaheim, California. The desire to charter a Troop was in our hearts, and it became a reality a few months later when we heard about a Troop who had lost their charter and was looking for a new home.

HOW MANY YEARS HAS YOUR CHURCH HAD AN AHG TROOP?

American Heritage Girls Troop CA0608 first began in 2014 but re-chartered with First Baptist Church of Norwalk in October 2022.

HOW HAVE YOU SEEN GROWTH IN YOUR YOUTH/FAMILY/WOMEN’S MINISTRY PROGRAMMING SINCE CHARTERING AN AHG TROOP?

First Baptist Church Norwalk is a small church, but God has blessed the congregation through the ministry of AHG! In addition to providing an opportunity for our girls to grow in the Lord and develop Godly friendships, the women in our church have volunteered in amazing ways to use their gifts for the Lord. Ladies who do not even have daughters have given their time to teach the Pathfinders group, to help with our service projects, and to aid in fundraising. We praise God for how He has provided for every need.

HOW ELSE HAS AHG AFFECTED YOUR ORGANIZATION’S MINISTRY EFFORTS?

God used our AHG Troop to help the church build a relationship with our Norwalk City Council! The Troop began by simply attending a Veterans’ Day Event in November 2022. Our pastor was asked to lead a prayer and invocation for a City Council meeting and began hosting meetings for the city of Norwalk. In April, the girls learned about the responsibilities of the City Council Members, prayed for them, and wrote letters of encouragement to them. We received emails from two of the Councilmembers thanking us for the letters. The following month, our Troop attended a Memorial Day Event. The Norwalk City Council saw our girls in attendance and thanked them personally for the letters! In addition, some of our girls were asked to represent our Troop by leading the Pledge of Allegiance at city events. For the girls, the results that came from simply writing a letter helped to show them the power of kind words and service to others. We pray that our church and our AHG Troop will shine the light of Christ brightly to the community.

WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR OTHER POTENTIAL CHARTER ORGANIZATIONS LOOKING TO CHARTER AN AHG TROOP?

We were blessed with a knowledgeable and organized Troop Coordinator who was familiar with AHG. If a Charter Organization is beginning a new Troop, our advice is to find people who have experience with the ministry (Troop Support Specialists, Area Team volunteers, other local Troops, etc.) to help you get started. Most importantly, rely on God to send and equip the volunteers. You might be surprised by who is willing to help!

Charter Organizations serve a crucial role in the AHG Ministry, as they own and operate AHG Troops. Though volunteers implement the AHG Program, the Charter Organization is able to customize their AHG Troop to best accomplish their ministry goals.

For more information on the chartering process, visit americanheritagegirls.org/start-a-troop/charter-organizations