The issue of identity was addressed at AWSOM, the annual event for teen girls, held November 3-4 at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Decatur.
“There is such a search for truth today,” said Alyssa Caudill, a pastor’s wife from First Baptist Church of Carmi, who spoke at the event. “What they’re being told is that they need to search within themselves for who they are, but instead God has created for a purpose and a reason. Getting near to him and finding who he has made them to be, and leaning into that is really vital,” she said.
The theme was “Being You.” “We wanted to help the girls see who God made them to be and to prepare them for trials and tests in the future.”
AWSOM stands for Amazing Women Serving Our Maker. It dates back to Sandy Wisdom-Martin’s staff leadership at IBSA in the early 2000’s.
“The girls were amazing,” Caudill said. “They were great listeners and there was a great response.”
AWSOM is fun, but there are serious discipleship times as well. “If there is a practice I encouraged them in it’s to memorize God’s word and let that continually shape and change how they face every situation,” Caudill said.
Almost 300 girls in grades 6 through 12 attended the event.