A Secret is coming to town: Local church to host relationship building event

Posted: Saturday, January 30, 2010 2:00 am | Updated: 1:31 pm, Mon Feb 1, 2010.
Judy Mayer

Oak Grove Baptist Church will host Secret Keeper Girl, a lively relationship-building event aimed at mothers and their preteen daughters (typically 8 -to 12-year-olds) at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 5.

Crystal Bradsher, wife of Oak Grove's pastor, the Rev. Crispin Bradsher, attended a Secret Keeper Girl event with her 8-year-old daughter, Savannah, in Beaumont in May after hearing about the event at a pastors' conference.

"We loved it. It was just 'all-girl.' The best thing about it was watching Savannah shine. She loved it," Crystal said.

After attending the event, Crystal was eager to bring Secret Keeper Girl to Nacogdoches.
Not new to organizing events, Crystal was instrumental in bringing Christian comedian Chonda Pierce to Oak Grove in April 2007.

Best-selling author Dannah Gresh developed The Secret Keeper Girl Tour from a series of books she had written to protect young girls' innocence from the culture that is trying to steal it.
The two-hour event features dramatized stories about meaningful relationships, fun fashion shows that demonstrate modesty, gigantic balloon sculptures, flying-saucer competitions and colorful confetti cannons.

According to Gresh, the mother-daughter fashion shows are designed to encourage discussions about modesty and peer pressure and showcase inner beauty.

"They're selected," Crystal said of style-show participants. "They talk about how to dress modestly yet still stay in style."

"They really hit the self-worth," Crystal said of the emphasis placed on each girl's value.

The event is interactive with girls taking part in various activities. "The teaching time is really a drama," Crystal said. "Some of the girls get to put it together."

When asked her favorite part, Savannah said, "Where you got to get on stage and do the hand motions."

The evening can be "a healing time for moms," Crystal said, as moms are given a time to pray for their daughters and consider their (the moms') own self- worth.

Her enthusiasm was evident, when Crystal said, "What moms gain are a lot of ideas on how to raise godly young women. (They get) a lot of tools for their tool belt."

Plans for Secret Keeper Girl started in September with "a great team of ladies helping," Crystal said. Sixty to 70 volunteers will be working the night of the event.

Although Gresh doesn't typically appear at all events, Suzy Weibel, girls' event team leader and author, will appear on stage at Oak Grove's Secret Keeper Girl.

Tickets are $10 in advance or $15 at the door and available at The Good Book, Cottrell's, Oak Grove Baptist Church, 2603 S.E. Stallings Drive, or itickets.com.

For information, call 814-234-6072 or go online at secretkeepergirl.com.
Judy Mayer's e-mail address is garyandjudy@suddenlink.net.