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Families and children today have an overwhelming number of options for extracurriculars and activities. Yet in WELS churches around North America, nearly 900 girls at WELS congregations take the time to prioritize Lutheran Girl Pioneers (LGP) in their schedules. LGP is an international organization composed of individual “caravans” (or groups), usually formed at a congregational level.
Diana Widdifield from Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, started a caravan at St. Paul, Ottawa, about 40 years ago when her daughter was young to create a place to nourish the Christian faith and Christian friendships for girls in her congregation. The girls she started with now have children themselves, but she has continued to be involved for four decades.
Widdifield explains that she wanted these experiences not only for her daughter but also for all girls. “It’s important to help our young Christian girls to realize their place in God’s kingdom, to help them develop their skills and God-given talents in the Lord’s service,” says Widdifield, who now serves as president of the international organization. “Girls can learn skills at different places but not always in the fellowship of people who share their faith.”
LGP has programs for girls from kindergarten through high school. Participants undertake “special achievements,” which when successfully completed, earn them a charm for a bracelet. The activities are varied and include computer coding, gardening, camping, crafts, cooking, sewing, and more. The organization also hosts international activities like a yearly summer camp and pine car derby.
Jane Koplein, a caravan leader at St. Paul, Franklin, Wis., also has been involved with LGP for almost 40 years. Currently, about 30 girls participate in the program at St. Paul. “I’ve enjoyed working with the girls, teaching them life skills they don’t learn at school,” says Koplein.
Attendance, over the decades, has dropped, says Koplein, but she is seeing more interest at St. Paul. “There’s so many different activities that the girls get involved with, with sports and schools, and there’s a limit to how many things they can participate in,” she explains. “But [LGP] is growing with the younger girls because there aren’t as many sports for them.” And she’s noticing more are staying in the program as they get older too. “They like the friendships and get-togethers after school, doing something that they don’t do in school.” Cooking, she says, is always a popular activity.
By making it fun, doing activities that are different from sports and school, and incorporating Christ in all they do, the word is getting out, says Koplein, and as participation grows, it’s because the girls share how much fun they’re having.
The Lutheran Girl Pioneers started with a girls club organized at Mount Calvary, La Crosse, Wis., in 1954. In October of this year, the organization will be celebrating its 70th anniversary at its national convention.
Looking ahead, Widdifield hopes more congregations use the Lutheran Girl Pioneers program as a community outreach tool, not only encouraging the girls to bring friends but also opening the caravans to the community.
She concludes, “I pray our leaders and pastors are blessed with rich measures of the Holy Spirit as they meet with girls and nurture their young minds, that the children be receptive, and that their faith will grow.”
Learn more about Lutheran Girl Pioneers and starting a caravan at your congregation. There you can also register for the upcoming convention on Oct. 4–5.
Author: FIC
Volume 111, Number 08
Issue: August 2024
