To persistently live right within the tension of being in the world but not of it is exactly the call of Christians, but it is a call far easier said than done. In a culture that is heavily saturated with the pressure to pursue excessive uniformity, it can be easy to find false security in identities centered around accomplishments, wealth, materialistic possessions and human validation. This false security inflicts a loss of sight upon all who listen to the lies of the world and forget their true identity.
“If our identity is in anything but Christ, it will be so difficult to navigate this life,” visiting professor of social work Tammy Patton, M.S.S.W. said. “We have to follow Jesus and abide in him, and we ought to be very bold in doing so.”
In addition to being on staff at Union University, Patton is a mother of three and an active member of both her Jackson and church communities. With her oldest daughter now in high school, she shared of the burden that the Lord placed on her heart for this coming generation of teens to know God deeply and to love him. As she turned to Christian resources that would help equip and encourage her oldest daughter especially, she found very few online. And so began her journey in becoming part of the solution.
“I didn’t want to take ownership because I doubt myself a lot,” Patton said. “But I know we are called to share the gospel, and he keeps opening doors where I can either be faithful and follow him or be fearful and miss out.”
Through much prayer and waiting, the Lord extended the invitation to Patton to follow him in the adventure of beginning an e-magazine, TreasuredTeen, for teen girls that speaks the truth in love and equips them to love God and chase him wildly. The vision for this e-magazine roots in Proverbs 4:23, which says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” Patton explained that understanding true identity is such an important battle every teenage girl faces daily and that this battle takes place in the heart. In other words, it is crucial for these girls, in the midst of this generation, to fill their hearts with truth from his Word and rest in the hope and promise of Christ.
“We are all richly treasured by God,” Patton said. “This is a truth that girls must know and embrace. And even more so, God is the greatest treasure of all. It’s all about him, and he is so worthy. A relationship with our Heavenly Father cannot be personal if we’re not spending time with him. This is the heartbeat of TreasuredTeen—to see girls fall in love with resting in the presence and promise of their Father.”
Patton shared that she knew she wanted TreasuredTeen to be a resource that is both easily accessible and affordable, so she decided that an online publication was the best route for distributing this resource. In talking to several of her closest friends who are also faithful prayer warriors and voices of discernment as well as accountability in her life, they only encouraged Patton to keep developing the dream and continue dreaming even bigger. Her friends also were quick to come alongside her and join her in this ministry.
“God keeps putting people in our path,” Patton said. “We have a lot to do before our first publication set for February 14, 2018, but I know he will lead us. He has already opened doors and provided people, and we choose to believe he will only continue to guide us.”
TreasuredTeen occupies a very unique space of the Christian teen magazine market. Being an online publication already gives them an edge in spreading this message with great effectiveness, which allows for the maximum number of girls to receive this truth. In addition, the bulk of this magazine’s content will be written by teenage girls themselves. Patton explained that in an age where teenagers especially are tempted to complain about their lack of skills and preparedness for the future, they want to provide opportunities for them to grow.
Girls interested in writing for TreasuredTeen can submit their completed application, which will then be reviewed. After that, the girls will go through a final interview process that will determine the team of writers.
The goal is to provide these girls with not only opportunities, but also mentorship. A team of Christian women has already been assembled by Patton to organize all operations moving forward, edit all content and oversee different sections of the magazine, including fashion as well as health and beauty. Girls who write for TreasuredTeen will receive intentional discipleship and mentorship as they work with these women to write with all truth and transparency.
Teen girls are in a very crucial time of their lives when they are pressured to fit the mold and do what everyone else is doing. Patton and her team desire to see girls transformed by the beauty and mystery of the gospel because it is the only thing that can give girls lasting hope and endurance. Allowing girls to write for this publication provides the opportunity for those older than them to pour into these girls and walk alongside them in finding their voice and learning to speak bravely into the hearts of their own generation. One of these girls who will be writing for the magazine is Patton’s very own ninth grader.
“The world we live in tells us that we as girls have to be in one category,” Patton’s daughter Katie said. “But God’s Word teaches us that we are free to be ourselves. I want other girls to know that they are accepted and that even when it’s hard, we have to go with God.”
Interviews will begin the first week of October, and then the entire team will begin meeting either weekly or bi-weekly to write, brainstorm and work together. While there is still much ahead in this journey to publish TreasuredTeen, the Lord is so vibrantly evident in this process. The team is still looking for a few girls in college who have a heart to serve and invest and who can help with both the mentorship side of the adventure and the logistical side dealing namely with WordPress and digital content. This may only be the beginning stages, but the Lord is already moving mightily in this dream and preparing for greater things that still lie ahead.
“We are weak, but he will make it happen, and I just want to point others to him and his power,” Patton said. “We’re having faith that he will provide when we abide, and we cannot wait to see all that he does in and through this generation of our King’s beloved and brave daughters.”
