Raising Godly Girls

American Heritage Girls
  • 4.7 (73)
  • Parenting
  • Updated Weekly

For over 30 years, American Heritage Girls® has come alongside families and youth ministry leaders in offering Christ-centered, girl-focused character development. Through the Raising Godly Girls® Podcast, presented by American Heritage Girls, listeners get to tap into the advice that seasoned AHG leaders have gleaned over three decades of ministering to girls. Plus, hear from industry experts with solutions to a broad range of issues impacting today's girls. Get Biblically-sound and actionable tips from fellow parents, volunteers, and thought leaders on how to raise up a girl after God's own heart.

  1. 1d ago ·  Video

    Ep. 433 – When Your College Daughter Brings Home Anti-Christian Ideas

    What happens when your daughter's faith is tested after she leaves home?  On this episode of the Raising Godly Girls Podcast, Rachael Culpepper and Natalie Ambrose continue a week of conversations about apologetics, higher education, and helping Christian girls navigate the complex world of ideas they will encounter in high school, college, and beyond. As daughters launch into young adulthood, their Biblical Worldview will inevitably encounter new questions, competing beliefs, and perspectives that may challenge what they have been taught at home. Rather than fearing that friction, parents can prepare their girls to meet it with wisdom, confidence, humility, and faith.  Rachael and Natalie share honestly about their own experiences navigating public higher education and encountering new ideas after high school. They explore why a daughter asking hard questions does not necessarily mean she is abandoning her faith—and why the home should be the safest place for her to wrestle with difficult questions about God, Scripture, culture, suffering, and truth. Drawing from Patti Garibay's Raising Godly Girls Minute, they remind parents that faith does not eliminate questions; instead, Biblical faith teaches girls where to take those questions.  This episode offers practical encouragement for parents preparing to launch a high school or college-aged daughter. From grounding conversations in a shared identity in Christ to learning how to distinguish between core, secondary, and tertiary matters of conviction, families can approach complicated worldview issues without falling into either fear or polarization. Rachael and Natalie also emphasize the importance of keeping the door open for honest conversation over the long haul, trusting that God—not the parent—is ultimately the One who holds a daughter's heart.  American Heritage Girls exists to build women of integrity, and the AHG Program gives girls opportunities to strengthen their Biblical Worldview, develop resilience, practice leadership, and prepare to live out their faith beyond the Troop. Through AHG Alliances with Summit Ministries, families can also access resources designed to equip teens and young adults to engage culture and apologetics with confidence.    Three Things to Consider:  Your shared identity in Christ—not your family name—is the true common ground when navigating difficult worldview conversations.  There will be gray areas. Help your daughter learn to navigate them with wisdom and love rather than quick answers or polarized camps.  Keep the door open. A healthy family makes room for respectful, genuine conversations—even when parents and adult daughters do not see eye to eye.    Scriptures Referenced:  Job 42:1–6  Luke 15  Romans 8    Explore more resources to raise girls rooted in Christ at raisinggodlygirls.com.   To find or start an AHG Troop in your area, visit americanheritagegirls.org.

    Ep. 433 – When Your College Daughter Brings Home Anti-Christian Ideas

  2. 3d ago ·  Video

    Ep. 432 – Leading Your Analytical Girl through Tough Faith Questions

    What happens when your daughter starts asking big questions about her faith?  On this episode of the Raising Godly Girls Podcast, Rachael Culpepper and Natalie Ambrose launch a week of conversations focused on apologetics and helping girls navigate the questions, doubts, and competing worldviews they will inevitably encounter—especially during the high school and college years. For analytical, question-asking girls, those questions can be a powerful pathway toward deeper understanding and a faith that moves from something she has inherited to something she personally owns.  Rachael and Natalie explore why parents should not be afraid of a daughter's questions about God, Scripture, culture, or the Christian faith. Instead, those questions can become invitations to dig deeper into God's Word, seek honest answers, and learn to trust God even when every question does not have an immediate or satisfying answer. The conversation also examines the difference between genuine faith exploration and simply adopting the latest cultural "hot take," emphasizing the importance of Biblical truth as the foundation for reconstructing a worldview.  Parents will discover practical ways to walk alongside an analytical girl as she wrestles with doubt and competing ideas. From asking questions about her questions to helping her recognize Biblical truth in a crowded marketplace of ideas, Rachael and Natalie offer encouragement for parents who may feel intimidated by their daughter's intellectual curiosity. Most importantly, they remind parents to pray boldly—not from a place of fear, but with confidence that God can use this season to deepen a girl's discernment, wisdom, and hunger for His Word.  American Heritage Girls provides girls ages 5–18 with opportunities to develop leadership, explore the world around them, and strengthen their Biblical Worldview alongside caring adults. With resources from ministries including the Colson Center, Summit, and Mama Bear Apologetics, as well as AHG Badges that encourage analytical thinking and discernment, families can help girls prepare to engage a complex culture with both intellectual confidence and unwavering faith.    Three Things to Consider:  Asking big questions about her faith doesn't automatically mean your girl is walking away from God.  Discern whether her questions are genuinely hers or simply part of a cultural trend, then lead her toward a sincere search for truth.  Pray boldly! God can use this important season to strengthen your daughter's faith in both heart and mind.    Scriptures Referenced:  Matthew 7:13–14  John 14:6  Matthew 13  Psalms    Explore more resources to raise girls rooted in Christ at raisinggodlygirls.com.  To find or start an AHG Troop in your area, visit americanheritagegirls.org.

    Ep. 432 – Leading Your Analytical Girl through Tough Faith Questions

  3. 6d ago ·  Video

    Ep. 431 – Chosen Before Birth: A Mother-Daughter Journey of Purpose, Conviction, and Life with Marlene & Hannah Strege (Part 3 of 3)

    What does it mean to value life in a culture shaped by rapidly changing science and medical technology? In this powerful final episode of our three-part pro-life series, the Raising Godly Girls Podcast invites Christian families into a thoughtful, hope-filled conversation about embryo adoption, the sanctity of life, and God's faithfulness from the very beginning.  Host Patti Garibay sits down with an extraordinary mother-daughter duo: Marlene Strege and Hannah Strege. Decades ago, Marlene and her husband stepped out in faith to become the first family to adopt a frozen embryo and carry that baby to birth. Today, that baby—Hannah—is using her voice to advocate for the millions of pre-born embryos still waiting for families and protection.  Together, Patti, Marlene, and Hannah explore the emotional, ethical, and Biblical dimensions of embryo adoption, infertility, IVF, and the growing urgency for Christian families to thoughtfully engage these conversations with both truth and compassion. You'll hear the Strege family reflect on what it was like to pioneer a path no one had walked before, how faith sustained them through uncertainty, and why Hannah's story has become a powerful testimony that life truly begins at conception.  This episode also addresses the modern realities surrounding reproductive technology, surrogacy, and the commercialization of human life—while pointing listeners back to the unchanging truth that every child is known, loved, and created intentionally by God. For parents raising daughters in today's world, this conversation offers wisdom for cultivating a deeply Biblical understanding of human dignity, courage, and compassion for the vulnerable.  Whether your family has personally experienced infertility, adoption, or difficult conversations surrounding life issues—or you simply desire to equip your daughters with a Christ-centered worldview—this episode will encourage you to approach these topics with grace, discernment, and unwavering hope in God's design.  Listeners will also learn more about Embryo Adoption Awareness Day, the evolving legal landscape surrounding embryo adoption, and practical ways families can support the protection and care of pre-born children.  To learn more about the Strege family's story, check out the book A Snowflake Named Hannah: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084654GH5?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback     Scriptures Referenced in This Episode:  Psalm 139   Jeremiah 1:5   Genesis 1:27   Psalm 127:3   Proverbs 31:8-9   Revelation 21:5    Visit raisinggodlygirls.com for more encouragement and faith-based parenting tools.  Learn how to find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your community at americanheritagegirls.org.

    Ep. 431 – Chosen Before Birth: A Mother-Daughter Journey of Purpose, Conviction, and Life with Marlene & Hannah Strege (Part 3 of 3)

  4. Oct 1 ·  Video

    Ep. 430 – Chosen Before Birth: How a Courageous Pro-Life Mom Gave Me a Story with Hannah Strege (Part 2 of 3)

    What if your life story began before you were even born?  In this powerful episode of the Raising Godly Girls Podcast, Patti Garibay sits down with Hannah Strege—known as the world's first adopted embryo—for a deeply personal conversation about life, identity, and God's sovereign design. Hannah's story is a living testimony that every life is created with purpose, value, and intention, even in circumstances that the world may overlook or misunderstand.  As conversations around in vitro fertilization (IVF) continue to grow, many Christian families are asking how to think biblically about life at its very earliest stages. With over a million embryos currently frozen in the United States, this episode invites listeners to consider what it truly means to uphold the sanctity of life—from the very beginning.  Hannah shares what it was like growing up with a story that captured national attention, how her parents faithfully navigated media pressure while standing firm in their convictions, and how her own faith has been shaped by understanding the unique way God brought her into the world. With both grace and clarity, she offers a perspective that is rarely heard—one rooted not in theory, but in lived experience.  This conversation also encourages girls to step into their role as advocates for life, learning how to speak truth with compassion in a culture filled with complex questions. Whether you're navigating these topics as a parent or beginning to explore them as a young woman, this episode offers both wisdom and hope.  Because every life—seen or unseen—is known and cherished by God.    Scriptures Referenced in This Episode:    Psalm 139:13–16   Jeremiah 1:5   Genesis 1:27   Luke 1:41–44   Deuteronomy 30:19   Proverbs 31:8    To get Marlene's husband, John Strege's book A Snowflake Named Hannah: Ethics, Faith, and the First Adoption of a Frozen Embryo just search on Amazon. To learn more about adopting frozen embryos, or snowflake children, visit   flourishadoptions.com/     Explore more resources to raise girls rooted in Christ at raisinggodlygirls.com.        To find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your area, visit americanheritagegirls.org.

    Ep. 430 – Chosen Before Birth: How a Courageous Pro-Life Mom Gave Me a Story with Hannah Strege (Part 2 of 3)

  5. Sep 29 ·  Video

    Ep. 429 – Chosen Before Birth: A Story of Life, Infertility, and Redemption with Marlene Strege (Part 1 of 3)

    What does it truly mean to be pro-life in today's world?  In this episode of the Raising Godly Girls Podcast, Patti Garibay sits down with Marlene Strege for a deeply personal and thought-provoking conversation about infertility, adoption, and the often-overlooked ethical questions surrounding in vitro fertilization (IVF). As reproductive technologies continue to advance, Christian families are increasingly being called to consider how a Biblical view of life applies not only in the womb—but even at the earliest stages of human existence.  Marlene shares her own journey through infertility and how God led her family to pursue embryo adoption, often referred to as "snowflake adoption." Her story is a powerful reminder that every life is created with purpose and value, and that God can work redemptively through even the most complex circumstances.  Together, Patti and Marlene explore the current landscape of IVF in the West, including the reality that over a million embryos are currently frozen in the United States. They discuss how believers can approach these issues with both truth and compassion, while remaining grounded in a "womb to tomb" commitment to the sanctity of life.  This episode also offers guidance for parents seeking to have age-appropriate conversations with their daughters about life, dignity, and God's design. In a culture where these topics can feel overwhelming or confusing, this conversation equips families to respond with clarity, conviction, and grace.  Because raising Godly girls means helping them understand that every life—seen and unseen—is precious in the eyes of God.    Scriptures Referenced in This Episode:  Psalm 139:13–16   Jeremiah 1:5   Genesis 1:27   Deuteronomy 30:19   Proverbs 31:8   Luke 12:6–7    To get Marlene's husband, John Strege's book A Snowflake Named Hannah: Ethics, Faith, and the First Adoption of a Frozen Embryo just search on Amazon. You can also learn more about adopting frozen embryos or snowflake children at flourishadoptions.com Explore more resources to raise girls rooted in Christ at raisinggodlygirls.com.    To find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your area, visit americanheritagegirls.org.

    Ep. 429 – Chosen Before Birth: A Story of Life, Infertility, and Redemption with Marlene Strege (Part 1 of 3)

  6. Sep 26

    Ep. 428 – Bold & Focused: Raising Girls to Lead with Truth and Courage with Alexandra Gaiser

    What does it look like to raise a girl who is both bold in her convictions and wise in how she uses her voice?  In this episode of the Raising Godly Girls Podcast, Natalie Ambrose sits down with attorney and advocate Alexandra Gaiser of Alliance Defending Freedom for a powerful conversation about raising daughters who are prepared to lead with truth, courage, and grace. In a world where cultural conversations are growing louder and more complex, girls are being called to step into leadership earlier than ever before.  Alexandra shares her personal journey into the legal field and her passion for defending constitutional freedoms, offering insight into how God can use both faith and profession to make a meaningful impact. Together, Natalie and Alexandra explore how parents can guide strong-willed, outspoken girls to channel their boldness in ways that reflect Christ and create lasting influence.  This episode also offers practical encouragement for families raising girls who feel called to leadership, advocacy, or public service. From preparing for careers in law to developing character, wisdom, and discernment at a young age, this conversation highlights the importance of intentional discipleship long before adulthood.  In a culture that often confuses volume with influence, this episode reminds us that true leadership is rooted in truth, shaped by humility, and sustained by faith. When girls are grounded in God's Word, they can step confidently into the roles He has prepared for them—bringing light, clarity, and courage to the world around them.    Scriptures Referenced in This Episode:    Micah 6:8   1 Timothy 4:12   Joshua 1:9   Proverbs 31:8–9   Colossians 4:6   Matthew 5:14–16    To learn more about Alexandra Gaiser and the work of Alliance Defending Freedom, be sure to visit their adflegal.org  Explore more resources to raise girls rooted in Christ at raisinggodlygirls.com.      To find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your area, visit americanheritagegirls.org.

    Ep. 428 – Bold & Focused: Raising Girls to Lead with Truth and Courage with Alexandra Gaiser

  7. Sep 25 ·  Bonus

    BONUS EP. – Making Peace with What You Can't Control with Lysa Terkeurst

    What happens when the things we most desperately want to change are the very things we cannot control? For mothers, the desire to protect our daughters, fix what hurts, and help their stories turn out well can easily become an exhausting pursuit of control. But what if true peace doesn't come from finally getting everything under control—it comes from knowing Who is?  On this special bonus episode of Raising Godly Girls, host Rachael Culpepper welcomes bestselling author, Bible teacher, and Proverbs 31 Ministries founder Lysa TerKeurst for a powerful conversation inspired by her new book, Making Peace with What I Can't Control. Lysa draws from her own difficult circumstances and decades of helping women navigate life's hardest moments to unpack why we reach for control, the deeper longings that fuel it, and what it looks like to surrender what we cannot control to a trustworthy God.  For moms, this struggle can become especially personal when it involves a daughter. As girls grow, they make their own choices, face their own challenges, and experience circumstances their mothers cannot always prevent or fix. Rachael and Lysa explore how moms can discern what God has actually entrusted to them—and what they need to release back to Him. They also tackle an important distinction: surrendering control doesn't mean caring less, becoming passive, or stepping away from the God-given role of motherhood. It means learning to trust God more deeply while continuing to love, pray, guide, and faithfully show up.  If you're carrying a circumstance, relationship, fear, or outcome you desperately wish you could change, this conversation offers a gentle invitation to ask: Is this actually mine to carry? Because there will be things we cannot change, choices we cannot make for our daughters, and outcomes we must ultimately place in God's hands. The good news is that we don't have to carry what God never asked us to carry. Tune in to discover how surrender can lead not to resignation, but to freedom, deeper faith, and the peace that comes from trusting the One who loves our daughters even more than we do.    Scriptures Referenced:  Proverbs 3:5–6  Philippians 4:6–7  1 Peter 5:7  Matthew 6:25–34    To learn more about Lysa's ministry work and to get her new book, visit lysaterkeurst.com.   Visit raisinggodlygirls.com for more encouragement and faith-based parenting tools.         Learn how to find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your community at americanheritagegirls.org.

    BONUS EP. – Making Peace with What You Can't Control with Lysa Terkeurst

  8. Sep 24

    Ep. 427 – Consistent Parenting, Taking the Edges Off a Strong-Willed Girl's Personality & Good Leadership

    What do you do when your strong-willed daughter pushes back, challenges your opinion, or seems determined to turn every disagreement into a battle? On this episode of the Raising Godly Girls Podcast, Rachael Culpepper and Melissa Bearden put consistency under the spotlight and explore how parents can lead strong-willed girls without breaking their spirit—while helping them develop the wisdom, resilience, and leadership skills God can use for His Kingdom.  Parenting a strong-willed girl can sometimes feel like navigating a minefield of opinions, emotions, and potential power struggles. But Biblical parenting isn't about finding a formula that guarantees the right outcome. It's about faithfully seeking the Lord, staying connected to His Word, and depending on the Holy Spirit for wisdom in the moment. Rachael and Melissa unpack the tension between overly rigid approaches and overly permissive parenting, reminding parents that consistent, steady leadership can provide the security a strong-willed girl needs to flourish.  In a Raising Godly Girls Minute, AHG Founder & Executive Director Emeritus Patti Garibay encourages parents to embrace respectful disagreement and remember that their daughters will inevitably develop opinions of their own. Rather than treating every difference of opinion as a battle to win, parents can model the respect, grace, and humility that build lasting relationships. Rachael and Melissa then explore practical ways to parent through conflict, including maintaining a steady response, asking whether an issue is truly a "hill worth dying on," and making genuine prayer together a place where both parent and daughter can seek the Lord's wisdom.  The conversation also highlights an important truth for parents of strong-willed girls: consistency builds trust. When parents respond with gentleness and steadiness rather than allowing a daughter's outbursts to dictate the emotional temperature of the home, they demonstrate what secure leadership looks like. Over time, those repeated moments of respect and consistency can help a girl learn to navigate disagreement with wisdom rather than simply reacting from emotion.  Listeners will also hear how American Heritage Girls provides girls ages 5 to 18 with opportunities to develop Christlike character, serve others, and grow into confident leaders. Through AHG Troops, the Raising Godly Girls parent resource, and resources such as the Social-Emotional Health Emphasis and Embracing Emotions Chat Sessions, families can find encouragement and practical support as they navigate the many challenges of girlhood.  For every parent wondering how to respond when their strong-willed daughter digs in her heels, this episode offers a hopeful reminder: the goal isn't to win every argument. It's to faithfully walk alongside the girl God has entrusted to you, building trust over time and helping her learn to respond to conflict with wisdom, respect, humility, and prayer.    Three Things to Consider:  Build trust and loyalty over time by consistently respecting your daughter, especially during conflict.  Not every disagreement is worth the battle—ask whether the issue is truly a "hill worth dying on."  Make genuine, humble prayer together a place where both you and your daughter can seek God's wisdom and find common ground.    Scriptures Referenced:  Proverbs 15:1  Proverbs 26      Visit raisinggodlygirls.com for more encouragement and faith-based parenting tools.       Learn how to find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your community at americanheritagegirls.org.

    Ep. 427 – Consistent Parenting, Taking the Edges Off a Strong-Willed Girl's Personality & Good Leadership
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4.7
out of 5
73 Ratings

About

For over 30 years, American Heritage Girls® has come alongside families and youth ministry leaders in offering Christ-centered, girl-focused character development. Through the Raising Godly Girls® Podcast, presented by American Heritage Girls, listeners get to tap into the advice that seasoned AHG leaders have gleaned over three decades of ministering to girls. Plus, hear from industry experts with solutions to a broad range of issues impacting today's girls. Get Biblically-sound and actionable tips from fellow parents, volunteers, and thought leaders on how to raise up a girl after God's own heart.

Information

  • Creator
    American Heritage Girls
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    440
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024
  • Show Website
    Raising Godly Girls

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