M I N I S T RY | YO U T H
Teenage Girls in Crisis What they need from the local church By HOLLY DAVIS
98
Winter 2024
A
s I stepped off the platform after preaching the final night of youth camp, I noticed a teenage girl who looked to be about 15 waiting to talk with me. With an expression of grief and desperation etched on her young face, she asked me to pray for her. The student opened up about her ongoing battle with depression, anxiety over family issues, difficulties with friends, and search for an authentic place of belonging. Sadly, hers is a familiar story. I have served in youth ministry for 26 years — as a youth pastor, district youth director, youth camp speaker, and events manager for Assemblies of God National outh Ministries. In recent years, I have noticed an increasing strain on girls. They are struggling with school and relationships, worrying about the future, obsessing over body image, and feeling pressure from social media. Some girls are experiencing mental health problems, eating disorders, family dysfunction, and a number of other serious issues. These are not just my observations. Studies confirm it’s a difficult time to be a teenage girl. Most American high school girls (57%) report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness, according to a 2021 study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is nearly double the share of boys (29%) reporting such feelings. While both genders are experiencing more negative emotions than in previous years, sadness and hopelessness among girls have risen 60% over the past decade, compared to a 38% increase among boys during the same period.