Here it is! After many requests from youth leaders and moms for a "leader's guide" for Secret Keeper:The Delicate Power of Modesty, I'm releasing this unpublished lesson. I developed it with the help of my friend Janet Mylin for a future leader's guide but we'd love for you to use it now and tell us how it works for your girls! We've used it with hundreds of girls to effectively introduce modesty at our Pure Freedom events and the audience loved it. The key: Make it fun! After you use this one-night curriculum, come back to this weblog and add your ideas and comments for others who will use it in the future. Click on "more" for the lesson!
"TRUTH OR BARE?" MODESTY FASHION SHOW
A Practical Presentation of Modesty Using Secret Keeper
Time needed:
1 to 1 1/2 hours
Objective:
To get very practical in the application of modesty.
Action:
You will be looking at and talking about current fashion trends and looks and running different “tests” on them to see if they measure up to a high standard of modesty.
Leader’s Preparation:
BEFORE you collect the items needed below, read Chapter 4 in Secret Keeper and review the "More Truth Less Bare" Fashion Tests found on this weblog. The clothes you select as instructed below must be able to pass the fashion tests.
Items needed:
• A copy of "Secret Keeper: The Delicate Power of Modesty" by Dannah Gresh
• Decorations for fashion show (strobe light, mirror ball, confetti, etc.) (optional)
• Hors d’oeuvres or snacks (optional)
• Upbeat Christian music CD
• Index cards
• Lots of fashionable clothes! (depending on your group size)
These outfits should be of varying sizes and styles. (For example, have a “cowgirl” look which is a size 0 and a funky “hippie” look which is a size 11.) If you have the budget, buy the clothes, which you could give to the girl who models the outfit. Or approach a local store and tell them what you are doing. They may be willing to loan you clothes in exchange for mentioning their name. As a last resort, ask for donations for the evening with the understanding the clothes will be returned after this session. If your group is small you may try to have an outfit for each girl. If you have a large group, you can just do 4-7 outfits or you can go all out and have a dozen great show-stoppers. Here are a few ideas for clothing that hit problem areas effectively:
• An adorable sweat suit WITHOUT words across the fanny!
• A pair of low-riders with our "secret weapon"... a long t-shirt (Go ahead and put a short T on top for a trendy look!)
• Some cool, trendy shorts with a 5" or 7" inseam
• A peasant top or sheer top WITH a t-shirt or tank top under it
Preparation:
You will need to write up index cards with a description of each outfit you come up with. When doing this, try to get into “runway fashion show” mode and have fun with the descriptions! The card should include a rundown of the look you’re going for and how it combats certain modesty issues. Here’s a sample :
“First we have, (name of girl) with a great example of how a girl can modestly wear low-rider pants. These pants have a denim look with a brushed cotton feel. In order to not show her belly, we have a men’s t-shirt tucked in underneath the trendy little top we found. For the under-shirt, we selected a t-shirt from the men’s department because they are cut with a longer torso and are great for tucking into low-riders. Also, the button-up shirts such as this great rugged one is longer than most t-shirt style tops. This way you still get the low-rider “feel” without being immodest. These pants actually came with that funky belt for those of you who are accessory impaired. Oh the versatility!”
The Plan:
Part 1-A Teaching Challenge
To begin the night, you or someone you select is going to be presenting your favorite thoughts from "Secret Keeper:The Delicate Power of Modesty." Be sure to include the "Gestalt Theory" from pages 42 & 43 and "The ANS" from pages 33-35.
Part 2-The Fashion Show
After you present some challenging thoughts about modesty, you must let them SEE what that translates into or your lessons will be unsuccessful. So,
you are going to be producing a fashion show! Choose your models beforehand if you’re able to, trying to have all different types of girls in regard to body types, ethnic origins, sizes, etc. This is their time to feel very special! You’ll need to find a place that can resemble a catwalk, like a stage or a long aisle. We encourage you to have a lot of fun with this and go crazy with atmosphere. Get spotlights, strobe lights, mirror balls, a bubble machine or a red carpet! Throw down rose petals, confetti or large glitter pieces where the girls will be walking. If you know a hip hair stylist and make-up artist who would be willing to donate time to your youth group, ask them to come and tastefully glam the girls up a bit. Have hors d'oeuvres or snacks available. And, from our experience, upbeat music is a must! You will need someone to MC the fashion show. This should be a woman who is comfortable speaking into a microphone and getting into this type of character. Then have the MC get the audience all pumped up and in the right frame of mind to have a blast and clap and cheer. Play the music and have the models come down the aisle one at a time as the MC reads the index card about their particular outfit. Encourage the models to have fun with spins and turns, without being seductive in their actions.
Part 3-The Modesty Tests
Have the models fall into line on the stage. When the fashion show is over, go over the “More Truth Less Bare” Fashion Tests posted on the Pure Freedom Weblog. Have each of the models do the tests on themselves before the audience, taking time to discuss possible remedies if someone “fails” one of the tests.
SMALL GROUP TIME
1.) Break the girls off into small groups 6-8 girls if you have a large group.
2.) Let the girls talk about the fashion show. Which outfits did they like? Which ones didn’t they like as much?
3.) Go over the “More Truth Less Bare” Fashion Tests. Discuss all of the tests briefly and allow the girls to respond.
4.) Review the Gestalt Theory on pages 42-44 of Secret Keeper. Ask the girls if they have any clothes in their wardrobe that would create arousal based on the Gestalt Theory.
5.) On pages 50-51 of Secret Keeper, Dannah talks about making 3 piles of clothes: the “cheap thrills pile”, the “power pile” and the “fuzzy friends pile”. This is one other practical way of getting rid of immodest clothes. Ask them to do this activity for “homework.”
6.) It’s time to commit and pray. Go around the circle and ask the girls if any of them are willing to make a commitment right now to any of the things we’ve discussed during this session. Are they willing to commit to the “More Truth Less Bare” tests? Will they get rid of their questionable clothes? What will they do with this information? Have a time of prayer asking the Lord to help them seal these commitments in their hearts and establish them as habits.
