By Henriikka Niemi
Staff Writer
For such a small community, Coppell boasts a large Christian population representing many denominations. The Ladies of Love, a bible study group, are attempting to cross the boundaries and divisions the different denomination can create.
Towards the end of the 2012-13 school year, Coppell High School senior Jenna Ling contacted fellow senior Ali Martinez about starting a Bible study together as a haven for girls to share their faith and anxieties they face, such as college applications or relationship problems, with people who will always listen and offer advice. The group started out as 15 people, a dedicated 10 of whom would meet each week.
“Ali’s very passionate about it,” Ali’s mother, Julie Martinez, said. “We’ve taken her to church and all that but this is just something that is inside her. I get a lot of inspiration from just watching what she does.”
Martinez and Ling kicked off a new year last week by welcoming 17 more senior girls into their group. The gathering was used to learn more about each other, and the activities included enjoying homemade goods and senior overall pictures. Next week the real work will begin; the group will start their lessons with the guidance of the book Perfectly Unique.
“We’re about to start a new book about being a woman and loving ourselves and our faith,” Martinez said.
What makes the group unique is their independence; they are not tied to a specific church and Ling and Martinez organize and lead the study themselves. Members come from different churches, backgrounds and activities. There are Lariettes, cross country runners, band members, Baptists, Methodists and Catholics alike.
“In the end it doesn’t matter what denomination you come from because we all want to worship God and learn about his word,” Ling said.
The girls recognize that each denomination practices the same principles in a different ways, but the one thing each girl shares is their love for the Lord. College is just around the corner and one of the most important goals for the group is to learn how to apply their faith in the real world.
“This is my senior year and I’m about to go off to college, so I really want to leave with a strong foundation and be confident in my relationship with the Lord,” senior Kasey Tucker said.
Beyond that, the setting is more intimate than other youth groups in Coppell. All 27 girls come from the same school and for many of them, it is easier to be open about their faith with this foundation of friendship and small circle of people.
For now the group is made up exclusively of senior girls, but both Martinez and Ling have high hopes for the future.
“It’d be really cool if it was something that the juniors next year wanted to carry on,” Martinez said. “We’re just letting God take it wherever he wants it to go.”
