For a lot of females in the church, there is a perception that Christianity is based on what we can’t (or shouldn’t) do, instead of the myriad of opportunities that are really available for those seeking to serve God.  KatharosNOW came about in the summer of 2010. After seeing different Christian publications geared towards teens or women, it seemed there was a space to be filled that was specifically for Christian teenage girls.  Real girls.  Girls who truly wanted to live a life for Christ, but were constantly faced by a variety of real world problems that might be holding them back.  Girls that were rock solid in their faith as well as those who felt they were faking it and hoped things fell into place before anyone else noticed.  Girls who were confident in who and what they were and girls who weren’t entirely sure God would ever actually find value in their sinful selves.
Living a Christian life can feel incredibly complicated, especially when you’re in high school. While the Bible is absolutely clear that modesty (1 Tim 2:9) and sexual purity (1 Cor. 6:18-20) are musts for those serious about their faith, the pursuit of these goals to the exclusion of most others has unfortunately caused far too many teen girls to feel that their role as a Christian consists of nothing more than abiding by these two standards.  In reality, many aspects of their day to day life have gone overlooked.  Friendships, gossip, self-esteem, identity, tv, relationships with parents, depression, anxiety, music, self-doubt, and movies are just some of the things teen girls are likely to face in an average week.  At KatharosNOW, we want to help all girls with the issues they might be facing.

The name of our site comes from the Greek word, “Katharos”, which can be translated to mean “clean”, “pure”, “innocent”, or (my personal favorite) “like a vine cleansed by pruning and so fitted to bear fruit”.  It’s used in James 1:27, where James writes: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.”  Our goal at KatharosNOW is encourage sincere katharos religion among all readers.  I truly believe that no individual can fully understand why she needs to dress appropriately or be respectful to her mother if she doesn’t have a love for God.  A girl is less likely to comprehend why she should wait until marriage for sex or believe in her own self-worth if they don’t understand the love that God has for her.  So, primarily, our goal is to emphasize the love that God has for all of us (John 3:16) and that our lives are meant to be lived as a recognition of that love, not as a means of earning it.  However, this verse provides us with two sub-goals as well.
First, James says that katharos religion is “to visit widows and orphans in their affliction”.  KatharosNOW has always had a focus on service.  From counseling former child soldiers to foreign and domestic missionaries, to those seeking to serve within their own churches/communities, we’ve been able to show examples of Christian women of all ages serving and putting others first in the name of Christ.  We have also endeavored to create opportunities and provide ideas for way to serve to teenagers who might otherwise believe they have nothing to offer.

Secondly, James specifies that one should “keep oneself unstained by the world”.  KatharosNOW provides regular issues dealing a variety of topics.  We provide Bible-based articles focused on dating and relationships, school, family, inner and outer beauty, media, and all the little things that don’t really fit into a neat little category.  We seek to address all aspects of life because we know that being a teenage Christian girl means a LOT of battles as well as a LOT of victories, and we want all girls to know they’re not alone in these.  We want to move beyond the canned answers and simple responses many girls have come to expect and provide them with real answers for the questions they might be afraid to ask.

So what can YOU do?  So much!  First of all, females of all ages who have a heart for this ministry are invited to join us.  We are working to make some big changes over the next few months and would love contributions from people with a variety of talents.  Are you a writer? Let us know!  Any ability in graphic design? Awesome!  Do you have a good knowledge of health, school life, beauty, family relationships, etc.?  Bring it on!  Do you know of a person or group who is serving others and would serve as an example and encouragement that girls could seek to emulate?  Let’s hear about it!  Marketing skills? Tell us all about it!  Not sure what you’d like to do, but you’d like to contribute somehow to helping teen girls everywhere develop a katharos religion that they can put to good use?  Please contact us.  We’d love to have you with on board.

Secondly, find us on Facebook and like our page to get the latest updates with what’s going on.  Also, pass us along to any teen girls you know that you think could contribute to our work.

Finally, and most importantly, please pray for our ministry.  Pray for the minds and hearts of young girls to recognize the love God has for them.  Pray that they will live lives dedicated to His cause.  Pray that they will find ways to serve and put others first.  Pray for us that we may glorify God with everything we do and that our work is always aligned after His word.

In Him,

Lauren Bookout

Contact at admin@katharosNOW.com or through our Facebook page.