"I have really loved using More Precious Than Pearls with my girls so far! I’m currently mentoring two senior girls, meeting with each of them individually every other week for about an hour and a half. We are four chapters in, and I’ve really appreciated having a structured resource to help guide our time together, while still allowing the conversations to naturally go where they need to go. I usually assign some of the material as homework and then we talk through it when we meet, and, depending on the chapter, we’ll also work through some of the material together. The mentor guide and key that Leighton provides have been really helpful, too, and I don’t feel like the preparation required is overwhelming.

The biggest thing I’ve noticed is how much deeper our conversations have become. The topics in the book are very relevant to what they are actually walking through as senior girls, and they have opened up to me so much more and asked questions that have led to some really rich conversations. There have even been a couple of times when we’ve had to put the curriculum aside completely because something came up that they needed to talk through. I really don’t know that they would have felt comfortable bringing these things to me before this mentorship. I feel like the curriculum has helped me bring up topics that can sometimes be difficult for a mentor to initiate, like body image, sexuality, financial wisdom, and other areas of life and faith. It has also given me a better way to speak into their specific circumstances and point them back to Jesus in a way that is informed by what they are actually experiencing. One thing I’ve especially loved is that they have been more interested in memorizing Scripture, and I think the Scripture lists throughout the chapters have really helped encourage that.

I also really appreciate the variety of topics, the mentor and mentee questions, and the way the curriculum gives both the girls and me opportunities to share and ask questions. I think it could be a really practical resource for a church to use by pairing an older girl or woman with a high school girl, particularly in a one-on-one setting. Personally, I would probably not have more than two girls meet with one mentor at a time because I think the vulnerability and depth of conversation are such an important part of the experience. That said, a mentor could disciple as many girls as she has the time and capacity to meet with individually or in pairs." 

— Lydia Sanborn, High School Girls' Leader, Newspring Church