Written by Courtney Roberts on December 1, 2023.
Of the many elements that shape a child’s future, no single factor exercises more enormous influence than a child’s parents. Proverbs 22:6 counsels parents to raise up their children in the way of the Lord — and on Tuesday mornings at Alliance Bible Fellowship, mothers of all ages and experiences gather to be prepared for that unique mission.
Established in 2014 as a part of the church’s Women’s Ministry, BluePrint aims to create a Christ-centered community for mothers. Currently led by Christi Galy and Teka Gracida, the ministry seeks to encourage mothers by recognizing the unique challenges of motherhood, while also grounding them with Biblical truth.
Through large group gatherings with shared meals and guest speakers, enrichment events to teach skills for use in the home, and through small-group mentorship and discipleship, BluePrint equips mothers with practical skills and scripture-based principles to raise their children with love for God.
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Sharing the Gospel Through Relationships
In addition to offering instruction and guidance for biblical parenting, BluePrint functions as a safe place for mothers to be vulnerable, processing the difficulties that come with raising children while building friendships with other women in a similar season of life.
Although many of the participating moms attend Alliance, the ministry serves mothers from more than 27 churches across the High Country, as well as mothers unaffiliated with any church. The relationship-building facilitated by the ministry creates unique opportunities for sharing the gospel with otherwise unreached women.
“Something that is unique to our ministry is that we are able to draw in unchurched moms and share the gospel with them — moms who may not have otherwise stepped foot into a church, but they come because they were invited by another Blueprint mom,” shared Christi.
Moms Supporting Moms
While pouring into mothers and offering invaluable support, BluePrint also provides women — of all ages and stages of life — the opportunity to serve one another. Under Christi and Teka’s leadership, a committed team of more than 25 women works together to facilitate the ministry, serving in roles ranging from discussion leading and hospitality to AV/tech support.
Childcare workers also play a critical role in the on-going work of the ministry (view and apply for a paid Blueprint childcare role at abfboone.org/jobs). As the ministry has grown, so has this need — which constitutes one of the greatest challenges for the ministry each year, according to Christi.
“We also would love to have more church members at Alliance join the team as mentors and table leaders who are willing to commit to disciple and care for a small group of women, as well women from the church who would be willing to be Guest Speakers on various topics concerning mothering and biblical application,” says Christi.
If you’re interested in learning more about BluePrint — as a participant or a volunteer — abfboone.org/blueprint or contact Christi and Teka at blueprintmotheringbydesign@gmail.com.