Raising Godly Girls

How can Christian girls stand firm when culture challenges the very meaning of womanhood? 

Over the past several years, conversations surrounding women's sports, privacy, safety, and identity have moved from headlines into everyday life. For many girls and their families, these cultural shifts have raised difficult questions about fairness, courage, truth, and what it means to honor God's design for women. 

In this special BONUS episode recorded live at the 2026 TPUSA Women's Leadership Summit, AHG Executive Director Rachael Culpepper sits down with former collegiate swimmer, advocate, and mother Riley Gaines Barker. After finding herself at the center of one of the most consequential debates in women's athletics, Riley chose to speak out in defense of women's sports and single-sex spaces—a decision that transformed her from student-athlete to one of the nation's most recognized voices on behalf of girls and women. 

Together, Rachael and Riley discuss the courage required to stand for conviction when the cost is high, the responsibility of leadership in a culture of competing narratives, and the challenges Christian girls face as they navigate sports, school environments, and questions surrounding identity. Riley also reflects on her own girlhood, shares lessons she's learning in the early years of marriage and motherhood, and offers encouragement to girls who desire to lead with both courage and grace. 

Whether you're raising an athlete, mentoring young women, or simply seeking wisdom for navigating today's cultural landscape, this conversation will remind you that truth is worth defending, courage is worth cultivating, and God's design is always worthy of trust. 

 

Scriptures Referenced: 

Genesis 1:27 


Psalm 139:13–14 


Ephesians 2:10 


Joshua 1:9 


Romans 12:2 


Proverbs 31:25 


2 Timothy 1:7 


Ephesians 6:10–18 


 


To learn more about Riley's advocacy work at rileygaines.com or you can check out her latest episode on the Riley Gaines Show on all major podcast platforms. 

Visit raisinggodlygirls.com for more encouragement and faith-based parenting tools.      

Learn how to find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your community at americanheritagegirls.org.

In this summer season, the Raising Godly Girls Podcast is circling back to listener favorites from the first part of season 3. Today's episode is a replay of "How a Family Guides Their Girls to Put on the Armor of God" which originally aired on January 8, 2026. Melissa Bearden queues up fellow hosts Rachael Culpepper and Natalie Ambrose's conversation by peering through the lens of Ephesians 6, that famous passage in Scripture known as the Armor of God, to fit a girl's heart for strength and endurance.  

 

Using a girl's identity in Christ as a "nametag", this episode connects the "who and Whose they are" ideas together for girls. Rachael breaks down the Armor of God into three sections showing Christian parents how each intentionally serves as tools for a girl's healthy faith growth. Hear how American Heritage Girls offers direct resources to embolden girls to succeed as Daughters of the King. Your girl will be a powerful influence for the Lord when she puts on the Full Armor of God every day! 

 

Three Things to Remember:  

The Armor of God:  

Guides & Guards   


Refines & Readies   


And it Shields & Slices   


   

Scriptures Reference in This Episode:  

Ephesians 6:10-18  


1 John 3:1  


Romans 8:15-17  


 

Visit raisinggodlygirls.com for more encouragement and faith-based parenting tools.     


Learn how to find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your community at americanheritagegirls.org.

In this summer season, the Raising Godly Girls Podcast is circling back to listener favorites from the first part of season 3. Today's episode is a replay of "Fortifying Your Girl's Faith for Life" which originally aired on January 6, 2026.  

 

Melissa Bearden queues up fellow hosts Rachael Culpepper and Natalie Ambrose's conversation with an endearing 'dear younger me' chat to give advice for their girl selves.  

 

The hosts zoom in on the idea of "fortifying" a girl's faith to go the long haul—"parenting forward" to teach lessons today that will resonate far into the future and into eternity. The Raising Godly Girls Minute in this episode serves as a timeless reminder that Scripture serves as a "nightlight" so guide girls when days seem dark.   

  

Rachael shares the fun opportunity to "start something new" through AHG Patch Programs and resources—for both non-members and AHG Members alike. She also shares a chance for listeners to grab the AHG Thinline ESV Bible as a way to launch girls into a year of reading God's Word.  

 

Two Things to Remember:  

Parenting-Forward is not a Formula—so open your hands in prayer, submit your will and your understanding to God, and do your best to steward this parenting journey daily in the process.    


You can take joy in knowing that God will always be found faithful. Since that is His character and even in the hard seasons, He will always pursue her.    


  

Scriptures Reference in this Episode:  

Mark 8:36-37  


Psalm 119:105  


Proverbs 22:6  



Isaiah 61:1-3  


Jeremiah 31:3  


 

 

To get your copy of the AHG Thinline ESV Bible, visit store.americanheritagegirls.org/products/ahg-thinline-esv-bible   

Visit raisinggodlygirls.com for more encouragement and faith-based parenting tools.  

Learn how to find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your community at americanheritagegirls.org.

When a daughter is struggling emotionally, many parents feel unsure where to begin. Is this typical girlhood stress? Anxiety? Depression? Something deeper? In today's culture—where girls report rising levels of sadness, loneliness, and mental health challenges—Christian parents need both discernment and hope. 

In this powerful episode of the Raising Godly Girls Podcast, Natalie Ambrose sits down with licensed counselor and author Dr. Natalie Atwell to talk about recognizing early signs of mental unwellness in girls and responding with both practical wisdom and prayerful confidence. Together, they explore how parents can identify emotional red flags, guide daughters toward emotional maturity, and create homes where struggles are met with grace rather than fear. 

Dr. Atwell also speaks directly to the spiritual dimension of mental health—helping families understand the difference between clinical mental illness and spiritual warfare, and how prayer, Scripture, and wise counseling can work together. If you've ever wondered how to intercede faithfully for a daughter who is anxious, withdrawn, overwhelmed, or battling dark thoughts, this conversation will equip you to lead with courage and compassion. 

You are not alone in this battle—and neither is your daughter. Tune in for Biblical encouragement, practical tools, and renewed confidence to raise a girl who learns to steward her emotions within God's design for her life. 

 

Scriptures Referenced in This Episode: 

 

Psalm 34:18 


2 Timothy 1:7 


Philippians 4:6–7 


2 Corinthians 10:3–5 


James 1:5 


 

To learn more about Dr. Atwell and her work, visit concord-nacounseling.com 

Visit raisinggodlygirls.com for more encouragement and faith-based parenting tools.     


Learn how to find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your community at americanheritagegirls.org.

Watching your girl battle anxiety, mental health challenges, or spiritual struggles can leave you feeling overwhelmed, isolated, and unsure of what to do next. Many Christian parents carry the weight in silence, believing they should be able to "fix it" on their own. In this encouraging episode, Rachael Culpepper and Melissa Bearden remind parents that they were never meant to walk these difficult seasons alone—and that prayer is one of the greatest gifts God has given them in the journey. 

As the conversation continues this week's series on mental health and spiritual bondage, Rachael vulnerably shares her family's experience navigating her son's anxiety, while Melissa offers Biblical encouragement for parents facing fear, shame, or uncertainty. Together, they explore how the enemy often uses isolation to keep families from seeking help, while God continually invites His people into community, prayer, and dependence on His power. 

You'll also hear a hope-filled Raising Godly Girls Minute from AHG Founder & Executive Director Emeritus Patti Garibay, reminding parents to distinguish between the voice of the enemy—which produces fear, shame, and anxiety—and the voice of the Good Shepherd, who faithfully leads His children in truth and peace. 

Whether your daughter is facing a current struggle or you simply want to strengthen your own prayer life before difficult days come, this episode offers practical encouragement to pray boldly, trust God's authority, persevere faithfully, and lean into the support of your Christian community. You are not alone, and your prayers matter. 

 

Three Things to Consider: 

Don't allow fear or shame to isolate you. God often provides encouragement, wisdom, and practical help through the body of Christ. 


Pray boldly, believing that God is able to accomplish far more than what seems possible. His authority is greater than any struggle your daughter may face. 


Remain steadfast in prayer. Whether healing comes quickly or unfolds over time, continue entrusting your daughter to the Lord and inviting others to pray alongside you. 


 

Scriptures Referenced: 

Titus 1:2 


John 10:27 


Matthew 6:10 


Mark 9:14–29 


1 Thessalonians 5:17 



 

Visit raisinggodlygirls.com for more encouragement and faith-based parenting tools.    

Learn how to find or start an American Heritage Girls Troop in your community at americanheritagegirls.org.