Pure Princess Club, is a club for girls ages 8 – 14, and is where etiquette meets Christianity. In an effort to counter selfishness in our culture, this club began with a primary focus of reflecting the selflessness of Christ through our interactions with others. Where does etiquette fit in a Christian life? This is simple. Remember, Jesus is absolutely loving, respectful, compassionate and selfless. This also describes a person with good manners. This is what is at the heart of Pure Princess Club.
Have you have ever had someone hold a door open for you? Perhaps you experienced a feeling of simply being cared for. In contrast, having experienced the opposite where the person ahead of you did not hold the door and it slammed shut in front of you, on the other hand probably made you feel a little annoyed and mistreated, right?
Having good manners is certainly for everyone, no matter where you are from or what family you are born into because having good manners is about care and respect. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like to be treated with care and respect. I believe as a Christian, these actions should be standard. The Bible tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves. These are not just words on a page but a command we should act upon through our words and actions. The golden rule of etiquette is this: Do to others as you would have them do to you. (Luke 6:31) To me, this sums up the relationship between etiquette and a Christian life.
Parenting children in a culture which promotes ‘self,’ is challenging and leaves us moms feeling hungry for opportunities for our daughters to learn social skills which counter this very culture and breed kindness and grace.
As the members of Pure Princess Club begin to use the etiquette skills they have learned, they are, in essence, reflecting the love of Christ and his selflessness.
I have seen first-hand the impact this ministry has made on young girls and it is beautiful. With a new confidence embraced and while applying the most feminine and loveliest life skills, like etiquette, the girls who have received this training are also learning to live out their faith. They truly are learning what it looks like to reflect the light of Christ, even in simple ways; from holding the door open for others to choosing modest clothes; the girls are modeling the very characteristics of Jesus Christ.
This club meets once each month to learn new skills such as dining skills, how to shake hands and make introductions, general social etiquette, in addition to hearing about topics such as purity and modesty. The girls will end the year with a 3 or 5-course dinner at a restaurant where they have the opportunity to practice the new dining skills they’ve learned. Additionally, the club members, with the assistance of all the moms, will host a “Princess in Training” workshop/tea party event for the girls of the Upstate children’s homes. This event provides a chance for the club members to learn to serve others, which reinforces the promotion of selflessness, while encouraging our guests to enjoy their own “girlhood,” and witness the love of Christ.
Pure Princess Club began in 2009 after first beginning as a conference in 2007, for girls and their mothers. After getting educated at The American School of Protocol in Atlanta, Georgia, I knew that I wanted to teach children etiquette but also knew that I wanted to use those skills to do something with eternal value, not just formal manners classes. The club has been established to continually interact with the girls, mentoring and training, while building relationships and growing in our faith together. The most important goal of Pure Princess Club is to always seek God first for his plans and to serve others while first loving and serving the Lord.
~Rita Santana
