“I didn’t plan any of this,” says God’s Girls Director Lakeysha Evans, referring to the growth of the program over the past year. “God opened the doors—we just walked through and said yes.”
It’s been a year of growth, learning, and undeniable impact for God’s Girls. What started as a safe place for middle school girls on Saturdays has expanded into three Rochester city schools, with more expected next year. And it’s changing lives.
Tea Party at Rochester Academy Charter School
A Royal Welcome
“We ended the year with tea parties at each of the schools,” Evans smiles. “For many of the girls, it was their first time experiencing anything formal. They walked in wearing dresses, heads held high, asking me if I liked their outfits.” She laughs. “One even said, ‘I don’t want to use my napkin. It’s too pretty!’”
But these events are about more than tea and sandwiches. Each one is the culmination of lessons in dignity, confidence, and etiquette. “It’s not about fancy rules,” she explains. “It’s about teaching them how to feel comfortable and carry themselves with confidence, wherever life takes them—even at the mayor’s ball or the White House.”
These moments matter, especially in communities where many girls don’t feel seen. “One girl told me no one had ever invited her to anything like this before,” Lakeysha says. “That’s why it’s so powerful.”
Ministry in the Middle of the Day
This year, God’s Girls reached students at School 17, Andrew Langston, and Rochester Academy Charter School (RACS). The schools each present unique dynamics, but the goal is the same: meet kids where they are and speak truth into their lives.
“Some of these girls have experienced real trauma,” Lakeysha says carefully. “But when they realize you care, they open up. One told me, ‘Miss, just knowing that someone cares about me makes a difference.’”
In a culture of fear and insecurity, that difference is huge. “I’ve had girls tell me they don’t go outside. Not because they don’t want to—but because they’re afraid,” she says. “Afraid of getting shot just walking down the street. That breaks my heart.”
This is what makes the presence of God’s Girls so important. “We want to give them a space where they can breathe. Where they can feel like kids again,” says Mike Hennessy, the Executive Director of YFC Rochester. “They’re learning to think like adults just to survive. We want them to know there’s more.”
Gospel Without Apology
Although the school-day program stays within public school boundaries, students immediately recognize something different. “They call me ‘Pastor’—even though I never told them I was one,” Evans laughs.
And when Lakeysha quotes the truth, that “Bad company corrupts good character”, another student gasped: “Say that again!
I need to write that down.”
That’s hunger. Spiritual hunger. And God’s Girls is helping to satisfy it.
The Power of Peer Leadership
As the program has matured, so have the girls. Some now help teach classes, including etiquette. “When they can stand up and teach it to others, that’s when I know it’s really sinking in,” Evans says. “And their peers listen. There’s something about hearing truth from someone your age.”
This peer-to-peer dynamic is key to the long-term vision. Lakeysha is currently praying about training one young woman to start a group of her own. “She’s already planning to lead a prayer group at her school this fall,” she says, eyes bright with hope. “That’s the next step—raising leaders.”
Bridging the Gap
The in-house Saturday program remains the heartbeat of God’s Girls. There, the lessons can go deeper and longer. “I’ll plan for a ten-minute Bible lesson,” Evans says, “and the girls keep it going for forty-five. They want to talk. They have questions. They want to know what God says about real things—bullying, fear, identity, purpose.”
But there’s a gap: many school-based students want to attend Saturdays, but transportation is a barrier. “They’ll tell me, ‘Miss, I don’t have a ride. I want to come, but who’s going to bring me?’” she says. “We need a van.”
She’s working with YFC leaders on grant applications to make that a reality.
Prayers for the Journey
So what’s next?
“More schools. More students. More transformation,” Evans says. “But it has to stay rooted in prayer.”
She dreams of a day when local churches adopt schools for prayer, committing to cover students and staff regularly. “Some places need a miracle,” she says. “But I believe prayer changes atmospheres.”
In the meantime, she continues to show up, love well, and plant seeds.
“There are hard days,” she admits. “But when I see a girl smile at graduation and know she’s not the same person she was nine months ago—well, that makes it worth it.”