True Beauty

Have you ever felt out of place? Maybe you had on the wrong shirt. Maybe you didn’t like your haircut. Maybe you didn’t know what to say. Whatever it is, we get it. We’ve all been there: feeling ostracized in a society dominated by appearances and relationships. It hurts. That’s why we at the Nehemiah Center are passionate about changing the culture of beauty—one girls’ pageant at a time.

            It might seem strange to hold a pageant in order to undermine beauty, but the Miss Nehemiah Pageant is not your normal beauty pageant. This event, hosted every spring at First Baptist Church of Montgomery, seeks to reward the beauty of the spirit. By giving young girls an outlet to celebrate their unique traits, we uphold the work of our Creator and cast away insecurity. We want to remember the words of Paul:

“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”—1 Peter 3:3-4

            Because we want to look at the heart, our girls are not judged based on their looks. Instead, participants in the program are judged based on poise, etiquette, talent, aerobics, and (most importantly) scripture recitation. We wholeheartedly believe that these categories change the way young women relate to others and respect themselves, and we also know that these traits can change the way young people are seen. By becoming confident in themselves, girls gain the power to stand up in class for their educations as well as stand up in this world for their faiths. We have a queen in this pageant, but her character, composure, and kindness are what give her a crown. It only makes sense to us to give crowns based on biblically beautiful traits; after all, we’re called to give our crowns to Christ, the most biblically pure and gorgeous person to ever walk the earth!

            The Nehemiah Girls Pageant is coming up fast in spring of 2015, and we need you to help us make it a success. We need experienced seamstresses to help fit these girls in their gowns and we need the support of the beautiful children of God! If you feel called to help out with the pageant, you can call the Nehemiah Center office at (334)263-6663. God bless!