Texans named national Acteens panelists

Posted: 3/31/06

Ashley Nash	Kara Fonville

Texans named national Acteens panelists

By Amy Whitfield

Woman’s Missionary Union

BIRMINGHAM, Ala.—Two teenagers from Baptist General Convention of Texas-affiliated churches in Garland have been selected to serve on the national Acteens panel.

Kara Fonville, 17, of Lakeside Baptist Church and Ashley Nash, 18, of Freeman Heights Baptist Church are two of the six panelists chosen this year.

Panelists are selected on the basis of leadership, voluntee-rism, spiritual maturity and commitment to a missions lifestyle through Acteens involvement, said Suzanne Reece, ministry consultant for Women’s Missionary Union’s student resource team. Acteens is a WMU ministry organization for teenage girls in grades 7 to 12.

The national Acteens panelists have demonstrated a high level of service and leadership—not only in their churches, but also in school, where they have earned high marks in both academics and extracurricular activities, she added.

Fonville, also selected as a 2005– 2006 Texas WMU panelist, has participated in several missions projects in the Dallas area but said what meant most to her was helping plan and organize an “extreme home makeover” for a family in need. Five Dallas Baptist Association Acteens groups came together for the event last March.

“Not only was it an amazing experience for us to see how God answered prayer, but I truly believe that what we did changed the lives of this family and impacted this neighborhood for Jesus Christ,” Fonville wrote in her application.

“Acteens has provided me with leadership opportunities that I could not have gained in an everyday setting. I think God has shown me that I can be a good leader.”

Similarly, Nash, who volunteered as a teen staffer at GA camp this past year, said Acteens taught her to be a missionary in everyday life.

“Acteens has taken me out of my comfort zone to reach out to others with the love of Christ,” she wrote.

All of the young women were recommended highly by teachers, pastors and others who witnessed their impact through missions.

As national panelists, the teens have the opportunity to interact with missionaries and national missions leaders, and they often are invited to speak to church, associational or state Acteens and WMU groups.

In June, they will be featured leaders during national WMU’s annual missions celebration in Greensboro, N.C.

This year’s panelists will serve from February to December.

In addition to those Acteens selected to serve as panelists, WMU also selects additional young women as Top Teens to recognize their strong involvement in missions.

Rachel Latham of Travis Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Worth was selected as a Top Teen.