The Power of Gender-Specific Ministries

In recent years, brain research has helped identify gender differences that have implications for our teaching and learning. When we look at gender differences, it is well to remember that these are general tendencies. There are always exceptions. And our goal isn't to place limitations on either boys or girls, but to ask ourselves what experiences best benefit boys and best benefit girls.

Boys and girls are made differently. This isn't a bad thing, and it doesn't have to be a prejudicial thing. It does require that we teachers and leaders in Christian education pay attention to how these differences influence learning.

Here are some general observations regarding gender differences:

• Recent research shows us that the ways our eyes are constructed create differences in the colors we prefer and the ways we draw. Girls' eyes are drawn to brighter colors and to facial expressions. Boys' eyes are drawn to moving objects and colors like black, gray, and silver. Their art will reflect these preferences, particularly at younger ages.
• In choosing reading material, boys prefer non-fiction, biographical material. Girls more often choose fiction.
• There are differences in the ways we hear. Girls tend to hear softer tones than boys. Boys are not bothered by repetitive noises and tend to hear louder tones better.
• While many girls will respond well to self-directed small group experiences, these are less appealing to boys.
• Both boys and girls have difficulty explaining the emotions they feel. This becomes easier for girls as they enter puberty because the area of the brain where we feel emotions (amygdala) begins to connect with the area of the brain where we can verbalize our feelings (cerebral cortex). The connection happens more slowly for boys.
• Gender differences are larger in childhood and lessen as we move through the life span.

There are no differences in what boys and girls can learn. They do have differences in the ways they prefer to learn. There is no difference in boys' and girls' abilities to grow in faith, to worship God, and to live their faith day-by-day. There are differences in how they choose to express their faith.

How can you provide the best learning environment for both boys and girls? Ask yourself:

• What opportunities do we have for girl-only and boy-only ministries?
• What mentoring possibilities do we provide for women to mentor girls and men to mentor boys?
• What resources for teacher training around gender-specific learning do we have in our church library or resource center?

MaryJane Pierce Norton is Team Leader for Family, Life Span, & Latino Ministries at GBOD

	For further reading:

Let There be Peace in the Classroom by Jenni Douglas Duncan.

Making God Real for a New Generation by Craig Miller & MaryJane Pierce Norton.

Boys and Girls Learn Differently! A Guide for Teachers and Parents by Michael Gurian (Jossey-Bass, 2002). ISBN 0-7879-6117-6.

Why Gender Matters: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know about the Emerging Science of Sex Differences by Leonard Sax, M.D., Ph.D (Doubleday, 2005). ISBN 0-385-51073-X

The Primal Teen: What the New Discoveries about the Teenage Brain Tell Us About Our Kids by Barbara Strauch (Random House, Inc., 2003). ISBN 0-385-72160-9).

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