DOLLS provides an exceptional opportunity for your daughter to participate in bringing the gospel message to her fellow classmates, to encourage and strengthen other Christian girls, and to learn how to organize and run an effective organization. DOLLS Headquarters invests a great deal of time and resources into training our young leaders to be strong, committed, godly witnesses.
We are so grateful for the parents of our 5 Main leaders. They are raising godly young women who are passionate about spreading the gospel among their peers. That kind of boldness requires a firm grounding in Christ, as well as a balance of leadership and servant-hood. Along with the God’s divine intervention, these parents have set their daughters along the right path (“Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.” Proverbs 22:6).
So YOUR daughter wants to be a 5 Main? We know you will want plenty of information about this opportunity before you agree to let your daughter come alongside us, so we have prepared this Parent Guide to 5 Main Leadership. In it you will find frequently asked questions that we have turned around and posed for the parents of our alumni officers. Their answers will bring great insight to you as you evaluate whether leadership with DOLLS is the right fit for your family. Below you will also find some important questions you may want to consider before granting your daughter permission to apply as a worker with our ministry.
What is the chain of command in addressing issues that may arise?
As stated above, we recommend going first to the Word of God and pray for insight, wisdom and discernment. If another officer is involved, your daughter should first go to that person privately. If the issue is not resolved, she can go to her her Advisor. Finally, if the issue is still not resolved, officers should approach her assigned Chapter Director. Our Chapter Directors are here to support and love these young women through obstacles, reminding them that these moments are incredible opportunities to learn and grow in our spiritual life and leadership abilities.
What is my role, as a parent of a 5 Main officer, in the DOLLS ministry?
Truly, you are one of our greatest assets in covering our girls and this ministry in prayers of protection, wisdom, discernment and so much more! We would be so honored to have you commit to praying over each of us as our ultimate goal is to spread the word of Jesus Christ across these campuses.
Another way you can help is to volunteer at the Headquarters level. We will have several opportunities throughout the year for you to support this ministry by making our events run more successfully. Our team consists solely of volunteers who dedicate their time to making Daughters of Our Living Lord and Savior a safe and enjoyable place for these young women to grow spiritually and personally and we would GLADLY welcome your help.
You can also make a big difference for our ministry by way of your financial support. It costs us $60,000 annually to sustain the operations of this organization. We desperately need our funding to increase in order to prevent future program cuts. Your monthly donation could help us plan effectively for future ministry opportunities.
Is parental involvement required?
We actually encourage our parents to allow their daughters to explore their own leadership abilities. The greatest support you can give would be biblical guidance by encouraging your daughter to seek wisdom from the Word of God in addressing issues that will arise.
If your daughter is not currently of driving age, you will need to make transportation arrangements for meetings and special events that your daughter’s chapter schedules. We encourage you to let your daughter know which days do not work with your family schedule so her team can plan accordingly. We have come to realize that it is of the utmost importance that the determined meeting time not be changed if at all possible as this can and will affect their membership numbers, so being armed with as much scheduling information as possible is a great way to start these ladies off successfully.
Are adults present at the meetings?
Yes. Each chapter has at least one teacher Advisor that will attend each meeting, both 5 Main and All-Member. Because we utilize campus facilities and resources, most school districts require that one or more of their hired campus personnel act as a monitor, or “Sponsor”, for our organization. In our experience, many of these teachers find their role as advisors to be a legal way they are able to serve their King in their jobs. One of the primary reasons school districts allow student-led clubs, like DOLLS, to operate on their campuses is because they recognize the leadership development opportunities afforded to students by such an experience. School districts have no reservations about their teachers pouring into these girls’ leadership, which allows these advisors to make a Kingdom impact without violating any of the boundaries placed around educators regarding religious matters.
5 MAIN CONFERENCE
We plan throughout the year for our annual 5 Main Conference, building each year from feedback and experiences of the previous years in order to provide a rich experience for our officers. Our girls will receive in depth training regarding their officer position in the officer break-out sessions, a mini-seminary training in the absolutes of Christian faith, training on how to properly exegete scripture and develop theologically accurate devotionals, leadership intensive sessions to recognize characteristics of all great leaders and how they can implement them in their own lives, ministry operations training, a time management course, a session on biblical conflict resolution as well as team bonding time. They will leave the event with a preparation manual filled with detailed information regarding ministry with DOLLS, as well as a host of additional continuing education resources.
5 MAIN BOOT CAMP
The girls will also attend “Boot Camp” in January. This is a time when all of our campuses come together once again for refresher courses, encouragement and ideas for addressing any challenges they may be facing as a chapter, as well as a time for the girls to share with one another new ideas and activities that have been successful on their campus. We know ministry is always much harder than it seems like it should be, so we’ll pull our beloved officers in, dress their wounds, and spur them on to finish their race strong through the rest of the school year. Then we’ll train the girls how to pass the torch to the next generation that will come behind them.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Throughout the year, our chapters will also have weekly contact with our Chapter Director via weekly mentoring emails. (and periodic WORKSHOPS they will attend). Our headquarters staff also offers book clubs throughout the summer for the girls to be a part of.
THE COST OF DOING MINISTRY
For every young woman DOLLS releases into ministry, it costs us $1200 to train, equip, and support them for their
9-month mission. Throughout the year, D.O.L.L.S. officers receive training, coaching, and continuing education to
ensure they are thoroughly equipped for the work of ministry. DOLLS provides each officer a plethora of tools, literature, supplies, and materials that they will need in order to prepare for and perform their jobs well. Throughout the school year, D.O.L.L.S. HQ will host several outreach events. Officers are expected to attend these as representatives of the ministry for their personal edification. Over the course of an officer’s year of ministry, our donors will invest significantly to fund the personal development of these student missionaries. It is our donor’s delight and joy to partner with these girls through their financial contributions!
In turn, each officer of D.O.L.L.S. demonstrates their commitment to the ministry and to their fellow 5 Main by making a personal investment to contribute toward the cost of their development. This investment, known as Officer Dues, covers a fourth of the costs incurred by each individual officer’s direct participation in ministry. This good faith deposit serves as a sort of “earnest money” declaring the seriousness with which each of our students are approaching this opportunity, giving donors confidence that their investment to cover the remaining portion of those per-officer costs will not return void.
Asking our leaders to demonstrate their commitment through this good faith deposit is a completely appropriate way for D.O.L.L.S. to protect the ministry from taking a financial hit in the event that a leader proves unfaithful and abandons her commitment mid-course. Likewise, DO.L.L.S. works very hard to keep this earnest investment low so it can be easily met by the girls themselves through working odd jobs (babysitting, petsitting), fulfilling chores, or raising support through family, church, and friends.
Payment Deadlines
Officers have the option of paying their dues either 1)in full up-front, or 2)in two equal installments. Half of your dues ($150) are required by July 1st in order to secure your position as an officer with the DOLLS ministry. This portion is non-refundable. Full payment is due by August 1st. If full payment is not received on or before the payment deadline, the student may be withdrawn from participation as an officer and will not receive a refund of previously paid funds. A late fee of $25 will be added to any remaining balance after August 1st. To secure your position, early payments are encouraged.
IS FINANCIAL AID available?
*Yes! A limited amount of financial aid money is available and is awarded using a need-based formula, awarded in amounts no greater than $150. We encourage girls to raise support from their family and friends to assist in covering the remaining cost. If you are in need of financial assistance, please reach out to our Executive Director, Gale Carter, to request a Financial Aid application.