Mallys and Bright Lights and Weddings

[clueliss]

Since I was asked to by @Palimpsest in another thread...

 

Here it is,  a place to snark on the Mally family.   

 

Hi, I'm a former co-leader of Bright Lights.  You'll find as a result that I have a personal dislike for Sarah Mally and her narrow minded views on how girls should behave and dress.  The unrealistic view that teen girls really want to stick around and lead younger girls (because in the church I found this program at - they did not.  They hit  7th grade, could be in youth group and were gone) and other such madness.  Also Grace Mally - courtesy of recordings -has an annoying, whiny, nasal voice that makes my bats.

To re-share the story - to be a bright lights leader you have to read/listen to their material.  And fill out this application.  This includes some sort of stupid paper to fill out and send in with what amounts to your headships blessing.  Headship being defined as your Dad (I do not speak to my father any more, and really do not consider him to be a fine, upstanding example of Christianity) or your husband (I do not have one of those either).  I got a deacon of my church to sign the thing.  (You'd be amazed at what church leaders will do if it means you are stepping up to a leadership role especially in children't ministries).  I was roughly 45 years old.  But I had to have a man sign off.  

You also might see me snark on things like 'chalk talks'  or harp playing courtesy of this family.  

 

editing to add the link to Mally/Bright Lights etc central:
 

http://www.brothersandsisters.net/

Edited October 26, 2020 by Coconut Flan

[clueliss]

Will you look there.  My login and password still work at their site.  Something to do in the near future.  

[Palimpsest]

Many thanks for starting this thread ‌@clueless!

 Sarah Mally is the author of "Before You Meet Prince Charming: A Guide to Radiant Purity" AKA Jill Duggar's favorite book (other than the Bible).  She is in her mid 30s and, like Sarah Maxwell, still withering on the matrimonial vine. 

Bright Lights seems to have gone international, as I found an Australian chapter recently.

Grace Mally, who is a lot younger than Sarah, seems to be heavily involved in Bright Lights as well.  It seems to me that Sarah and Grace are allowed quite a lot of independence for their ministry.  Independence that they do not recommend to the girls that end up in Bright Lights.  Do you have any thoughts on that, Clueliss?

Grace Mally is indeed annoying, and it is not just her voice.  You can hope never to have to sit next to her on a plane because she proselytizes wherever she goes tossing her hair flirtatiously as she talks about God.  Here she is in England, Plymouth to be exact, trying to convert those heathen Brits.  They are remarkably polite to her, but an experienced eye can see they think she is nuts.

http://tomorrowsforefathers.com/gracenotes/?cat=26

[clueliss]

What they teach is very very patriarchal.  I am assuming that their travels etc has been 'blessed by their patriarch.'  I also notice that Sarah and Grace's brother Stephen is doing tech stuff behind the scenes so I rather assume that he's with them most of the time.  

When I have the chance - since I have discovered that the old log in works - I'll see about downloading teaching material available to me.  Any suggestions on where to 'house' that material for the ole FJ library?  

[teachergirl]

Yes, Grace was just recently trying to convert Jews at the parade or college. She asked everyone to pray for her since she doesnt believe in hell.

[clueliss]

Oh look.  I've managed to get back on the Tomorrow's Forefather's email list with my visit to the site to snatch material.  So I'm sharing for the FJ record and your snark pleasure.  

 

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This email contains graphics, so if you don't see them, view it in your browser.

Dear Friends—
 
Merry Christmas from the Mally Family and Bright Lights Staff!
 
How a Big Mouse Can Be a Big Answer to Prayer (By Sarah)
 
Thank you to all of you who have been praying for our friend from the Middle East (as we wrote about in our October newsletter)! She is continuing to face many challenges. I (Sarah) talk with her often on the phone and we read Scripture together and pray. Recently, she mentioned that she had another problem—on top of everything else she was dealing with. She had a mouse in her apartment! She called the property manager, but he wasn’t able to deal with it immediately. “The mouse looked very big,” she told me. “I can’t spend the night here knowing that it could run over me during the night!”
 
Her church family is quite a distance away, and so she wasn’t sure what to do for that night. She remembered that she had met two girls from the same middle-eastern country as she is from at a recent get together. She only met them briefly, but they lived nearby, so she thought it might be a possibility to stay with them for one night. They welcomed her gladly. When she walked into their apartment, she was surprised to see Bibles and Christian books. She learned that they are new believers just as she is! 
 
That night she shared with them about her cancer, and they shared their testimonies with each other. Amazingly, one of these girls just got a job 5 minutes away from our friend’s work, and this same girl also just got her driver’s license. She has provided sweet Christian fellowship, and help with transportation, cooking, and other practical needs! They have also been studying the Bible together.
 
If it had not been for that mouse, these connections would probably never have been made! Praise the Lord for the way He watches over His children, and works all things together for good for those who love Him.
 
The Icy Lake  (By Grace Mally – an excerpt from Will Our Generation Speak Study Guide? and Handbook for Witnessing)
 
That lake definitely looks frozen solid! Seth thought as he confidently ran out onto the lake near his home. To his surprise, however, the ice was very thin, and soon he was in the ice-cold water. It didn’t matter how much faith Seth had in that ice—the ice was not trustworthy!
 
Ethan also lived by a lake, but he was very nervous to walk on it. Although the lake was frozen a foot thick so that even a horse could have run across, Ethan tiptoed out onto the ice only with great fear and trepidation. Ethan did not have great faith, but he chose to trust the ice, and found it trustworthy. No matter how many doubts he had, that lake was not going to crack a bit.
 
Seth and Ethan’s safety was not dependent on how much faith they had in the ice, but rather on how thick the ice was! In the same way, we are not saved because of the high degree of faith we have, but rather because the Object of our faith is entirely trustworthy. We choose to trust Him who is altogether worthy of our trust. 
 
You see, our faith isn’t in our faith! We don’t conclude that we are going to Heaven because we are “so good at believing!” No, we place our faith in Christ—and find Him to be the “solid ice that will not crack!” He has promised, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). I think sometimes people doubt their salvation because their focus is on how much faith they have. They are not 100% sure they have believed enough. Perhaps they prayed the “sinner’s prayer” one time (or 3,000 times), but they aren’t sure if they “did it right.” 
 
But that would be like Ethan thinking his safety was dependent upon how much faith he had in the ice. What mattered wasn’t how confident Ethan was feeling, but how strong the ice was. Even though he lacked confidence, he was still safe, because the ice was solid. In the same way, we don’t trust our faith; we trust God’s grace. “For by grace you have been saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8).
 
Announcing:
Will Our Generation Speak? Study Guide and Handbook is now in! It was an exciting day last week when it arrived!
 
Although this study corresponds to the chapters in Will Our Generation Speak?, it was not designed to merely produce discussion about the book, but also to provide a “trail to discovery” of what Scripture teaches about evangelism. It includes many short articles (such as “The Icy Lake” shared above) on topics such as “How to Use Evidence,” “Keys to Boldness,” “Building Relationships with Neighbors,” “What about the Sinner’s Prayer?” and “Tract Tips.” It also includes over fifty cartoons drawn by our dad and examples of gospel sketches and illustrations. 
 
This study guide is recommended for high school and college groups. It is also suggested as a personal Bible study, family study, or for a homeschool Bible course in evangelism.
 
Often we hear from young people who are excited about witnessing, but they feel alone. Their friends from church do not share their enthusiasm. They easily become discouraged. For us, we found that it helps so much when the Lord provides a team to come witnessing with us. The accountability helps, the prayer helps, the encouragement helps, and doing it together makes it easier. In addition, when we have a witnessing outreach on the calendar, it’s harder to back out! In the New Testament, we often see believers sharing the gospel in pairs. Our prayer is that individuals who have a heart for evangelism will lead this study with a group and form a witnessing team.         
 
Special pricing is available for groups.
 
Christmas Resources
 
Christmas Dinnertime Questions
We hope that many of you are finding the Christmas Dinnertime questions profitable and encouraging! If you have not started using them yet, you can find them here. These questions are designed to spark enjoyable and significant family discussions throughout the Christmas season.
 
Use Christmas Scriptures as a Gospel Tract
This is one of our favorite Christmas tracts. It is pure Scripture—simply the Christmas account from the Bible (including portions from Isaiah, Matthew, Luke and John). We roll it up like a little scroll and tie it with a ribbon. When we give it to people, we say, “Here is the Christmas story from the Bible for your family to read this year.” People usually receive it as a gift and seem happy to get it. You candownload it here and print your own. Why should we pass out Scripture to unbelievers? Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God (Romans10:17)!
 
Free Shipping
 
As mentioned in our last newsletter, we are giving free media mail shipping on our online store this month. Offer is good through December 31st, 2015. Use promo code: shipping2015 (Please note: this does not apply to International orders or orders placed using the Bright Lights Leaders Discount pricing.)
 
May the Lord bless each of you and your families this Christmas season!
 
Merry Christmas!
 
Harold, Rebekah, Sarah, Stephen, and Grace Mally, Nickie Biegler, Bekah Hicks, Shelby Rathke, Hannah Sandersfeld, and Grandpa (David Rodgers)

 

Please note the above abuse of the poor !!!!

[clueliss]

Oh Boy - the December Leader's Update...

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Dear Bright Lights Leaders—
 
Merry Christmas! I hope each of you are doing well and finding renewed strength for each day as you remember your high calling in Christ!
 
At our Christmas Bright Lights meeting last Monday, we talked about how each of us can be like the one spoken of in Jeremiah 17:7-8: “Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.”
 
As an example of staying “green even in drought” I told the missionary story of Arthur and Wilda Mathews (as told in Green Leaf in Drought by Isobel Kuhn). Through times of deep trial, as the Mathews were stuck in China in the 1950s, they kept their eyes fixed on Christ and experienced His sustaining power. As outward circumstances grew worse and worse, their roots continued to sink deeper and deeper into the One who was their source of strength. Their beautiful story demonstrates that our leaf truly can stay “green” even in the hardest times, and the Lord can bring forth fruit in the most unexpected of ways.  
 
As Bright Lights leaders, we all know of the challenges of discipling others—hard work, prayer, disappointments, and the continual need for perseverance. Yet, we also know the joy of seeing the Lord’s abundant grace in us and through us. May the Lord cause all grace to abound to you, “so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work” (2 Cor. 9:8).
 
Leaders Pricing for New Resources
Most of you are probably aware of the two new resources which we hope will be a blessing to Bright Lights groups. We wanted to let you know the Leaders discount pricing for these.
 
Bright Lights Songbook (Simplified Arrangements)
We know that many of you Bright Lights leaders are music teachers, and that many girls in Bright Lights groups are budding young musicians! Haley Skrnich, a Bright Lights leader in Texas, suggested that we design a simplified version of our songbook, Let My Life Be a Light, for beginning and intermediate pianists. We are so thankful to her for this idea and for her hard work on this project! We pray it is a blessing to many girls in Bright Lights groups. 
 
Retail $12.00
Bright Light Discount 1 Price $9.00 (this price is also available for Bright Lights Leaders to purchase for piano students, even if they are not in a Bright Lights group)
Bright Light Discount 2 Price $6.00
 
Will Our Generation Speak? Study Guide and Handbook for Witnessing
We suggest that Bright Lights groups do this study after they have finished the other sets. Although the overall theme is personal evangelism, it touches on many other topics as well, such as trust, joy, prayer, and living fully for Christ. This study corresponds to the chapters in Will Our Generation Speak? generating discussion on the topics presented. However, it is much more than that. It provides a “trail to discovery” of what Scripture teaches about evangelism, helping girls to learn to study Scripture more deeply on their own. This study is designed like a workbook with places for the girls to write answers to the questions as they look up various Scripture portions. Our friends at ECS put the first chapter online if you would like to see it to get an idea of what it is like. (Click here and scroll down.)
 
Study Guide Prices
Retail $14.00
Bright Light Discount 1 Price $10.00
Bright Light Discount 2 Price $5.00
 
Package Prices (including both Will Our Generation Speak? Book and Study Guide)
Bright Light Discount 1 Price $15.00
Bright Light Discount 2 Price $10.00
 
You can log in on the online store to receive these prices.
 
Bekah Hicks is busy taking care of her precious baby, Lydia. I expect that you will still hear from her from time to time, though not as frequently as before. :-) We miss her here at the office, but are excited to see her in the new role in which God has her! 
 
May the Lord bless each of you this Christmas season, and may He give you clear direction as you seek His will for 2016! We always enjoy hearing about what the Lord is doing in your groups!  
 
With Joy in Christ,
Sarah

 

 

[teachergirl]

So, it is time for the annual St. Patrick's Day tract passing out for Catholics, Jews, Muslims and any other heathens...One of their leghumpers took it to a new low ( imho) by purposely going to to a Fish Fry at St. Patrick's Catholic Church where they live to pass them out.....This family galls me to no end, I guess the only thing I can give them credit for is calling him Saint Patrick.  Scott Brown refuses to call any of the saints by that title as you know that would be too Catholic.

 

Edited April 8, 2016 by OnceUponATime
adding tags

[anniebgood]

I am surprised that the leg humper didn't get tossed out on his ass for interrupting a Friday Night Fish Fry. You don't get between a Catholic and their fish and cole slaw. (And for that matter, I'm a good Lutheran who loves a Lenten Fish Fry). 

[teachergirl]

Quote

I know right?  I read the tract and there is nothing "anti Catholic" in this one but the Mallys are blatantly ant Catholic so I found it so offensive someone would take that there. I am a lapsed Catholic now Anglican and I hate the misconceptions all of these asshats have about Catholics.

 

[anjulibai]

Wow, that's really low. 

[season of life]

I assume the Mally family consists of Harold and Rebekah and their three kids? I just looked them up. 

Sarah Mally wrote Before You Meet Prince Charming. That's the book Jill Duggar mentioned in one of the 19 Kids and Counting episodes, although this was in Season 2. I know this dull fact because of Duggars Reviewed!

[clueliss]

I received a bright lights/tomorrow's forefathers email that I need to read and copy over here for snark purposes.  Apparently they also like to go to the mall to hand out tracts.  

[Bretta]

They were on an episode of 19kac too, holding a private purity/courtship conference in the Duggar home.

 

 

[salex]

9 hours ago, clueliss said:

I received a bright lights/tomorrow's forefathers email that I need to read and copy over here for snark purposes.  Apparently they also like to go to the mall to hand out tracts.  

Wasn't daxid Rodrigues  converted by a tract at the mall.    

 

Who accepts stuff like that from people.  "No, thanks "  And what mall allows it?

[anachronistic]

One of my local malls always has a big Jehovah's Witness booth.  It's a smallish mall, but it gets a ton of traffic because the Target is there and the Department of Motor Vehicles is there, too.  I was renewing my license a few weeks ago and as I walked by with the 2 year old I care for I told her loudly, 'We have to stay away from those evil people who want to brainwash you.'

[SilverBeach]

10 minutes ago, anachronistic said:

One of my local malls always has a big Jehovah's Witness booth.  It's a smallish mall, but it gets a ton of traffic because the Target is there and the Department of Motor Vehicles is there, too.  I was renewing my license a few weeks ago and as I walked by with the 2 year old I care for I told her loudly, 'We have to stay away from those evil people who want to brainwash you.'

They may not be evil, but they do want to be brainwash you.

[Mary C Doates]

Our local Jehovah's Witnesses use phone calls to recruit--cheaper than printing tracts, I guess. So much easier to block their calls instead of having to shut the door on them

[PsyD2013]

The Mally family  lives in my hometown. I see them every year at the St. Patrick's Day Parade!  PsyD junior and I will be at the parade again this year.  Maybe we will get lucky this and be given a tract (sarcasm).  

[Peas n carrots]

I'm an Atheist and I even find going to a RCC fish fry and giving out tracts tacky behavior. I'm sure the Mally's wouldn't appreciate someone handing them The RCC catechism while at a religious function. Damn these people just have no respect - if anything they probably are only making the fish fry attendees double down on their own faith.

My JW's hang out at train stations with a shelf of pamphlets. They don't try to engage anyone unless someone engages them first - which always seems to be crazy people.

The Mally family  lives in my hometown. I see them every year at the St. Patrick's Day Parade!  PsyD junior and I will be at the parade again this year.  Maybe we will get lucky this and be given a tract (sarcasm).  

I would love it if you got a tract and put it up on FJ for all to snark on!

[Iamhispurity]

Well, that is really christlike: interrupting a time meant to remember someone who was devoted to his faith in christ. That is neither respectful nor christlike.

And do they really think those tracts convert anyone? Everyone I know throws them in the trash right away. 

[lilwriter85]

I was raised Catholic

13 hours ago, season of life said:

I assume the Mally family consists of Harold and Rebekah and their three kids? I just looked them up. 

Sarah Mally wrote Before You Meet Prince Charming. That's the book Jill Duggar mentioned in one of the 19 Kids and Counting episodes, although this was in Season 2. I know this dull fact because of Duggars Reviewed!

Sarah Mally later appeared in an episode of 19kac, where she visited the TTH. That was in 2011. She came off as a bit smug.

 

The Mally leghumper going to a Catholic fish fry to hand out tracts is shitty.  I was raised Catholic and while there are things that still upset me about the religion, there is a strong sense of community and fundraising in many Catholic parishes that I still appreciate . My father is in Knights of Columbus, they hold frish fry events to raise money for scholarships, Special Olympics, or parishioners in need. 

[lilwriter85]

1 hour ago, anachronistic said:

One of my local malls always has a big Jehovah's Witness booth.  It's a smallish mall, but it gets a ton of traffic because the Target is there and the Department of Motor Vehicles is there, too.  I was renewing my license a few weeks ago and as I walked by with the 2 year old I care for I told her loudly, 'We have to stay away from those evil people who want to brainwash you.'

15 minutes ago, Peas n carrots said:

I'm an Atheist and I even find going to a RCC fish fry and giving out tracts tacky behavior. I'm sure the Mally's wouldn't appreciate someone handing them The RCC catechism while at a religious function. Damn these people just have no respect - if anything they probably are only making the fish fry attendees double down on their own faith.

My JW's hang out at train stations with a shelf of pamphlets. They don't try to engage anyone unless someone engages them first - which always seems to be crazy people.

I would love it if you got a tract and put it up on FJ for all to snark on!

 

 

I have been seeing that at a couple of spots in my area. Around Christmas time, my great aunt asked me to drive her to Wal-Mart so she could do some Christmas shopping. When we were walking through the parking lot, we approached by two women who handed us JW tracts. I got a chuckle out of them attempting to convert people on their way to Christmas shop.

Some friends of mine who ride commuter trains here in New Mexico have had encounters with JWs at the station. One friend recently told me that Mormon missionaries were hanging out at a station for about a month. They weren't handing out anything and they seemed to be having friendly conversations with people.

[MamaJunebug]

I dare the Mallys to take their pamphlets into a pre-Shabbat potluck at the nearest synagogue. Or into a meeting at the local Kingdom Hall after a JW service. Or to offer them to Muslims leaving prayer services at a mosque. 

In the St. Louis metro, Lenten fish frys are sponsored by Lutheran and even an occasional Protestant church as well as by many RC parishes, and one of the radio stations offers free air time to call in and promote why your fry is the best, and what speciality you offer that sets you apart. 

The day may be coming where we hear, "Our fish fry at St. Bud and St. Lou is tract-free!! No pamphlets, no unexpected evangelizing!"

Edited March 6, 2016 by MamaJunebug
To be precise: you kind of expect Christian welcome at a fish fry, you don't expect evangelism from roving crowds of busybodies!

[louisa05]

Our parish fish fry serves about twice as many people as are registered in the parish every week. And these extra people probably are not Catholic or they'd be at their own parish's fish fry. Every parish in our area seems to have one. It is likely many of the people getting the tracts aren't even Catholic. 

My mother and I went to the parish near her house last Friday. The majority of the people they serve are not parish members either. And last Friday, all their proceeds went to a local food pantry. If you brought food donations, you got free shrimp or dessert and they also had a bucket for extra cash donations for the food pantry. It was pretty full and there was a huge pile of cans. That fish fry averages about 1100 served every week, so I imagine that the food pantry got a much needed spring boost out of it. 

Perhaps the Mallys should donate the money they spend on tracts to a food pantry instead.