Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” –  Matthew 28:16-20

Do your girls play “Follow the Leader” each girl copying the girl in front as they dance, jump, hop and skip around the hall?

Or perhaps they play “Guess the Leader”, sitting in a circle, one girl is chosen to be IT.  Another is chosen to be the leader and all the girls in the circle have to follow her actions while IT is trying to work out who the leader is.

In both games the girls have to copy the leader, they watch what the leader is doing and then do the same thing.  In one dictionary I looked at it says a disciple is a person who is a pupil or an adherent of the doctrines of another; follower. 

Another dictionary definition of disciple is a person who believes in the ideas and principles of someone famous and tries to live the way that person does or did.

Our mission in GB is to help girls become followers (disciples) of Jesus Christ.  Our girls are encouraged to seek, serve and follow (be a disciple of) Jesus.

• How do we as leaders help girls to become followers of Jesus?
• How do we as leaders fulfill the words of Jesus in Matthew 28 to go and make disciples?

Many years ago, GB Australia had a wonderful Chaplain, Mrs H (as we all called her.) I remember one day saying, “I want to be like Mrs H when I grow up!!” Mrs H was an amazing Godly woman who valued and loved Jesus and lived her life with Christ at the centre of everything she did.  She encouraged and prayed for those of us who knew her to do the same. She challenged us to follow Christ with all we had and demonstrated how to do just that as she lived her life.

Disciples are followers. As we follow Jesus we are modelling discipleship to our girls and encouraging them to do the same.

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ – 1 Corinthians 11:1 

To go and make disciples we first need to be a disciple ourselves. To show others how to follow Christ we must be following Him.  As we, their leaders, live with Christ central in our lives, our girls will see discipleship demonstrated every week.  They will see Christ as we interact with them, as we share Christ’s love with them, as we live the values of GB, our churches and God’s word.  The best way to help girls to follow Jesus, is to follow Him yourself.

Discipleship is ongoing, lifelong.  As leaders we need to continue to look to those who have walked with Jesus longer than us, to follow their example.  In GB we have a wonderful community of believers that are at all stages of life and Christian journey. 

• Look to each other for stories of hope and fulfillment,
• Look to each other for encouragement to dream big, to aim for new things
• Look to each other for support and strength
• Look to each other for woman who live with Christ central in their lives, who follow Him.

Thank you, Father, for those women you have put in my life who are an example of you and who encourage me to do the same. May I be an example to the girls you have placed around me. Amen