In 1858, a Boston Sunday School teacher named Kimball began visiting one of his students at a shoe shop where he worked as a clerk.  Eventually, he led him to Christ. The student’s name was D.L. Moody.  Twenty one years later Moody, now an evangelist, visited London and a great spiritual awakening took place. F.B. Meyer, a local pastor, went to hear and his life was changed. Meyer went to USA to preach and in one of his meetings a student named J. Wilbur Chapman got saved. Chapman became active in YMCA, where he met and discipled a former baseball player called Billy Sunday.  Sunday became a great evangelist and in one of his Crusades in Charlotte, a group of businessmen came to Christ.  A year later those business-men decided that their city would run a mission event.  They invited Mordecai Hamm to speak.  After three weeks Hamm left town, discouraged because he’d only had one convert a 12 year old boy called Billy Graham.

It all started with a Sunday School teacher.

It is so easy to get caught up in the busyness of life particularly in the lead up to displays and the colossal amount of work to be done – display items prepared, badges to be ordered, prizes to be bought, girls to be kept motivated, and this is just with regard to GB life! Life is just busy. Anyone could be forgiven for thinking ‘Is this all worth it?’  The answer is of course YES!!!  Let me encourage you, each and every week you are making a huge impact on your girls.

We may get discouraged thinking that we can’t seem to get girls motivated to be excited about competitions or the events you may want them to attend.  However, it is so important not to lose sight of the fact that week after week your girls are choosing to come along to be a part of your GB family.  That is what each and every company is to so many girls, family.   More and more, Girls’ Brigade is some girls only connection to hear about Jesus.  Week after week you have an amazing opportunity to invest in your girls and more importantly to share the Gospel with them.  You may not see the fruit of what you are teaching them this side of Heaven but one thing you can be sure of is you are making a lasting difference.

I finish with the encouraging words found in 1 Corinthians 15:57-58.

“But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ.  So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable.  Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless”. (NLT)

For Billy Graham, it all started with a Sunday School teacher. That Sunday school teacher probably never dreamt in a million years the impact his sharing the Gospel would have in extending the Kingdom of God.

 

So, for you as a GB leader, can I encourage you, your boldness in sharing faith and the Gospel, you have no idea the impact you are having on the Kingdom of God especially in light of the verse above where He promises that nothing we ever do for Him is useless.

My prayer for all you Captains, Officers and leaders as you finish this session is that you will rest in His presence and will have fresh encounters with your Saviour that will overflow into your girls’ lives in the next session.

Blessings
Lesley