The new school year saw the opening of three new GB groups in the Northumberland and Durham, Merseyside and Stour Valley Districts.
All three groups have already had a great response and are enjoying welcoming girls through their doors every week.
Team Leader Sam Cree shares 1st Ryton’s journey,
‘On Sunday 8th September we began with a celebration in morning worship. The new volunteers were commissioned and the new group dedicated and prayed for. Our group launched the following evening on Monday 9th September. We were thrilled to have 12 girls come along to the first session.
“Girls have been working on the topics – Our Group for n:vestigate (learning all about GB; the motto, badge and how they are part of a big GB family), Friendship for n:gage. Both badges finished with a
bring a friend night on our last evening of half-term. This brought our number of girls to 20.
The girls have really loved GB and it has been a real encouragement for us. One parent said that her daughters run down the street to get to church for GB starting. A girl who joined used to be in Brownies, she said that Girls’ Brigade is so good, just like Brownies but with God in it!
The girls are excited to get their uniforms after half-term. When I was working as a development worker for GB on the UYSAF project, Ryton Methodist Church was one church I was talking to about starting Girls’ Brigade. It was something that the church was interested in, but there wasn’t the full support to make it happen.
Once I finished that role, I started to work for Ryton Methodist Church as Youth and Families worker. I always felt that God was with me and starting Girls’ Brigade was something that was right for that church. After three years in my role at the church, I was able to launch my GB group and it has been amazing!
The group has been a success and is supported well by the families and church. It is evidence that God has his timing for everything! It also shows, that work that was happening in GB during the time of the development workers is still having an impact. Seeds were sown and are now going to live.”
Alison, Team Leader at 1st Bromsgrove says,
“At 1st Bromsgrove we are almost at the end of our first half term, and we have had lots of fun over these few weeks!”
“After a spring and summer of meetings, training and endless emails we opened on 16th September with the two younger sections, and have between 15 and 19 girls each week, keeping our five leaders and one helper very busy! Our Commissioning and Enrolment Night was on 3rd November, joint with 2nd Bromsgrove BB Company (the leaders of which have been a huge help and encouragement to all of us).
For two of us, it’s been an emotional journey, too: we were members of the ‘old’ 1st Bromsgrove in the ‘80s and ‘90s and have been revisiting old memories along the way.
Our n:vestigate section have been working towards their ‘Our Friends’ badge and had huge fun this week covering the floor with beads making their friendship bracelets! The n:gage section has been looking at ‘Co-operation’ and learning to work together as they get to know one another.
We have also had a couple of ‘different’ weeks: one focussing on Harvest celebrations, where the girls tasted new foods and made fruit kebabs; and on our last week this half term we’re going exploring to a hidden corner near the church to have a torch-lit adventure.
We are all very excited to have Girls’ Brigade back in Bromsgrove after so many years, and look forward to helping girls learn to ‘Seek, Serve and Follow Christ’ in our community.’ 28th Liverpool’s new n:vestigate section have also enjoyed a great first term with an n:gage section beginning soon too.”
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