On November 18th members of Region 7 met together for the last time. Once official business of the closure of the region was dealt with, the group took time to join in fellowship, worship, and food.
GB leader Vivienne Aitchison shares, ‘When God created this world he set a rhythm of life which was governed by the seasons. Spring brings forth new life which comes to fruition in the summer, but in order for spring to burst forth there has to be a shedding of leaves in the autumn and a time of apparent barrenness as the plant rests and refreshes ready for the new life to appear. We reflected on how these changing seasons affect each of our lives. We acknowledged that this rhythm of life applies to organisations too and so we accepted, albeit with sadness, that the time had come to say farewell to our regional structure. We did so, however, with the assurance that God had new ways for us to bear fruit in the future.
As part of their worship session, each person placed a leaf on their memory tree. Some leaves identified feelings ranging from sadness and uncertainty, to excitement and anticipation about the future. Other leaves expressed the many things for which they were thankful – the many friendships made across the region, the opportunities to serve, new skills learned, and knowledge gained about the wider GB family. The final leaves represented prayers for the future – for future growth, for new ways of being, for the generations of girls who will find faith, and for new leaders who will serve in GB. The group concluded with a prayer that God would continue to lead GB to find new ways to touch the lives of children and young women across this land, helping them to seek, serve and follow Christ.
Director Jules Murdy led a service for Region 6 and Region 2 held a service for their leaders too. Leaders from Region 3 enjoyed a meal together to give thanks to their regional team.