Hey friends! Let me, (Anne), tell you a little secret. Becoming More as it looks today was not our plan. A little over one year ago, God placed a desire inside my heart to help Gracie move to the next level of her leadership in ministry. I felt God nudging her to move toward discipleship and could see real potential in her, but she didn’t see the potential within herself. I asked her if she wanted to lead a women’s group with me starting in February of 2020. I told her we would call it “Becoming More” because at The Chapel, we believe God’s vision is for people to become more like Jesus for the sake of others. A few weeks later, Becoming More kicked off with a group of about 30 women who desired to press into community and grow in their faith. And do you know who grew most of all? Gracie! I began to see her blossom in her ability to lead people in worship, but also in her ability to teach and share God’s Word.
And then the pandemic hit, the world ran out of toilet paper, and Becoming More went online. And Becoming More GREW! It grew beyond our wildest dreams and Gracie and I needed help! We began asking God to reveal who might join us on this journey. Who else would benefit from this opportunity to lead this amazing group of women? Immediately God brought to mind two familiar faces who also needed an opportunity to develop their leadership skills. We asked Sara and Samantha to be a part of a leadership team. And they said yes. In the last year, we’ve all grown exponentially because of the opportunity to lead you and join with you in the journey of becoming more like Jesus for the sake of others.
Why is the start of Becoming More significant? Because it’s through deliberate leadership development that we make disciples and making disciples is what we’ve been tasked to do. In Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus said, “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, baptizing 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.’”
Jesus isn’t just talking to pastors and church leaders. He is taking to his eleven disciples, everyday ordinary people who had walked with Jesus in their journey to become more like Him. Matt. 28:17 even tells us that some of them worshipped Him while others doubted. These disciples were far from perfect and had very little status, standing, or authority in the world. They were even hated by many people. Yet by His authority, Jesus gave them the command to go and lead others to a relationship with God.
We often feel we’re not good enough and we don’t have enough education or experience to lead others. Jesus breaks down all of those excuses as He talks to this ragtag bunch of ordinary men. Based on His authority He commands them to go as disciples and make other disciples; to go as leaders and make other leaders.
As you consider your ability and calling to lead, pray this prayer as often as you can today, earnestly asking God to reveal where He is urging you to become a deliberate disciple-maker and leader.
Author: Anne Bosarge