It’s an inspiring movie. Well, it inspired me! Consequently, I have invited 5 young female professionals on a year-long challenging journey of discipleship and leader formation. They have all been part of the initiative we started 8 years ago to disciple college-age young people. Our primary focus continues to be the students who attend the local university. However, students graduate and scatter. There is not much work for them in Bulawayo. Our question has been how to continue discipling and encouraging them. This has involved trips to see them, Zoom calls, and running annual national retreats.
Late last year, a young woman still in Bulawayo asked me to coach her. As I thought about it, I realized that within the previous 6 months, 5 of our female graduates had found work and moved to Bulawayo. We were not doing anything intentionally to help solidify what these young professionals had learnt as students and to motivate them to keep moving ahead. The concept of “The Sisterhood” was birthed.
Throughout 2025, Natasha, Kudzai, Sheila, Laurette, and Rhulani are on a quest to become grounded, godly women and to grow as leaders. They gather monthly at our home to update each other on how they are progressing with the twelve challenges involved in being a member of The Sisterhood. These include Bible reading and memorization, discipling another woman, book reviews, integrating a new spiritual discipline into their lives, learning a new skill, working together on a ministry project, learning and applying investment principles, and starting a side hustle. Each of them is accountable to another member of the group for the purposes of ongoing encouragement and prayer. I also use the opportunity to facilitate guest speakers or to teach on relevant topics. This month, the focus is fiscal stewardship. They are learning to account for their money and are working on a personal budget.
They are truly serious about the program, and they inspire me. One is learning Hebrew; another is learning to teach dance in preparation for starting her own dance group. Their current spiritual disciplines include solitude and silence. I hear that Natasha is discipling Noms, who is discipling Flo, who is discipling Rose. Oh wow! Isn’t that exciting to hear?
Join me in praying for them on this journey. They are tomorrow’s leaders. With Africa’s population doubling in the next 25 years, they must be ready to be Christ’s ambassadors, sharing the Gospel with their lives and leading the continent to Christ.