Planting a church... in its baby steps!

Our dream is to see a transformed community that will impact Africa!!! And the only way to see that is for Jesus to be restored as the only King in Olievenhoutbosch. Discipleship is the vehicle to get people to Jesus...

 

We are currently about 15-20 people working together to see this happen. If 20 people commit to making 1 disciple a year and teach them to do the same, after 20 years you will see 20 disciples grow to 20,971 520 disciples. That is the impact discipleship can and will have...

 

Olievenhoutbosch is so rich with culture and rich with nations! Through transforming Olievenhout we can truly see nations being impacted for the Kingdom of God.

 

Our vision is to plant Christ-centered, disciple-making, Bible-believing churches in Olievenhoutbosch that will impact the community. How we do it is a slow process, but its very simple. Discipling people and teaching them to do the same. Raising up local leaders who will lead the churches...

 

 

Here is Chand and his brother Urfan, they are from Pakistan. They are being discipled.

This is Kwanele's brother, Bulelani, and Cindy, his girlfriend. They are being reached out to as they do not know Jesus. Kwanele will disciple them.

Below is Lois and his cousin and nephew, they are all from Mozambique. Johan (far right) is investing into Lois life, discipling him and then Lois is discipling his family.

 

 This is Kwanele and his friend Jackson. Kwanele has been bringing Jackson to church and pretty soon he will start discipling him. No one told him to reach out to Jackson, but they work together and he needs Jesus. Simple.

 This is Gunther and Abraham. Abraham is a friend of Chand whom I prayed for in his house many weeks ago. Without knowing that Gunther and Abraham has been working together for 6 years now!! Gunther is also passionate about Jesus and he is now busy discipling Abraham. Abraham was praying for a church and really feels that God is adding him to our family. I shared with him our plans and heart for Oleivenhoutbosch and he is sold out and on-board with what we are busy doing... Will he lead one of the churches? Maybe...

 

 Below is Bethuel, he is very involved in his church. We are intentionally discipling him so that he can invest into his leaders at church. We want to see healthy churches in Olievenhoutbosch! Behind him is Dumesani. He is in Gr 12. He is not sure yet what he is going to do next year, but he has a real love for God. I can see God using him mightely to impact his community. And to the right is Bravo... Yes!!!! Bravo. He made it to one of our discipleship groups, but he is still caught in drugs. Please pray for him!

 

This is how we are busy planting a church. Through local people reaching and discipling local people. How long it will take we dont know, but we believe in the impact discipleship will have in Olievenhoutbosch...

What is happening on our campuses?

It is really such a blessing to have Francois (Kwagga) as part of the full time team in Centurion and he is ankering our campus ministry!

God is really faithful and opening doors, opening hearts and preparing the way for an amazing 2013 on our campuses!

At Open Window God is giving us so much favour. Francois is discipling Eben and Ruhan and its exciting to see what God is doing in their lives. Saskia a laying foundations in Vasti's life - she is also a first year and will next year be part of the SRC at Open Window for 2013 and she is sold out for what God is busy doing. I will get her to share a bit of her story next time =)

At Centurion Academy we are really praying into Riverside Place, trusting God to reach the students who stay there. WJ is really buying into family and it is so encouraging to see what God is doing in his life, healing him from insecurities, past hurt and trust issues. God is so amazing! We have been praying a lot for one of his friends - and the other week we finally got to have coffee with him. He was really open so we are still praying that God will continue to do the work in his heart, that he will receive Jesus and follow Him with his life.

Here is also a short video of a God Test we did with Themba @ Open Window. It was really interesting to hear his views and he was so open to share what he believes and why he believes it.

"He came to set the captives free..."

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, for He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free.

Luke 4:18

These were Jesus' words and I don't think that have ever been more real to me than this past week.

This again is Bravo. He is 20 years old, lives with his sisters, his parents got divorced a couple of years ago and he has got a daughter that should be about 4 years old now. When we met him the first time he was completely lost in drugs, but we shared the gospel with him and there was a desire to surrender completely to God. For weeks I couldn't get hold of Bravo so that we can start discipling him and after I saw him again I realized how naive I was to think that you change your life just like that...

After continually going to Bravo's house and never finding him, I managed to get to some people in the part who know him. They told me that Bravo was at the clinic after being in a fight. When I got the the clinic and found Bravo there he told me that they were playing in the park. Eventually he told me the truth: He borrowed money from a taxi driver to buy drugs, he couldn't pay it back so the taxi driver beat him with a brick...

Last week I got in touch with Bravo again, got him connected with some of the people we are busy discipling. During our time he told me that he quickly needs to go home, to eat. I told him that we will have lunch together so it's ok. Then he told me the truth - he isnt feeling well and he basically needs a "fix". The dagga that they smoke is mixed with something that hooks them onto it and the withdrawal symptoms are intense. They start shaking and cant function properly.

We prayed together and I left him with Michael while I went to Kwanele's house to do our discipleship group. When I came back Bravo was gone. He told Michael that he needed to quickly go to the bathroom, but then slipped away...

I went to the park and found him there, with his friends, getting his "fix".

Right there I saw the bondage of sin controlling a person. Where they are so imprisoned by their addiction with no hope to escape... 

It was a reality shock to me... But there is encouragement... Jesus did come to set the captives free, no matter how deep or strong the bondage!

Please intentionally pray for Bravo, for the rest of the young men who are enslaved as well. That they will be set free by the only One who can - Jesus.