Evangelism Training

 

According to statisctics only about 15% of people in South Africa actaully attend a Bible believing church. This means that as a nation we are in a crisis.

 

This was what the evangelism training was all about - to see the harvest coming in and people being discipled into strong foundations as they follow Jesus! During the training evangelists and people passionate about evangelism from across our Every Nation churches came together with the aim to raise the local evangelists within the congregations who will lead the church into the community to see the harvest being reached with the Gospel.

 

As Jesus said in Luke 10, there is not a harvest problem, but a labourer problem. Through the evangelism training we aim to see the church be equipped to go into the harvest field.

 

We also had the hand-over from Frans Olivier to Themba Malaba who will be leading evangelism for our Every Nation Southern Africa churches. Frans and his family will be relocating to Kenya in 2015 to lead the church plant in Nairobi. Themba is also a passionate evangelist with a heart to see local evangelists identified, equipped and empowered within their local congregations and communities!

 

Gods Not Dead Conference

We had an incredible time at the Gods Not Dead conference in Cape Town with great speakers such as Rice Broocks, Winston Mashua (RZIM director for South Africa), Dr Brian Miller and many others.

Knowing that we have a faith that is not blind stirs such a boldness and confidence in God's Word, knowing that it is the truth and knowing that we can build our lives on it. One thing that definitely stood out to me was, if God is not dead, then that changes absolutely everything about our lives and our purpose on earth. Everything that we do should then be towards the purpose of making known to the world that God is not dead!

Scepticism, uncertainty and disbelief in God is growing in South Africa, but the great news is that people are open to be engaged. As believers we carry that message of hope inside of us and it is our responsibility to declare the message we believe in to those who don't believe.

During my visit in Cape Town I met up with 3 German students and we spoke about who God is and the implications of His existence on all of our lives. One of the students asked me this question, "Is it possible to have a private relationship with God, where you are not actively sharing that with others?" I responded with a question of my own, "Would it be good or evil if you had the cure for aids, but you just kept it to yourself?". Her response: "Morally, it would be wrong."
It's clear. We have a responsibility...

You can get the podcasts to the conference by clicking on this link.

Why we do campus ministry...

The importance of campus ministry is something we speak about regularly. Today's students are tomorrow's leaders, they are the one's who will be influencing and impacting society for years to come! In the photo top left Rudo Ellis, one of the campus workers on TUKS, is sitting with one such a leader. Rudo had the opportunity to build relationship with one of the leaders of the Economic Freedom Fighters (E.F.F) leaders on the TUKS campus. Imagine the impact and difference such a young leader can make if his life is impacted and transformed through the Gospel of Jesus. Pray with us that God will continue to work in the hearts of these young leaders of tomorrow.

The story of Pedro is truly a remarkable story. It shows the remarkable change the Gospel can make, not just in an individuals life, but also in a whole nation! Pedro, a qualified engineer, came to faith through campus ministry in Cape Town and immediately had a heart to go back to his own country, Angola. He left a really good job offer in order to go back to Angola, reach those who are lost and share with them the Good News about Jesus.

Below is a video feedback from the mission to Angola.

Discipleship Training - Zimbabwe

We had an incredible week with about 140 church and community leaders from across Zimbabwe equipping them in building and growing a discipleship culture in their communities. They have such a passion to see a change in their communities and in their nation! Working with Foundations for Farming they are also equipped to produce their own food - for themselves and to sell to the markets. Thank you for praying for us and for being part of what God is doing in Zimbabwe. Below is also a video from the trip!

 

Engaging a community

We have gone into Eldoraigne a couple of times to specifically do the GodTest (an evangelical tool designed to get a conversation started in order to share the Gospel) in different areas throughout Eldoraigne. Some of the things we found were: Young people are open, there are MANY muslims and the thick walls of religion built around some of the older generation.

Certain traditions are buried so deep in people's belief systems and often your relationship with God is not something you talk about. It's something private between you and God. That makes it a lot more difficult to engage a community, but every community has a key and God is so faithful to provide that key that will unlock a community.

During our annual prayer and fast at the beginning of the year we specifically prayed into Eldoraigne and two things that stood out were marriages and families. We know that God wants to heal and restore marriages and families in Eldoraigne.

In this area we have seen God be really faithful. From the current relationships we have in the community God is adding more people - naturally. Connect Groups are growing and multiplying as people are being established in Christ and their hearts starts to break for the people around them.

This past Sunday as we prayer walked through the community God just revealed to us again that this is His community, His people and He loves them. He longs for them to be close to Him. This gives us huge confidence and peace, knowing that God is doing the work. We are almost walking in the fruit of His labour...

What is happening on our campuses?

Campus Ministry is at the heart of who we are. We believe in the next generation and we believe that our campuses and schools are strategic places where we can make a difference in society and in the world.

Every year we have a campus event called Campus Harvest. This is something that is happening not only in South Africa, but also in other parts in the world! Together as a global Every Nation Family we are trusting God for our campuses - to see the lives of students be impacted with the Gospel.

This year we had a Campus Harvest in Cape Town, Pretoria, Bloemfontein and Namibia. In America it was held across 6 cities - New York, Durham, San Marcos, Jacksonville, Calgary and Los Angeles.

Seeing how thousands of students from across the world are actively and passionately following Jesus makes me excited. They are the future, they are the leaders of tomorrow, they are the world changers!

There is a grace on our campuses to see young people commit their lives to Jesus. Walking on campus we are just so aware of Jesus' words that "the harvest is ready".

Pray for our campuses and campus ministers across the world. Pray for more labourers to be sent into the field and together let's trust God for the harvest to come in!

Here is a video from Campus Harvest as well as some photo's.

 

i-Lead Mens Camp 2014

Statistics have shown that when men have an encounter with Jesus there is a great likelihood that his family will change as well. This is what we were trusting God for during this year's Men's Camp. That men will have an encounter with Jesus and that they will start to lead as God has created and called them to lead - in their families, in their workplace and in society.

We were really trusting God that this will not just be another weekend where men are moved with great worship and powerful messages, but that men will be restored into who God has called them to be. That their encounter with Jesus will propel them into the destiny and calling they were created for.

We had an incredible time together and it remains so powerful to see men becoming vulnerable before God. Regardless of who we are, what our bank balance says, what job we have or what car we drive - we are all in desperate need of God in our lives.

During this weekend there were so many powerful testimonies of God touching lives, changing hearts, restoring relationships and adding people to the Kingdom. God has such a desire to have a personal and intimate relationship with us - He will move heaven and earth for an opportunity to have relationship with us.

Here are some video's from the weekend!

Friday Recap Video

Saturday Recap Video

Engage Training - February & March 2014

In Luke 10:2 Jesus sais, "The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest."

That is why we do Engage Training. Jesus promises that the harvest is ready, all we need to do is to go into the harvest field. Many times we as Christians don't go because of different reasons: fear, lack of training, lack of conviction, personal or external barriers, the list goes on. That is what Engage Training is all about - equipping believers to go into the harvest field, not as a programme or event, but as a lifestyle. Once a person's heart has been cut with the gospel that heart will not be able to remain silent.

During February and March we had two groups attending the Engage Training. One was a campus specific training - equipping a number of students specifically for their environment - and during the other training we had people from 3 of our congregations attending.

It is really incredible to see how people are eager to reach the lost when they themselves encounter the gospel in a fresh way. Christ is our hope, our salvation as well as our motivation. He is the reason we go to the harvest.

As part of the training we also practically go out to engage with people specifically using the GodTest - a tool developed to help us start a conversations that leads to us being able to share the story of Jesus.

Victory Training February 2014

In February we launched our new Victory Training course as a city wide church having about 150 people attending over the weekend. The Victory Training is a foundational course that helps us to firstly understand the work Jesus did for us on the cross as well as to keep on walking in the victory and the freedom He purchased for us.

We truly had an incredible weekend filled with testimonies ranging from salvations, baptisms in the Holy Spirit and freedom and victory God brought in areas such as addictions, unforgiveness, broken relationship etc. God truly is faithful to His Word - "You will know the truth and the truth will set you free."

Here is a short testimony video from the weekend.

 

Eldoraigne - a community prepared by God

When we started with Eldoraigne last year Riëtte got a word that God will go out before us, that He will prepare the community, and this is exactly what we are experiencing.

People are being drawn into God's Kingdom from Eldoraigne without us necessarily having anything to do with it.
Here are just a couple of testimonies...

I went to rotate my tyres and I met JP - one of the guys who works there. He started talking to me and shared that he recently moved here from Hopetown (Northern Cape) and when he saw my number plate (also Northern Cape) he asked where I am from, how long I've been here, what I do etc.
Long story short, he shared that his life is really at a bad place and that he needs help. We met up for a drink and he just continued to open up. He is so hungry and desperate to be discipled. He also shared how he prayed and asked that God would send someone that will help him on the right track. God is truly faithful.

This past Sunday we had a lady from Eldoraigne come to church for the first time and at the end of the service she responded to the Holy Spirit and committed to follow Jesus with her life. Someone who came to church via another friend whom God has drawn in.

We also finally got together with Ruan and Corinne (the couple whom we met at the action cricket). We invited them over for dinner and we had such a great time together, really getting to know each other better. They got engaged over the December holidays and we are using this as an opportunity to speak into their lives, speaking from our own experience in this journey, the fears we faced. They are really open and hungry - in a place of need, even though they don't realize the exact origin of the need yet.

One of the teams at the Action Cricket whom we will be playing against regularly is also mostly from Eldoraigne and we know that God is opening doors for us. I am really excited about where we are currently, with the team as well, to see how they are creating their own opportunities to get involved in the community.

At the end of February we will also be having an Eldoraigne Vision Night where we will invite everyone currently part of the Centurion Congregation who are from the Eldoraigne area to join us. This will be an evening where we cast the vision for Eldoraigne and invite people to become part of it by simply reaching the lost and making disciples. From this the fruit will be a church plant!

Please continue to pray for us and for the community. The harvest is ready...