|
|
|
Prayer requests and praises
|
We praise God for:Great leadership meetings in Johannesburg. Changed lives and healing both physically and spiritually. Leaders who equip other leaders to equip others. Youth who are active in evangelism. That there were no injuries or loss of property caused by the fire at NTC in South Africa. We request prayer for:The regional leaders as they return to their regular schedule. May they apply and share what they learned. Those still enslaved by sin and darkness. May we be the ones to reach out to them with the light of Christ. The church in São Tome & Príncipe. They will be recommending their first pastors for ordination at the district assembly this year. This is an exciting milestone for any district. Our missionary kids.  The persecuted church in Africa.
|
|
|
|
Explore the Africa Region
| |
|
 |
The Sustainable Church
|
Editor's note: Dr. Gustavo Crocker is the Jurisdictional General Superintendent for the Africa Region for the remainder of this year. These were some of the thoughts he shared in a morning devotional at the Regional Ministries Team meetings in Johannesburg.
"Our sustainability is not measured by the number of churches that we plant, but by the number of disciples of Christ to whom we entrust leadership."  We hold Joshua to be a wonderful leader. He was one of only two spies who believed that Canaan could be taken. He won battles. Yet, at the end of his career, there was no one to lead the people. "Israel served the Lord throughout the lifetime of Joshua and of the elders who outlived him and who had experienced everything the Lord had done for Israel" (Joshua 24:31). Yet, "After that whole generation had been gathered to their ancestors, another generation grew up who knew neither the Lord nor what he had done for Israel. Then the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the Lord and served the Baals," (Judges 2:10-11).
Paul started many churches. Some of them failed as we see in the book of Revelation; however, he had invested his life in developing leaders. His goal was not to have the largest number of people under one roof, but rather the advancement and sustainability of the Kingdom of God. He ended his career in prison where he penned these words, "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others," (2 Timothy 2:2). He also wrote to Titus, "The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you," (Titus 1:5). Paul was instructing the leaders he worked with to pass on the leadership roles to others. If we do not pass on leadership, the church will die with our generation. Church growth and sustainability is all about people.
|
|
|
|
Liberated from Animism - by Rev. Prao Kouakou
| I'm Amoin Kouassi. I am 37 years old and live in Bodokro (Béoumi), Côte d'Ivoire. Very early, I was introduced to fetishism because my parents' religion was the worship of nature. I was assigned to a priestess who had the task of teaching me the secrets of this belief - among other things, healing through plants, interpretation
 | Amoin Kouassi
|
of dreams, the art of predicting the future. My initiation lasted fifteen years.
After this step, I was released to put myself at the service of people who were under the influence of evil spirits. I practiced the "business" for several years. Truthfully, I regularly communicated with spirits, who often asked me to offer animal sacrifices to appease their anger or to avoid eventual calamities to people.
However, there was a time, when I fell ill. In fact, my spirits had imposed a condition for violating the prohibitions placed on me. One of which was that I had no right to have sex with my husband on Thursday or Friday. Having disobeyed this prohibition, I was struck with serious illness. I hardly slept the night. I heard voices of those spirits who threatened to kill me. I lost weight for no apparent reason.
Thus Pastor N'zué welcomed me to a prayer clinic, where through a course of spiritual counseling, he helped me to meet Christ. Alleluia. Yes, today I am free after more than twenty years under the influence of spirits.
I became a servant of the Lord. Yes, I am freed from evil spirits and their prohibitions. Yes, I am freed from slavery. At present, I am a member of the Bodokro Church of the Nazarene where I participate in intercession. Henceforth, my nights are no longer troubled. Thursday and Friday are regular days for me.
All the glory back to God!
|
|
Training teachers in the DRC - by Rev. Deo Munyololo
|  The Church of the Nazarene's main objective is to train Christlike disciples. This duty belongs to every believer. Therefore, the national coordinator for the ITN/DR Congo, Reverend Mweniyamba Othniel and I, the coordinator of education for Africa Middle Field, gathered in Bukavu ITN diploma graduates from the North Kivu, South Kivu and Virunga districts for teacher training.
It is true that not everyone has the art of teaching in his blood, but thanks to this four-day seminar fifteen graduates, clergy and laity, have acquired some of the methods and techniques of adult education. They each practiced teaching colleagues a lesson from the ITN Program Study Guide for a chance to become familiar with this important tool for their work. 
The guide is being translated into Swahili, one of the national languages in DR Congo program. Soon they will begin to teach at the certificate level for their districts.
Editor's note: The guide was developed from the Adult Education Newsletter (AEN) and other local resources. The AEN has nine issues written to give leaders and teachers of the ITN/NTI teaching helps and ideas.
|
2013 District Youth Retreat in São Tome & Príncipe - by Jason Patalano
| The São Tomé & Príncipe District Youth Retreat (23-26 August) held in our  Porto Alegre church was a success even though at first it did not seem that it would be. Many young people didn't have the money to go. The cost was 150,000 dobras per person (roughly US$ 8.16) which covered transportation and food. The organizers were planning for 70 and only 56 showed up. One of the three special speakers cancelled at the last minute. Now you're probably thinking "Ok, this retreat looks like it will fall apart." It didn't.
The first day when all the leaders were improvising and trying to cover for the missing speaker, the youth from all of our churches naturally united like brothers and sisters. They sat as if they were around a campfire, singing praises. In other words, they did what we teens normally do when we are with friends - they chilled and hung out together. The first night, after showing the movie "Courageous", they blasted Christian music and the teens started group dancing. Youth love to have fun and they did until the electricity went out. The Port Alegre Community generator shuts off every night at 9 pm.
The next morning while e veryone was still living in the previous night's excitement, they went to the morning meeting. The morning speaker did something different. Speakers in youth meetings here do not often talk about dating and sex, but it is needed. The speaker talked about keeping oneself pure for marriage (abstinence). The speaker had an altar call and three committed themselves to abstinence.
The teens were "evangelists" for the rest of the day, going out and inviting the community to come to a movie to be shown that night. Communities like Porto Alegre do not have much going on so the best way to get people interested in an event is to offer some entertainment. About 150 to 200 people showed up.
"Inferno Chama" ("Hades Calls") was shown that night. The morbid sounding movie is actually good. It is about a man who lived a terrible life with tons of chances to turn around and make things right with God. He realized through a car accident that he needed to change so that he would not end up in Hades. The movie was intended to warn people and lead them to God.
The speaker in the final Sunday morning service spoke about how God values each of us. Two young people were saved. The service ended with more music and group dancing.
-- Jason is a fun-loving missionary kid who likes to write.
|
|
Fed by love - by Rev. Mashangu Maluleka
|  Nazarene Theological College (South Africa) expresses our students' heartfelt gratitude for the act of love that was extended towards them during the Nazarene Men's Conference weekend. The Highveld district under the leadership of Rev. Jansen Mashego (NTC graduate) and the North-Central district under the leadership of Rev. Kenneth Moeng (NTC graduate) donated groceries to help supplement the students' weekend meals. Any former NTC student understands the feeling of spending a weekend without a proper meal, and hence when they have graduated, they help those who are left behind.
The cafeteria is closed for the weekend as a request from the students in an attempt to minimize costs. For married students who cook their own meals anyway, these gifts mean groceries for the family. For the single students, it means being able to have three meals on Saturday and Sunday, sponsored by caring Nazarenes. For some students, it has become the only difference between sleeping with an empty stomach or fed by the love of Nazarenes. All our students are assigned to churches on weekends for their internship, because of these gifts they have food on the table after church. 
I tell the students that every gift should be taken as an affirmation that the church believes in their call, and that they owe it to the donors not to mess up in their ministry.
Other churches that have contributed to the welfare of NTC students this year, in the form of groceries and toiletries are as follows: Grace Church of the Nazarene in Durban under the leadership of Rev. Reevis Moodley, Lenasia Church of the Nazarene under the leadership of Rev. Vincent Kandan, Mofolo North under the leadership of Pastor Sibusiso Nkosi and Cornerstone Church of the Nazarene under the leadership of Rev. Phil Anderson.
"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me," Matthew 25:40.
As principal of NTC, this act of love is saying to me that the church believes in and is behind what we are doing here! There is no better source of encouragement. Siyabonga! Inkomu! Siyathokoza! Siyabulela! Re ya Leboga! Baie Dankie! Thank You!
Editor's note: Prayerfully consider how you can encourage the pastors-in-training near you.
Concerning the recent fire at NTC, Principal Maluleka comments: "In the words of one fire fighter, 'This fire was very dangerous; had it not been because of the team effort of the students, buildings and property would have been lost.' We commend our students for their dedication and team work. Just a few months ago both faculty and students were given training in basic fire fighting techniques and that came handy on the night of the fire. I publicly commended the students in chapel the following day, and an award of R200.00 was credited to each involved student as a token of appreciation."
|
| |
Thank you for reading the Out of Africa and praying!
Merci beaucoup - Asante sana - Muito obrigado - Muchas gracias - Baie danke
|
|
Amy Crofford,Out of Africa editor
|
|
|
|
|
