Many books and articles have been written on the topic of evangelism from how to do it successfully to how to keep the converts, the content of evangelism and even how to be bold for the timid ones. We have gurus who for ages have been doing it and praise God for the fruit and their great insight. It occurred to me, however, that evangelism is a rather interesting ministry.…
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Rosemary Wambui, who has just returned from serving for a year alongside a health centre in Uganda shares her experience: I was born in Nakuru Kenya, where I was raised and went to school. I am a nurse by profession. Jesus Christ is the Lord and Saviour of my soul. In 2016 I completed my University education and was so excited to be in the nursing field and make money as it was also…
Read MoreInjecting eternal comfort into hard realities
The following powerful testimony from Barnabas Omenda, former iServe Africa apprentice, featured recently in the GLA magazine The Link: What do you say to someone who feels they have lost it all, is over the edge with no one there to break their fall? What do you say to someone who feels so unloved, giving themselves away just to be good enough? What do you say to a hopeless soul who can’t remember their…
Read MoreFaithful in gospel mission: MTC 1 2017
It has been great to have two weeks together, particularly preparing the new group of apprentices as they go out into challenging mission placements all over Kenya (and beyond). Second Timothy was one of our main texts for the fortnight and our expositors drew out very clearly for us that what the Lord is seeking is not creativity but faithfulness. We don’t need to invent a clever new strategy to…
Read MoreThe art of saying No
Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” But they were scheming to harm me; so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” Four times they sent me the same…
Read MoreWhy go?
Why mission? Why evangelism? Why gospel ministry? Why do the hard work of crossing cultural boundaries? Why try to persuade people who are happily unbelieving? Why preach the crazy-sounding message of Christ crucified for sinners? Why risk looking stupid? Why risk persecution and physical harm? Why serve the imperfect church? Why work so hard at preaching the Bible faithfully? Why do the messy business of working with real people? Why…
Read MoreFaithful and fruitful in mission – MTC1 2016
We have been reminded recently as a staff team from John 15 that we should be aiming not only at faithfulness (as a steward discharging a duty) but also at a joyful, loving, prayerful, Christlike, tangible, supernatural fruitfulness. At the Ministry Training Course last week we were looking at 2 Timothy and Colossians and seeing there faithfulness and fruitfulness. The hardworking farmer expects a harvest (2 Tim. 2:6). There is faithful guarding and preaching…
Read MoreInduction 2016: The new team
Great time last weekend with the new team of iServe Africa ministry apprentices. Looking forward to a great year of listening again and again to the gospel together, exploring it, living it out, speaking it, enjoying Jesus more. Here are the notes for apprentices… 5 Keys to Personal Support Raising How to write a prayer letter Communication and Prayer God’s Mission & Our Mission The Priority of Preaching Living out…
Read MoreIndia, Cleansing, Biblical Theology and Listening
Another very full Wednesday. Thanks for the second year apprentices keeping going and engaging with it all and to our different facilitators including guest Dr Kevin Oberlin. Thanks and praise most of all to our great God and Saviour who cleansed us once and for all by his own blood. Here are some connected links and resources from the day: On India, Hinduism and thinking about other religions Hofstede analysis of…
Read MoreIntroducing iSTEPS
A number of writers have challenged the notion of ‘short term mission trips’. On one hand we want to be ‘mission-minded’ 24/7. It is not something we should aim to do once a year for a week or two before we run back into the church and shut the doors. It is to be the continual posture of the believer – into the world to win the world. Declaring the…
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