Reports from Great Lakes Church Planters

Abel

Praise

I thank and praise the Lord for protecting and strengthen during this month as I visit and develop leaders this month in Bujumbura.

I continue to praise for the growth of the work in the region.  

Family

My family is doing well, and all the children are healthy by the grace of God. The children will be back to school next Monday. We trust the Lord for the provision of their school requirements such as books, uniforms, shoes, etc. Please join us as we pray heartfeltly!  

In Bujumbura

During these past two months I was able to visit and develop 10 house churches in the following places: Cibitoki, Mutakura, Kinama and Kamenge. It was good to encourage and train leaders to continue to read the Bible daily, to meditate so that they can discover the truth that needs to be applied in their lives. Once a week they come together and share with others what God is teaching them and pray for the Lost. In all these house churches both leaders and members are making good progress. It was also good to remind them to be winning souls because if there is no evangelism there cannot be proper discipleship to new believers. Leaders have shared their testimonies that many families have been restored since they begin to share the Bible together and pray and lives have been transformed through the DBR.

Nyabugete: Pastor Gervais continues to mobilise his church in discipleship and church planting movement. Last April I mobilised and trained 12 leaders on Being a Disciple who read and share the Bible and pray for the Lost. For three weeks they enjoyed reading the Bible every day and once a week they meet to share what God is teaching them. This month Gervais mobilised his team and I trained them in a Step 2 seminar. After the seminar we spent time practicing how to share that Bible in a small group by using the inductive method so that they can hear from God and share what He is teaching them and apply the truth in their lives. 

Mutakura: Burundi Assemblies of God: It was good to encourage and develop Pastor David. At our previous meeting I taught five people including David on Being a Disciple who is reading the Bible daily, and I encouraged them to start meeting every week to share what God is teaching them and pray for the Lost. This month I found that they have made progress as each one has established a BRF in his house. It was good to teach seven people on Step 1. Now they have established seven house churches that meet every week. 

Rukaramu: Maranatha Church: This month I developed Pastor Matenga and his leaders. This church continues to do well in turning ordinary members into active and obedient disciples. Last March I taught Step 1 to ten people, and they were able to establish five active house churches. They started reading the Bible daily and enjoy coming together to share what God is teaching them and to pray for the Lost. This month I found that the number of members has increased and they are keen on the DBR in the group because many of the members do not have their own copy of Bible. As they are making progress, I taught them Step 2. 

Kanyosha: Bethlehem Church: The Lord enabled me to follow Pastor Isaac and his 15 leaders.  This team is active and meeting every week in houses but they are now also involved in evangelism. This month I was able to continue teaching them on evangelism as they go through the Chronological Bible stories so that they can learn how to lead someone to Christ.

Encountered Difficulties: Due to the shortage of fuel, transport has become very expensive, and we are not able to visit many churches as much as possible. 

The price for almost everything has increased twice or three times. 

We are also facing a serious problem with the electricity. In my area it has been two weeks that we do not have power. 

Prayer Requests

1) Pray that the Lord will guide and give us wisdom as we are seeking to improve our way of working in mobilising local churches to be involved in discipleship and church planting.

2) Pray for the progress of the work as churches are involved in turning their members into active and obedient disciples. 

3) Pray for the miracle provision of our rent. 

4) Please pray for the provision of the school materials for the children as they will start school next Monday. 

5) Pray for God’s provision of the ministry and all our prayer partners, friends and donors. 

6) Pray for the provision of Swahili Bible and the printing of the Bible Reading Card.

Daniel

Praise

We say thanks to our heavenly Father and give Him praise and honour, for we are alive by His grace.

We praise God because the work of God continues to progress every day by the grace of God.

Family

My family is a well and healthy by the grace of God.

In Bukavu

Muhungu: I went to encourage leaders at the Makimbiliyo Church. This church is making progress spiritually and the number of members is increasing every week. It was good to train leaders on their responsibility in making disciples.

Pastor John Bulambo asked us if next month we can go to Mudaka where they have a parish and we can train their leaders. Mudaka is at 15 km from Bukavu.

Victory Church: I went to teach leaders on the making of disciples where Pastor Bahati Kulimushi is our key contact. He was able to mobilise eight people to who I presented our vision of helping local churches to be involved in harvest. I taught them Step 1 and mobilised them to start reading the Bible daily and to plant house churches in their homes and once a week as leaders they can begin to meet and share the Bible. After the training they were happy to start the house church.

Nyawera: Bethel Christian Assembly Church of Pastor Jean de Dieu Songo. I found that they are doing well after they had been trained on Step 1 and they are practicing all the teachings they learned from the first seminar. The leaders as well the members, continue to read their Bibles every day and every week they meet in house churches to share the Bible. The leaders have reported that many members are becoming obedient. This month I taught Step 2 to 13 people. I also found that they have increased and three new BRF groups were planted.

Prayer Requests

1) Pray that the Lord will help us to harvest more souls and that many churches will develop and be planted.

2) Pray for the return to school of our children next week.

3) Pray for the provision of the rent.

Pascal

Praise

I praise the Lord for He enabled me to visit and encourage leaders in Fizi this month.

I praise the Lord for my health.  

Family

My family is doing well by the grace of God

In Fizi

This month I visited, encouraged and mobilised leaders in nine BRF groups in Mboko where I developed and followed up leaders as they are encouraging and facilitating the Bible readings in the house churches. It was good to see how they continue to develop the work and to see that new BRF are planted and members continue to come together every week to share the Bible and to pray for the Lost.

Mboko: Free Methodist Church: This month I encouraged and developed 13 leaders in the DBR in this church and to whom I have trained on the Chronological Bible stories so that they can win new people for the Lord. Leaders reported that the work is developing well and this month they baptised 14 people who have completed the Baptism teaching in their church. 

Garengaze Church: This church is developing well but they seem to not grow in numbers because for a while there have been no conversions nor baptisms. They have nine BFR and I realised that leaders, instead of facilitating the Bible sharing, they are preaching. This month I mobilised and mentored leaders on how to share the Bible and their role to allow each member to share what God is teaching him. I also taught them how to win souls by using the Bible stories. 

Lukutwe: World Mission Church: It was good to visit and encourage Pastor Bernard who is our key man. He continues to mobilise into DBR. Following the Step 1 seminar they have initially established four BRF that continue to multiply and today they count 10 active house churches where members have become keen for the Lord. This month I encouraged leaders for what they are doing and developed them on Bible stories.

Prayer Requests

1) Pray for us that the Lord will give us wisdom and strength in His work as I visit leaders.

2) Pray for the growth of the work in and around Fizi so that new doors will be opened for us. 

3) Pray for God’s protection and provision especially over my family as well the ministry.