Hello Partner,
Calvary greetings in the mighty name of Jesus; I pray that all is well.
I am privileged to once again share with you yet another monthly ministry update through this report focusing on the ministry accomplishments in the month of March 2015 praying that it will bring you as much joy as we are experiencing.
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING
The Eastern Region Church Planters Training
A total of 23 leaders attended our first local Church planter’s vision casting training in Iganga District located in Eastern Uganda approximately 117km from Kampala city. The trainees were predominantly local Pastors from Iganga, Luwuka and Luyende districts in the East. Through this training, we emphasized on the need for the church to adopt the ideology of establishing church planters programs in the region so as to pave way for the establishment of Living Churches in communities by ordinary local believers.
With a new hope of the church rising and influencing the region seen after the training, the trainees requested for yet another similar training at a broader spectrum involving specifically the local pastors so as to lay a firm foundation for the implementation of the program.
“We need to convince the local pastors and bring them on board or else this great initiative will not take root. That’s why I insist that we should have a training like this with all the pastors.” Pr. Nicholas emphasized as he gave his closing remarks. To ensure that this happens, Nicholas one of the coordinators for the program pledged to mobilize up to 200 local pastors from the different communities for the next vision casting. With this trend of events in the region, we are hoping for a revival in the region as far as the church planting movement is concerned.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
Prison Outreach
This month we had special evangelistic outreach programs to Murchison Bay and Bugungu Prisons in Kampala and Jinja in Eastern Uganda respectively sharing the gospel with 1,213 of which 432 confessed Christ. We also distributed a consignment of 24 Bibles and 1,250 tracts to the inmates and staff during the outreach. The outreach was fruitful since the prison authority has always sided with such evangelistic outreaches as a tool to empower and rehabilitate the inmates. These activities especially the discipleship programs have been of great help in rehabilitating the inmates that the prison authorities greatly recognize and value the spiritual aspect of the rehabilitation process.
The evangelistic and discipleship outreaches are programs we undertake with the full backing of backing and support of the Prison authority.
The Community Film Outreach
This month we showed the Jesus film in Masese community with a total of 572 people turning up for the show. At the end of the show upon invitation to give their lives to Christ, 266 children youths and adults surrendered their lives to Christ. A total of 600 booklets and tracts were distributed during the show.
Two drunkards volunteered to do the distribution prior to show and went around mobilizing the masses to come for the movie show. At the end of the show, they were among the 266 who surrendered their lives to Christ. They requested us to come back and do another show.
CHILDRENS MINISTRY
School Outreaches
Through our school outreach programs this month, we reached a total of 685 pupils in three schools in Kampala region with 322 pupils giving their lives to Christ. Two of these schools; Golden and Good Hope primary schools located around the city were reached through distribution of scripture portions and evangelizing on the school assembly whereas at Eleon Infant School, we are currently running a discipleship program. Approximately 700 children booklets were distributed during these outreaches.
Through these outreaches, our mode of reaching the children is usually through preaching and distribution of Christian Literature. Our mandate is to reach out to as many children and schools as we can with a broader perspective of salvation and discipleship done on the school assembly.
The Community Bible Clubs
We ministered to a total of 712 children in three community bible clubs in Bulange, Busabala and Kikalamojja in Kampala and Jinja districts respectively. A total of 83 new children joined the three cells this month with 53 of them giving their lives to Christ. The three clubs are undertaking different discipleship programs through which the children are being equipped to become Christ like.
We believe that before we can begin to show children how to live their lives and what principles to build their lives upon, we must first lay a foundation. The only way we can lay a foundation in the lives of our children is to show them that God created them for a reason. It’s for this purpose that we strive to help the children in the community bible clubs to understand that God made them In His Image, To Know Him, but also for a Purpose focusing on what the bible stresses on in Colossians 2:7 “Plant your roots in Christ and let him be the Foundation for your life.”
Children’s Ministry Workers Training
Through the children workers training this month, we engage 18 teachers in an intense training in Iganga District Eastern Uganda. The training majored on how to affect communities through children and youth ministries covering topics such as; how to evangelize communities through children’s and youth ministries, Development of Communities and Children, Establishing community Children and youth clubs among others. We also provided materials for use in the ministries from the different partners in both English and the local dialect to be used in public and private schools in the communities.
The trainings encompass children and youth leaders serving in schools, churches and communities through whom we establish. The Goal of the training is to equip the leaders so that in return they can also equip the children, mentor the children but also commission them to serve in the different areas of influence. We have witness tremendous change in the attitudes and commitment of the leaders after the trainings trough the years.
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
Through the economic empowerment program this month, we trained at total of 33 community women, students and Staff of Masese and Day Star primary school respectively. Through the three hour training, the trainees were equipped with skills on how to local make quality Vaseline, liquid soap and bar soap for home use and the indigenous market to help them save and raise finances locally so as to become self sustainable in the long run.
We strongly believe that stimulating a community’s economic life is a key component in bringing restoration to that given community that’s the reason why the economic empowerment programs are one of our key ministry activities are and intend to carry out in the communities. In doing this, emphasis is put on utilizing the available local resources in order to make the program as most cost effective as possible. To the advantage of every community, most of these local resources like Charcoal dust, water, clay and many such resources are readily available waiting to be put in use. That’s why this program is key in improving the well being of the communities.
PRAYER REQUESTS
Please continue to prayer with us for;
· For the different people running the programs in the communities
· For financial provision for the different programs.
We would like to thank you for greatly playing part in changing the story of Uganda and supporting the programs here. Please pray with us for even more partners with a heart and passion for communities. You can support these programs by pressing the DONATE button on top of the page for information on how you can support.
May the good Lord continue to bless and increase you
Yours faithfully
Robert Sebunya – Team Leader