FEED 5,000: EVANGELISM IN AFRICA
- A) EHC Cape Verde: Many families here are living in hardship due to rising unemployment even as the price of food continues to skyrocket. The constant stress led to psychological distress in many and some resorted to ventilating the pressure through domestic violence which left negative impressions on their young children. Not too long ago, a 13-year-old youth shocked the nation when he viciously killed an 8-year-old child. The EHC thus redoubled efforts to bring the Gospel to many families in the hopes that the love of Christ would touch and save the crumbling households and heal those who are deeply hurt within.
- B) EHC Namibia: The team reached out to the marginalised area of Tsintsabis where the Khoi-San ethnic people lived. They brought along tracts and many baskets of goodies to share the amazing love of God with this southern African tribe. Many among the Khoi-San were ready to receive His love and joyfully committed their lives to Christ.
- C) EHC Senegal: Resistance against the Gospel is massive in this country and many new believers dared not reveal their faith as they lived in fear of oppression and retaliation from their neighbours and even family members. The team prayed for wisdom from God to help these fearful new brethren and edify their faith, and to support them as they courageously followed Christ to manifest beautiful testimonies before others.
CCIS PREPARATIONS AND FUNDRAISING
The physical celebrations at Orchard Road before the pandemic struck left beautiful memories for many. Thanks be to God, after 3 years of having no physical event, CCIS is able to return to Orchard Road for Christmas once again. The burden shouldered by the committee is by no means light in these times of global inflation as the required budget has grown exponentially. The event aims to share the message that Jesus Christ is the living bread that came down from heaven and brought mankind the words of eternal life, thus the committee will put in their utmost to fulfill His Great Commission. We hope for the churches and brethren to lend us their full support and unite to do their parts for this annual ministry project. Currently, the committee is preparing the budget and planning for the fundraising dinner. They are also actively roping in overseas ministries and artistes to come onboard to present performances at the event and exploring collaboration with local community organisations. Please pray for them so that despite their respective busy schedules, they would still be filled with the Lord’s energy for the event’s plans and preparations.
TRACTS FOR OUR PARENTS: ETERNAL LIFE IS WAITING FOR MUM AND DAD
“Honour your father and mother” - which is the first commandment with a promise (Ephesians 6:2). The Bible states in no uncertain terms that exercising filial piety while one’s parents are alive is a key tenet of Christianity. Besides fulfilling their material needs, one must also spare no effort to share the Gospel with them, so that they too can enjoy the blessing of eternal life. These 4 tracts from SEHC are ideal for distributing on Mother’s and Father’s Day to enable parents to discover the loving salvation of Christ and can also demonstrate to one’s relatives and friends true filial piety.
PRAYERS AND SUPPORT FOR SEHC MINISTRY
In February, SEHC gifted 814 spiritual books to churches and brethren, including the gospel comic Choice (641), Time to Fly (65), The Perfect Plan (20), Our Daily Focus (8), What is Happening to the World (18), True Happiness Can Be Yours (17), and other titles (45). Reading spiritual books contribute greatly to a Christian’s growth, so it is crucial to cultivate a reading habit early. We hope for more brethren to come over and pick up some complimentary books for themselves or recommend them to others, while also be willing to spend on purchasing good books to edify themselves, so that God’s work will grow and expand to edify many more of His children.
THE GHANA TEAM REACHES OUT TO YOUTH-AT-RISK
Evangelism to youth so that the next generation can become soldiers of Christ is a key focus of gospel ministry. In February, the Ghana team placed their sights on youth-at-risk in the slums, and on students in schools.
- In 2 towns near Kumasi, the second largest city in Ghana, drop-out rates were extremely high among schooling youth. The boys would loiter aimlessly in the streets while the girls often ended up in early marriage and pregnancy. These rebellious youngsters blamed their frustrations on the government, their parents, and the environment they grew up in. Many had given up on the future and were not interested in improving their lot. The team went deep into the slums to distribute the “Who Is the True God” tract to these youth and actively shared the Gospel with them. They also referred the young pre-believers to relevant organisations to help them secure vocational training so they can get proper jobs. Hopefully, all these youth who have found Christ would take charge of their lives and work hard for a good future, while also shining for the Lord to others at their workplaces.
- In Winneba, a coastal town of Ghana, foreign students numbered close to a million while the local population was only 600,000. The team shared the Gospel with local fishermen and residents, and also reached out to many schools, distributing the “Who Is the True God” tract in classrooms and student dormitories. So far, about 1,450 students have accepted Christ and are bearing good testimonies for Him to their fellow students. The student leader at one university even invited the team to help set up a campus fellowship to expand the evangelistic efforts in their school. 371 students were led to church through this new fellowship and the team will continue to follow-up with the campus evangelism efforts. Hopefully, they would be able to enter more schools to save young students for the Lord and nurture them to become ambassadors of the Gospel. Pray for the Lord of the harvest to open many doors for them and provide them with the manpower and resources to spread the Gospel. The team is most thankful for the God-loving church elder couple who sponsored half of the tract printing costs, for their love for God has brought the blessing of eternal life to countless unsaved.
EVANGELISM AND DISCIPLESHIP IN CREATIVE ACCESS REGIONS
Christians in country M had been persecuted for their faith since time immemorial. The endless civil wars also made it extremely challenging for evangelism. The co-workers there are working to overcome these obstacles so that they can complete their evangelism goals for this year.The team in country A recently visited a location where evangelism was explicitly banned and held a gospel rally there. They also went on door-to-door outreach and yielded good results. Even though it was difficult to follow-up with the new believers, they were still able to edify the faith of the new brethren to help them follow Christ without fear. The EHC team of country D overcame powerful resistance to join hands with their local churches in organising a gospel rally and tract outreach. Please pray for the participating churches to be united in prospering the Lord’s Gospel and lead the unsaved to the throne of Christ.
“DON’T WORRY” AND “YOU TOO CAN UNDERSTAND”: POINTING THE WAY TO ETERNITY
The first tract was written by Elder Samuel Ching and speaks about how mankind drifted apart from God after the fall of Adam and Eve. Humanity thus fell into the clutches of the devil and sin and lost all hope and peace. To regain these, we need to turn to Jesus Christ so that our sins are washed away and God’s spirit dwells within us. He is our help at all times and comforts our hearts with renewed joy, peace, and the hope of eternal life. The latter tract discusses whether God exists. To be truly atheist, one must first be able to confidently say God does not exist in any time and place. Yet, God's eternal power and divinity, though invisible to the naked eye, can be comprehended through creation. Jesus died for mankind and will return to us to bring His people home to heaven. 2 million of the combined version of these tracts will be printed for APAC. Pray for them to be useful to God’s work.
SCRIPTURE CALLIGRAPHY SCROLL: THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Chinese calligraphy has a long and illustrious history and is an artform that reflects the meaning of life. It is known as the “poem without words and painting without pictures” to many. Scripture calligraphy is thus a blend of living art and faith intended to praise and honour God. The Good Shepherd here is an excellent example. Its calligrapher was the late Bro. Lu Ping from Beijing, who was a fellow church member of Bro. Wang Ming Dao. Bro. Lu Ping created many calligraphy pieces for SEHC when he was still around. Even though he was not a renowned master calligrapher, his faith in the Lord over the years honed his craft and allowed his love for Him to come alive in powerful strokes when he created this moving piece based on Psalm 23. The beautiful piece is available in landscape scrolled format and retails at $30 a piece. It provides a heartwarming reminder in the living room or office that “the Lord is our shepherd” in these turbulent times, assuring us that Jesus is our unchanging Saviour and great shepherd who would look after us till eternity.
“MARRIAGE AND FAMILY” AND “LET’S DISCUSS MATTERS OF THE HEART”: LIVING OUT OUR FAITH
The former book by Dr Wayde Goodall and Rosalyn Goodall examines marriage and family matters from an all-round perspective. The foci of the book include topics like choosing one’s spouse, guidance for engagement and marriage, and how to be a good spouse or parent. The latter book by Dr. James Yu explores matters of the “heart” – our thoughts, will, and feelings. The Bible has very clear revelations about the human heart and how to deal with its problems. Those who belong to Christ should focus on seeking God instead of earthly wealth, lest they deviate from the straight path. We welcome orders from the brethren for these books, both for self-improvement and as gifts to edify others.
“THE SECRET OF PLEASING GOD” AND “WAY OF THE SHEPHERD”: A GUIDE FOR CHRISTIAN LIVING
The first book, written by Rev. Dick Eastman, guides readers through the 3 ways one can give to God, leads them to discover 3 keys to changing the world, helps them to understand the biblical view of money, and teaches them how to pray for the world. While a short read, the book concisely demonstrates the secret to pleasing God and becoming a disciple of the Lord who overflows with blessings. The latter book by Dr. Li Fangzhou contains 12 lessons and is the 4th textbook for the Great Commission discipleship course series. Every lesson is based on scripture and utilizes biblical principles and methods. Real life examples are quoted to help pastors learn more about holistic ministry. Please pray for their use.
“REMEMBERING THE SOURCE” AND “WHO IS GOD?”: UNDERSTANDING THE ANCIENT CHINESE FAITH
Written by Dong Dayuan and Pei Ruiming, the first book explores the origins of the true faith of the Chinese by studying the path and changes in history. The same authors wrote the latter book, a sequel to the first which explores and offers proof on how the ancient Chinese founded their nation upon their knowledge of and faith in God. These are concepts that modern day Chinese ought to consider and know so they can discover their roots. Do purchase some copies to gift to pre- and new believers.
“SERMON ON THE MOUNT” AND “PRACTICE FOR GOD’S PEOPLE”: GOD’S WORD IN OUR LIFE
Bro. Ezra Wu is the author of the first book, a collection of sermons recorded in a regular co-workers’ gathering. In the book, he encourages brethren to study the Bible and work hard on the word of God. Only then can they become suitable vessels for His use. The latter book by Rev. Peter Wongso is ideal for personal spiritual development and co-worker training or group discussion. The author reiterates that God teaches mankind through His word in a meticulous and structured manner that benefits all who are willing to learn. These books are suitable for personal reading or as gifts for new believers. Pray for their use in God’s hand.