Church Planting Season in South Katanga Story 1
The rhythm of the seasons brings hope to every community. There is a time to plant and a time to harvest. We see the evidence because we see the fruit. How then can anyone have hope when there is a drought or a plague that disrupts the rhythm? New growth is the answer! It may be small and insignificant when it starts, but just the smallest bud from the stock gives hope that God is at work in a marvelous way, that only time will tell the full story.
That is the sense I felt this week in the city of Lubumbashi in the southeast corner of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Rev. Celestine Chishibandji , the DS of the South Katanga District invited Rev. Nzola Dieumerci the JF Field Coordinator for the ACF and myself to come and lead a week of training on mentoring church planters. More than 50 leaders came to learn, to fellowship, and to create a network of mentors that will help this district to expand and multiply.
This past month at the District Assembly they had reported they had reached 74 churches and 24 preaching points. By God’s grace and the orientation and teaching of the NMI Rév Espérance Chiirezi Chishibanji they collected 850$ for World Evangelism Funds, 100$ for education, and 200$ to assist Our Missionary in Cameroun. They reported 5300 members which is a gain of 707 new members this past year. This increase made them adopt the motion to create a new district which will be called: Lualaba Kambove District.
The district has taken on several initiatives that is meeting the needs of the community. One is the center taking Care of vulnerable children through the feeding program, but also ladies who didn’t have the chance to attend School or to finish their primary or secondary School by training them in sewing workshop but also former street children in the welding program by making Doors and windows for our churches and Schools on the Nazarene Under the Bridge Ministries in Lubumbashi.
What an Amazing and Wonderfull work which is changing lives of our beloved brothers and sisters in the community. The same afternoon, we visited two Churches established by the Jesus Film Nuée de Gloire in Sambwa and Siloé in Kawama/ Shindayika,. These beloved brothers and sisters are fully involved in the agricultural project of the District Nazarene Compassionate Ministries to meet the needs of the population by especially fighting malnutrition among children and grow vegetables to help the feeding program of Under the Bridge Ministries ‘ center and our Schools.
The partnership between the District which buys the piece of Land and local churches members who make bricks to build our churches and schools is a motivating approach for Church organization. It is our Hope that the welding program of Under the Bridge Ministries center will surely work with churches to fix thé roof, Doors and windows by God’s grace of our Jéhovah Jireh the provider. In all this
Good morning Baba Tim and Nzola. We will surely remember this Time together in South Katanga District. God has made a huge difference in our ministry together.
From the training to the church visits in Sapwe for three New Churches: Malambwe preaching point having its own piece of Land, Safina Church where we led the first stone for building the temple and visiting the District Church farm to support and sustain the ministry.
Also the Golgotha preaching point that was started by the Safina Church . Golgotha preaching point has her own piece of Land with 10.000 bricks to build the temple.
On Sunday April 8,. We de the Church service AT Puits de Jacob where we were blessed by the Sunday School from Luke18:10-14 and wonderful preaching from 1John 2: 3-6 and 14-16. Wow what a direct challenge that brought 3/4 of the Church service members to bé prayed for. To God be the glory.
Then in the afternoon we visited Galilaya local Church in Kalubamba 1, 40 km East of Lubumbashi city. Here it was a joyful Time together with members, the Chief Marie Mujunga. We led the first for the Church temple by our trainers Rév Nzola and Rév Tim Eby. Then after together we planted sugar cane a plant that represents multiplication in Lamba culture but also we received chcken symbolizing the good Care meaning targeting the leading to maturity. God sent to us the contact of 2 Key people for new places for the next showing and Church plànting : The Chief Odette of Kalubamba 2 and Mr Matendo Mema from Luwowoshi ready to start a new church in his location. We came back full of joy and gratitude . To God be the glory
As I walked down the dirt path with tall grass on either side, I felt a small hand slip between my side and my arm. The children were singing, Rev. Celestine Chishibandji , the DS was leading the group with local pastors, youth of the church, and the mothers that followed holding smaller children in their arms. We were on our way to see the 5 hectares of land that was producing crops that will support the church planting efforts in this location.
I suddenly realized the little girl walking beside me wanted to hold my hand and was waiting for my response. My grandpa instincts immediately grabbed the little hand and we walked and sang in the sunny heat of the day. Due to drought this whole area had very minimal crops. The rains had stopped too soon, and the harvest was dying on the stalks.
The path opened to a clearing and there we saw the stack of handmade bricks towering above us. 10,000 bricks made from the termite mounds. The termites process the mud making it stronger and these bricks were already fired and prepared in order to build the local Safina Nazarene church. In fact, there was also enough bricks to build the Golgotha Preaching point which had come out of this Safina church that was only one year old.
As we returned to the makeshift building the services were being held in, suddenly from the sky rain began to fall. A perfectly sunny day with rain falling. When the visitor comes and brings the rain it is viewed as a blessing in Africa culture. The Pastor and his family presented us with a live chicken, and stalks of sugar cane. He explained that sugar cane when planted will multiply, and he promised that this church now planted would also multiply.
These pastors had been with me all week in our training for church planters. This church had not even celebrated it’s first year and yet they were ready to build their building and were grateful for our visit.
After singing we headed to the plot of land where the foundation trench was already dug and waiting for us. They presented us with corner bricks that we were to place and from this cornerstone the plot, the land, and the church would be prayed for and dedicated. Rev. Nzola Dieumerci and I layed hands on the bricks and prayed for God’s blessing and protection.
This is just one community in this district that is multiplying and making a difference. This past month at the District Assembly they had reported they had reached 74 churches and 24 preaching points. By God’s grace and the orientation and teaching of the NMI Rév Espérance Chiirezi Chishibanji they collected 850$ for World Evangelism Funds, 100$ for education, and 200$ to assist Our Missionary in Cameroun. They reported 5,300 members which is a gain of 707 new members this past year. This increase made them adopt the motion to create a new district which will be called: Lualaba Kambove District.
As we got into the car to drive back the 2 hours back to the city of Lubumbashi, I looked over the land and stretched across the horizon just over the new land where the church was being built, was a perfect beautiful rainbow. It was as though God was reminding us of his promises. When we are faithful to Him, he will answer our prayers.
Please pray for these leaders and this district. They have a district center that needs funds and a Nazarene Missions Team to come help complete. When the local churches have finished building the walls, then the district tries to raise the funds of about $800 to put the roof on the new church plant. If you want to get involved, these growing districts need your prayers and support to take the next step. Though we were tired and had missed our lunch that day, we were so grateful to the people of God who had expressed joy in their celebration and had been so generous out of their means to bless us. May God continue to build His church!