Challenges in Church-planting

Challenges in Church-planting

As you know, our family is living 30 miles North of Cape Town were we are involved in church-planting. We face two challenges in our country under church-planting: First is, building Gospel-relationships with new families and second training people to serve the Lord once they’ve accepted Christ. One of the best solutions we’ve found is Christian camping South African style. The Paardeberg Mounting Retreat, 15 miles from where we are serving the Lord helps us meet these two needs.

Our greatest challenge is building Gospel-relationships with new families. The children and teenagers camp coming up in two weeks is a perfect example of the camp’s ability to open doors that would otherwise be closed. Children from every part of our town are excited to go to camp. Of course they don’t know the Lord as their Savior but that’s our job to tell them about Jesus!

"Open Doors that would
Otherwise be Closed"

Church-planters face another challenge: To train those we lead to Christ. The camp helps us with this need as well by offering Saturday training seminars led by pastors in the Cape Town area. The goal is to train these new believers to serve the Lord. They of course love the Lord now but they must now learn to love one another and all those around them. The world looks out for itself. In Philippians 2 we’re taught to care for each other but all this takes training in God’s Word, learning to pray and learning to serve through the local church. All of this is so new of course and it does take time.

PMR Children/Youth Camps 2010

We would appreciate your prayers for: Children and Youth Camps - June 24 to July 10.

Comments

Deon's Testimony

I was born in Boksburg, South Africa, and lived in Benoni and Roodepoort during my childhood and teenage years. I grew up hearing the gospel from my Dad. At the age of twelve, I realized I was a sinner and asked Jesus to forgive me of my sin believing that He died for me and rose again so that I might have eternal life through Him. (John 3:16;Romans 10:9-10) Four years later in obedience to God's Word, I was baptized. During my high school years, I observed and assisted my dad and other men from our church in providing support at a local informal settlement in Johannesburg. Through this opportunity and upon meeting my wife and seeing her desire to serve the Lord I began to consider studying for the ministry. Shortly after Michelle and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary we moved to Cape Town so that I could study through the Church Ministries Institute. The Lord taught me so much during those years of studies and as I worked towards and completed a Theology degree. After completing an internship with Paarl Valley Baptist Church we attended the mission agency, Biblical Ministries Worldwide's candidate class. We have served with them for twelve years in Cape Town, South Africa. We have recently completed our church-planting efforts in Cape Town and have sought the Lord's Will for our future. We believe He is leading us to Australia. We covet your prayers as we make these new and exciting changes to our ministry.

Michelle's Testimony

I was born in Harare, Zimbabwe, and grew up in Durban and Cape Town, South Africa. I grew up as a missionary kid, witnessing my parents' dedication to serving the Lord and hearing them share the gospel with many people. Through their testimony and a Sunday school lesson from John 3:16-17 I realized that I needed to accept Christ as my Savior. At the age of nine, I prayed and asked the Lord to forgive me of my sin, and a year later in obedience to God's Word, I was baptized. My parents included my brothers and me in their church planting efforts. They allowed me at the age of twelve to teach Sunday school and since that year my desire has been to serve the Lord with my life. After high school, I attended the Church Ministries Institute. Upon completing my degree, I worked as a short-term missionary, assisting church planters and teaching at a Christian school in Cape Town. The Lord brought Deon into my life and has blessed us with three children. During the past twelve years, our family has been blessed to serve the Lord among various people groups in South Africa. We are now starting a new journey and look forward to joining teammates in Australia to continue our ministry.