Greetings in Jesus Name! Finally in this lockdown world of COVID Jeremy got his first opportunity to travel again and give training to church planters with his wife and another trainer. It was so good to be face to face - but also we highlight AFC 's desire to be part of God reaching the M-slim peoples of Africa with the Gospel. The training was facilitated by an amazing group that focuses on business as mission in difficult places. Read the details below.
Church Planting Training Zanzibar
In August Jeremy and Marlene , along with a brother from Bukino Faso gave a 1 week training in Zanzibar on how to begin communities of faith among M=slim communities in Africa . There were 25 trainees from many different countries , with the majority being from the Zanzibar Island itself. Each of them had a passion to reach their M-slim friends and neighbours. Several trainees were themselves M-slim background believers. One lady had been rejected by her family , and another young man had been poisoned by his father and then chased away. One church leader now has 100 m-slim people attending his church but was not sure how to disciple them - he had also been in Isl-m before. It was a tremendously fruitful week with many testimonies of people being empowered to a new way and level of ministry.
The Islands and Jesus
As you can see we also had some fun, and it was truely a beautiful place. But on this boat trip we got to talk with one of the pastors in Zanzibar whose church has been praying for neighbouring Comoros islands for many years. When he heard that AFC plans to send a team to Comoros he was so excited and asked us to consider someone from Zanzibar being on the team. We were blown away and realized that God is at work to see Jesus become known in these islands which are still 99% m-slim. AFC is considering a current partnership with this pastor and one of his church planters on a remote island off Zanzibar as a first step in building relationship.
Praise God for:
- a very fruitful week of training among peoples not yet reached for Jesus
- the passion that those 25 trainees had to reach across culture and win others to Jesus Please pray for:
- the pastors and workers who got training in Zanzibar to see fruit on that Island
- the workers from several other countries who return to apply the evangelism and discipleship training they received
- potential AFC partnerships among these contacts going forward.
