Praise the Lord! He has done great things! We are very grateful to God for the past months; He has shown Himself to the ministry of Arise Africa International (AAI) in many mighty ways.
As one of our strategies to fulfill the AAI mission, our management staff reaches out to our village churches and their communities with the purpose of strengthening, equipping and empowering church leaders and members.
On 21st- 23 August 2019, our staff team travelled to Nantamaali Baptist church, Luuka district to work with our brethren with the aim of mutually building up one another as servants of God. This was our second staff mission trip this year 2019. Among the mission team members were Pastor Smooth Via and his family, Pastor Masajjage Robert, Pastor Mabira Ronald, Miss Namuwaya Sharon, Miss Kainembabazi Jackline, and two other brethren from Jinja Town Church – Anthony and James. Whenever a staff team is sent out, it gives our host church an opportunity to spread the word in the community and reach out to the people that are otherwise much harder to reach through their normal church programs.
Nantamaali Baptist Church was planted in 2014 during one of the AAI staff mission trips led by Pastor Smooth Via and some ministry partners from Illinois team. The church was then left under the leadership of Pastor Sembela Martin who is still serving faithfully. Currently there are about 30 members in this church. This church was established on school land that was donated by one of the community members who own the school land.
Below is a summary of some of the teaching sessions that were shared.
On our arrival evening we conducted an orientation session, followed by the leadership seminars on the following day. It was amazing to see that an average of 60 people attended; among which 7 were pastors from our churches in Luuka zone.
Arrival evening:
Pastor Robert Masajjage started teaching immediately. He explained the objectives of the AAI staff missions using 1Timothy 1:12 and Numbers 16:8-ff
God appointed us to His service because He considered us faithful. He therefore called us and chose us for the task.
If God appoints you to His service, He has the authority to demote you if you stop being faithful.
When God sets us apart, He brings us near to Himself. He qualifies us for the purpose He has called us to serve.
You were set apart to stand before the communities and minister to them and to serve them at the tabernacle/ temple. Pastors and church workers are all servants. They shouldn’t just hold titles and positions but they should serve.
Day 2:
Morning sessions:
Sustainability by Pastor Mabira Ronald:
One of the objectives of Arise Africa International is that all churches, people and existing AAI projects are self-sustainable in a way that they can financially support their families, churches and AAI ministry. We can achieve this objective through;
1. Walking right with God. (Matthew 6:33)
2. Working hard with diligence. (Proverbs 10:4)
3. Saving.
4. Giving (Malachi 3:8-10)
To be able to sustain themselves as pastors and church leaders, AAI ministry helps churches to establish small manageable projects like tree nurseries most especially eucalyptus trees because they grow faster and easily sprout to have more trees after old ones have been cut down. The tree seedlings are then shared among those people who have land to plant a small forest. When the trees have grown, they can be sold as electricity poles, fencing poles and firewood to bring in income to the church and the church member who planted them.
Health and hygiene talk by Miss Sharon (Nurse):
During each of our staff missions, we always have a health talk from Miss Namuwaya Sharon who is a nurse at Arise Africa Christian Secondary School. She taught members how to live a healthy life by practicing good personal hygiene habits. She pointed out how people cause diseases to their bodies.
In her conclusion, she taught members how to regularly clean their ears, eyes, nostrils, hair, mouth, bedrooms and how to keep their body in good health.
What pastors ought to do(by Pastor Smooth Via):
This topic was aimed at Pastors and other church leaders. Pastors of this generation behave like “celebrities” before the flock. Some of them behave like they are not part of the flock. Pastors ought to;
- Be authentic. Should not act other people’s way of living but rather be real.
- Lead by example. You cannot lead others where you’ve never been.
- Should not isolate themselves from the rest of the flock because pastors are not celebrities.
- Preach to change lives.
Preaching to change lives (How to prepare a good sermon) by Pastor Smooth Via:
In order to have a good sermon, you need to have a road map to help you prepare the sermon/teachings. You can design your own road map to follow each time you prepare a sermon. Below is Pastor Smooth’s road map that he used when teaching pastors and church leaders.
1. Through prayer, take time to ask God to reveal to you what He wants to teach his people.
2. Read and study the bible and choose a text from which you are drawing the message.
3. Determine your goal.
4. Choose a point or a couple of points that explain your goal.
5. Presentation: The way you present the message also matters a lot. The following are sample steps of presentation;
Tell a story to capture the attention of the congregation.
Hook their attention and maintain it.
Show them how the message applies to their real life situations.
Let them know that God has a solution to their problems.
Get to the truth in God’s word.
Application. Show them the solution to their problem in God’s word.
Later in the afternoon, we split up into three groups; youth, children and adults (Pastors and church leaders).
During their time, each group was able to share from God’s word respectively.
Pastors and church leaders:
The Pastors and church leaders shared from Titus chapter 1. Pastors and church leaders should focus on the ministry to which the Lord has called them. They should not be corrupted by material possessions but must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that they can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
Youth:
Led by Miss Jackline, the youth discussion revolved around the question: Should Christians have non-Christian friends? In reference to 1 Corinthians 6:14-18. If we must be friends with non-Christians, let us exercise caution and draw a line in the sand. We can be their friends and use our friendships as a way to share the gospel both by our words and by the love that we show them but we cannot be too closely associated with them because light and darkness have no fellowship together. We are the children of the light and we must come out of the world even while we are living in it.
Children:
The children’s ministry is led by Pastor Smooth’s children. They always share Christ with fellow children through games, Christian music and dances. Many children have been blessed through this ministry.
Day 3:
Morning session Pastor Masajjage Robert:
Theme: Why do we need church workers?
The text was drawn from Judges 17:1-13 (The Levite from Bethlehem in Judah and Micah’s shrine), Exodus 18:1-ff (Moses ministry).
If you have no church workers to help you, the work will be too heavy and you won’t have time for your family, no time to listen to your spiritual elders, and you will deny others the opportunity to serve. Moses’ wife and children left him, even when his father-in-law (Jethro) came to talk to him he was too busy serving others.
Pastors need to appoint capable men, who are trustworthy, god-fearing and who hate dishonest gains to stand with them in ministry.
Final teaching by Pastor Smooth Via:
Theme: Do not settle for small and temporary things.
John 6:1-ff (Jesus feeds the five thousand)
Instead of looking for the miracle worker, crowds looked for Jesus because they wanted to be fed again.
At the end of our last session, church leaders said they felt renewed with increased passion and boldness to minister.
We received word from Pastor Sembela Martin that four (4) of the community members who gave their lives to Jesus Christ during the seminar sessions came to church the following Sunday and have decided to become members of Nantamaali Baptist Church. Praise God!
We continue to ask for your prayers because prayer is the fuel that will allow us to be successful as we follow God's leading in ministry to these communities. Without your continued support and prayers, nothing much will happen. Please pray daily for the Arise Africa Staff mission trips to come.
We believe that God will work in us and through us on each trip, and afterwards in the life of our host Churches.
Please pray that:
God will provide funds to buy land and also build a church structure for Nantamaali church.
all of the financial needs for the next mission trips will be met.
Pastors and church leaders would be encouraged and strengthened in each place we go to.
God would prepare the hearts of the community members in each place we go to.
Thank you for your love, prayers and support!
May God bless you abundantly!