Please find below some information, prayer requests, and pictures from the ministry of Grace Baptist Church in Daveyton, South Africa.
Thanksgiving
We thank God for his grace in sustaining us and for your financial support and your prayers. Last month we were encouraged by Brother Sean Reece from Heart Cry, who visited us.
His visit was so refreshing and encouraging to us and to some of the township pastors that we labour with in the gospel. He really spoke with us as a man who understands ministry and the hard work of church planting. We were really encouraged to know that he is always praying for township. The townships have been neglected for long. But we are excited about what God is doing.
Our Family
Our son Zanecebo, who is fourteen months old, has started walking. He keeps all of us running. And Emihle, our daughter, is three months. She really struggled with her health when she was born, but now she’s strong and coping very well. We are thankful to God for the gift of kids. They really sanctify us as a family.
My wife’s health has been good. The Lord has really strengthened her after the pregnancy. She has even added to her duties of taking care of the kids and our home by helping some students with their school work. This has been a ministry we have started since we are involved in high schools. We realised that many kids don’t have people who help them at home with their school work. Part of the major reason is that many kids are raised by single parents or by their grandmothers. We use this opportunity to invite them to our home and help them with school work.
We are striving to be a godly home, so that we may be able to witness to this kids with our lifestyle and with our words. We thank God that so far they appreciate the help we offer them and they are more open about their lives.
God’s Family
It has been said that the church grows more during persecution. As a church we had to deal with some discipline issues. It is not easy for a small church to deal with church discipline, especially if you have to discipline a member of the biggest family. We had to discipline one of our members. This discipline was difficult and it was also discouraging the other members of the family. What makes things worse is that we had one of our Bible studies in this home. And this family was involved in inviting neighbours to the Bible study. We thought this would shake our church and the other family members who were attending our church. But God granted us the grace by not allowing the other family members to stumble over the discipline, even though they were shaken.
We also have been praying and looking for a venue for our church to meet. Since we were approached by the municipality that the place we were temporarily using will be needed. We have found a place that is not far from our previous place. We have met with the owner and have agreed on the price. But right away after us, the Jehovah’s Witnesses approached the owner to make an offer for the very same place. It seems as if the owner is divided now. We are praying that the Lord will grant us the grace to have it, if it’s in his will.
Clinic Ministry
The Lord still has an open door for us to preach the gospel in the local clinics. At times, it has felt like we are planting the seed in hard ground. But the Lord, who is able to soften hard hearts, has begun to open the hearts of people. They are now beginning to open up about their lives and their relationships with the Lord. They invited us to their houses to have opportunity to ask us more about the messages we preach. Some have confessed that they had backslidden but since they heard us they have gone back to their churches. We really don’t know how biblical these churches are. But the fact that the people realised that they have turned away from what Christ did on the cross for them encourages us.
High School Ministry
The high school ministry has been a blessing. We have opportunity to confront the false gospel that many have learned from their churches.
One young man confessed to us that his pastor taught him to deceive people through doing miracles, commanding people to sleep during church services, laughing in the Spirit and eating grass. This young man was convinced that this teaching is from the Bible. We explained to him that the Bible doesn’t teach this. He told us that what he fears is that, if he turns away from the teaching of his pastor, he will become crazy. He said whatever he does, he does it under his pastor’s protection, and if he stops doing it he will be in danger. We have helped him understand that only God protects his people. We have prayed for him and we are hoping to meet with him and discuss this further.
We’ve also had six students who visited our church. Three of them have become regular visitors. One has asked that even though she doesn’t come to our church, can she attend our Bible studies. We were so encourage by that.
Prayer Requests
- We thank God that final we got the adoption order for our son. The adoption has been legally finalised.
- We also thank God for brother Fabri, who is leading our church music. He has been so helpful in the school ministry since he’s on break from varsity. He’s also been involved in helping the students with their school work.
- Brother Zakhele, our intern, had an opportunity to go for a mission trip to Mozambique as part of his training at the seminary. He was assigned to teach children ministry. He was so challenged and grown by that ministry. Pray that the Lord will continue to grow him.
- Pray for the stability of our church during this time of church discipline.
- Pray for the students who have begun to come to our church to be saved and to continue serving the Lord with us.
- We have paused our open air outreach since it is getting cold here. However, we have started to meet in people’s houses for Bible studies. The people are inviting us to have these services in their houses. We’ve already been in two houses. Please pray that the Lord will save many through these efforts.