“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 7:9). This is an encouragement that came at the right time for Paul as he wanted to delivered quickly from the aching thorn. We have been nourished spiritually by this truth ourselves during such hard times where we experienced about four funerals in five weeks. It has been rough but, as I say when I encourage the Sunday school pupils, “life is tough but Jesus is tougher.”
Pastoral Update
We have been striving side by side with my wife to grow in our own Christlikeness. She continues to not only bear with me but bear my burdens and help me as I seek to serve the Lord. Her patience is amazing and really wrought by grace. I praise God for her commitment to serve our family and help the church. I have been growing in the hunger for more personal prayer and also in boldness in preaching provocative Christ-centred sermons for evangelistic purposes in funerals or outreaches. I hope the Lord can grow these more and more in my life, prayer and faithful and bold gospel preaching. I am also continuing with my studies at BISA (Bible Institute of South Africa), where I am doing my Bachelor of Theology.
Vaal Reformed Baptist Church
We have started the year with a series on what true biblical worship is, looking particularly at corporate worship. This refreshed our souls and vindicated our approach to worship, especially in such a time where it is not fashionable to have God as the centre of worship.
We also experienced two deaths: one a mother of a member and the other, a grandmother of a member. The fact that these were in succession (literally two weeks in a row) really hit hard. But even in this dark cloud we saw the love of brethren and the support being Romans 12:15 enacted in life, given hands and feet and its touch felt by those bereaved.
We have started to provide free transport for students coming from the two universities near our church. And we are started to see fruit in that students who are members of the church can evangelise freely, knowing that transport is taken care of, and the bus which we hire takes about eight students to church every Sunday. Attendance from students has significantly improved as well because of this support.
We also, for the first time in many years, went out corporately to evangelise on a Saturday in the taxi rank in Vereeniging town. This outreach involved open hair preaching, passing out tracts and one-on-one evangelism. I saw members stepping out of their comfort zones for Christ and his glory and that really encouraged my own soul to witness. We hope to do this monthly at least as church with the possibility that some of us might do it weekly.
Orange Farm Church Plant
We recently experienced two deaths as well. One of them hit hard as it was a man who has been with us for some many months now, elderly as well. We praise the Lord that for a countless number of times he heard the gospel and we trust he embraced the Saviour who was always put before his eyes every Lord’s Day. We also thank the Lord that his daughter, who never came to church, started attending after his death. Perhaps the Lord used the love of God’s people during this time or the heavy biblical preaching they heard during the funeral or during the week to bring this daughter to attend. We are praying for her salvation.
We are wrapping up membership classes soon, so that, under the oversight of Vaal Reformed Baptist Church, we will have baptisms and then constitute the plant soon. We have delayed all this because I am still the one who is actively leading the church plant. We pray for more men and for funding for those men who can come and assist.
We do bless the Lord that the hunger for God’s word is ever increasing as evident by the consistent attendance at Bible study every Wednesday evening. We are currently looking at the attributes of God but using vernacular languages like isiZulu, Sesotho and isiXhosa to help the people grasp these amazing treasures of understanding who the biblical God is. In terms of Sunday preaching, we have now started the letter to the Colossians. We want to help the people see the preeminence of Christ above all.
Petitions
- Pray for financial ability to continue funding the transport for students so that they can come hear the gospel.
- Pray for conversions from the recent gospel outreach.
- Pray for more men and funding for them to come alongside and serve in Orange Farm church plant.
- Pray for wisdom as we consider constituting the church plant soon.
- Pray for hope and encouragement for those who have recently faced loss of loved ones.
Praise
- Thank God for the love and support of members for others when they are suffering.
- Praise God with us for the increased attendance from the students and the zeal for the gospel and evangelism of student who is a member.
- Praise God for the attendance of the daughter of the men who recently passed away.
Thank you for your prayers,
Athi Mgqibelo
Vaal Reformed Baptist Church