Herewith a brief paragraph of news from BBC:
The first three months of 2014 have presented our faith-family at BBC with a number of encouragements and some challenges. Amongst these we can mention the following for your prayers and thanksgiving:
1. Our weekly Grace Group meetings have continued to build momentum in terms of deeper fellowship and insight into the Word as we use the ‘lecture-lab’ method of making the Lord’s Day messages the subject of our midweek discussions. We have been encouraged by the proportion of the church who have made themselves part of such a group. Currently the books of Hebrews, Acts and Luke have been the focal point of the pulpitand therefore also the Grace Group discussions.
Doug van Meter
2. Our Friday AWANA, youth and Young Adult ministries have continued to present many opportunities for a growing number of people to be involved. This has been an encouragement.
3. In our Shepherd’s School ministry so far this year a number of individuals have been working with Doug through the subject of Missiology, and in the second term Christo will be presenting a study through the book of Romans.
4. Our World Outreach Celebration (Missions Conference) in early March was again a highlight, with Daniel Bennett from Illinois USA leading us through the book of Ruth on the subject of
Tommie, Allison & McKenna van der Walt
Missions to the Marginalized.
5. Pray for us as we investigate the logistics of sending Tommie and Allison van der Walt as a second missionary family to Nashik India. They are visiting Gareth and Kerry there in later March with a view to their relocation and involvement in the ministry there in 2015. Christo and Maureen had opportunity in February to pay a visit to India and contribute to the work there.
6. We are always thankful for expansion, and in this regard God has blessed us with some expectant mothers, and with a regular stream of visitors. Every church wrestles with the challenge of retaining such visitors and discipling them into productive Kingdom ministry. Pray for us in that regard.
7. Doug has continued to be involved in the APC (African Pastors Conferences) in Natal and Lenasia. These were held in late February and proved to be a blessed time of ministry and networking.
8. Christo has just returned from his first ministry visit to George in the Western Cape, where he and Maureen will be serving from the end of the year. Pray for the two congregations in this transition phase. Pray also for us as we investigate and plan for the possibility of starting a formal internship program in the new year to fill the gaps that develop and in the interests of opportunities further afield in church planting and pastoral ministry.
Christo Beetge
9. We are thankful for increasing opportunities to be involved in Pro-Life ministry (training and raising awareness) and counselling mothers in crisis-pregnancies. This is indeed a societal scourge with deep social and moral ramifications! We are thankful for small indications of success in persuading mothers to go ahead with their pregnancies. Increasingly families in the congregation are making themselves available to adopt these and other babies needing willing parents.
We are grateful for your both your interest and what God is doing amongst us, and for your prayers on our behalf!
Regards
Christo Beetge