Ethiopia Updates – November 2021
1. Our Vision and network is being stretched
This is Pastor Philemon Hassan from Sudan. He is a Pastor in Baptist Church in Khartoum, the capital city of Sudan. I get connected with him through J-life network a Ministry of Mobilizing a Disciple Making Movement in Africa. I met him here is Addis Ababa, Ethiopia while he was here for a consultation.
I have had a very good time with Pastor Philemon sharing our vision with him and talked about how do we impact and transform our region. Our region East Africa, particularly Horn of Africa is known by conflicts and instability. We do believe that the Church of Christ has a vital role to play for bringing peace and reconciliation in this hostile region. We discussed on some strategic issues emphasizing on how do we Make our community and political leaders to be a good disciple of Jesus so that they will be used by God to bring peace and reconciliation in the region.
Pastor Philemon has invited me to go to Sudan early next year to train his church leaders and share the vision with them. I thank God for this door and I believe that it will bear more fruits for the kingdom.
Vision sharing with Pastor Philemon
2. Africa Leadership Zoom meeting
We have had a good time of Zoom meeting with out African leadership team. Our President Dr. Okongo Samson shared a number of things regarding how do we do our ministry better and brainstorm on what should be our focus of planning and budgeting for next year. He also shared with us about the new play book of our organization.
We encouraged and prayed one another and had a good time of updating our ministry and family. We have agreed that having such kind of meeting is very important for us as a ministry team and it will help us flow together in one spirit and in one accord. It will also helpful to bear our ministry, family and life burdens & challenges one another according to the scripture.
I take this opportunity to thank our president Dr. Okongo for his leadership and direction. I would also like to thank our African leadership team for participating and contributing for them meeting. Praise God.
African Leadership Team Zoom meeting with Dr. Okongo
3. The Flame of Disciple Making Movement Continues
Discipline Making is our mandate from the Lord and the urgent need for the African Churches. Creating awareness, assessing and evaluating the effectiveness of the Disciple Making ministry in today’s churches is very important in order to apply Jesus’s Model of Disciple Making movement.
We have organized and facilitated this consultation and training meeting with our key leaders in Addis Ababa including other leaders from other churches and denominations. 17 leaders were gathered together and we have seen and discussed the strategy Jesus used in His Disciple Making movement and ministry.
His Passion & purpose of his ministry are the very foundation of our ministry today as we do Disciple Making. Our leaders were convinced by Jesus’s life and ministry and challenged to do their ministry as Jesus did. They have also recommitted themselves to keep the Flame of the Disciple Making Movement that Jesus started burn in their Churches, communities and cities. Praise God.
Disciple Making Consultation and training event in Addis Ababa
Conclusion, Praise & Prayer Requests
These are praises and prayer request items to pray about with us: –
• Thank God for our ministry. Currently it is Impacting many ministries, pastors and nations in Africa.
• Continue pray for our under ground ministry we have in Horn of Africa nations; may God would continue saves many souls miraculously for His Glory. And Pray also for the peace of those Horn of Africa nations (Ethiopia, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Eritrea, Djibouti)
• Pray for the Disciple Making movement and Leadership Training & Development program that we have been doing. May God use us and transform the lives of many leaders.
• Pray for our African Leadership Team that may God would continue use them in their countries, protect them and their families. As we are preparing planning for next year ; may God gives us wisdom and shares His heart to us so that we will plan according to His will.
Samson Weldemariam /Pst/
Vice – president and Africa director of U4A