Weekday meetings will commence at 19h00 (7pm); Saturday at 17h00 (5pm), and Sunday 08h00, 10h30 and 18h00 (8am, 10.30am, and 6pm) and finish with tea being served in the mini hall.

Reports & Presentations
Thursday 8th May, 19h00 (7pm) – Children’s Work in South Africa
Friday 9th May, 19h00 (7pm) – Mozambique
Saturday 10th May, 17h00 (5pm) – Buddhism & Tibet
The evening commences with a Tibetan Meal, “Himalayan Table” tickets for this meal on sale in the church foyer.
Please address any enquiries in respect of tickets for the meal to Rod & Bev Rowlands at 012-993-3421 or 082-258-7967.

Roland Eskinazi will preach at all the services on Sunday 11th May 2007, 08:00 (8am), 10:30 (10.30am) and 18:00 (6pm).

LAST CHANCE to purchase your meal tickets at the  Desk in the foyer of the church is on
SUNDAY 4TH MAY 2008 for “Himalayan Table” the Tibetan Meal.
Tickets will be on sale between the first- and second morning services, after the second service, and after the evening service.
Meal Tickets: Adults R30; Children under 12, R10; Family, R90.
Please note that for catering purposes, there will be no tickets available on the night.

All queries in connection with the purchase of tickets may be directed to Bev Rowlands (contact details below).
Please will you feel free to contact me or any other members of the Missions Committee (see below) if you have any other queries regarding the conference.

For more APC lectures, click here:

“Life of David Livingstone” (Errol Hulse)
“The Work of the Holy Spirit in Preaching” (1 Peter 1:10-12) (Raymond Zulu)
“Confronted and Overcome by the Word” (Raymond Zulu)
“Life of George Whitefield” (Conrad Mbewe)
“The Pastor and Doctrine” (1 Tim 4:16) (Conrad Mbewe)
“A Man Called of God” (Acts 26:12ff) (Conrad Mbewe)

Please also be sure to read the introductory post if you haven’t already.

Please pass this message on to anyone you think may be interested.

Conrad Mbewe’s first sermon is now available. Click here to listen.

President:

• Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.  Muslim.  The president’s power is checked by the National Assembly.

Country:

• A sense of entitlement that many people in Nigeria feel they have to the revenues of the Nigerian state and extremely excessive corruption continue to constitute major challenges to Nigeria.
• Years of military rule, corruption, and mismanagement have hampered economic activity and output in Nigeria and continue to do so.
• Like many Third World nations, Nigeria has accumulated a significant foreign debt.
• An undercurrent of strife and deterioration countrywide.
• Health, health care, and general living conditions in Nigeria are poor.  The emigration and subsequent “brain drain” of doctors also contributes to this problem. Life expectancy is 47 years and just over half the population has access to potable water and appropriate sanitation; the infant mortality is high (97.1 deaths per 1000 live births). Nigeria, like many developing countries, also suffers from a polio crisis as well as periodic outbreaks of cholera, malaria, and sleeping sickness.
• Education is also in a state of neglect. Attendance rate for secondary education is only 29%.
• Idolatry in the media and sport industries.
• Massive prevalence of the well known “Nigerian Money Scams”.

Religion:

• The three main religions are Christianity, Islam (see Islam in Nigeria), and Animism.
• Sharia (Muslim) law, used only in the predominantly Muslim north of the country.  This has contributed to unchecked and severe persecution of Christians.
• Significant ongoing tensions on a national scale and potential violence between Muslims and Christians in the northern parts of the country.
• Massive growth in numbers in the church with accompanying bad doctrine, divisions and lawlessness and stress on Christian leaders.
• Pentecostal churches are now the predominant influence and the fastest growing.
• Less reached people groups and areas.

Other Biblical Prayer specifics:

• All the people of Nigeria:
  • “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people” (1 Timothy 2:1 ESV)
  • “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.” (Romans 10:1 ESV)
• Rulers of the country & peace:
  • “…for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” (1 Timothy 2:2 ESV)
• Churches:
  • ‘He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”’ (Matthew 21:13 ESV)
  • Etc.
• Christians:
  • Thanksgiving
  • Supplications, prayers, intercessions:
  • “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God. May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.” (Colossians 1:9-12 ESV)
  • Patience, perseverance, submission to God’s will and holiness in and under persecution (Phil 4:6; James 5:13)
  • Etc, etc.
• Pastors and teachers, the ministry of the Word:
  • “… [P]ray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ… that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak” (Colossians 4:3,4 ESV)
  • “Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith.”  (2 Thessalonians 3:1-2 ESV)
  • “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” (Acts 6:4 ESV)

The men all laboured intensively and with great enthusiasm to accomplish the task. The setting was very rural, no electricity and water had to be brought to camp from the nearest well. Sand for construction was obtained from a dried river bed, half an hour drive away. The bricks were hand made, on site.
Apart from the physical labour, great strides were undertaken for spiritual advancement. Many team members gave their testimonies and sung or preached in the local Church services. Nick & Sheila were delighted to attend, along with other team members, the local primary school for assemblies on three occasions. The teachers interpreted the bible lessons into Tonga.
It was a privilege to teach Sunday school and a joy to hear the song taught in English so smoothly translated and sung in Tonga.

We thank you for your prayers. God heard and answered. We all had safe journeying mercies. We were struck by the spiritual darkness which abounds in such a rural, “idyllic” place. On the day we were leaving South Africa, Jako had news that a man from the village was murdered. We learnt that he was related to Pastor Petros and that he was ambushed on his way home, having gone to buy grain. Nothing was stolen from him but his heart was removed from his body. Satanic practices abound and we must pray for the people of Makumba. A young boy of 7 years died from TB whilst we were there and we were able to go and pay our respects to his father who attends the local church. It is imperative that the Tonga people hear the Gospel message.

Jako & Amber have been ministering in Makumba for some years now and they have a passion and love for the people. We thank God for the blessed experience of working alongside them and the team from Virginia and the Russian Pastor from Moscow.

Nick & Sheila Court, Missionaries
Step Wise Youth Ministry

Sheila Amber & Tunize will be busy preparing food, washing up, fetching water and firewood, whilst Nick & the other men will be carrying on the building works with help from about 20+ local people. Each day, the 20+ local helpers will join the team for lunch. The Russian Pastor will teach during the lunch times on the Attributes of God. (With Interpreter) On Sundays and week day afternoons, team members will be visiting the churches, schools and villages, to share the gospel. Sheila looks forward to this part but before that highlight, a lot of fetching and carrying will have to be done. It is very rural. No running water and electricity. Team members fetch the water by pumping it from a bore hole well a little distance away and carry containers back to camp in a wheelbarrow. There are snakes and other hazards about the place. The weather is colder and sleeping under canvas could be a little testing.

Items for Daily Prayer:

• Personal safety and travelling mercies for the team
• For unimpeded border crossings
• Pray that the vehicles will perform well, no breakdowns, accidents, incidents. You do come across potholes and animals roaming the roads. It is particularly dangerous for dusk and night driving
• That the team will have energy and stamina for the hard labour and spiritual work
• For a relaxed and encouraging team spirit
• That the lives of team members will be a witness to one another and the local people
• That many will hear the gospel and come to trust in the living Lord Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and eternal life

Thank you so much

With love & prayers

Nick & Sheila Court