FAITH BAPTIST CHURCH
Bi-Weekly Report.
From 15th to 30th July, 2010.

Brethren,

How good it is to dwell in God’s presence each day.  We are at peace always to know that you are praying for us.  Faith Baptist Church is doing fine.  The Lord Keeps sending people to our church.  We always have a story to tell concerning the Lord’s work here in Kabanana.  We would like you to pray for the following items.

First, we want to thank you, brethren, for praying for us in all the church activities which took place the past two weeks.  The ladies’ evangelistic tea party was a success.  We had a powerful sharing of God’s word to the women by Mrs. T. from Chisomo Baptist Church, Matero.  The attendance was not as we expected.  However, we thank God for those who came.  It was an evangelistic tea party as well as a vernacular churches ladies gathering.  So we had five from Matero, four from Ng’ombe’s Chiyanjano Baptist and three from Johnleng Reformed Baptist Church.  We received six visitors out of the 80 invitational flyers we passed out around Kabanana. These are the ones we will be following up this weekend. Please, pray for success in the follow-ups of the people who came for ladies evangelistic tea party.  For a long time now, we have been concerned with our women's ministry.  Two ladies left our church for their old church. However, the Lord was gracious to us.  He sent the wife of one of our members whom we used to pray for.  He also sent Mrs. T., the mother of the three boys who attend our church regularly.  You will do well to pray earnestly for the growth of this ministry and also for more laborers to help in evangelism.

Our church has activated another ministry called Hope Ministry.  This ministry concerns itself in the helping of the widows in our church and community, orphans, underprivileged people and people living with HIV and AIDS, and the chronically ill.   When we started our church we thought these problem will come at a later on. However, one of our converts had to nurse her husband who was sick for over one year. The church as whole went through a lot with this sister whose husband was ill. Two months ago, as I was doing my pastoral rounds, I came to the T.'s house.  I found the boys who regularly attend our church at home and not at school.  I asked them why they were all at home. They told me that they were sent home for not paying their school fees.  This troubled my heart for the story behind this family is sad. The father died five years ago, and his family took the property.  The house they are living in is a shack and the owner of this property has offered them to live there for free.  Mrs. T. sustained the family through tailoring, but now her health is failing her. (She has chronic T.B.)  When James Williamson asked me to start a theological school in my area,  he also asked me if our church has orphans in real pressing situations. The first people who came to mind were the T.’s. So I narrated their story to him.  Today, Hope Ministry of Faith Baptist Church is supporting 11 orphans with school necessities and all the T. children are included.  Our prayer is that Hope Ministry will do more and that more can partner with us as the needs go beyond school necessities. (Pictures for this ministry can be sent upon request)  Pray for us that through this ministry, Christ will be honored and glorified as we share the gospel in our community.

We had a total of 10 visitors this month.  Pray that the Lord might settle some if not all of them in our church.  Sometimes, it becomes discouraging having visitors but never seeing them again.  Pray with us that God should work in the hearts of those who come as visitors.  Last Sunday the M. family came again to worship with us.  You'll remember that I told you about them. They live near the school we are meeting at for church and they are members at Emmasdel Baptist Church, which is our sister church.  Sometimes decisions are hard to make. Pray for the M. family that the Lord to have his way in their lives.

We continue to pray for the church building project.  Development seems to be moving at a faster rate in our area and yet our land seems to be untouched.  Our prayer is that no one will tamper with it as we keep praying for finances to carry out the project.

Pray for all the ministries in our church as well as spiritual growth.  We also want you to pray for our numerical growth.  It is important to be see what you are laboring for both spiritually and physically.  So pray for us in that regard.  Pray also for our family’s personal needs.

Brethren, please pray, pray, pray and pray for these things. Amen.

Yours Truly,

Curtis C., Faith Baptist church, Kabanana.