CHRISTIAN STUDENTS’ DISCIPLESHIP PROGRAM

ETHIOPIA

African Enterprise is passionately pursuing the objective of preparing the heart of the next generation for the Lord and building “Tomorrow’s Church”.

The churches in Ethiopia bring the gospel to many children through big evangelistic efforts. Yet, as in the physical world many are not properly taken care of (not discipled). AEE is determined to stand in the gap.

The nationwide biblical training program that started in 2003 has two major components: discipleship and leadership development. The program’s key goal is to reach out to and disciple all Christian students in each city throughout Ethiopia over a duration of five years.

The discipleship program is done in partnership with the church. The students are taught in classes (on church premises) with the aid of well written text books. It is an age graded, curriculum based and well structured biblical discipleship and spiritual empowerment program. The courses range from understanding basic Christianity to evangelism, Christian ethics and
transformational servant leadership. It primarily focuses on the next-generation, Christian students of grade 5 and upwards to high school and university. The training is conducted by pastors and ministers in each locality.

In 2008 alone some 13,780 students were discipled in 188 cities. The testimony of church leaders and students affirm the biblical soundness of the program. A female high school student said, “I never thought of abortion as unbiblical. I have watched many films where it happens and considered it a proper and modern way of living. But now I have learnt through the discipleship program that abortion is not God honouring”.

                                                                                                                               JUNE 2009                                            

GOD IS MEETING THE NEEDS  

OF LIBERIA (PHIL. 4:18-19)

The poverty in the city of Monrovia is almost overwhelming, and yet the people press on. There are young children everywhere, roaming the streets by themselves and helping with the family business. Although there is now peace in this city, there is certainly not prosperity for the vast majority.

The city is littered with the shells of gutted buildings, punctuated with bullet and shell holes and squatters have taken up residence in some. They create a bit of an eerie atmosphere, though it seems only the newcomer really notices them now. The NGO and UN presence is inescapable.

Monrovia is African Enterprise’s major mission focus for 2009. In preparation for this mission, AE has been working alongside the church leaders in Monrovia, recently conducting a Healing and Reconciliation Consultation, in anticipation of the Pan African Mission (PAM) which will take place from 16th – 23rd  November. 

The Christian leaders we are working with are peaceful, joyful, warm and welcoming. They exhibit enthusiasm, strategic thinking and a passion for the Kingdom of God. This enthusiasm has consistently encouraged all involved in the African Enterprise PAM team. Many of them have significant influence, not just among local churches, but also amongst secular leadership. These leaders are good stewards; meticulous with resources, reliable and humble. They have been working together for months now. All of them have had experiences which, when recounted, leave you aching inside. But God is working His purpose out in Monrovia.
The Consultation focused on indications of trauma, receiving and extending forgiveness, and practical steps individuals and churches could take to implement reconciliation in their communities. Participants were enthusiastic to hear about how they too might be agents of peace, having been healed by the Lord of longstanding and painful emotional wounds which had burdened them for so long.

During the question time, some very difficult questions were asked, revealing the complexity of some participants’ situations. Some of the questions included: “How can I reconcile with someone who is not honest with me?”,  “I want to reconcile with my offender but I am afraid of him/her, how do I reconcile?”, “ I have forgiven my offender from my heart but I have not told him/her this. Is this true reconciliation?”.

My Dear and Valued  Friends,                       May 2009

According to the apostle Paul, David “served the purpose of God in his own generation” (Acts 13:36). Think about that. God had certain aims in mind during David’s lifetime, such as securing Israel’s borders and preparing the Temple for construction, a project that was only fully realized by his son Solomon. But David was faithful in carrying out the Lord’s plans.

Africa of course faces more than its fair share of challenges, but in the African Enterprise Leadership Training Centre (AELTC), we’ve witnessed the Lord enabling us to make significant inroads in bringing his purposes about in our generation on our continent. While the AELTC seeks to provide cutting-edge practical and theological training to lay people and clergy on a number of topics, there are two specific arenas in which we are impacting our continent: Our investment in the youth and future leaders of Africa, and our growing access to the African Independent Churches, which often incorporate disturbing elements of traditional religions. Let me tell you about these.

Equipping the Youth

The more youth we can win for Christ the better we can realize an Africa led by those of integrity and a servant heart. The challenge in this realm is great. Schools are not coping effectively and a large percentage of families are so fractured by the effects of HIV and AIDS that many young people are growing up without parents. Many teachers and principals are at their wits’ end. Indeed, Ina Cronje, our provincial minister of education, said recently at AE that “we are at a loss on how to deal with the stress our teachers are forced to contend with . . . and will greatly appreciate any intervention that will help them.”

Our AELTC Youth Adventure Camp is one of our responses to this crisis. Our 66-acre property recently added an adventure ropes course and accommodation facilities. During their stay with us, students learn from a Christian perspective to overcome fears and develop new skills. They are challenged to work on relational skills through teamwork exercises. Through this process, students attain a new measure of what is called Emotional Intelligence, or EQ, which is the ability to exercise self-control in the development of maturity. While many young people are plainly not lacking in IQ, the absence of good parenting, combined with stressed and overwhelmed teachers, has resulted in a gross lack of discipline and young people whose many gifts will never be cultivated and applied.

It has been our profound delight to see troubled young people from even the most problem-plagued schools transformed after only a few days at our Camp. We saw this in the case of a school viewed as out of control from a disciplinary perspective. After 104 of the students came to our Camp, the principal remarked with obvious satisfaction and relief, “Our children have become calmer and the behavior and discipline standards have improved dramatically.”

What better way to present the Gospel to these young people in an environment where they are enabled to listen to and hear the Good News of Jesus Christ? So we see scores of our future leaders finding their Savior and Guide as they grow up to become agents of godly reformation in our land!

Reforming the Church

Alongside our effective and growing Adventure Camp, the AELTC has gained astonishing access into the previously isolated African Independent Churches (AICs). Many in North America might never have heard of AIC’s, as they were launched not by missionaries but by Africans themselves. This phenomenon is of course welcome in and of itself, but the problem has been that many AIC’s have integrated beliefs and practices from traditional religions that are in direct conflict with biblical Christianity, such as ancestor worship or the consulting of witch doctors. This is not a problem that affects a small number of people: the largest Christian denomination in South Africa is the Zion Christian Church, an AIC with two million members and 5,000 congregations. Experts believe that 40% of southern Africa belongs to AIC’s, with these Churches growing faster than any others.

The blessed good news in all of this is that we are seeing increasing numbers of AIC pastors, Bishops and Archbishops coming to our training courses. Some courses are made up of 90% AIC leaders! They receive biblical instruction that enables them to embrace the liberating truth of the Gospel. This liberates millions around the continent from bondage to occultic beliefs and practices. This can only serve to bring about the reformation of Africa that we are seeking in our generation.

Now, how can you be a part of what God is doing in Africa through the AELTC? We have two great financial needs I want to put before you:

• We need to construct 3 additional 40-bed facilities to expand our ability to house young people at our Adventure Youth Camp. The total cost of the 3 facilities is $75,000. Could you give $50, $150, $500, or even $5,000 or more to enable this vital ministry to go forward?
• The vast majority of AIC pastors are abjectly poor and we must provide subsidies to enable them to attend the courses that bring them to an understanding of biblical truth. Could you contribute $60 to enable one AIC pastor to attend a three-day course, or $600 for ten pastors, or even $6,000 to underwrite an entire course? 1 Canadian dollar = 7+ SA Rands.

Good friends, I am thankful beyond measure at the progress we’re seeing. I hope you’ll join with us as we work together to carry out the Lord’s purposes in our generation in Africa. Thank you for your prayers and partnership!

Yours for the Gospel in Africa,

Michael Cassidy

Founder, African Enterprise, Chairman AELTC

 Foxfires Set Africa's Youth Afire!

My Dear Canadian Friends,  

Nothing gets my heart pumping with more passion than to see young people come alive for Jesus! Are you with me?

Really, is there anything more exciting, or with more potential to positively      
impact the future of any community or society, than our sons and daughters
aflame with the Gospel? As the Apostle John says, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 1:4).

Well, we are seeing this very thing happening all the time now through our Foxfire youth evangelist program in South Africa.

It is true that we hear frequent reports in the media about how much sin abounds throughout South Africa in the form of high crime rates, corruption,the tragic and alarmingly high rate of HIV and AIDS infection and so on. But Paul says in Romans 5:20-21, “Where sin increased, grace increasedall the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign
through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

And, despite the increase of the scourge of sin in the land, we are seeing the blessing of grace abound all the more through what our good God is doing through the vibrancy and winsomeness of our Foxfire youth evangelists.

As young people, they are able to connect with their peers in ways that adults cannot, through music, dance, testimonies, counselling, friendship and the example of their faith. We are seeing hundreds and thousands of youth around South Africa come to faith in Christ
through this extremely fruitful and effective ministry. And it is growing each year in ways we could not have imagined.

From its beginnings in AE’s headquarters city of Pietermaritzburg, we now have Foxfire youth evangelist teams in Port Elizabeth, Cape Town and Johannesburg. We have more Foxfires this year than we have ever had. And they are becoming more innovative in their methods as they seek, like Paul, to “do everything I can to win everyone I possibly can” (1 Cor. 1:22).

I’d like to introduce you to our 2009 Foxfires and their hopes and aims for this year on the other side of this page. Would you pray for them fervently through this year? And could you send back the enclosed card with as generous a gift as you can manage, to enable
these young ambassadors of Christ to take our Lord’s Gospel to their peers around South Africa, so that His Grace may wash away the sin that can so easily ensnare the young people of the country? Thank you!

Yours for the Youth of Africa,

Stephen Lungu
International Team Leader