Evangelism

2004 has been an exciting year as far as Evangelism is concerned. More and more hubs and individual churches have conducted their own outreaches during the year. In several cases pastors have joined hands in organizing successful outreaches to new areas or gone to help a new hub plant churches and do evangelism. By December the number of reported commitments was over 170, 000!! (In 2003 the number was 103,000) Several National to National outreaches have been held with great success.

Mozambique explosion

Earlier in the year HIM launched the 1,000,000 disciple project in Mozambique. The plan was to establish 100 hubs and for each of these to plant 40 new churches and in so doing train and disciple 1 million people. The project is progressing very well. Several training sessions for new hub leaders were conducted in the Messica area where potential hub leaders were taken through phases A and B of the pastoral training program and the Hub Leaders Training Course.

Those identified and appointed have enthusiastically started planting new churches and many are being won to Christ. New hubs have been established and the number of HIM planted churches in Mozambique has jumped.

Congo

While the work in Southern DRC continues, so does the war. The conflict has hampered communications with our leaders and what little news filters through is mixed. Churches are still being planted and the work continues, but the lives of the population is hard. Food is scarce and the war is taking its toll. Prayer is needed for all our hub leaders and pastors and for their people. Pray for peace.

AIDS

Aids continues to wreak havoc in most Southern African states. The churches have not remained unaffected by the high death rates. Funerals place a heavy burden on local churches and we have experienced how so many funerals in a week can influence an outreach. The urgency to preach the gospel as we race against time is ever present. People cannot wait to hear the gospel by the time you get round to sharing Christ, they might be dead.

Cults

One of the saddest things I saw on a recent trip through Botswana, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique and Zimbabwe was the increasing number of cultic churches along the road. On one stretch between Solwezi and Chingola in Zambia I counted 17 newly built structures with prominent signage. I enquired of Denson (our national leader) how many churches we had planted along the same stretch of road and discovered that there are currently 9 HIM churches there. Unfortunately we don’t have signs up and the impression is given to anyone passing through (or living in the area) that only the cult is making progress there. We are in a race for the hearts and minds of Africa. Islam and the cults are pouring in millions to win over (buy) people. Unless the church acts now we may lose these nations to deception and spiritual bondage. It is far harder to reach someone once they have indoctrinated into the teaching of these groups. We need to act now!

Please help HIM fulfill its calling. The work is far from finished. We need the support of every believer, church foundation and business that we can find. Funding is essential to be able to training hub leaders and to enable them to plant multiple churches and win the nation to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We need help to print training material, conduct training sessions, organize outreaches and buy Bibles. Your help is needed today. Please consider making a substantial gift to this ministry. Partner with us as we seek to win the lost, disciple the converted, train pastors, plant churches and change nations.