No, the title "tag-team ministry" is not a commentary on newly acquired Africa wrestling techniques.
This past Saturday (February 28th) Sue conducted a financial empowerment course for our church – Karen Vineyard Church - while Doug drove across town and lead a pastors gathering in a slum called Kawangware. You will find it under “places to avoid in Nairobi”.
Sue’s seminar was enthusiastically received. As she shared our stories it gave permission to others to talk about their financial journeys and mishaps. Laughter mingled with swapping information about where to get the best deals and how to reduce the cost of your electric bill and the like.
Doug taught on the Dynamics of Spiritual Warfare in ministry. No one in the room need to be convinced about the activity of the demonic nor the need to equipped in this arena. The slums are rife with witchcraft and ritual killings. The leaders left greatly encouraged by the sense that they are “surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses”.
The second photo is of the Association of Vineyard Church’s National Coordinator Noah Gitau and the Association’s treasurer, who is also a church planter, Alice Mumo. Pray that they might have wisdom and discernment in all that they do to lead and model integrity in a land where this quality is sadly lacking.
Recently we have been experiencing a spate of carjackings and kidnappings. Three people in our congregation have been carjacked in the past two weeks. One night I was leading a Home Group leaders training when we got a call that a man in our congregation was carjacked just a mile or so from where we were meeting. I stopped the meeting and we began to pray. Later the man told us that the incident began with him being in a panic as the thugs threatened him and within fifteen minutes he felt a peace descend on him while his captors gradually became increasingly confused and chaotic. They released him unharmed taking only his cell phone. Truly a miracle!
Finally, these past weeks have been a flurry of house guests and meetings with our International Partners. We are considering putting a revolving door on our guest bedroom. Pray for the Vineyard School of Ministry as we move forward with implementation and for the Vineyard Financial Empowerment (Business training/microfinance)as we create a separate corporation for this ministry. More details to come.
As we pray together in the mornings we find that all of you loved friends and family are often brought before the "throne of grace" with great joy!
