GROW FOR GLORY- Inspiring children worldwide to know God personally, love Him passionately, and serve Him unconditionally.

Transcription

1 GROW FOR GLORY- Inspiring children worldwide to know God personally, love Him passionately, and serve Him unconditionally. ANNUAL REPORT 2017 We invite you to share in our exciting year of inspiration and Godly provision

2 prophetic word... On the 12th of September 2016, during one of our directors meetings, a prophetic word was given through Steven Enslin. God revealed that as we were trusted so far with little, so will He entrust us with much more (Luke 19:17). We then took a selfless approach in our ministry at Grow for Glory for the year 2017 (2 Cor. 4:15) and aimed at the benefit of others and the Glory of God. This resulted in one of the most inspirational and successful years since we started to fulfil our mission. God kept His Word, He was faithful and from that day we have just kept on growing as a ministry to the church. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work Ephesians 4:16 (NIV). Core Values 1 Managing a professional and honourable organisation (Titus 3:8) As a Christian business, we value God s standards and principles We manage God s resources responsibly We run our organisation in the will of God 2 Exalting the Word of God (Matthew 22:16) Everything we do, we do to the Glory of the Lord We serve with humility and respect to others We value honesty and integrity; we are who we say we are 3 Presenting an organisation committed to the people (Colossians 3:22-24) We treat others the same way as we would like them to treat us We build lifelong and respectful relationships through teamwork and servanthood We foster trustworthy and inspiring relationships between employers and employees 4 Providing a curriculum that is Biblical and Christocentric We run a contextual education and training program which must bring joy and happiness to our children We provide a program that is applicable in the daily lives of our children, encompassing life skills, social skills, and motor skills development We promote a program which will encourage an ongoing commitment to academic development and living an active and healthy lifestyle Our Vision Grow for Glory exists to help children become lifelong disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. We want children to know God personally, love Him passionately, and serve Him unconditionally. Our Mission To create a safe learning environment that stimulates the child s awareness of the presence of the Holy Spirit within the classroom. The best way to encourage the child to grow in his relationship with his Heavenly Father is to do so in the child s natural environment: his home and his playground. And the best way to train up a child is to use the child s natural strengths, playful nature and curiosity. Through collaboration between coaches, parents and schools, we strive to fulfill the Biblical mandate of transforming children into dynamic disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. GROW G - Grow in your relationship with your Heavenly Father R - Read the Bible O - Obey your parents W - Witness to your neighbour GLORY G - Glorify God daily L - Love Him passionately O - Obey Him selflessly R - Represent Jesus faithfully Y - You will receive your reward Bringing our purpose and goals together

3 1. Letter from the Executive Director 2. South African Operations 3. Working amongs churches 4. Missions in South Africa 5. Evangelism and Community-Wide Outreach 6. International Missions CONTENT 7. Our expectations and targets for Projects and out of operation donations 9. A special thank you to everyone 10. Become a part of our world 11. Special congratulations 12. Meet our directors , a year of excellence I pray that God blesses each and every one of you who take the time to read our report. God has touched our ministry in so many ways during the year of Therefore, I pray that each picture and word written reveals God s kindness and love to you in a way that you can also experience how He has graciously and generously ministered through us. Especially those who stepped out in obedience, and partnered with us during 2017, your prayers and donations did not go in vain. God s favour was upon us and we were able to reach more and more children in South Africa and abroad. We expanded beyond our expectations and gained a wealth of knowledge and experience through our faithful Lord and Savour Jesus Christ. Still, at the end of the day, it was the Grace of God, His goodness and kindness that touched more and more children through the Gospel that Grow for Glory preached. Those children who heard, and responded in belief, received salvation and grace, thanks to our Lord, Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:6, 12, 14). As more children came to the Saviour, it caused thanksgiving to overflow. Therefore, the year 2017 can only be called a year of inspiration and acceleration for Grow for Glory, as we started to find our greater calling within the commission of our Lord Jesus Christ. Being patient through the foundation and forming years of , running only the Pre-School Bible Clubs, our patience and endurance paid off and soon our boundaries expanded beyond expectation. The greater vision was about to emerge as God led faithful individuals and ministry partnerships which share in the same vision of winning the children for Christ, to cross our path. Also the financial partners who bought into this great vision by giving us financial support or offered us their goods, stock and services, we cannot thank you enough for your obedience and generosity. If you are holding this report, chances are that you were an integral part of the journey we took as a ministry. And as God s Word says, the Father who sees in secret will reward you (Matt. 6:1-4). In this report, you will experience what can only be called the next benchmark in children s ministry. Throughout everything that happened during the year, it was our aim to transform our curriculums into a magical experience for the children. Our object lessons improved and we were able to incorporate puppetry, ballooning as well as my personal favourite, gospel magic and sleight of hand illusions. The kids love each lesson, and Christ was glorified through every program. We also developed our team building and the fun and games training programs that were launched with huge success. Our mascot was born, missions undertaken and children evangelised all over the country. As the executive director, I humble myself in thanksgiving to each and every one who believed in us, prayed extensively for us and contributed generously towards this ministry during All of you who have invested your time, resources and prayers did so out of an obedient heart and as a result it could be wisely spent in something greater than ourselves, the Kingdom of our Heavenly Father. Shawn Fourie Executive Director GROW FOR GLORY ANNUAL REPORT 1

4 Pre-school Bible Clubs Schools Outreach Programs Inspirational Gospel Lessons 2 South African Operations 2.1 Pre-School Bible Clubs We have a passion and a heart to reach out to young children across the globe. Our age appropriate programs are designed to teach our pre-schoolers the value of God s Word and how it applies to their young lives. During the Bible Club meetings, the children have a blast singing and learning motions to worship songs, hearing captivating Bible stories and lessons all tailored to make a lasting impression of God s truth upon their hearts. 2.2 Schools Outreach programs As a successor to the Pre-School Bible Clubs, the Kruger Park primary school extra curriculum co-ordinator asked us to consider if we would like to develop a program similar to the existing grade R program for the seniors of the school and facilitate it on a bi-weekly basis. We gratefully accepted the challenge and in a short time we have seen spiritual fruit in the lives of the children attending these meetings. This then overflowed to Chrysalis Private School as the official opening Bible period of the week. 2.3 Inspirational Gospel lessons Since Scripture teaches that children can know and understand the Word of God that can lead them to Salvation (2 Tm. 3:15), we will commit and communicate foundational truths of Scripture to children with enthusiasm, creativity and clarity Practical Object lessons Gospel Magic Puppertering Ballooning 2 GROW FOR GLORY ANNUAL REPORT

5 Games Day Teambuilding and Leadership training Working amongst Churches 3 If Grow for Glory is to share as a ministry in the suffering of Christ, we need to identify ourselves with the church of Christ. Therefore Grow for Glory should be a ministry to the church, Christ s body (Eph. 1:22-23), so that we can be an effective ministry for Christ (Matt. 25:40). We are therefore called and trained to help local and international children s ministries and churches to build their capacity and inspire and equip them to work effectively with children in their local context. 3.1 Games Day In 2017, we held our inaugural Games Day at NG Hulp & Hoop Gemeenskap Kerk in Mokopane with resounding success and look forward to rolling this out to more churches as a once-off or annual event. Games Day is a fun and exciting day which can reach out to children in any community, with our aim of the day being: winning the lost children for Christ. Churches who would like to invite more children to their children s ministry should consider having a Games Day. We will help any church with the arrangements of such a day and we will bring all the equipment and expertise needed to run a successful program. On the day, we brief your team, so that together we can make it a truly unforgettable experience for the children attending. Alternatively, some churches opt to hold one to just be a day of fun and games to treat the children and your staff already attending and working in their Sunday services. 3.2 Teambuilding and Leadership training We have found that a lot of volunteers feel that they are not making a difference in the lives of the children they minister to. Our Teambuilding Program was designed by us and comprises a wide range of themed activities, challenges and games that are tailored for leaders and teams working in children s ministry, to equip and encourage them through inspirational activities. It forms part of the Fun and Games seminar, or it could be done separately. The aim of this training module is to teach leaders how to build relationships and connect with children using fun and games as a ministry tool. If it is practical tools you need to advance the learning and development of your team or children, this is an excellent program developed and facilitated by us. We provide games and challenges that will entice your team spirit and mould your team into performing within a dynamic teamwork. We will leave your leaders inspired to take ownership of the ministry with which God has entrusted them. Dit is n baie fun en insiggewend program. Dit inspireer jou om die kind in jouself te vind en kinderkerk as n aanbieder self ook te geniet. Ek beveel dit aan vir enige gemeente wat n passie het vir kinders. Pst. Albert v/d Berg, AGS Taberna Dei, Polokwane. GROW FOR GLORY ANNUAL REPORT 3

6 Missions in South Africa Local is " leka": One of the greatest decisions we took was to extend our friendship and partnership with Word of Life South Africa. Their ministry is to reach out to the youth with the Gospel of Christ and the students, interns, and missionaries of their Discipleship Training Centre (D.T.C) are of great assistance to us. Their friendship and impact will last a lifetime. Personally, I had the privilege of joining the W.O.L.Z.A team on their SMASH Missions trip to Cape Town. I hope to join them again later this year in Durban. John Page and his crew of 53 young men and women organised a total of 5 Holiday Bible Clubs in partnership with 5 local churches and in a single week, ministered to roughly 767 children, 110 teens at a Missions in South Africa 4 youth combine, and over 65 people through house to house visits. They were in Fisantakraal, Mitchell's Plain, Strand, Blue Downs and Simanyeni. Although I was only in Cape Town for three days, it was inspiring enough for me. John and I agreed to launch an annual SMASH missions trip right in the bush, starting I believe we can put a trip together that will be a great learning experience for the students and interns of W.O.L.Z.A. They will certainly be stretched as they will minister mostly to Afrikaans Culture Communities. The challenge is set, the games can begin and God can be glorified. 4 GROW FOR GLORY ANNUAL REPORT

7 MMC Conference School Visits 5 Evangelism and Community-Wide Outreach 5.1 MMC Conference We were blessed to be invited to host a children s evangelism event at the Mighty Men Conference in the Bushveld. François Brits and the committee of the MMC were truly an inspiring team and revealed to us their loving heart towards the future generation of men. I will always thank François and his team for accepting us in such an embracing and loving way. This event allowed us to reach over 270 boys of which 35 gave their lives to our Lord and Saviour for the first time. We also arranged to minister to about 900 children at one of the local schools prior to the event and, on that Friday morning, more than 120 children decided to follow our Lord Jesus Christ, put their trust in Him for the first time. This to us was truly a weekend to remember and we trust that we will return in 2018 to continue the good work begun. 5.2 Oos Skool Another outstanding event was by invite to assist the youth ministry, Muurprop from Taberna Dei church, as they ministered to the pupils of Oos Skool, a primary school in Polokwane, at their annual Kalender Fees. We talked about the saving life of Christ and the protecting armour of God and, as we made the altar call, we realised from the response why we were called to evangelise among these precious children. It was an overwhelming response from the children who wanted to put their lives into the trusting hands of our Jesus Christ. The year was truly a great success in the world of evangelism through our ministry. We are looking forward to seeing you at the 2018 Mighty Men Conference! GROW FOR GLORY ANNUAL REPORT 5

8 6 International Missions 6.1 India Mission Trip 2017 I would like to give you detailed feedback from our mission trip to India in January This year, I was accompanied by Lee van der Nest, one of the directors at Grow for Glory, who experienced cross cultural missions for the first time. He was a joyful companion and the teaching session he carried out was well received. We arrived in Delhi and were overwhelmed by the hospitality of our hosts, Philip and Sheila Malakar, directors of ICF Ministry. It brought tears to my eyes as I met Philip again after a long year. We have both been praying constantly for each other, our families and our Ministries. Executing the vision that God has placed in both our hearts has been a challenging but a fruitful task. As we promised our Indian partners in 2016, we returned in 2017 to focus only on practical children s ministry training. We started our visit in the slums of Delhi, at one of the day-care centres. This centre is mostly just Hindu children. Here they receive help with homework, a warm meal and lots of love. We are privileged at Grow for Glory to be able to assist ICF with finances for these meals - one child is fed for as little as R40 per month. We faced the challenging task of preaching the Gospel without using the name of Jesus or the Bible. We did not want to jeopardise or expose our mission in India or stop the work of these centres. Thanks to the Lord who gave us wisdom and knowledge, we worked out an excellent program and made a lasting imprint on these children s hearts. After this visit we received report back that a couple of parents invited Sheila Malakar (centre coordinator) to come their house and pray for the family. Remember these are all Hindu parents, and after they have seen difference the gospel makes in their children, they normally want to know more. This opens the homes for prayer and sharing the Saving Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ. As a result, the parents often give their hearts to the Lord. This is the end in mind through these centres, winning the lost to Christ and restoring broken families using the 4/14 window of opportunity in every child s heart. We moved on to Bilaspur and later to Singla Village in the Himalaya Mountain range. In both these areas we held children s ministry leadership training and teambuilding. It was an overwhelming moment as I saw how much all the participants enjoyed the conference and how they interacted with the program. This was a huge step for the future of our ministry in India and we would like to do the same in Russia soon. The feedback was fantastic and within days, photos were sent to us as they used these tools we gave in the field and started evangelising to the children in their own villages and towns. 6.2 Ongoing operations in India The operations in India are carried out across 7 states and 14 zones. Currently we have 113 women in our literacy program, 20 women in our sewing learning programs and 257 children in the free tutoring program. This is an amazing achievement not only because of the limited resources we have but also despite it being a culture and society which excludes women and children as they regard them as less important than the man. Most amazing of all is the Kingdom advancement in the ICF after care programs. Here a total of 479 children are attending the program and an exceptional number of 285 parents have given their life to Christ through this ground-breaking children s ministry program. Our Youth program, which includes the Sport program, stands at number of 159 regular attendees. We thank God that we can be part of the training staff who encourage these brave men and women risking their lives daily for the expanding of the Kingdom of God in a Christian persecuting nation. Our missions partner in India, Philip Malakar, with his 13 paid pastors and 111 small group leaders are currently running 1501 cell groups and 80 house churches with other leaders, funding themselves through day jobs and farming. We are praying still for much needed resources and funding to put up a training centre in Singla Village, at the Bhutan border in the Himalayas. One pastor is already called and trained to cross the border and plant a church in Bhutan, a lost nation with mostly Buddhist worshippers. I honour these men as they risk their lives as pioneer missionaries, driven by a vision of empty hell, fill heaven. Please keep these men in your prayers as persecution is on the rise in India, a daily reality and an unimaginable lifestyle for us from the safety and comfort of our homes. It's never too late for God to transform a missed shot into a win (Luke 19:1-10, Zacchaeus the Tax Collector) 6 GROW FOR GLORY ANNUAL REPORT

9 Gallery of Activities and International Missions Phi Malakar is our partner in India. He is the founder of ICF- India Community Fellowship GROW FOR GLORY ANNUAL REPORT 7

10 Our Expectations and Targets for 2018 Host the inaugural annual SMASH in the Bush with Word of Life in Our target will be to make it an enjoyable as well as challenging experience for all the participants. Diversity and excellence will be on our minds in creating a demanding trip for the intern missionaries and Bible students. Complete the establishment of our training centre up in the Northern region of India, Singla Village in the Himalayas. This will allow us to bring across the borders of Bhutan and Nepal newly saved Christians for training and discipling in a safe environment. They can then return and take the gospel deeper into these countries which is both closed and dangerous for any missionary 7 work, especially those not native to the area. Hold an official fundraising event and plan to launch an annual 4x4 family day. This will help us to reach more families as well as raising much needed funds for the ministry. We are also considering and will be testing the ground in 2018 for reaching out and expanding our program to the high school youth. It really feels like we are leaving our grade sevens to walk into the unknown as they leave primary school. We plan to run the program called: Teaching the Next Generation to Lead with Influence: John Maxwell and One Hope. 8 Projects and Out of Operation Donations We were fortunate to replace a broken up walk way and two assembly points of 343 m 2 for one of our preschools. The project was done with the assistance of Born Free Civils & Plant Hire, Rainbow Meat Group and NC Bricks and Paving. Supplied complete kit for the scholar patrol at Hebron private school in Mokopane. Supplied the One Hope Bible app booklets for the Bulletjie Rugby fun day. Donated the plants for a vegetable garden for the Grade R learners at Chrysalis Private School. We trust that this was a growing experience for these precious youngsters. A Special Thank You to Everyone 9 We thank each person, all the companies and small businesses who were part of our journey of As the executive director, I, Shawn Fourie, have decided that I will thank each investor personally and not in this section as usual. Because they deserve it, and also because I want to stand firm on the Word of God, that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you (Matt. 6:21). I truly pray this from a humble heart because I know, and have experienced that the contributions given were from people who know where their heart and commitment lies. As Jesus said: store your treasure in heaven, where your treasure is, there your heart will be (Matt. 6:21). 8 GROW FOR GLORY ANNUAL REPORT

11 10 Become a Part of Our World We are looking for more churches, ministries and individuals who are passionate about children across the world to unite with us in prayer. Please contact us if you feel led to be added to our WhatsApp weekly prayer groups. We are also in much need of financial support in almost all of our up and running operations. You can make a difference in our ministry and in the lives of children worldwide by becoming a financial partner who helps us carry out our Biblical mandate. You can support us by donating any amount via EFT to any cause: from administration and operational costs to specific projects as listed on our website at You are also welcome to give any other resources relevant to our work. Being a registered public benefit organisation, we will issue a tax certificate under SARS section 18A for all donations made to any cause or expenditure within South Africa. Organisations can also earn BEE points for involvement or contributions to Grow for Glory. Please contact us for an updated list of possibilities in partnering with us. thank you for caring Banking details Grow For Glory NPC 2015/256307/08 PBO Donations via Cash Deposit or EFT: Account number: Bank: First National Bank Branch Code: Branch: Mokopane Branch Pay Fast Link: thank you for making a difference It s time to invest in the future of our next generation. We spend too much energy trying to heal adults (therapeutic approach) and too little trying to shape the minds and futures of the children. -Robert Botha GROW FOR GLORY ANNUAL REPORT 9

12 A special congratulations to my Russian friend and sister in Christ, Leyla Miller on her wedding day held on the 23rd of July She is a true testimony that God will give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4). She waited for a Godly husband and, after many years of prayer, God has given her a true brother, Nathan Ford, also a servant of our Lord Jesus Christ as a husband in marriage. I wish you both all the best, a happy life as you live out this wonderful testimony for our Lord. Leyla Ford, as she is now known is one of our interpreters on Russian missions. 11 Special Congratulations Shawn Fourie (Executive Director) Shawn and his wife Natalie are the founding members of Grow for Glory. Shawn has developed most of the programs and training material currently in use. Shawn has been married to Natalie for 11 years and they have two boys, Dylan and Alex. Favourite Bible verse: What is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them - Psalm 8:4 Steven Enslin (Director and Visionary) Also founding members of Grow for Glory, Steven has often been the driving force behind the operation with his constant encouragement to the team, a true spiritual father who influences a lifetime. Steven has been married to Ronel for 31 years and they have three children, Maurice, JP and Bealde. Favourite Bible verse: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service -Romans 12:1 Lee van der Nest (Director) Lee and Cindy van der Nest joined the team of directors in Lee runs some of our programs such as the Pre-School Bible Clubs, around the Polokwane area on a volunteer basis. He is truly a great man to have on a team and a dear friend. Lee has been married to Cindy for 13 years and they have three children, Tynica, Jayden and Josh. Favourite Bible verse: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me, to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD Luke 4:18-19 Enoch the Hedgehog (Mascot) The much loved Enoch joined our team in 2017, as the director of hugs and smiles. Although we always have to drag him around, he stays a star among the children when he is up and running. We truly value his input and the way he touches the heart of every child. Favourite Bible verse: Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away Genesis 5:24 12 Meet our Directors Contact information for GROW FOR GLORY: Tel: admin@growforglory.co.za shawn.l.fourie@gmail.com 4 Platina Street, Mokopane