Focus: Francophone Africa March 2010

Transcription

1 Focus: Francophone Africa March 2010 Campus Crusade for Christ Francophone Africa Area of Affairs Angola Benin Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Central African Republic Chad Congo Côte d Ivoire Democratic Republic of Congo Gabon Guinea Mali Niger Senegal Togo The Great Commission Global Prayer Movement See each monthly issue at

2 Welcome to Francophone Africa! The members of our ministry team: 384 full-time staff 685 associate staff 1,732 volunteers 121 salaried employees In April 2009, the Francophone Area Office re-located from Bamako, Mali to Abidjan, Côte d Ivoire. God has blessed Francophone Africa with vital movements of prayer organized for coordinated weekly prayer, monthly prayer, and a semiannual Worldwide Day of Prayer. The area s student-led movements direct their prayers and plans toward: 1. First level universities with more than 5,000 students. 2. Second level universities with more than 1,000 students. 3. Third level universities with less than 1,000 students. National Directors, Rev. Shay (front row, fourth from left) and Dr. Dela Adadevoh (front row, fifth from left) wearing aprons just as servants. Leader-led movements employ specialized evangelism and discipleship strategies developed for the respective groups they minister to: Executives Athletes in Action Military Ministry Family Life Women Today The Church-led movement focuses on church leaders--presidents, pastors, evangelists, elders, and deacons--to mobilize them in order to reach large numbers of people and thus favor implantation of new churches. A virtual-led movement has launched recently and already has 15 volunteer missionaries. Its main tool is the use of the Internet to communicate the gospel. All of these growing spiritual movements and their activities are for the sole purpose of: Connecting lost people to Jesus. Life-changing discipleship. Multiplying leaders who mobilize and mentor others to lead. Generating self-sustaining local resources. About 300 million people live in Francophone Africa. Poverty in the villages continues to drive many to the urban sections. This has become a rural exodus in some countries. In general, Central Africans are Christian, but they are suffering from war and political conflicts. Many people in West Africa identify with non-christian religions and are illiterate. With these overwhelming needs in mind, God has called Francophone Africa to send trained missionaries in response. Monday, March 1 Colossians 1:1-2 Praise God that the conference Pamoja Africa II in Yamoussoukro, Côte d Ivoire, from Dec 27 Jan 2, ran so smoothly! Tuesday, March 2 Colossians 1:3-6a Pray about follow-up of students and professionals who attended Pamoja and their commitment to movements everywhere. Wednesday, March 3 Colossians 1:6b-8 Ask the Lord to bless our work of translating discipleship materials into the appropriate local languages. Thursday, March 4 Colossians 1:9 Thank God for the evangelism and church planting of Operation Jericho: Phase III, in various key cities during

3 A good place to get a small but flavorful taste of God s work, deserving fully alert prayer A meeting of all Francophone staff members has been planned for August 14-20, 2011 in Abidjan. What makes this staff gathering a bit unusual is that as a movement we are targeting to evangelize the whole city of Abidjan. The massive outreach is being developed in partnership with 1,500 church leaders. Our united prayer is that 2 million people will be exposed to the gospel through the JESUS film, various conferences, sports competitions, and evangelical dinners. The plan is to distribute 2 million copies of the JESUS film DVD and 500,000 of the Magdalena DVD. Please pray with us for God to raise locally about $450,000 for the event and for every detail. Francophone Staff Members in Benin on Friday, March 5 Colossians 1:10-12 Lift up in prayer the execution and effectiveness of our evangelism and discipleship projects this year. Saturday, March 6 Colossians 1:13-14 Praise God for our partnerships with area churches, which has become increasingly fruitful. Sunday, March 7 Colossians 1:15 Ask our Heavenly Father to allow us to see the planting of 747 new churches in Monday, March 8 Colossians 1:16 We are grateful that a large number of people are continually reaching out through our virtual-led movement s electronic media. 3

4 Our Lord Answered our Prayers In recent memory, organizing Pamoja Africa II was the most important challenge we had to face up to. Reports have testified that many people did not trust that this large evangelistic event could be carried out successfully in Côte d Ivoire. Two reasons for their fears were obvious: First of all, Côte d Ivoire is coming out of a troubled time of war. People expected an insecure situation in Yamoussoukro, the area where Pamoja was held, located only 200km from Abidjan. Reports of thieves called cutters of route were unsettling. Secondly, Pamoja II was scheduled during the time of Ivory Coast s presidential elections. It is common to assume that elections in Africa are always followed by troubles. We made a decision to fast and pray. And in that decision we saw God s hand: The presidential elections were postponed, and Pamoja II ran smoothly. Many of its Students from 35 countries dancing with their flags at Pamoja II in Yamoussoukro. participants decided to serve God full-time. Prayer Coordination had mobilized all area staff for 40 days of fasting and prayers, from November 11 to December 20 in support of Pamoja and what God could do there. During the event itself, a group of intercessors watched over the conference day and night in continual prayer. Tuesday, March 9 Colossians 1:17 With God s help may we establish virtual communication centers in five countries across Francophone Africa. Wednesday, March 10 Colossians 1:18 Thank the Lord for providing and allowing us to settle into a new Francophone Africa area office in Abidjan on April 19, Thursday, March 11 Colossians 1:19-20 Pray for those Campus Crusade national offices in Francophone Africa that still lack official recognition by their countries. Friday, March 12 Colossians 1:21 Praise the Lord for the national offices which have gotten into their own buildings, thanks to local support He provided. 4

5 (Above) The Francophone Area of Affairs Leadership Team. (Right) AOA Coodinators serving with Rev. Shay (second row, third from left) and Dr. Dela Adadevoh (second row, fourth from left). Saturday, March 13 Colossians 1:22-23 We thank God for protecting the staff while traveling and during flooding which has devastated some parts of West Africa. Sunday, March 14 Colossians 1:24 May God be praised that the JESUS film has already been translated into 76 local languages in our area. Monday, March 15 Colossians 1:25-26 Express gratitude that Democratic Republic of Congo recently was able to send 14 missionaries to five countries of the Sahara Belt. Tuesday, March 16 Colossians 1:27 Intercede for 26 missionaries who will be trained in Cameroon and DRC, to be sent into the Sahara Belt this year. Wednesday, March 17 Colossians 1:28 Ask God to protect, bless, and provide for the needs of each of our missionaries currently serving in the Sahara Belt. Thursday, March 18 Colossians 1:29 Praise Him for the impact of the Magdalena DVD on African women s lives; increasing numbers are being exposed to its message. 5

6 (Left to right) Cathy Kisoki, Betty Adadevoh, Judy Douglass, and Makoyi Mukengeshay during Staff Women Forum in Cotonou in Ted Wilcox Worldwide Challenge Friday, March 19 Colossians 2:1-2 May the Good Shepherd use our staff to help build vital prayer groups in each city, toward establishing movements everywhere. Saturday, March 20 Colossians 2:3-5 Pray that numerous churches will enthusiastically appropriate the strategy of the JESUS film for implanting new churches. Sunday, March 21 Colossians 2:6-7 Uphold the April training sessions designed to help our accountants do an even more excellent job in their financial management. Monday, March 22 Colossians 2:8 Thank God for the completed DMPD training, which considerably improved the staff financial support in Francophone Africa. Tuesday, March 23 Colossians 2:9-10 Pray for God to prepare us in every way for the DMPD training in countries where the staff have not yet received it. Wednesday, March 24 Colossians 2:11-12 Praise the Lord for the faithfulness of our ministry partners in spite of worldwide economic crises; may He empower them to continue. 6

7 My Prayer Life Notes... My prayer requests... People I m praying for... Answers to prayer... Thursday, March 25 Colossians 2:13 Ask the Almighty One to raise up great numbers of associate staff members entrusted into our care for His Great Commission. Friday, March 26 Colossians 2:14 A 2007 forum on reinforcement of capacities resulted in 75% of our staff women being able to use the Internet; praise God! Saturday, March 27 Colossians 2:15 Pray the Holy Spirit will work unhindered during a Staff Women Leaders Forum in Abidjan, from Aug 10-20, Sunday, March 28 Colossians 2:16-17 Lift up the Francophone all-staff meeting scheduled for Aug 14-20, 2011, and the con-current evangelistic crusade in Abidjan. 7

8 Monday, March 29 Colossians 2:18-19 We bless God s Holy Name for the faithfulness and commitment of each staff member for our movements everywhere vision. The teacher is always silent when the test is given. When God is silent in your life, you are being tested. Author Unknown Tuesday, March 30 Colossians 2:20-21 Lay before the Lord the need for smooth running national elections this year in some of our countries. Wednesday, March 31 Colossians 2:22-23 For the gospel s sake, may the God of All Peace give us stability in countries currently experiencing troubles. Let s talk about ways you can see Global Prayer cultivating prayer in your movement! On the Web at: Global.Prayer@ccci.org (407) Woerner Great Commission Prayer Center Campus Crusade for Christ 100 Lake Hart Drive 2100, Orlando, FL 32832, USA PRAYING FOR YOU Our network interceding from the Prayer Center and around the world. PRAYING WITH YOUR TEAM Mobilizing a new 24/7 Prayer Movement. Helping provide on-site prayer for conferences and ministry events. TRAINING YOUR MINISTRY TEAM Prayer Leadership Seminars (downloadable) recently upgraded with revised manuals and visuals. EQUIPPING YOUR TEAM FOR PRAYER Monthly Movements Prayer Journal highlights one geographic area or Campus Crusade global strategy. Now downloadable in English and Korean! us to subscribe to e-reminder service. Providing a selection of ministry requests online for use movement-wide. Send us yours! 31-Day Global Prayer Initiative: Daily prayer topics focusing on some of the most challenging situations in today s world. Download in English or Spanish! Were these prayer requests helpful to you? Each monthly issue of Movements Prayer Journal offers current prayer needs from another part of the Campus Crusade for Christ worldwide movement. Get an reminder when the next issue is ready. Sound good? Just send your name and preferred e-address to: global. prayer@ccci.org, subject line: Subscribe. View some of the latest prayer requests and praise items from Campus Crusade for Christ ministries around the world and sign up for a one-hour slot in around-the-clock prayer for top ministry needs by visiting: Be certain to register, then click the 24x7 Calendar button Campus Crusade for Christ