Think new, do new…

by | May 31, 2018 | Health, South Africa

Watching this video reminded me of what we always tell our trainees when we introduce them to Strategy and Foundations. This is a paradigm shift. This is not the way you are used to “doing” church!
In this video you will see how a man who knew perfectly well how to ride a bicycle has to change the way his brain works in order to ride on a “backwards” bicycle…it took him eight months of daily practice to actually get it right! But then, when he tried to ride a normal bicycle again, he found that his brain had to be reprogrammed again!
This is exactly what happens when we try to implement the training.
Think of it this way. Jesus made disciples. That is what He did for most of His adult life on this planet. He had a certain method that He used and it worked! Then, some time in history, perhaps during the Middle Ages, someone changed that method…someone recreated Jesus’ model and turned it around…made it “backwards”. Suddenly the church was inward focussed and started concentrating on building beautiful buildings and filling them with beautiful things so that people would come to them. That was not Jesus’ model! Jesus went to where the people were…He never started a building campaign, other than that made out of living stones…you and me!
So, now we come and we train you to follow Jesus’ method…the original method…the way this Church “bicycle was supposed to be used. But now you find you can’t do it…you have to reprogram your mind and your spirit to return to the Master’s original plan.
BUT, it can be done…if we practice daily and just do it. Discipleship needs to be done like Jesus did it if it is to bear lasting fruit…abundant fruit.
There are three types of people in the Church:
“Think old, do old” people who simply are not willing to change their thinking and ways of “doing” church.
“Think new, do old” people who have the knowledge, but not the understanding and therefore are not able to implement the truth they have learned about disciple making.
“Think new, do new” people who have both the knowledge and the understanding and therefore think and behave in a different way from the way they used to “do” church. This takes a lot of time, frustration, and dedication to get to a new way of thinking and doing…but, as I said before, it can be done!
PRESS ON beloved disciple makers! Press on and the Lord will reward you in due time!
Blessings!

May Newsletter 2018

by | May 30, 2018 | Health, South Africa

“I can’t thank you enough for the spiritual armaments that you have imparted into my spirituality as well as ministry through this training. The material is so divine to extent that I have waited for such since 2008, but I really would not put my head around to formulate anything like that, even though I knew that something is missing in the way I teach the children of God. But now with this material every thing will be so easy.”

We received this email from Phiwa, one of our Natal Diocese trainees. Shortly after receiving it, we received another, this time from Swaziland. Mandla writes:

“God is helping us and we meet every Wednesday with the group around Mbabane. Busy with the 60 days Study in the life of Jesus Christ. I have also met the clergy from the East Region hope classes will be starting soon by Rev Ntokozo Ndzimandze.”

These are very encouraging testimonies especially since the latter comes from a training we did last year! God’s Word does not return to Him void, but it will accomplish what He has purposed. And this is the beauty of the material we use to train trainers of disciple makers…it is all Scripture. We open the Gospels and Acts and examine the way Jesus made disciples and then we apply the principles…the Holy Spirit truly does do the rest!


Louise and I returned from the US rearing to go. The Lord had blessed us exceedingly abundantly above all we could have asked for and He did it through our family and our friends. We are so grateful to have such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us!

We had hardly hit the ground when we had to board a plane once again for Kwa-Zulu Natal. There we trained a few folks in Strategy and others in a new program for us called Rooted in Jesus. We had a marvellous time and were so encouraged by the excitement of the trainees…they loved Strategy so much they want to translate it into Zulu so that they can use it in the rural areas. We have sent them all the material as well as the translation in isi-Xhosa as the two languages are very similar. We are all anticipation to see what they do with it!

We will be leaving for Namibia next week as I was asked to preside at the wedding of my cousin’s daughter. What an amazing privilege! Bishop Luke Pato of Namibia has also asked us to train a few key members in Strategy. We are SO excited! We have been praying about this for a long time…this will be our first training in the country of my birth since we left in 1996!

This will also be the first time we use The Godmobile for a ministry trip! Thank you once again to our generous partners who made this purchase possible. There was even a bit of $ left over to help pay for insurance and fuel!
 


Items for Prayer:
Violent crime is rampant is southern Africa. Pray for protection
We are still in need of monthly donors for our personal support.
The funding we need to do the work of the ministry is dwindling. Pray for adequate funding to pay for training trips.
Pray for those we have trained, that they will apply the principles learned.
Pray for those working on the Zulu translation of Strategy.
Pray for our trips to Namibia, Ethiopia, and Egypt.

Please remember that we update our blog fairly frequently and so you can get up to date information there. https://missionsbloging.blogspot.com/

Thank you again and again for your support, your prayers, your encouragement, and for being our partners in this amazing ministry!

Blessings!
Johann and Louise

Permission to gossip…

by | May 28, 2018 | Health, South Africa

The Scriptures often speak out against gossip, or “talebearing” in some versions…especially when what is being said is malicious or untrue. The tongue, James tells us, although one of the smallest members of the body, can be extremely destructive. So spreading stories about others is frowned upon for good reason.

However, there are two forms of gossip that are commendable.

The first is when you gossip about Jesus. There is absolutely nothing negative you can say about someone who is perfect now, is there? And He is perfect…He came in the likeness of humanity and was like us in every respect, yet without sin. Gossiping about Jesus is a very positive thing to do as when others hear about Him and how wonderful and awesome He is, they want to get to know Him for themselves. The next step is then to simply introduce them to Him and let Him take it from there…

The second form of permissible gossip is when you gossip about missionaries and whatever it is the Lord has them doing in His vast harvest field. Now, unlike Jesus, missionaries are not prefect…sorry to burst anyone’s bubble, but we are fallen, broken human beings like everyone else. But…and here comes the good part…you can talk about what Jesus – the only one who is perfect in every way (unless you believe in Mary Poppins) – is doing in and through us! See? Then you are spreading good things…and, indirectly, Good News too!

So, Louise and I give you full permission to gossip about what Jesus is doing in and through us as much as you like. You see, when you gossip about us, you keep us alive in the hearts and minds of those we have left behind in the States…and you introduce us to new folks who may be interested to hear about the Lord’s work in southern Africa, but just don’t know anyone who works here.

So, go ahead…gossip about Jesus and about what He is doing in and through us all you like…you have our permission!

And from Swaziland…

by | May 28, 2018 | Health, South Africa

Another testimony of how our training in Strategy has had a positive impact! This time, from Swaziland. Our coordinator, Mandla Bhembe wrote:

Happy to hear from  you. 

God is helping us and we meet every Wednesday with the group around Mbabane. Busy with the 60 days Study in the life of Jesus Christ. I have also met the clergy from the East Region hope classes will be starting soon by Rev Ntokozo Ndzimandze.  My phone got broken  God has provided with a new one and  hope  now communication with you will be much easier now.
Finances are still a challenge but the Lord is helping  us. When ready will be happy to invite you again for the further study  you have highlighted.
God bless you sir

Spiritual armaments…

by | May 27, 2018 | Health, South Africa

We don’t often get feedback from our trainees, but when we do, they are always special. Like this one from Phiwa in Durban. About our most recent training in Strategy he just wrote:

The Lord is with you.

I can’t thank you enough for the spiritual armaments that you have imparted into my spirituality as well as ministry through this training.

The material is so divine to extent that I have waited for such since 2008, but I really would not put my head around to formulate anything like that, even though I knew that something is missing in the way I teach the children of God. But now with this material every thing will be so easy. I would like to read the 4 Chairs book, please advise as to how can I get it.

Thank you once again.
Yours in Christ
Phiwa Mahaye