KABWATA BAPTIST CHURCH

PRAYER LETTER “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) 

October 2008

Dear brothers and sisters,

Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. It has been a while since we were in touch with you. However, we trust that you were praying for us despite our silence.

MEMBERSHIP

This is one of the darkest periods that we have been through. We lost three members within a space of three months. These were Mrs Simbisai Filakati, John Kumwenda Jnr and Dr Simon Mphuka. We miss them dearly but rejoice in the fact that they are with the Lord. We thank the Lord that they lived lives that testified of God’s grace. Each of them touched many lives by their love for God. Pray for their families as they grieve and adjust to their departure. Simbisai was a dear wife and mother, John was a dear son about to graduate from college, and Simon was a dear husband, father and elder in the church. One lesson that has been very clear to us as a congregation through these deaths is that life is short and we need to serve the Lord whilst we have breath! Pray that we will truly apply this lesson by serving the Lord. Eighteen people were welcomed into membership since our last letter bringing our membership to 335. Pray for these individuals as they join us that they will truly serve the Lord wholeheartedly as well.  

MEETINGS

The Sunday morning Bible studies are still on how to respond biblically to challenges that we meet at various stages of growth in our lives, and many have appreciated the series. Pray that it will bear the intended spiritual fruit in our lives.  We continue to thank God for the visitors that we receive every week. Our prayer is that the Lord will grant life to those who are lost and growth to those that are Christians through God’s Word.  We are also thankful to the Lord that despite the difficult time we have had this year, most of our calendar activities went as scheduled. Among these were our start-of-the-year seminars and retreats, the Easter evangelistic week, the Heroes of the Faith day (which was on Olive Carey Doke, Zambia’s longest serving Baptist missionary) and the Annual Reformed Conference. Pray for spiritual fruit in the remaining activities on our calendar. 

MINISTRIES

(As usual in the interest of space we can only report on a few of the ministries in the church)Book: Evergreen Christian Bookstore was re-launched in July. We are thankful to the Lord that it is now in a more spacious room, which has made it more pleasant to clients and gives room for more stock. Pray that the goal of spreading sound literature in Zambia is realised.

Conference: We are thankful to the Lord for the successful hosting of the annual reformed conference in August. The preachers, Drs Voddie Baucham and James Grier, did a very good job, leaving all who attended with a sense of God upon their souls. Pray that those that attended would be real, living apologetics. The attendance dropped to just over 600; however, there were 63 churches present from 12 different countries.  Thank God for this as well.

Ladies Ministry: Praise the Lord for the continued work with the ladies on the street. A third convert through this ministry was recently baptised. Pray for more converts. Thank the Lord for the opportunity granted to one of our ladies to go and speak at a Ladies conference in Kenya on the role of women in the church. Pray for the ladies in Kenya as they seek to apply what they learned. Evangelism at Chimbokaila Prison has continued on every third Saturday of the month. Pray for souls to be saved.

Show Outreach: Outreach to the Agriculture and Commercial Show took place in August. The greatest achievement was the literature distribution. Pray that the literature will be read and many will respond to the gospel message in the booklets and tracts. Pray for us as we follow-up those who left us their addresses.

Youth Ministry – Intermediate & Junior: Thank God for the opportunities these young people have had to share the gospel with their fellow youth.  They had an evangelistic career seminar and also did outreach in some secondary schools, apart from their outreach to some of our mission stations and the play park. Pray for fruit. The Junior Youth camp is scheduled to take place in December. Pray for the preparations and the ultimate delivery of the Word of God and that souls will be saved. 

MISSIONS

Kafue: This church is due to be set apart early next year. Thank the Lord for the evangelistic meetings that they held this year; a careers’ seminar for young people, a men’s evangelistic luncheon, and distribution of Christian literature at a local agricultural show held in their town. Pray for souls to be saved through these feeble efforts. They presently have one young man in their baptism class. They also had seminars on how to raise children and on giving. Pray that the brethren will apply what they learned to God’s glory. Thank the Lord that the ministries are doing well. Pray that they will be used to reach the lost.

Mwense: We have very bad news to share with you with respect to Ebenezer Reformed Baptist Church.  The church closed down between December and January because the missionary pastor, Kennedy Chibwe, backslid. Even his marriage totally collapsed. The elders tried to counsel him but it was all to no avail. Therefore, we had to excommunicate him. Pray that this will cause him to come back to the Lord. Pray for wisdom as we look at the way forward. The flock has since scattered as a result of this predicament.

Matero: This is the last time we are going to report on this church under missions because it was set apart as an independent church under its own first eldership in May. Thank God for this and pray that the Lord would grant the elders wisdom to oversee the church in a manner that would bring glory and honour to Him. Pastor Lichawa Thole is considering whether to stay on in the church or move on to yet another church-planting situation. Please pray for him as he seeks the mind of God on this matter. Praise the Lord for the land which they managed to acquire and pray for finances to put up a church building.

Mazabuka: There is still no membership but the average attendance is now 32. Like other churches, they have also started careers’ days to reach school leavers. Pray for conversions. Thank the Lord that there have been some professions of faith from among those who attend church regularly. Ministry through the community radio continued and was based on issues faced by school leavers to attract them to the school leavers’ meetings at church.