January 2018 Egypt Child Sponsorship Update
Christmas in Upper Nile, Egypt
The celebration of Christmas in IM’s church plants is on January 7, and includes simple things such as a special time of praise and worship.
Then the Sunday school children’s program begins with songs they dance to, and then the children recite Bible verses. The children from seventh to tenth grades sing their own songs, and the high schoolers put on a play for everyone in the church to enjoy.
The pastor shares from the Word of God a special Christmas message.
One very special tradition that is observed, is the pastors and leaders take time after the service to pray with the people individually as they share their needs. Many have physical or financial needs and live in difficult circumstances. Sweets and tea are served afterwards.
December 8, 2017
How do Child Sponsorships and Church Planting mix?
If the heart of Indigenous Ministries is the Church, how do the child sponsorship programs fit in with this prime directive? Our programs are designed to draw our sponsored children and their families into the national churches, in order that they might be ministered to by the pastor and church families. It’s working!
In Egypt, that’s the reason the CSP (Child Sponsorship Program) along the Nile was begun. With so many widows, several years back, our ministry team asked, “Is there anything we can do month to month to help these destitute women? They are really struggling and anything will help. We would like to help them and share Jesus with the children and widows.” Now, three years later we have 57 children in the program. So many hearts have turned to the Lord as a result.
In the Philippines, the need for families to secure a better income than continuing as scavengers, tied them to Resty and Mel who prayed with a local pastor, and together they are assisting many families. Their children are receiving a quality education along with critical nutritious food. It begins and ends with the Church.
In Iraq, with 3.4 million refuges in Northern Iraq alone, many families living in UN camps and settlements face difficult choices; food or backpacks and school supplies? Pastor Sabri and his wife have stepped in and visited many families extending to them help and an open door to the fellowship of this church plant. The children are being enrolled in our CSP, and as the program approaches 50 sponsored children, we marvel at changes already evident!
Contact Sarah Rieger at 719-302-3028 to help a child with sponsorship and directly impact a national church!
The Scripture reminds us that “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction…” James 1:27. Thank you for praying for and sponsoring the children in our CSP programs! Join us…there are so many lives waiting to hear the Gospel!
New Church Plant on the Nile
Dr. Cook with the Nile in the background. With radical Islam nearby, families and young people face many pressures. Pray for strongholds to break and hearts to open to the Gospel.
With 50-60 people already meeting, this brand new Indigenous Ministries’ church plant is moving ahead quickly. IM CEO, John Cook, met with the Egyptian ministry team praying together about this new work. What a praise to be able to see this come together.
As you pray, please keep the pastor, leadership, families and young people in mind. Young people in Egypt are looking for meaning in their life and a future with promise and hope. Pray for them to seek the Lord and grow in their relationship with God.
Thank you for your partnership with our Global Church Planting Initiative here and in other parts of the world. The Lord is reaching His Harvest. To learn more, visit our website and search GCPI.
Pray with Us
Our weekly prayer bulletin is sent out on Tuesdays. To be included in the email blast, please sign up on the website, right side, up top. Thank you for engaging in this vital part of Indigenous Ministries. Watch our FB page for stories on each of these photos.
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. I John 5:14
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. Ephesians 6:18
I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer.
Psalm 17:6
FOCUS: I.M. EGYPT
This month our IM team in Egypt gathered most of the 55 kids in our Child Sponsorship Program (CSP) together, and we celebrated three years of our CSP together! Donned in new IM pink shirts, it was a real joy to see these kids heartily singing and sharing memory verses they have been learning.
God truly has brought this vision together for helping children of widows in the Upper Nile region. As you can imagine, each family has its own story of tragedy as fathers have died unexpectedly and widows are left alone with a family to raise. But this is a ministry of bringing opportunities, education and God’s hope! You are part of this with your prayers, and for our sponsors, you are a HUGE part of giving these young people a better life in Christ.
Egypt Conference Held for National Pastors
Beneath the Nile River’s dark green-blue waters flows a very swift current. On a hazy afternoon, we sat mesmerized as boats navigated up and down her beautiful waters. Like the Nile’s current, we’re all reminded that time passes by very quickly. It’s been 14 years since IM began ministering to national pastors in the Middle East; these conferences continue to be a good investment into their lives and ministry.
Another IM National Pastors’ conference was held this month in Egypt, in its wake leaving pastors blessed, grateful and encouraged. A well known Egyptian Christian leader said, “John, I see your heart to serve and bless our own Egyptian Pastors year after year and I want to thank you and Indigenous Ministries for caring for them.”
Child Sponsorships – Be a Life Line!
LIFE VEST
Your care is a life vest to these kids and their families in need. How? When a child knows she is sponsored, grades improve; she knows someone cares and is praying! A new school outfit and backpack is very encouraging, and they love memorizing Scriptures regularly with the team.
We normally accept children at age 5-15 into the program, but made exceptions for her and Goneer, whose father was recently killed in a motorcycle accident. With no means of support, they are both deeply grateful to the Lord and to our sponsors.
Suzan, a recent young widow looks on as her daughter, Mera plays. Her husband recently dropped dead of a heart attack at the age of 35.
SPONSORING IS EASY!
Time: 5-10 minutes registration
Cost: $39/monthly or $1.30/day
Where: Upper Nile Egypt
Refugee Camps in Iraq
Payatas Dumpsite, the Philippines
You Receive: Your child’s profile with photo, a support packet and letters 3 x a year from your child. We encourage our sponsors to write their supported kids.
Online: Sponsor a child today; go to our website, www.IndigenousMinistries.org, click “support a child.”
Your church – We’re happy to furnish your church leadership with a four week launch packet to get your people excited about sponsoring kids with IM. This includes videos focusing on families whose lives are changed as a result of nourishing food packets they receive, clothing, medical care, school materials, and their kids being involved with Scripture memory.
Call Sarah at the office for more information: 719-302-3028, or email her at sponsorships@indigenousministries.org
Beautiful Int’l Egypt Women’s Conferences
We were so privileged to hold several meetings in Egypt this month with women; Pastors wives, women from local churches and a group of
Muslim women. I’m grateful to Sarah Brannon for helping me and sharing with the women. The Lord really blessed this time! Special thanks for our volunteers in CO and CA who spent about 250 hours preparing the crafts!
The women enjoyed the meetings and expressed a deep appreciation for this chance to get together sharing in fellowship and the Word. It’s so important for women to share our lives and experiences and make the time to get together! My special thanks to our Beautiful Partners who prayed for and financially sponsored this vital time of ministry in Egypt; God bless you!
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