Journey of Purpose : Melanie Dill: March 2012 South Africa recap!

March 2012 recap:

A LOT has happened this month. I began March by attending a week-long course that impacted me and my view of ‘community minded ministry’ more than any course or experience has to date. Four of us from Living Hope went on the training at The Warehouse, South Africa; we sat under teachings about how to enter communities (mainly poverty-minded communities) with the right strategy and motive, how to meet actual needs, not just perceived needs, how to listen to the locals and involve them in ALL aspects of ministry and how to stop ‘relief efforts’ and move toward truly developing people into sustainable, functional, Biblically based men and women. All these methods are practical and Biblical, but the implications are long and often hard because relationship-based ministry is not quick or simple. Our group was given the opportunity to sit and pray together multiple times each day; we lifted up Living Hope and asked God to help us take the information we were learning and apply it to where we serve. This course gave us all tools for moving forward, to re-evaluate our efforts and to do even better ‘community-ministry.’

For me, the use of this training was almost immediate. My home church in Birmingham, AL (Shades Mountain Baptist Church) came to serve Living Hope and the Capricorn Community Church in March. I took much of their first few days, training them in ‘community ministry’ and short-term versus long-term strategies as it relates to sustainable, relationship-based efforts. The team and I had GREAT discussion and we were all learning together about what God was about to set before us in ministry that week. I’m clearly watching how God is training me personally and allowing me to impart my on-the-ground lessons to our overseas church partnerships.

The week of ministry with Shades Mountain was awesome! Not only did we do amazing ministry, but this team refreshed me in a much needed way! Spending time with them reminded me of the support I have from the US and the body of Believers that believe in the work being done here in South Africa. I needed that reminder, as there have been many exasperating days over the last few months. This team brought me a rejuvenated spirit and lots of fellowship!

Our Shades Mountain week looked something like this:

. Family Day Outing with 130 members of Capricorn Community Church! Transporting all 130 to the beach and spending an afternoon in team-building games, grilling out and hanging-out as a church family! Our church has little opportunity to hangout with each other; this event allowed us to build relationships amongst our church family!

. Living Hope Community Outreaches in Overcome and Capricorn communities – reaching around 300 children, teens and adults with the Gospel message through a beautiful drama done by the Shades Students and also by a powerful verbal challenge and clear explanation of the Gospel by Meagan!

.The Shades team also challenged our Capricorn Church members by doing ministry with them and building their confidence in ministering to their own people –allowing the locals to lead Door-to-Door prayers (bringing their American friends to local homes and the Americans being the ‘entry’ into speaking to and praying for local families) and they also spent time giving their testimonies to our Shades team (an act they hold as very private and hard to do). Our church members have never been so excited about being active ministers in the community! Shades did some lasting confidence-building in our congregation!

. The Shades Team also brought their education-skills and helped us lead a Leadership Development Conference for our Living Hope Life Skills Educators and local youth pastors that Living Hope has been training the last 2 years. This conference was very strategic in equipping and igniting passion! We had 35 locals attend; all leaders that needed reminding that ministry is worth it and purposeful – no matter how hard it gets. We had very positive feedback from those that attended, and the lessons those leaders learned are now being put into practice in around 12 different local churches in our area!

Then, after the Shades Mountain team left, my friend Joanie stayed for an extra 10 days. Joanie is a missions veteran and lent her skills in teaching and relational ministry to our church and Living Hope! Joanie’s biggest ministry was to our church Sunday School leaders. Capricorn Community Church has had children’s Sunday School for over 2 years, but no one has ever trained our local Capricornians to lead or be part of the work. We actually only had 2 leaders (from another local church) for these 2 previous years – they would rotate weekly, meaning one teacher would lead around 40-50 children each week, alone. This year, we made a big push for more help in Sunday School, and we had some interest; however, after the interest came, the 2 leaders didn’t know how to integrate those interested.

Joanie helped us tremendously with this issue. We arranged for her to train all those interested in helping with Sunday School. This was the first time this group was together, talking about how they can help each other and make Sunday School better. Joanie was amazing; she set standards, gave ideas, helped them practice teaching/story-telling and allowed them to get to know each other as team-mates! Our Sunday School is now more equipped than ever. I can’t wait to see how this one training takes root and helps our leaders be effective witnesses of the Word for our precious Capricorn children!

Next was Living Hope Teen Camp. School Holidays began and we had the opportunity to take 77 faithful Afternoon Teen Club attendees on an overnight camp. There were quite a few challenges on this camp. This is the first time we’ve taken older teens (normally taking just 6-7^th graders, now we took teen club members ages 13-19). There were discipline issues, respect issues, etc. I personally forgot how hard ‘camp’ can be and especially with teens that have no parent-support or discipline structures at home. The majority of the teens were NOT Christ-saved-Believers; these teens have heard the Gospel but most had not truly surrendered their lives to Christ. Our staff was greatly aware of that by their actions in Worship and lack of respect for us. We dealt harshly with many and gave the tough-love and attention they were seek.

After much prayer, we felt we needed to let the teens sit in the presence of the Lord and let God move deeply with-in them. How do you do that? Well, we just prayed. We began with worship songs and then each staff began praying out loud and went to each teen individually and prayed for them. God answered our prayers almost immediately. There were tears flowing and teens breaking down and experiencing/hearing from the Lord. The room was loud with prayers and singing. People were moving about as they were praying with the campers. Young, tough, teen-age gangsters were crying in our staff’s arms like little children. God touched and revealed Himself to their need for repentance.

I’d never experienced anything like that before. I’d never seen God answer prayers so immediately. I’d never seen our staff so united in purpose and action – all of us so desperate for God to transform our teens! I think back to the book of Acts – the Day of Pentecost – and can only imagine that day being similar to our camp worship night. God was moving! We had 17 first-time salvations and 46 re-commitments to Christ; we spoke to each individually and made sure they understood what decision they were making (the seriousness of telling God you want Him in your life and turning 180 degrees from their current sin) and that a re-commitment is God’s grace drawing them into a deeper relationship with Him (that they need to use that moment as a wake-up call to get serious about their relationship with Christ). Each teen was confident that they heard God speak to them that night, and we’re busy working on getting each plugged into a local church. Praise God for His plans and for moving in power to save our teens!