Church Planting in Malawi
We are having a busy time in Malawi meeting with and interviewing our church planting pastors and church leaders. I have been amazed at how many churches have been started in the past few years. Here is just one of the stories I heard as I questioned each man about how his church came into being.
Six months ago, Elliot was in his home when one of our church planters was knocking doors. Elliot heard the Gospel for the first time and accepted Christ. He was so excited by the message and the forgiveness of sin that he went up and down his village telling others about Christ. He has seen 57 persons come to Christ in these months following his own conversion. He is now the church leader; of course, he is still being disciple and passes on his new knowledge to his people.
I could tell Elliot’s story over and over with different names. Because we have scores of Elliot’s we need a place where these church leaders can be taught the Scriptures. I have some funds for a dormitory facility here in Zomba, but need help and prayer for its completion. We need about $15,000 more just to get the structure useable. Pray about this project or come and work on the construction team in June or July. At this time we have just over 200 church plants and most of these men need teaching. We can also use the building to start a Bible Institute in 2015 for our young men.
In the summer we want to train 9 teams to go out and run day camps throughout southern Malawi. Each day camp will be held in a village where we have a new church. I’m so excited to be training Malawian youth to reach their own people. Pray for this effort which will begin in June. We need funds to buy about 50 bicycles so the teams can transport themselves from village to village. The bikes run about $100 each.
The Moldovan Bible School is starting back in a few weeks. I’m prejudice toward our students, but I think we have a great bunch of young people in Moldova. Besides their studies, our students are taking the Gospel to many villages in Moldova. Most of our students work in the mission during the summer. Camp is just around the corner. We need sponsors for campers; $15 sponsorship will help a child or a teen come to camp where they will hear the Gospel. We also have a team heading to Siberia this summer. The students don’t have the funds to make this trip, but they have the desire to work. Last summer we saw about 1500 saved in Siberia. The cost per student is $700, they are praying and trusting God for the funds to go.
We are expecting 3000 youth in the evangelistic camp in Moldova. We hope to reach another 5000 in day camps in Moldovan villages. We are praying about reaching thousands of new people in Siberia. Pray for the laborers and the harvest of souls.
Your missionary,
Dr. Eric Chapman