Happenings in George

Dear Friends,

Hello from George, South Africa! We trust you are doing well and growing in the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

As of this past Monday, South Africa has gone back into an “Adjusted Alert Level 4” (out of 5) lockdown until at least July 12 as a result of a recent major surge in COVID-19 cases. This will involve the temporary restriction on all “social, religious, political, and other gatherings.” Please pray for our ministry team as we navigate another stretch where we are not able to meet together in person for worship, Bible study, or our theological training.

Despite the ongoing COVID challenges, the Lord is continuing to provide many ministry opportunities for us here in George. Here are some of the things the Lord is doing . . .

1. Life Fellowship Church is now entering year three! While we are still very much in the church planting stage and have much maturing to do, we are encouraged by the work the Lord is doing through His Word in the hearts of His people. We are about to finish a study of the book of Colossians, and we will be starting a study entitled “Genesis: Back to the Beginning” once the current lockdown ends. Please continue to pray for some folks attending on Sundays who need to trust Christ and for the ongoing discipleship of several others in our group.
2. The Biblical Leadership Institute is up and running now in George! This is the ministry designed to provide theological education for those interested in ministry training or those desiring to grow in their understanding of the Word and their relationship to Christ. We are greatly encouraged that the Lord has given us almost 30 students for our first class, Principles of Biblical Interpretation. Dr. George Coon has done an excellent job teaching. Our second course, Spiritual Formation, is scheduled to begin August 7. Please pray that the Lord would raise up South African men who will be able to lead as pastors in the churches being planted along the Garden Route.
3. The Inspire George Ministry Center continues to provide opportunities to interact with people in our community through our coffee shop, Inspire Coffee, the George Biblical Counseling Center, and through the ballet school that is renting one of our buildings during the week. We are also continuing to pursue the completion of our multi-sport court and NextGen Youth Center, both of which will provide multiple ministry opportunities to children and teens, as well as those in our community interested in sports. We are also currently pursuing the creation of a mobile workspace in our community center that can be used to reach into the business community in George by providing a place to work remotely. We believe the harvest is plentiful in all these areas and we see the Lord working to bring more laborers to join the work that God is doing here. Please join us in praying for the funding and completion of our building projects and for us to be good stewards of the gospel opportunities that these various ministries bring across our path.
4. Church Planting is the central focus of our ministry. The Lord seems to be opening the door for us to be involved in another church planting endeavor in a town about 20 minutes outside of George where there appears to be no gospel preaching church. We are currently praying about this opportunity and laying some groundwork for a future church in this town. Please pray with us about the opportunity to plant a new church in this needy area!

We are continually reminded of our dependence on the Lord and His Spirit to change hearts and lives. We are also acutely aware of how important your partnership is in what God has called us to do here in George, South Africa. We are thankful that the Lord is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, and we are eternally grateful for your faithful support of the Lord’s work.