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Continue to Live in Christ

Key verse : Colossians 2:6–7 “o then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”

I. Bible Study

Makerere chapter’s key verse in 2015 was Colossians 2:6-7. We struggled to continue to live in Christ through Bible study and prayer. In the beginning of the year, we studied the book of Numbers over a period of 4 months.

Through Numbers, we learned many lessons. God trained the Israelites for 40 years in the desert. Afterwards, God ordered Moses to count the number of people who were 20 years old and older and those fit for battle. Through this study, we could reclaim our spiritual identity as spiritual soldiers who fight for the kingdom of God.

We also learned about Moses’ leadership as a shepherd and Joshua and Caleb’s absolute faith to follow God wholeheartedly. After completing the book of Numbers Bible study, we resumed Luke’s gospel Bible study.

It has been a long journey traveling from lesson 1 to lesson 70. God gave us so many teachings through Bible study and Sunday messages every week. Finally, the risen Jesus gave us the great mission to be witnesses to preach the gospel to the end of the age. Now, we are studying 1 Corinthians. 

Through 1 Corinthians Bible study, we are looking into our church’s problems and learning about how to build each other up and how to build a healthy and sound church. 

II. House Church Ministry

God established two house churches in January 2015.

Missionary Theresa is a student missionary who is studying in medical school. She came to Uganda four years ago as a second generation missionary after finishing her studies in Nursing at a college in Canada. She invited many of her classmates to Bible study and Sunday worship service. She has grown very accustomed to life in Uganda.

God blessed her life and helped her to establish a house church with Francis Choi in Chicago, who is also a second generation missionary.

They want to be used for African mission. Next year, Francis Choi will come to Uganda as a missionary to serve Ugandan students. 

God also established Shepherd Albert and Shepherdess Juliet’s house church. It was God’s answer to our prayer last year. There were so many barriers to establish this house church. But, God gave them faith to overcome all challenges. Finally, the house church was established by God and they are now serving a new fellowship, Cornerstone fellowship. Two months ago, God gave them twins, a boy and a girl. 

We have 7 house churches. Some house churches serve God’s work actively but others are still weak. One house church needs to be restored in their relationship. 

Our prayer topic is to help all of them to stand firm and to serve God’s work with ownership.

III. One-to-One Bible Study and a Disciple-Making Ministry

Every week, the members of our one-to-one Bible study team averages to 35 people. Unfortunately, this is mainly done by missionaries. There are few local leaders who serve one-to-one bible study ministry faithfully. They have plentiful bible knowledge. When they pray, they pray very actively. They discuss the Bible very well. They preach the message very well. But they do not serve one sheep faithfully. 

We have 12 disciple candidates who studied the Bible for more than 1 year faithfully, but most of their bible teachers are missionaries. This is our real problem. Our missionaries cannot serve this ministry continuously. A missionary’s role is to help local leaders to stand firm and to serve ministry with ownership. I pray that local leaders may serve and raise up disciples from next year. 

IV. Rwanda Pioneering Work

Two years ago, one missionary came back from the mission field, Rwanda. He stopped serving the Rwanda brethren because of personal reasons. We were disappointed with his attitude. We thought our pioneering work failed. But God’s work never fails. God used Missionary Luke and gave him a shepherd heart for Rwanda brethren. He visited God’s flock who had gone astray after losing their shepherd. He invited them to Uganda for special training and fellowship for 2 weeks. God also blessed the first Rwanda UBF conference abundantly. Missionary David was compelled to serve them after this conference. He decided to go Rwanda once a month for bible study with them even though it takes 12 hours by bus to go there.

Still, he has served this mission faithfully for 2 years. Since then, God has sent different groups among Makerere co-workers who have joined Msn David to visit Rwanda every month. As a result, God has  blessed Msn. David’s sacrificial life, and several bible students are growing faithfully. 

We are praying to send one missionary family to serve them permanently and for raising up one Abraham of faith among them. 

V. New Leadership

We all prayed for a smooth handing over of leadership from one leader to another. After thirteen years of Dr. Luke Lim serving as Director of Makerere Chapter, we all prayed to hand over the leadership over Makerere ministry to a new shepherd. We thank God for raising a new leader for Makerere UBF. Through this process, Makerere UBF could have a deputy director system. God raised Missionary Livingstone Kang as director and Shepherd Steven Sebbale as deputy director of Makerere UBF for the next 5 years respectively. We pray that God may use the new leadership to support and co-work together in order to serve God’s work with one accord.

In 2015, God blessed the Makerere ministry abundantly even though we are going through a painful period for spiritual growth. 

We need to grow outwardly and inwardly. We especially need to experience the power of the word of God in our practical lives. Ugandan people have great passion for God but their lives are still based on their tradition and culture instead of being based on the word of God. Missionaries who help them first need to deeply experience the power of word of God. When they experience the power of the word of God, Ugandan people may serve God with great passion much more than the missionaries’. 

I pray that all our co-workers may experience the power of the word of God deeply and grow inwardly and outwardly next year. 

New year direction:

Key verse: Psalms 1:2 “Blessed is the one who meditates on his law day and night.”

Prayer topics:

1. Meditate on the word of God deeply and obey one word everyday.

2. Restore passion for the gospel (100 one-to-one Team and 100 SWS attendants)

3. Pioneering work (Rwanda: send missionary families to serve them permanently and practical pioneering work for Ncumba, UCU and Ndeje campus)

4. Revive each fellowship. 

5. Deep loving relationships and for missionaries and local house churches to co-work together.