Ivory coast christian mission - spring 2015

CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP TRAINING INSTITUTEand

GRASSROOTS LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENTsponsored by Ivory Coast Christian Mission

equipping leaders to train MORE leadersIVORY COAST CHRISTIAN MISSION - Spring 2015 newsletter

Forwarding Agents:Bob & Connie Sheffler3330 W. Festive Dr.Bloomington, IN 47403

Contact Information:tel. 812-391-6096 / cell: 812-391-4229email: [email protected]: www.grassrootsld.org www.cltigh.org

To learn more about TEE and how it fills a leadership gap, visit our website atgrassrootsld.org

INTENSIVE COURSES OFFEREDAT THE INSTITUTE

The Christian Leadership Training Institute is partnering with the Restoration Christian Church-es in Ghana to offer intensive courses for church leaders who cannot leave their families or work for long periods of time. Students must complete the three basic extension (TEE) courses of the Institute (Christian Faith, Christian Life and Christian Marriage) before they can qualify for the intensive classes. The program was launched in February with four cours-es offered. Attendance was low (ten students) due to the short notice given to the churches.

THREE WEEKS IN GHANAI attended the National Easter Convention in Gha-

na. Then I spent ten days visiting nine church plant-ers in northern Ghana and shared Biblical principles of discipleship development with their leaders. These church planters are sponsored by two other mission organizations of which I am a board member. The churches utilize the extension classes and the lead-ership seminars of the Christian Leadership Training Institute. Stephen Ofori and Eric Afful held leadership seminars in the area soon after I was there.

The church planters are working hard and making sacrifices to start new churches. Several have suf-fered from motorcycle accidents on the dangerous roads. Two church planters have to be very careful that they and their churches are not brought into tribal and chieftancy disputes where people are being killed.

Stephen Ofori teaching an intensive course.Bob discussing discipleship development with church

leaders in the Walewale District of Ghana.

TRACTOR PROJECTI visited with Daniel Marley and the church leaders in

Gulumpe, Ghana. The tractor is doing well except for a problem with the tires. Although they looked in good condition, they were weak because of age. Some profit has been made by hauling sand in the trailer. Using the tractor for plowing had to wait until new tires arrived.

military has been successful in pushing back the Boko Haram. Many of the refugees have gone back to their homes in the north, but Sunday and the church leaders continue to visit the remaining refugees to provide help and encouragement.

LIBERIA

TEE classes were difficult to continue during the Ebola crisis. The epidemic is now officially over and things are getting back to normal. Flood waters were threatening to collapse Solomon Gargar's house, but special donations through the mission enabled him to make repairs and protect his house. Solomon is the supervisor for TEE classes in Liberia.

PRAISE AND PRAYER REQUESTS:1. Thank God for the faithful church planters and ask

God to bless them.2. Thank God that the Ebola epidemic in Liberia is

over.3. Thank God that the Boko Haram is being pushed

back and ask God to bless the preachers in Nigeria.4. Ask God to bless the tractor project so that profits

can be available to start more churches.

ACTIVITY REPORT FROM NIGERIADuring 2014, Sunday Obeten carried out 15 evan-

gelistic outreaches, baptized 65 souls, conducted 22 Christian marriages, graduated eight from the Cross River Bible College and 60 students completed TEE (extension) courses. A seminar was held on marriage and seminars were held for preachers and for preach-ers' wives. The preachers observed twenty-one (21) days of prayer and fasting in January in preparation for the challenges of 2015.

Sunday and church leaders made monthly trips to the forest in Cross River State to provide assistance for refugees from the Boko Haram. Most had lost loved ones in the conflict in northern Nigeria where the radical Moslem group killed or abducted for slavery those who refused to join them. After the presidential election, the

Gulumpe church leaders standing in front of thetractor and plow. See the trailer on the right.

Sunday Obeten with the preachers.

Visit us at the following web sites:

Christian LeadershipTraining Institute:

cltigh.org

Grassroots LeadershipDevelopment:

grassrootsld.org

Mission Services2004 E. Magnolia Ave.Knoxville, TN 37917

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