| DECEMBER 2007 - MARCH 2008 |
With our hands lifted up to him, we give all praises to the Almighty God for sustenance and protection all round the year 2007.
ITAK IKOT- UDO CAMPUS
Attendance: The average weekly attendance for Sunday stood at 45.
Events: A two day crusade took place between Dec. 28 and Dec. 29 2007. Two AMF pastors were on hand to minister as guest preachers during the program.
IKOT-EKPENE CAMPUS
Attendance: The average weekly attendance stood at 140
Events:
The entire church including brethren from FBC Itak Ikot Udo gathered together on the evening of Sunday, 23rd Dec 2007, for an evening of love feast. We sang, ate delicious meals, and exchanged gifts with one another. It was indeed a time to practically demonstrate our love for one another.
A combined Communion Service was also held on Sunday, 30th Dec 2007.
Tuesday, 25th Dec. 2007, at 9.00am we all gathered as a family for the Christian service in the church.
A night of praise, testimony and prayer took place on Monday, 31st Dec 2007, in what we call “Passover Nite” into 2008. The meeting started by 9.00pm and extended till around 1:00am Jan 1st 2008.
AMF
The AMF is waxing stronger by the day. The goal to impact over 500 pastors\church workers during the January/ February, 4th International Conference is on course. More local chapters were being inaugurated and mobilizations were ongoing to other localities.
Monday, 14th January was fixed for another chapter Co-coordinators meting at our secretariat.
AMF PASTORS WIVES FORUM
They also meet and they are putting plan in place to reach out to other women, so that the forth coming conference can be a success.
AFRICA THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
The school is currently on vacation to resume by 14th of Jan. 2008. The 1st Matriculation ceremony of the school will come up on Saturday 2nd Feb, 2008 during the 4th Int’l conference.
JANUARY 2008
We began the New Year with a 7-day prayer programme tagged “The Prayer of Jabez”. It was a great time as the entire FBC family gathered daily to pour out their hearts to God in prayers.
LEADERSHIP RETREAT
10th January, 2008 was a day set aside by the entire Pastoral team to fast, pray and set out plans and the direction that the Church will go this year. This one day event was held at the Resource Centre, Itak Ikot Udo to avoid any form of distractions.
COMMISSIONING OF WORKERS
A new set of workers that have completed their workers training process were commissioned on Sunday 16th January during the morning service. Also, the following Sunday, 13th of January, the co-coordinators to lead these various ministries of the Church were inaugurated.
4TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
The 4th International conference for Pastors and Church workers was held from Thursday, 31st January to Saturday, 2nd of February 2008, at the Resource Centre, Itak Ikot Udo.
The Advance Team of Dennis Tollison, Angel Cheek, Kim Cheek, and Geoffrey Burrows arrived Nigeria on Friday 25th January, 2008. They were on hand to help out with the logistics, planning, registration, name tags, in preparation for the conference. The 2nd team led by Pastor George Feiser of Grace Community Church, Plano, Texas, with Marti Martin, Holly Elliot, Bryce Finnerty, and Steve Pulley with Jim Stockdale from Arkansas, arrived Nigeria on Tuesday 29th January, 2008.
The theme for the Conference was “Building a Healthy Church”, using the “Rick Warren Model of the Purpose Driven Church”. We had 7 plenary sessions and 3 break-out (seminar) sessions. There was a special seminar session for women and men separately.
A courtesy visit was paid to the Paramount Traditional Ruler of Ikot Ekpene Local Government in his Palace on Wednesday by 10.00am, by the entire Team, Africa Outreach Board members and some AMF Leaders. It was a great time as he promised to assist Africa Outreach whenever he is called upon. Governor of Akwa Ibom State.
ATTENDANCE
We had about 593 people who pre-registered and had 745 who actually attended the conference. A conference booklet of about 200 pages well printed and spiral bonded was given to all the participants.
FEEDING AND ACCOMODATION
It was quite challenging, cooking and feeding over seven hundred Pastors but our women were on hand to do the cooking and the serving. Mattresses were hired for some of the Pastors who camped at the Resource Centre for sleeping.
SATURDAY
The high point of the Conference was the 1st Matriculation of Africa Theological Seminary. It was a colorful ceremony as the students and Faculty marched gleefully in their academic robes into the hall. Twenty seven (27) students took the oath of matriculation.
AFRICA OUTREACH MAGAZINE
The maiden edition of Africa Outreach Magazine was inaugurated. The focus is on Global Mission. It was well received. About 700 copies were printed.
SUNDAY
Six (6) of our guests from the States were on hand to teach in different Churches in the city with our AMF Pastors on Sunday morning.
MONDAY
Free medical service was given to the people of Itak Ikot Udo. Doctors, Pharmacists, Nurses, HIV\AIDS Social Workers were there for tests, diagnosis, and treatments for the people. The programme witnessed a large turn-out. It also extended to the following day.
A courtesy call on the Special Adviser to the Governor of Akwa Ibom State in Uyo on Co-operative Society and trade development was undertaken by the entire team. Issues that border on Micro- Financing, poverty alleviation, trade partnership etc were freely discussed. It was a great time of interaction. The team was also taken to the state-owned Television Station for a live telecast-interview. The climax of the day’s event was the sumptuous dinner and de-brief of the entire team with the AMF Pastors and their wives. It was a wonderful time as we ate, relaxed and took photographs together.
TUESDAY
The team departed Ikot Ekpene for Lagos en route USA. The feedback, we are getting from the participants have been so awesome. They were very grateful to God and Africa Outreach for organizing such a wonderful Conference.
CONCLUSION
It is amazing to see what the Lord is doing through the Ministry. It is glad to note that almost all the Local Government areas in Akwa Ibom State were represented during the Conference. Some participants also came from neighboring States.
PRAYER REQUESTS
Prayer of thanks giving for all that God did for the church during the year 2007.
Gods divine direction for the year 2008.
Enlargement of coast for the church and its ministries for 2008.
Pray for the leadership for insight and wisdom to strategize in order to accomplish Gods purpose for the work.
Blessings and prosperity for all our friends and partners all over the world.
Pray that God will open more doors for ministries for us in the year 2008.
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