The Kanyike Update–March 2017

Train up a child in the way he should go,
And when he is old he will not depart from it.

-Proverbs 22:6

Dear Friends and Family,

Arise Christian Fellowship is growing. As the members are maturing and beginning to share their faith we are beginning to see new faces at church. No area of the church is growing faster then the children’s ministry. On any given Sunday we have at least 100 children but usually more.

Jesus said “Let the children come”. He also told us to become like a child. Children have such a pure, fearless, unashamed faith. I see it in my children as they share wi

Luke sharing at soccer outreach

th anybody they meet and seek out Muslims and Hindus when we are out to talk to and share with. We see it in the children at church and how they share with their friends and the children in their neighborhoods and how fast the Sunday school is growing.

 

 

 

 

 

 


On any given Sunday we have at least 100 children…


While having so many children come and want to learn is a blessing it has also been a difficulty when it comes to space. The space we rent for the church has 2 large rooms. We use one for the sanctuary and one for the children’s ministry. In the children’s ministry room we began with it divided into 2 groups 0-8, and 9-14. With the numbers so high we quickly had to take out the older children to make room for more little ones. The older children have been meeting outside under the thatch roof where the church began.

We have been praying about what the next step for the children’s ministry should be as all spaces are almost too full. There has been an empty floor below ours where we rent and we have been praying about whether we should try to raise the money to rent that floor or talk to the landlord about using it just on Sundays until they rented it.


…it has also been a difficulty when it comes to space


As we were praying a good friend of mine approached us about introducing her to our landlord because she was interested in renting it for her ministry. My friend’s ministry is called Vision of Destiny. It is sponsorship program to help children in the slums of Kampala, Uganda get an education, get 2 meals a day, and have a chance at a better life.

 

The younger kids in their

Sunday school groups

 

Older kids meeting outside

After asking us to introduce her to our landlord, she went on to explain that her missions organization was looking to use an international home school curriculum to teach the students they had graduating from Primary school to high school. They wanted to rent the floor below us for their school. They have about 14 students. She asked if our church could be their spiritual covering. We could share devotions with her students and they could attend our church and be apart of our youth activities. In return for helping her we can use their rooms on Sundays for extra Sunday school space at no cost. We could not believe how the Lord answered our prayers. We met with the Landlords, who are Christians, and they were very happy to help out and to rent the floor to her ministry for the school. School has been meeting for about one month now. Brian has met most of the parents and is teaching devotions on Wednesday mornings.


We could not believe how the Lord answered our prayers.


 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is an excerpt from their newsletter. “It’s a time for new beginning for Vision of Destiny. We take the kids all the way through high school and on in to either vocational training or university. So, a decision had to be made about where these guys will be attending high school….. And I’m proud to announce they will be attending our very own high school! Having our own school will allow us to spend much more time with them which means a greater impact on their lives.

Pray for us as we take this HUGE LEAP of faith! We have found a building near the slum (but not in the slum) that is perfect for a high school. It’s a great facility and the top floor is occupied by a really amazing church. Our kids will be able to be involved in their Sunday worship and a really amazing youth group (another bonus). We are stepping out in faith to begin in this building. “

Thank you for praying for our family and for the ministry in Uganda.

 

In Him,

Brian, Jill,

Luke, Laylee,

and Liana

 

 

PRAYER REQUESTS

  • Praise the Lord for all He is doing in lives of the men and women at Arise Christian Fellowship.
  • Pray for all the children who attend Arise. Pray they come to know the Lord at a young age and continue to have childlike faith.
  • Pray for the new school meeting on the floor below the church. May we be used to minister to the students as well as their parents.
  • Pray for Jill as she balances her ministries with homeschooling the children. Pray for the children to want to learn and obey.
  • Pray for health and safety for our family.
  • Continue to Pray that we would truly “Arise and Shine” the light of Christ in this dark place.
  • Pray for Brian as pastors and leads our ministry team at Arise Christian Fellowship. Pray for all the ministries and leaders
  • Please prayerfully consider becoming part of the Kanyike Family support team.