April Ministry Report

Central Conference Pastor’s Conference
Shortly after returning to Kenya we attended the pastor’s conference for those in the Central Conference of Kenya held in Nairobi at Calvary Worship Centre. With around 100 in attendance, this is the largest yearly pastor’s conference for the IPHC in Kenya. Kevin spoke on Friday morning, April 15. He encouraged the pastors and leaders set aside any mindset that could creep into their life and then hinder their ministries, particularly bitterness, apathy, and faithfulness to culture above Christ. The special speaker for the conference was Rev. Hugh Hoyle who trained the pastors to use the evangelism technique called “each one, reach one, each year.” Other missionary speakers included Ron and Sharon Wooten and Philip List.

Ministry in Nakuru
We were joined in April by Rev. Ben Coleman and his daughter Laura for nearly two weeks of ministry in Nakuru, Kenya. The IPHC in Nakuru is led by Revs. Laban and Gladys Wekesa. Together, they are overseeing a church, a children’s home serving nearly 180 children, and a full school with over 200 students. When Laura visited in 2007 with a team from Emmanuel College she felt a strong connection to the Children’s Home (named Christian Ministries to the Destitute). She went back to America with a burden to assist with the ministry in Nakuru. In 2009 she began raising funds for improvements to the home. After a personal invitation from Rev. Wekesa, she decided to make a personal visit with her father (Pastor of Crossroads Baptist Church near Hartwell, GA). We had the pleasure of assisting them with their work in Nakuru and we were also blessed by their passion for ministry and generosity. We spend five full days ministering to the children through special services, games, and one-on-one interaction. Laura and Ben prepared dramas, special music, and games for the kids. They also brought along bunches of candy and sports equipment. In addition, they took time to serve the home by painting the kitchen which has been made black by years of smoke from the wood burning cookers. In total, they raised over $8,000 for the ministry which was used as follows:
1- 1 new computer for the ministry purchased
2- 8 triple-decker bunkbeds purchased
3- 12 triple-decker bunkbeds repaired
4- 50 new mattresses purchased
5- 50 new sheets purchased
6- 23 new desks purchased
7- Funded floor repair in 10 classrooms
8- Repaired the chimneys in the kitchen
9- Funded the painting of the kitchen and entire boy’s dorm
10- Provided money for medical care for the children
We are forever grateful for the Coleman family and all those who gave towards these projects. The home is still rejoicing over these blessings. Thank you, Ben and Laura for your visit, your service, and your commitment to Nakuru.

Easter Services
Easter was a busy time for us in Kenya. The Chavakali district of church planned a special weekend conference on Good Friday and Saturday and invited us to speak. We traveled out to Grace Church IPHC where around 40 people gathered for the two days of teaching. Rev. Ben Coleman joined Kevin in giving the pastors and leaders encouraging messages and teaching concerning the significance of Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Laura Coleman and Summer also participated in the Good Friday service. Laura gave a touching testimony and words of encouragement. Summer led in special music in both English and Swahili. The district conference concluded on Saturday with Kevin teaching on the significance and practice of communion. Then everyone present participated in a communion service. The attendees left encouraged, inspired, and ready to lead their congregations into the Easter Celebration the next morning.

On Easter Sunday we traveled with Ben Coleman and Laura Coleman back to Nakuru to conduct the Easter Sunday service there. Summer Sneed and Laura Coleman both led in music. Laura wrote a special song about redemption just for the children in Nakuru. She shared it along with a testimony encouraging the children to find their value in Christ, and not in the standards of the world. Rev. Coleman preached an Easter message with added emphasis on Peter. Several in the congregation came up for special prayer after the message. Christ’s resurrection was proclaimed in Nakuru, Kenya and thanks to the IPHC children’s home there, many are experiencing a new life both spiritually and physically.

Welcome
We wish to welcome a new missionary couple to Kenya. Michael and Leslie Tignor joined the IPHC missionary family in Kenya on April 7 with their arrival into Nairobi. Even though the Tignors will be based in Nairobi, they have already been traveling the country involved in ministry. They joined us in Nakuru for two days of ministry there and recently helped us in Eldoret (you can read about this in next month’s newsletter.) We are grateful for Michael and Leslie and thank God for providing for them.

A Word on Marriage

In May, Kevin preached at a Kenyan wedding for one of our Bible school students. We will be sharing more about the wedding on the blog soon but for now we wanted to share with you a portion of the message that Kevin gave at the wedding. We believe it is a challenging word for all married couples.

Ephesians 5:25-27

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

Ephesians 5 is a chapter in which Paul calls the church in Ephesus to abandon the pagan practices of the world and adopt the holy practices of God. Rather than living in darkness, Paul tells the believer they are to live in the light. According to Paul, the pagan practices of the world are darkness but the way of God is light. Thus, believers are children of the light.

Paul goes on to describe some practical ways all believers should carry out this calling. Finally, he addressed the subject of marriage. Christian values should exist within a Christian marriage. Yet, it seemed that in Paul’s day (and even in our day) believers carried many pagan beliefs and practices into marriage. Among those beliefs is often the idea that the woman serves a subordinate role to the man. Some may even believe that women are less valuable than men. At first glance it may seem that even chapter 5 of Ephesians supports this view. Paul writes, “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord.”

Yet this idea of submission carries with it the understanding that the husbands are going to be just as concerned and loving of their wives as Jesus was to the church. I do not mind submitting to the Lord at all because I know he gave his life for me and is looking out for my best interests. Even when I don’t agree, I know that if I submit to God, I will be better off. Yet there are many women who do not feel this way about their husbands, and for good reason. Some husbands do not love their wives as Christ loves the church. Their love is very selfish and conditional where Christ’s love is selfless and unconditional.

So Paul follows up verses 22-24 with verses 25-27. Men should pattern their love for a woman after Christ’s love for the church. The same is true for women, they must also love as Christ loves. If two people cannot love one another like this, they must not be married. Sure, we will fail from time to time. Yet there must be a commitment and determination made that we will love our spouse as Christ loves the church.

So, this now raises the question, “How does Christ love the church?” Paul lists four ways:
1. Jesus sanctifies the church
2. Jesus nurtures and serves the church
3. Jesus glorifies the church
4. Jesus gave his life for the church

First, Christ sanctifies the church. He is at work setting apart the church for holiness and making it righteous. Even though husbands cannot make their wives sanctified in the eyes of God, we can participate in the work of sanctification for our spouse. We should be working to help our spouse grow in the walk with the Lord and aiding them in living holy lives. Many times we think the spiritual well-being of our spouse in their personal issue but God has called husband and wives alongside each other to help each other live for Christ and do what God has called them to do. When we begin to care for our spouse’s spiritual well-being it will give us a completely different outlook on marriage and the way we sometimes neglect our spouses. Are you helping your husband or wife grow spiritually? Are you assisting them in living a holy life? Or are you neglecting or hindering their walk with the Lord?

Second, Christ nurtures and serves the church. He is at work sustaining us and blessing us. We, by our very nature, ought to serve him. He, by his very nature, ought to be served. Yet he humbled himself to serve us and still serves us today. Jesus said that he “did not come to be served, but to serve.” How many of us go into or live in marriages where we only consider how our spouse might serve us rather than how we can serve our spouse? Let us choose to be humble and put the needs of our spouse before our own. Are you nurturing your spouse? Are you serving your spouse? Or are you only focusing on how you might be served?

Third, Christ glorifies the church. We, as human beings, are a wretched lot. Even as the bride of Christ we often prove unfaithful. Yet Christ is at work bringing us glory, make us able to stand before the Father, and choosing us as his own. He is raising us up and giving us more grace than we deserve. In the same way, we ought to give glory to our spouse. We often hear the phrase “behind every good man is a good woman.” Actually, it should be read, “beside every good man is a good woman.” Too many times we leave our spouse behind in recognition. We allow them to labor with little or no thanks. We fail to give them the credit they deserve. Thankfully, this is not how Christ operates. Yet he is our example. Are we living up to that example? Why not glorify your spouse this week. I’m not talking about worshipping him or her, but honoring him or her. Make sure you are in the habit of recognizing their work and their worth. Give them more than they deserve. Are you bringing glory to your spouse? Or are you ignoring or even bringing dishonor to your spouse?

Finally, Jesus gave his life for the church. This phrase brings to mind the image of Jesus hanging on the cross. There he gave up his own life so that we might gain eternal life. It was an awesome sacrifice and a picture of God’s grace and love for us. Yet, this is also a picture of how we ought to love our spouse. Many of us would say today that we would give our live to save our spouse. This is a great attitude to have. But would you also give up your life each and every day for the man or woman you married? Do you die to self everyday so that you can live for others? This is the key. Are we willing to lay down our life for our spouse, not only once in the physical sense but everyday in the spiritual sense? Jesus said, “Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it. But whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” Too many of us are so focused on getting what we want out of life and marriage that we fail to help others get what they need from life and marriage. But when we choose to lay down our life for Jesus, for our spouse, for others, we will find that we are really not losing at all, but gaining something that is far more valuable. Lose your life for your spouse today. Die to that football game and wash the dishes for her. Die to that appointment and cook his favorite meal. Die to the selfish nature, and live for Christ and others.

There are many more keys to having a successful marriage but these are a few that Paul gives us in Ephesians 5. If you are like us, there is a lot to be learned and obeyed here. May the Lord bless you and your marriage.