[Sonlifeafrica-newsletter] Ministry Update May and June 2003

["Mark Tittley" <mark@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear friend

This newsletter is a little late in some regard - but after two months of
intense ministry a well-earned family holiday was most welcome. We spent two
weeks as a family in KwaZulu Natal - the province of my birth and had a
truly wonderful time reconnecting with our extended families.

Back in May we were honoured to host the Global Youth Initiative leadership
team in Johannesburg - it consists of Sonlife partner organisations from all
around the world, including Africa, Australia, Europe, North America and
Latin America. The group met to hear three papers that had been prepared -
on conceptualising the Strategy of Christ; ministry among Muslim youth and
on church-based youth ministry. The papers were excellent and led to sharp
interaction from the group of leaders from all over the world.

At the end of the week we ran straight into the fourth level of our
training - the Multiplication Seminar. Our goal here was to complete the
four levels of training with the seven country leaders and also take them
through an accreditation process to release them to teach the first two
levels of the Sonlife equipping process in their respective countries. It
was a good time - yet also a challenging time as many of them were filled
with some degree of apprehension about being released to do some of the
training themselves. Almost like eaglets nervous to leap out of the nest for
the first time. With a lot of assurance that they were not been pushed out
into space all on their own they ended up very positive and the emails I
have received since they returned home show something of the impact that the
two weeks in South Africa had on their lives.

Apart from furthering our ministry in each of the seven countries (namely,
South Africa, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Gabon, Nigeria, Zambia and Malawi) we are
overseeing work in four more African countries (the two Congo's; Benin and
Swaziland) and in time will look to find a key leader in each that emerges
to spearhead the movement in their country. Please pray with us as we
wrestle with the issue of knowing which countries to priorities (we have had
numerous requests to train in Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Namibia, Cameroon, and
Côte d'Ivoire). We want to stay focussed and intentional about where we work
and not just rush around Africa like a chicken without a head.

On the Wednesday night, at an African focus evening, around a traditional
African meal, we were able to showcase what we are doing across Africa by
allowing the African country leaders to share what God is doing in and
through their lives and ministries. It was truly exciting to hear all that
God is doing in making disciples across the continent of Africa.

We had a great analogy presented at our Multiplication seminar - Graeme
Codrington, a colleague and sharp South African leader - asked the question:
Who is Watching the Village? The story goes that: "One day news came to a
village that a neighbouring tribe was advancing to attack, so the brave
young warriors mobilised themselves and went out to meet the challenge head
on. When they got half way to where they thought that the battle would take
place they looked around and saw to their horror that their own village was
burning!" So who is watching your village? We were challenged to guard our
villages - whether that is our home, marriage, children, church, etc. We can
be so busy fighting the battle "out there" that we forget about an attack in
close!!!

The first half of June was spent sharpening up our training seminars - all
four levels of training are now well developed - in both French and English
translations. Being at home, in South Africa, also gave me an opportunity to
spend extended time with Edgar Ramsami and we started working on an
evangelism equipping ministry that will be launched in September. A group of
churches will be providing young people who will go through a weeklong
training programme to equip them to lead their peers to Christ. Each morning
they will be trained in various aspects of personal evangelism and then in
the afternoons will engage in personal evangelism in the South of
Johannesburg. This event, to be called EQUIP, will be a pilot project that
will be refined and then spread through other countries in Africa. Pray for
me as I write the training material in the coming weeks and also pray that
God will bring together young people who will ultimately lead their friends
to Christ.

The next trip that I have scheduled is to Malawi in August and I will
Lord-willing be joined by David Mulonga from Zambia. We will present,
together with the Sonlife Malawi director, Connex Ijalasi, three levels of
training to key leaders who will be gathered together. Pray for the training
that will take place from the 12th to the 16th of August.

Gary and Sharon Howell, our regional leaders in Central Africa, are
returning to Canada for a year of furlough and will then take up a new
position in Benin in West Africa. From there they will continue to work with
Sonlife to extend the movement of disciplemaking in both Central and West
Africa. We remain deeply indebted to them for the work that they have done
in recent years including training, helping with translation and identifying
and empowering key leaders.

Pray too for the various country leaders who attended the training in May as
they are strategising for their countries and start to present Sonlife
seminars. Pray for me, as I need to prioritise these countries for return
visits to present the two advanced levels of training. Pray too that God
would open channels of support for Sonlife in Africa - for without his
intervention and the gracious support of churches and partners around the
world we will simply not be able to continue travelling in Africa to
continue the movement of disciplemaking.

I have included a report written by the Sonlife International youth
director, below my signature.

Regards

Mark Tittley

-------------------------------------


South Africa



...A land of big cities, impoverished townships, wildlife, modern
conveniences, mountains and beaches



...A population wherein 1 in 4 people have AIDS



...A nation still recovering from apartheid



...Home of our dear African friends, Mark and Debbie Tittley--Sonlife's
leader in the continent of Africa



...Site of our GYI (Global Youth Initiative) 2003 Forum



As often happens from these kinds of experiences, I came home blessed,
stretched, challenged, humbled, amazed, grieved, and more aware of what God
is doing through His Bride...especially in Africa.



Steve and I wrote the following summary on our return trip Wednesday...



********************************************************



GYI- Global Youth Initiative

South Africa. May 2003



Put Southwest Township (Soweto) and 1976 together and you have one of the
greatest turning points in South African history.  Fifteen thousand South
African students demonstrated against the injustice of apartheid as they
were shot upon by white police.  These days marked the beginning of the end
of apartheid.   They were the voice of change calling for justice.  How
appropriate that, this year, leaders from around the world gathered in
Johannesburg, South Africa, for the 6th Annual GYI Forum to discuss the
ministry to young people and the ministry of young people.  GYI was launched
by Sonlife in 1998 as a forum for leaders in ministries that have a shared
vision for youth, the church, and the globe.



This year our theme was "Putting Jesus in His Place."  Our discussion
centered on what it means to bring glory to God, recognizing his lordship in
every aspect of ministry and leadership.  Papers were written and discussed
that centered on learning about African Muslims youth, culture's influence
on how we learn and train, and we explored how a biblical view of the church
affects our view of the church, it's mission, and we should forge ahead in
discipling global youth.



This year, delegates attended from places including Australia, Burkina Faso,
Eastern Europe, Gabon, Ghana, Latin America, Malawi, Nigeria, South Africa,
the United States, and Zambia.  Each delegate brought their perspectives to
discussions as they related problems and offered solutions based on their
experiences from former communism, racial tension, Islamic/Christianity
tensions, and post-modernity perspectives.



Mark Tittley, Director of Sonlife Africa, hosted this year's forum. In 2001,
Mark became Sonlife's African Continental Leader.  In the past 2 1/2 years,
he has orchestrated a network of 10 African countries, establishing country
leaders who now share the philosophy, values and vision of Sonlife, and who
are developing strategies for training leaders in their countries.  All
these leaders are nationals who have a passion for their countries and their
hope in the African Church.  Mark is doing a tremendous job.  His passion
for his country, South Africa, and his continent, Africa is inspiring.  He
continues to seek to develop these leaders and has great hope for brining
training to many other countries in the future.



One of the evenings at GYI was devoted to hearing the African leaders'
stories of God working in their countries.  We were challenged and
encouraged to hear how they are bringing the Gospel to their countries that
live in the midst of AIDS, war, poverty, famine and racial tension.  We have
so much to learn from our brothers and sisters about what it means to
sacrifice all for the Gospel.



As we wrestled with the topics at hand and the ministry challenges facing
each of us, many needs surfaced. Here's a sampling.



. David from Zambia, asked if we could give him some guidance in identifying
foundations that would allow him to buy books for his school, designed to
give youth skills for making a living.



. Connex reminded us of the lack of food in Malawi and the very real
challenges that presents to discipling youth.



. Amos is working with organizations to help turn the tide of AIDS in Ghana.
25-50% of African youth in many countries have AIDS.



. Francois from Burkina Faso, expressed the lessons he's learned as he has
watched the Muslims strive to meet the developmental needs of young people
in his country. He expressed his desire to see the Church do the same.



. Vladeck, from Czech, seeks prayer that the Christian youth in his country
don't give up on the church in his nation.



. Steve, from Australia, wrestles with the existing church ministering to
the needs of a growing alternative generation of youth.



. Ashish, from India, could not get the coveted visa needed to leave for
this year's forum, because of strict government controls.



. A couple of our delegates from Hong Kong and Singapore couldn't get to GYI
this year because of the SARS epidemic.



Pray with these leaders and others as we wrestle together with the impact of
world events, epidemics, and real life challenging issues.



Out of the rubble of apartheid has grown hope in South Africa.  At GYI, we
feel we are continuing to gain a picture of a global church and the God of
the nations.  It is for this we continue to pray.  Thank you for praying
with us!



Prepared by Steve Argue and Dave Livermore, Sonlife Ministries.