Since 2020, we’ve partnered closely with RhemaFaith Church (RFC), and by God’s grace, we’ve developed strong friendships while working together for the Kingdom. For three years, our connections were virtual through Zoom. Finally, in June 2023, Nick and I were able to travel to Ndola to meet our brothers and sisters face-to-face during a conference and local church visits. Later, in October 2023, Gift travelled to the UK to join us for “The Call” conference and to spend time with the Relational Mission Church in Basset Street, London. During these months, we’ve been training elders for RFC and providing church planting training for their pioneers. This visit to Ndola was a much-anticipated opportunity to encourage, equip, and envision church leaders and spend valuable time with the church community.

We set out with a clear purpose, which included our teaching plan which was to build on all the foundational teaching that has already been laid, and to revisit and consolidate areas of teaching that had taken place online since then. At our three-day conference we looked at:

• The Call Personal – The character of a leader
• The Call Local – How to build healthy New Testament locally led churches
• The Call Global – Planting churches to reach the nations

Every day we had great times of worship, prayer, and prophetic ministry. At the end of most of the sessions, there was opportunity for discussion with questions and answers. There was a real openness to our teaching, with some deep questions being asked as they wrestled with the biblical concepts that we were teaching. Much grace was upon these discussions and there was a sense of several breakthroughs in application and understanding. At breaks and lunch times the conversations continued, and we believe much was accomplished to encourage church leaders over that three days.

We had leaders from around 20 churches joining with us for the conference and our preaching and equipping was well received. We will remain in contact with these different church leaders to try to create a sense of family, rather than each individual church labouring on their own.

The Sunday services at RFC showed that the church has grown since our last visit. The church in Pamodzi now has a children’s work, which was not in operation when we were last year, and the new church in Mushili only planted in February this year.

It was great to work in team this year. With eight people we were able to minister to greater numbers, and the different gifts in the team really came through.

Overall, a very powerful and fruitful trip. I believe one of the key factors of such a great trip was the prayer support that we received. We had 88 people on a prayer WhatsApp group who faithfully prayed for us each day. This was an amazing encouragement to the team, and I believe that battles were won in the heavenlies, which meant that breakthroughs were experienced as we ministered.

We were so enriched by the love and hospitality of everyone in Ndola. They hosted us so well, driving us from place to place, and making sure that we had everything we needed. The love and care for us as a team from our brothers and sisters was just amazing!

Finally, it was such a blessing to experience the freedom of worship as we gathered. A big thank you to everyone who led us in our times of sung worship, and it was so impressive how the worship just continued seamlessly when we lost electricity! These were special times when God’s presence drew very near. The exuberance and joy, especially in Mushili on Sunday afternoon, was a little taste of heaven here on earth!

Full Report can be downloaded here: