We held our annual meeting for Kingdom Driven Ministries with the Board last night and wanted to share with you some of our discussions. It has certainly been an extraordinary year and we are looking forward to even more fruit as we continue to grow. We thank you all so very much for making it all possible through your financial and prayer support!
Here are some highlights from the past year on the ground in Africa:
- Dozens of pastoral training missions having trained between 200 and 300 pastors and leaders in the Kingdom Gospel, Kingdom expansion (Evangelism), discipleship and house church. Luke 10-style community evangelism resulted in many baptisms and follow-up discipleship.
- Hosted multiple short-term missions (visitors from US)
- Trained and launched Glenn Roseberry to Tanzania. He is doing great–be sure to follow reports on his blog or Facebook.
- Revised literature to reduce expenses
- Issued 28 microloans (some individual, some group) in total 551,500 KSH for numerous small businesses. Average loan amount approximately 19,700 KSH or $240. Partial repayment of all but five loans. Just two loans paid in full.
- Orphan care: several one-time gifts given. First “Forever Family” launched recently. This has been slow going because our program is based on placing orphans in the homes of Kingdom Christians. This first year has been focused on evangelism and discipleship to make those hosts.
- Medical assistance: numerous emergency and routine medical expenses funded through the mission.
- Academic training on an individual basis: English training, Horticulture, Computer Skills, farming techniques, and small business
- Two board members attended a Farming God’s Way (www.farming-gods-way.org) seminar and the Carriers have launched a “case study” for the community using their small shamba.
- Local book lending library established; many Kingdom-oriented books as well as practical resources have been lent out.
- Local medicine cabinet and medical care facilitation has been implemented to meet a very real need in the community.
Plans for 2013-14
- Continued multi-day pastoral training/evangelistic missions
- Continued evangelism, discipleship, and home fellowships (planting and mentoring)
- College-level training for pastors and ministry leaders (20-week course, 5 hours every Saturday. Launching June 1.)
- Business/Small farming training seminar(s)
- Family/marriage/parenting seminar(s)
- More assistance for poor and needy: specifically medical expenses and empowerment gifts rather than just business loans
- Microloan program evaluation; recommendation is to give gifts rather than loans where possible, also to focus on agricultural loans and loans to existing business (i.e., for expansion), which seem to be more successful. Also, possibly gifts of livestock where recipients can “re-gift” to others in need once livestock has reproduced.
- Expansion of orphan care program expected as pool of candidates (Kingdom Christians willing to take in non-related children) grows.
- Charlton, Natasha, and Wanda Sweazy moving to Kenya, 2014.They will be involved in orphan care and medical assistance programs.