TGIF
Today is the third and final message on the King Ministry. It is so easy to become focused on local ministries because they provide obvious relief to people in our local communities. We can better see and feel the direct impact of local ministries on our hearts and wallets. However, it is also important to think globally as well as locally in the ministries we choose to support. That is why Covenant Church has also chosen to support both the King Ministry in Ghana and the Costas Family Ministry in Brazil. There is an additional responsibility we have to justify global ministries because we cannot see and feel the direct impact of their work from such a distance.
The first two messages I shared about the King Ministry were meant to show you how God clearly led us to that ministry in 2016 and to how God led us to continue supporting the important work of that ministry half a world away in Ghana. Today I want to share some additional important information about the King Ministry to show how this Christian ministry is continuing to grow and thrive in Africa in a heavily Muslim world. Note that the information I will share comes from quarterly newsletters we receive from the King Ministry regularly since we began supporting them in 2016. There are three aspects of the King Ministry that I will focus on today – (1) the continued growth of their local ministries to feed local people in need, and to continue to grow their dental and eye clinics, (2) the continued expansion of their efforts to a larger Muslim base throughout Africa, and (3) to successfully spread the word of God and make long term Christian inroads into this population.
The first noted point about their food, dental, and eye ministries is easily supported because the newsletters continue to show each of these ministries thriving and growing. In addition, numerous groups from the US and other countries of the world regularly visit their Ghana location and help to physically grow that operation and also provide more sophisticated medical supplies and treatments to their local population.
Psalm 100:2 – Serve the Lord with jubilation; come before Him with rejoicing.
The second aspect to note is their expansion throughout more places in Africa. Note that since we have begun supporting the King Ministry, they have established new mission outposts in both the African countries of Mali and Chad. Both of these new outposts include the same farming, dental and eye services that are supported in Ghana. King has been able to find leaders from the trained staff in Ghana to move and begin these newer outposts and make them successful as well. This information documents the success of the King Ministry to develop additional locations to spread the Christian Gospel throughout Africa.
John 12:26 – If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.
The third and final important aspect is to be able to successfully make Christian inroads into this predominantly Muslim population. There are two aspects important to making these inroads in the King Ministry. The first aspect is having the local population of Muslims served by the King Ministry being exposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ whenever they are on the campus for any activity or medical treatment. The local Muslim leadership acknowledges and accepts this education because of the intense need for the services the King Ministry provides to so many people in need. It is also accepted because the leader of the King Ministry was born and raised in Ghana and has returned to serve the local people in need.
Deuteronomy 11:13 – And it shall come about, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul.
The final important consideration for any ministry is its succession plan, how does it survive beyond its successful founder? This relates to the third consideration of continuity of the effort long term. It is very interesting to learn from King that neither Americans nor Europeans are ideal for influencing the Muslim population. However, it is believed that people of South American descent may have some genetic link to Muslims that open Muslim hearts to their teachings. To that end, King has visited Panama and Brazil on numerous occasions working with Christian groups in those countries to prepare young missionaries to go to the unreached people throughout North Africa and Asia. There is much excitement in these countries to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to those who have not heard in these countries.
Isaiah 6:8 – Then I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
I pray that these updates on the King Ministry have increased your understanding and awareness of the importance of this ministry to Covenant Church for the past 6 years. We will continue to review this ministry as well as all our ministries to ensure they are still serving those in need throughout our community, nationally, and globally. May we all continue to pray for God to continue to guide us in our service to Him through our multiple Covenant ministries.
Ephesians 6:18 – With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be alert with all perseverance and every request for all the saints.