The Joy of Partnership in Southern Africa

An update from Bart Lipscomb, Senior Pastor of Christ Church of Conroe, Texas and SGC Area Leader for Africa...

One of the highlights I have as the Area Leader for Africa is getting to go and visit our churches in person! Recently, that included two stops in the southern part of the continent, Christ Community Church in Ndola, Zambia and Sovereign Grace Church Windhoek in Namibia.

What a welcome it was to be greeted upon my arrival at the Ndola airport by members of the leadership team and their families! Only to be followed up by getting to join in their weekly prayer meeting at one of the member’s homes. That was a special evening.

The next day, Ector Makaliki, McDonald Chanda, Stephen Lubakila and myself were able to spend an unhurried morning talking about a wide range of subjects and hearing updates on the church. That included a stop to walk a piece of land which the church owns in a thriving part of town and hopes to soon be able to build on. Please pray for city leaders to finally approve that project as they have been waiting a long time! 

Then, on Sunday, we gathered with the whole church in worship. Some of the songs were in English. Some of them were in Bemba. Yet, as is always the case in Christ, we enjoyed a spiritual unity which doesn’t flatten cultural differences into the lowest common denominator. But, instead, rightly celebrates those distinctions while still managing to grow us together!

But, perhaps my favorite part of the time in Zambia was eating dinner that evening with the tireless servants who lead the ministries of the church and to listen as each of them shared their love for their local church and their faith for how the Lord is at work. I came away from that time very encouraged!

That however, was only the first leg of the trip! I also then had the opportunity to fly over to visit the Krugers in Namibia. What a beautiful country!

Josh is doing an outstanding job leading that new church. And, it was a real joy to get to know his family better, especially his two boys, who taught this sheltered American all about cricket and rugby! As we all know, church planting is a sacrifice, not only for the planter. But, also for his family. So, what an honor to be able to tell them, on behalf of SGC, how thankful to God we are for them and for what they are doing!

I wish I could have been there for a Sunday as well. But, the next best thing was getting to be a part of a mid-week small group where they gather in a living room to talk about and apply the messages from the Sunday series in the Gospel of Mark. It was a happy thing listening to them dig into the depths and wonder of Jesus’ Triumphant Entry, which Josh had just preached on.

The Lord is clearly bringing some solid folks to help form the core of this new body. Pillars like that are a much-needed gift to any new church family. And, I’m eager to see this next phase for SGC Windhoek!

As I was returning home to Houston and reflecting on all the ways the Lord went before and answered our prayers, over and above what we had even asked, I was filled with fresh gratitude for you, our family of churches. Your generosity, prayers and involvement are what make stories like these possible.

What a gift that the Lord chooses to use ordinary folks like us and local churches like ours to see the Gospel go forward, all for the glory of Christ and the good of His people!