The description and record or our return trip to Ghana for church planting, training, medical clinics, children's ministries and church construction.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Each night of the Crusades, there were just so many children! They mobbed us wherever we went, watched the movie with great interest and just wanted to hold our hands, touch and be touched. We have so many great pictures that we will need to share once we return.
This structure was built with the 2008 team from Dayton UMC as the beginning of a church building for the villagers at Mim
Our Mission...
Last year’s mission trip to Ghana was a time of preaching and teaching, building and learning. Pastor John and the Dayton United Methodist Church congregation had asked the Lord for an opportunity to partner with the Methodist church in Ghana on an ongoing basis. God was faithful and introduced us to Joseph Otsin, a native Ghanaian who is taking the Gospel to people in Africa who might otherwise not hear about Jesus Christ. We asked the Lord for someone who is making an impact for the Kingdom of Heaven that we could assist and support on an ongoing basis. Our first mission trip in 2008 showed us just how effective we could be in saving souls by working alongside Joseph.
Joseph Otsin, ordained by the Methodist church of Ghana as a church planter, is continuing in his passion by carrying the message of Jesus Christ to all regions of Ghana. To re-cap, Joseph facilitates an ongoing ministry, working on an annual cycle with teams from the Unite States, that introduces people to Christ at revival style meetings in the rural villages and in newly developed suburban areas. After the meetings, the team introduces the new believers to their lay pastor, who has been trained for this role as a part of Joseph’s ministry. The lay pastor is provided with a bicycle, Bibles, and other printed materials so that he can effectively disciple the new believers. Later, as the church grows, Joseph and a team of workers return to construct a “pavilion” as a start for a new church building. In time, walls can be added to the pavilion, and the congregation has a completed building in which to worship. God is working through Joseph and the teams that assist him to plant new Methodist congregations each year in Ghana.
In 2008, thousands of new believers were won for Christ during the mission trip in February. Glenn & Sue learned much from Cecil Williamson and his veteran team. We at Dayton United Methodist Church now begin our own long-term relationship with Joseph Otsin. We have had the privilege of supporting this work financially, as Joseph’s ministry is one with which our church has chosen to partner as part of our “ends of the earth” outreach. Now trained, we also send forth a full team to Ghana, to labor where we know that God is at work. People on these teams can become hands and feet that help, in whatever ways we can, to carry the Gospel message to our brothers and sisters in Ghana.
We are now preparing for Ghana 2009, a two week trip from April 26 through May 8. We plan to plant two new churches, provide medical care to the villagers and provide children’s ministries on the order of Vacation Bible School. We will also build the roof to complete a church building that has been under construction for some time. The work had been halted due to a lack of money and resources. Now we will partner with the parishioners of this church, laboring alongside these people to complete what they could not do on their own. We are a small team, made up entirely of lay people, that will evangelize, teach, facilitate medical clinics and build. We are also a large team, made up of stateside prayer warriors and financial partners.
Everyone, please pray that God will raise up people within the sound of our voice to accept the Word of Jesus Christ, begin a new life in Him and become the body of these new churches in Ghana.
Each year we set out to establish new churches and fill them with new believers in Ghana. Pastors and teachers, construction workers and medical professionals - all with a single goal... Love the people of Ghana with the love of the Lord!
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