Food Distribution in Kezi

The Church in Action

Celebrations at Crossroads Community Church

New Frontiers, A Family of Churches – Together on a Mission – rang true when the New Frontier churches responded to the Zimbabwe food crisis. Their generosity in cash enabled the New Frontier churches in Zimbabwe to purchase and bless communities around the country with maize grain and soya chunks.

Crossroads Community Church was also able to be a blessing to the Kezi community as we were able to bless approximately 450 people with maize grain and soya chunks. The food distribution was to be an evangelistic outreach as we saw this as an opportunity to share God’s word – spiritual relevance and be the church in action by giving food – practical relevance.

Stephen Manhanga and Mxwayisi Dube directing the flow of people

Sunday started with the team getting together early and praying – committing the day to the Lord. As usual, the children were the first to arrive at the Crossroads site followed by many more people. A sense of heaviness could be felt as we were informed that the evening before, a young man of 19 (husband and father) was accidentally and tragically knifed to death by his 17year old friend as they were “messing about” together. We prayed again with everyone for God to break in and He did. The celebration was wonderful.

Alison Fry and Gerald Mangena at the verification station

The food distribution started early as God blessed us with light showers of rain. Everything went smoothly as people moved from one station to the next until they received their maize grain and soya chunks. The presence of God was awesome and the unity evident. A heart of appreciation was in the air as families are now able to have a basic meal for the upcoming months. Praise God!

A lady going home after receiving her maize grain and soya chunks

Psalm 133:1”Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity.”

By Molly Manhanga

Pearls of Wisdom......pt 1

Pearls of Wisdom…pt 1

God’s timing is PERFECT and so amazing when He brings people to speak into the lives of individuals and team. Andy and Alison Fry are 2 such people who are serving Ebenezer and Crossroads Community Church for the next 2 weeks. Part of their service is to help build the Ebenezer team, teach spiritual lessons and so on. Andy and Alison come from Alton, Hampshire and are part of K.C 21 family of churches. Andy’s ministry is multifaceted but he is on the senior ministry team. He is also part of a trans-local team. The exciting thing is that church is about forming relationships without being boxed.
Andy and Alison will be doing a series with the Ebenezer team on strengthening relationships and hearing what God is saying. The first in the series is as follows:

Andy and Alison Fry
Andy started by saying HEART and TRANSPARENCY are Key.

The dynamics of relationships are important and so are words that are spoken. A team comprising of people with differing personalities is complex and misunderstanding are due to crop up. Conflict and misunderstandings can be seen in the book of Acts with regards to Barnabas. The exciting thing is that the way it is handled together with the right heart, can be a great source of unity and strength. The issues around us can be a strengthening time and maturing time.

James 3:16 – 18 is foundational – For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Romans 12:9 – 19. There is some reality there that things are not always easy. V 18 was highlighted: If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

God’s heart is that he is for us, not against us even if people have wrong motives.

James 1:2 – 4: Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the working of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have it’s full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Trials can be painful yet God can produce good fruit through it. Discipline is not pleasant but the fruit of it. It’s something God has to do and only He can work in us. He is making us more like Jesus.

We will be looking at Jesus, our perfect example, Paul, Moses and Joseph. We will look at how God worked in them through their trials and difficulties and brought them through. God is working on our character and changing us.

“Perception is Reality”. This is really useful in a cross-cultural context. Two things stood out:
a) It’s easier to make “objective” assessments/judgments on someone else rather than on oneself and ones perception.
b) We want people to adjust to the way we want them to be like. This is selfish. Adjustments are needed all round.

Andy encouraged us to meditate on “Perception is Reality” for ourselves and for others.

Prayer requests:
God will help us on our journey of being imitators of Christ.
Guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus

Reaching the Men in Kezi

Ministering to the Men in Kezi…..

58 men attended the very first Men’s Breakfast that was organized by Stephen Manhanga – leader of Crossroads Community Church. It was incredible seeing the men worshipping God from the younger men to grey-haired men.

Tapiwa Chizana, an elder of River of Life Christian Church, took the first session and shared a message on Taking Responsibility. He started off by telling the story of Adam and Eve and the temptation in the garden before majoring in on his 4 points:

Taps sharing the word

a) Men are avoiding responsibility in the home and once that happens the blessing is removed. The spiritual condition of the home is the man’s responsibility.
b) Abusing responsibility such as domestic violence in the home. Words can break a wife’s spirit and hinder her from doing what God called her to do. He encouraged the men to believe God’s word and not man’s word – to be men with a difference.
c) Abdicate responsibility. Adam was passive as Eve was tempted, ate the fruit and shared it with him. Passive men allow the women to lead in the home, solve problems in the home etc. Taps encouraged the men to take responsibility and lead the family.
d) Abandon responsibility. He said the men look surprised when there are problems in their families or they look for “greener pastures” saying they will provide their families. That’s abandoning responsibility.

God is looking for men who will transform the community and take responsibility for their lives and their families.

Stephen Manhanga preaching

Stephen Manhanga, leader of Crossroads Community Church, then followed suit on the similar theme on The Role of Men. He highlighted that the men came into this world as children but then they grow up. 1 Corinthians 13:11. Being a male is a matter of birth but being a man is a matter of choice. Stephen encouraged the men to be good role models for their children and to love their wives. Ephesians 5:25 and Ephesians 5:1.

The messages were very timely and sound in scripture. The men enjoyed themselves 3 fold: with the word, with fellowship and with breakfast.

Men praising God

Written by Molly Manhanga