TABLE For TWO

Grace Bible Church has been a part of our families’ lives since 1985. Mark Totten has been the pastor since 1993.  He has preached well over a thousand sermons at GBC. His style is what I would describe as “expositional application.”  It is obvious from the content of the messages that he does a great amount of work inside the text and complements it with outside research. He reads widely.

Lou Ann and I took a break this past weekend and drove into Texas for a few days. While driving we took the opportunity to listen to a few of Mark’s sermons in his latest series called “Table for Two.” The big theme for the series is “Your Body, God’s Temple.” The original intent was to deal with eating and food, but it grew a bit broader dealing with several areas of bodily discipline and contemporary issues, like transgender issues and tattooing. He is not a ranter in his preaching, so don’t prejudge these as a “spitting contest.”

Our bodies are the temples of God. This is a little dealt with subject, yet it is a crucial subject for believers in Jesus Christ to know so as to grow into victorious and mature Christians.

Download the sermons and when you are driving or relaxing you will enjoy the series Table for Two – Our Body, God’s Temple. It would also make a great group study. Get together for a couple of hours. Listen for an hour and then spend an hour in discussion and prayer. (GBC designates an hour to preaching every Sunday. God’s Word is central to worship.)

The first message is “God’s Diet.”

Grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ.

Jeff Hawkins

HIMAfrica: HIMAfrica November Newsletter

HIMAfrica: HIMAfrica November Newsletter: 2011 has been an awesome year of spiritual growth for the work of HBM in Zambia . By God’s grace 700 new pastoral students were bro…

HIMAfrica November Newsletter

2011 has been an awesome year of spiritual growth for the work of HBM in Zambia. By God’s grace 700 new pastoral students were brought into training last April. In November the second set of training manuals were delivered to the country headquarters in Lusaka in preparation for distribution.  At present over 1000 men are in the three year Bible training program. Another 300 will soon join these.

Pastor Daka (Back RT.) with new HUB of Pastors in Training

Pastor Matthew Daka planted a new church in rural Lusaka in 2010. Now he is training 10 other pastors in the surrounding area in biblical studies, discipleship and church planting.

Mazabuka District Hub Leaders

 Pastor Matthew also serves as Hope Builders Ministries administrator in Zambia. He diligently keeps all records and distributes funds that are sent to Zambia. He and several other District Leaders have registered Hope Builders Ministries in Zambia to help facilitate importing materials and also acquiring my “employee” permit so I can travel in and out of the country more freely.
Pastor James Bwalya’s district in the Northern Province continues to experience rapid growth and expansion in church planting and discipleship. In November he led an outreach to a remote village leading hundreds to Christ and planting a new church. Pastor Daniel Phiri reports from Mpulungu that his pastors in training are showing exceptional spiritual growth and are preaching the Word of God with great power. He himself has been used of the Lord to minister to many people as well as surrounding pastors. They are coming to him for prayer. Many are being healed of sick- nesses and demons are being cast out as he
                                                                                      shares the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them.

District Leader Solomon with new Hub Pastors in Training

 District Leader Solomon Muleya has seen some of the most significant growth this year. God has given him another 12 pastor disciples to train in the HUB model of church planting and disciple-making. These men began their studies in April. Each will be challenged to disciple 3 men of their own and plant 3 new churches this next year. This process will be repeated with each new generation of pastors in training. In the course of 4 to 5 years 40 new churches will be planted and 40 new pastors will be in training and thousands of new souls will be saved! Praise the Lord!

District Leader Pastor Titus Shampanda (RT)

Pastor Titus in the Northwestern Province is also reporting many blessings from God as they reach into the remote rural areas with the Gospel. New Churches are being planted and new pastors are being trained. Pastor Titus shared recently that a powerful witchdoctor was convicted by the Holy Spirit when the Gospel was preached and surrendered to Christ. Together they burned all the fetishes and idols he used to cast spells. Titus is personally discipling the man and his wife.

Hub Leader Simon Mulenga and family

In 2010 Pastor Simon moved 200 miles to Isoka. He had to learn a new language and a new culture. He did this in 6 months. Today he has a growing church in Isoka and 15 other new pastors he is training. In April while I was conducting a pastors conference God also opened the door to a new tribe with over 70 villages without the Gospel. The tribal chief sought out Simon and asked him to bring the Gospel to his people! Praise the Lord.

	Simon and his wife Precious have 4 children. Like all the District Leaders and key Hub leaders he is supported by your generous gifts. He supplements our support by conducting a pre-school where he teaches 4 and 5 year old children how to read and write in English and other basic skills preparing them for school.
Pastor Simon’s little pupils

Pastor Robinson Muzeya, wife and children

 Pastor Robinson is the District Leader in the Mufilira area of the Copperbelt. He has been training over a dozen pastors in the Calvary Academics Bible course with good success. He oversees a large orphanage complex that our ministry helps to support. Recently we have made arrangements to acquire one of the facilities and property for the headquarters of Hope Builders Ministries Zambia.

Robinson also maintains contact with a large group of pastors in the DRC we are partnering with. This month he will deliver 40 sets of the Bible Training course in French to them. PTL!

New Office for Hope Builders Ministries Zambia

Lou Ann and Jeff with Bishop Davies and wife Gladys

THANK YOU for partnering with Lou Ann and me as we serve the church in Zambia. It has been an awesome 6 years working in Zambia. By God’s grace and your faithful support I am able to Help the Indigenous Ministries in Zambia train new pastors, plant new churches and disciple thousands of new believers!

Lou Ann and I represent you in Zambia.
If you are not already, please consider supporting us in our work in Zambia.

Send gifts to: Hope Builders Ministries, POBox 317, Greenwood, VA 22943 
Designate “Hawkins” or “Zambia”
All gifts are tax-deductible.

Making Disciples in Zambia until Jesus Comes

HELPING INDIGENOUS MINISTRIES

In AFRICA

FALL 2011

Dear Friend and Partner in the Great Commission,

Greeting in Jesus’ Name! The world is a mess but our God reigns! He has called us to work until Jesus comes. The work He has commissioned us to do is “Make Disciples.” May we be found faithful. Lou Ann and I pray for and thank God for you and your partnership with us in Africa.
Your gifts and prayers continue to encourage us. The Zambian Pastors and church pray for you often and rejoice in this partnership that is essential to their work.

2011 has been an incredible year of growth in the establishment of many new churches with trained pastors (and pastors in training). Many souls have been saved and saints encouraged. The job never ends. As pastors are being discipled they are making other disciples. This is part of their training. They equip others to do the work they are doing. The HUB model works on this principle. The HUB that plants the new church is responsible to train the new leadership. When we began this partnership in the fall of 2007 there were 34 HUBs in Zambia that had established over 1000 churches with as many pastors in training in 7 years. Today, 4 years later, there are 100 HUBS and over 1000 new pastors in training! The support given by churches and individuals provides for the leadership and materials needed to train these new leaders.

Our task is to raise these funds for the pastors and ministries in Zambia , which has also spread into the DRC (Congo). We work hand in hand with these ministers planning, organizing and implementing the HUB method of church planting, pastoral training and disciple making. As the Lord provides I travel to Zambia in the Spring and Fall to conduct supplemental training seminars, to meet with the District leaders for reports and to provide accountability for the funds sent to Zambia. I receive monthly financial and activity reports as well. We communicate frequently by phone, email and text messaging. I did not go to Zambia this Fall because of the June accident (broke my left arm and right foot – Lou Ann and I praise the Lord for His provision in paying the medical bills!) and the need for more finances to accomplish the mission.

We are committed to indigenous ministry. It has been amazing to see the fruitful labor of the native believers as they win their villages and districts to Christ. They do not struggle with the language and culture as we do. Their struggle is with the things we take for granted physically like “food, clothing and shelter.” Spiritually they long for Bibles and trained pastors. With as little as $50 a month, a Bible and biblical training, pastors are able to care for their families, feed the flock of God and disciple other pastors. They win literally hundreds of people to Christ as they share the life giving message of the Gospel. These are the times past missionaries longed to see. Their labor is continuing to bear much fruit as the indigenous missionaries carry forth the Gospel.

With your help we will continue to represent the Zambian church here in the USA and YOU in Zambia. Your support provides for us personally and for the expenses of ministry here. Thank you for considering a financial partnership with us or increasing your present support. We understand and appreciate the sacrifice you make in these financially difficult times.

We want to encourage you to visit www.HIMAfrica.com regularly for updates and testimonies from the ministry in Zambia. These are also posted on Facebook and Twitter.

May the Lord continue to multiply His work! Pray for us as we seek new partners for Zambia. It is our prayer that the Lord would raise up an army of committed believers here to support the work of “Making Disciples” in Zambia and around the world.

Our family is well. We have 10 grandchildren now! Joe is in Iraq while Shannon, Jakob, Olivia and Jonathan are in Alaska. Our son Luke is here in Clarksville, TN with his wife Amy and their two, Jared and Isabella. Mary Beth and Ben are in North Carolina with Chloe, Regan and Corbin. Grace and Jeremy live in Bowling Green, KY with their Ava and Jeremy Kale (Charlie Brownie). We currently live in the home provided by Ben and Mary Beth near Clarksville, TN.

Serving our Lord together with you,

Jeff and Lou Ann Hawkins

Jeff@HIMAfrica.com
LouAnnHawkins@yahoo.com
931.237.6077

Visit us on the web at:
www.HIMAfrica.com

Blog: www.HIMAfrica.blogspot.com

Facebook, Skype, LinkedIn,Twitter @ HIMAfrica

Support Jeff and Lou Ann online at http://himafrica.com/EVENTS.aspx

Or by check and mail to:
Hope Builders Ministries, P.O.Box 317, Greenwood, VA 22943 Designate “Hawkins”
Hope Builders Ministries is a 501c3 non-profit ministry that exists to train national Christians to win their countrymen to Christ, plant churches and equip the leaders who make more disciples of Jesus Christ.

BROKEN ARM – UNBREAKABLE GRACE

Greetings In Jesus Name!

Can anyone praise God enough or too much for His marvelous grace? Obviously not! He is rich is His Grace (limitless love, enabling power) towards us in Christ Jesus. Paul tells us by the Holy Spirit in Ephesians that we have been “blessed with EVERY spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ.” These blessings have been “freely bestowed on us in the Beloved” and are “according to the RICHES of His Grace” and all to the “praise of HIS Glory.”

PRAISE THE LORD!

Since I last wrote you I have experienced His grace in a way I have never experienced before in my life. Ten days ago I fell off a ladder while working with one of Hope Builders Ministries thrift stores and damaged my right foot, left hand and elbow (with 10 stitches) and broke my left arm just below the shoulder! Jeff’s world came to a stand still! This was a completely new experience in my life. I have never been incapacitated like this! What was I to do now?

The answer is TRUST in God’s rich grace! The same as before I broke my arm. The same answer as when I was in good health and could do everything myself! YEP… Trust God. That is to be the story of our lives as believers. Without faith it is impossible to please God. All of our work and effort is fruitless without TOTAL dependency on the ONE “with whom we have to do.” Therefore I am and you are to “draw near with confidence to the throne of Grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

This is how we are to glorify God, by depending on His Grace.

Since the accident God’s work goes on! He is not hindered by our brokenness. In fact, I realize more now than ever He works best when we are broken. We have to trust HIM!

The specialist that is caring for me told Lou Ann and me he wanted to serve us by taking care of my therapy and he would cover the costs! I said “thank you!” We had not met this brother before and were hesitant to even go to the specialist because of the cost. It was a reminder to us that we must “live by faith” and the Lord is the one who takes care of us, even if we could afford to, it is HIS grace that provides whether through our hands or those of another. It is also a reminder that HE will take care of the rest as well. Thank you Lord!

So while I am “healing” would you join us and continue to trust HIM with us for the work in Zambia?

This October the work there will still need the resources I shared with you a few weeks ago. 10,000 Bibles, 100 Bicycles, the macro Christian book business project costing about $10,000 ($5000 for the books and $5000 to ship them to Zambia and organize the business), the seed/fertilizer project and the “Dignity Project” helping to care for 4 orphanages.

Pray with me as I am to go find partners for these opportunities to invest in ministry that is vital and effective. That is my biggest challenge. I have to find these partners. Pray with me for open doors into churches, small groups and Sunday School classes. Pray for those business people and individuals that God has blessed to give and invest in His Gospel work. Help me by introducing me to these people and the churches that you know. GOD will provide. I want to be a part of that provision for HIS work in Zambia. I know you want to be a part of that as well.

Besides this there is also the ongoing opportunity for believers to partner in the monthly support of the HUB ministry in Zambia. The GOAL is to reach $5000 per month so that we can effectively enable 100 HUBs to continue to train thousands of pastors and plant thousands of new churches while making disciples of the believers in these churches. At present we average about $1500 per month and work with 7 districts of HUBs  throughout Zambia. I am asking the Lord for 6 churches each giving $300 per month, 2 businesses to each give $500 per month and 15 individuals to give $50 per month to the work in Zambia. This will enable us to effectively support the work of over 100 District and HUB leaders training thousands of pastors, planting hundreds of new churches and winning multiple thousands of souls to Christ and making them into disciples of Christ.

Lou Ann and I continue to thank you for your love towards us demonstrated in your prayers and gifts. God provides for us through you. God uses you to enable us to facilitate this ministry in Zambia. Thank you. By God’s provision and your faithfulness we have about 50% of our support. Thank you for your fellowship with us in the Gospel.

Serving Christ and YOU,
Jeff and Lou Ann Hawkins
Hope Builders Ministries

Zambia Coordinator

HIMAfrica www.himafrica.com

Hope Builders Ministries www.hope-buildersministries.org

P.O.Box 317, Greenwood, VA 22943

540-949-5344 HBM Office (Johan Gous, Director)

931-237-6077 Jeff cell

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