Pictured above is the FFICM Nigeria Women’s Ministry team!
On Tuesday morning, Dara Searcy-Gardner (FFICM VP) and Stephanie Roberts (FFICM Communications and Prayer Coordinator) joined the Nigerian women’s team for an online strategy session, and what they heard was nothing short of remarkable.
Seven Months, Countless Divine Encounters
Since launching in January, the women’s ministry has gone straight to some of the most overlooked corners of their community: hospitals, prisons, marketplaces, Muslim neighborhoods, and the jungle itself.
These are not easy places to reach people.
But the team shared something surprising — again and again, the people they meet are willing to listen.
God has been opening doors and orchestrating encounters every step of the way!
The women are coordinating with five local ministers already established in the community so they can minister safely, and the team has been asking S., FFICM Nigeria’s head trainer, to join them onsite — a chance to sharpen their skills and strengthen the ministry from the ground up.
Even in hard moments, the team’s resolve doesn’t waver.
M. described how, in the jungle, people often smoke directly in their faces while listening to the Gospel, leaving the women with headaches by the end of the day. Her response captures the whole spirit of the ministry: “Anything for the Gospel.”
A Simple, Powerful Strategy
Ask the team what they’re building toward, and the answer is clear. As M. — women’s ministry trainer and wife of FFICM Nigeria National Director P.W. — put it: “Teach them, train them, and send them to go out and further spread the Gospel.”
That’s the whole model: equip the women, then multiply their reach.
But the need keeps growing faster than the team can keep up. “We need more hands,” M. said. “We can’t be everywhere all the time.” It’s a simple sentence that says everything about how much fruit this ministry is already bearing — and how much more is waiting to be gathered.
What They Need to Grow
Right now, the team has just two tools in hand: an FFICM gospel card and a follow-up booklet.
It’s not much for the scale of what they’re facing, and the women have a clear vision for what would help.
They’re asking for funding to develop new materials tailored to real people in real situations — a gospel tract, teaching on the assurance of salvation, guidance for turning away from sin, and next steps for growing in Christ, each paired with Scripture that speaks directly to the struggles someone may be walking through.
The team is also thinking beyond the moment of decision.
N. pointed to a deeper need: helping new believers leave behind their old environment and find real, sustainable work.
Trade classes — taught by experts in skills like bean pie making, soap making, or selling baked goods — could give people practical tools to build an income and, eventually, a small business of their own.
A single class costs roughly twenty-one dollars to run, a small investment with the potential to change someone’s entire trajectory.
The team is careful here, too: this step only comes once a person is fully committed to Christ and leaves their old lifestyle behind for good.
Staying connected between visits matters just as much as the visits themselves. The women want to check in by phone, which means funding for more data on their personal cell phones would go a long way. A dedicated ministry phone line for the office would help even more.
What It’s All For
Strip away the strategy and the statistics, and what’s left is simple: these women want to sit with the people they meet, encourage them, help them feel understood, and walk alongside them into a lasting relationship with Jesus.
Seven field trips in seven months. Countless conversations in hospitals, prisons, marketplaces, and the jungle. And a team of women who are just getting started.
Please join us in praying for God’s guidance, protection, favor, success, and provision as this ministry soars to new levels!
Written by: Stephanie Roberts (FFICM Communications/Prayer Coordinator)