Beyond Evangelism: Establishing a lifelong faith in Jesus
Beyond Evangelism: Establishing a lifelong faith in Jesus
Nigeria is an incredibly diverse country with over 520 languages and 250 ethnic groups; it is a melting pot of different cultures and backgrounds. Located along the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa, it is Africa’s most populous nation by far–with nearly twice the population of Africa’s second-most populous nation, Ethiopia. There is a high production of oil in Nigeria, which allows the economy to steadily grow. However, despite a growing economy, most of the population lives in poverty.
The people of Nigeria are very family and community-oriented. And while the country is very accepting of other cultures, Nigeria is deeply divided and democracy is fragile–Northern Nigeria is predominantly Muslim, and southern Nigeria is predominantly nominal Christian. The Boko Haram’s war on Christians, other Muslims, and the government have resulted in wide-spread displacement. With little investment in agriculture, famine hangs over the heads of more than half a million children and over half the population lives below the poverty line. Despite all of this, Nigerian Christians are extremely hopeful and respond to everything with prayer. They are passionate about their faith and show a lot of zeal for evangelism. They need encouragement, support, and prayer!
We take our trainings to many of the poorest and most remote areas in Nigeria–areas where people do not have opportunities to learn how to effectively reach out to their neighbors with the gospel, and how to help them establish their faith in Jesus. Every year, people we train risk their lives for the gospel; we are honored to serve heroes of the faith who love the Lord, their neighbors, and their enemies enough to give their lives for them.
In July 2017 Foundation for Follow-up in Christ Ministry (our local key partner) registered and opened an office in Nigeria. Peter Wash is the director of the small but dedicated staff and a group of passionate volunteers. However, there are more requests for trainings and need to follow up with these trainees, than we have the staff to accommodate. We are thrilled to empower these nationals, and we need resources to continue hiring staff to support our Nigeria group. With more resources, they can continue to meet the needs of their country and strengthen their outreach to surrounding countries.
Firm Foundation In Christ Ministries provides training and resources to help new Christians thrive in a joyful relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
