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“In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, ‘Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.’” (1 Samuel 1:10-11) So Samuel was born from the barren, despised and mocked Hannah, and Hannah blessed the whole world with the message of Messiah. This is how God looks on us when we call on him.
Women: life nurturers. “God fulfils his purpose through the humble. He anoints us, which means unity, community, builds us into family. (Psalm 133) He uses his family to take in the broken, heal the sick, to restore the rejected, rebuilding creation.” (Luke 4:18-19)
We brought in women from our churches and mission stations, with women students and Mara’s House women who live on site, and widows we called to attend. Women choirs from other denominations attended, in a celebration of women in Christ’s love and redemption. It restores dignity to women, to rejoice and rebuild the nation. It was a powerful conference, that sent our women home refreshed to mission centres all over the nation with the gospel as Agents of Creation and Change (the theme.)
From all the sessions, notes are taken and audios are recorded in the hundreds, and taken back to village centres around the nation, where they are passed onto hundreds of thousands.
The song below was written by our Wurin Alheri choir for the occasion
We're the light of the world. We're the salt of the earth. We're the yeast that brings the change creation needs.
We are light in the dark. We are salt in decay. We are love, we are peace. We are the life creation needs.
We're the hope of the poor. We're the strength to the weak. We reconcile where hatred is.
And Christ prevails.
The women gave many powerful and encouraging messages. They also broke into training groups spread around the campus. We connect with all villages where we have mission centres and together discuss how gospel life can impact them through our fellowship.
Mrs Adinga, CFM’s student dean, and dean of Mara’s House, headed the planning committee for the conference. Her sister also served with her sister’s husband to head a powerful missions organisation in Nigeria. Mrs Adinga came to CFM as a diploma student many years ago. Now she is one of our very fruitful leaders. CFM is very thankfully filled with such gifts.
Because of costs, we brought only one woman from each of CFM’s mission stations. Some of our churches sent more. So many women participated, in preaching, leading, sharing skills. The conference included and benefited from everyone.
As in the Past, the Church will Win in today’s Battle of Life over Death
“The thief only comes to steal, kill and destroy, but I have come that you might have life and life in abundance.” (John 10:10) Since creation, life is always the purpose of God. In Western culture, we have seen a growing experiment with death. In the 1960’s everybody in my primary school was in a church. People rarely divorced or locked their door when away from home. Capitalism served community interests, a family lived on one income and children had two parents at home… until satan said that was boring. Individualism began to grow, some on the right wing looking to expand empire, some on the left wing looking to live their own life: both positions selfish, both contrary to community. Now, we see right and left merged into a godless empire bereft of mercy that enforces individualism. Nurturing life, not right or left, is the worldview that builds. Individualism brings an identity crisis. “Who am I?” Our identity is found in the other, in the community we have torn down, not in ourselves. God separated the human into female and male and brought them together to be one. Their identity was found in making the other complete, in fulfilling and serving the other. Their love for each other was shared with their children. Community love begins in the woman/ man union. My identity is found in God, who says I am made as his image bearer, and in my wife, family, church, and community. If I look to myself for identity I fall into darkness. This is what our just concluded women’s conference was about. Women as agents of change for creation. As all the speakers said, God has come to us to build up creation, not to tear it down. Ruth put it this way, * God fulfils his purpose through the humble. * He anoints us, which means unity, community, joining us in family. (Psalm 133) * Then he uses his family to take in the broken, heal the sick, to restore the rejected, rebuilding creation.” (Luke 4:18-19)
One of the guest women’s choirs from Church of Christ. They are so well received and fill the hall with joy. Rejoicing in and encouraging the different groups who share is a major part of these conferences.
In Christ, we are the second Adam (the second humanity), the meek ruling over the creation… the creation that the angel-serpent will not steal. We are saved to carry on Adam and Eve’s commission in this world, not for individualism. (Psalm 8)
We have always wanted to include more women. Now CFM is reaching more than ever before. We have 450 women living on site. Not just women, but most of them survivors of abuse and terrorism. Not just women, but women from the most grassroots centres of the nation, being freely provided all that is needed for learning and growth. They can even come with their babies, otherwise they mightn’t have the opportunity.
CFM Jos’s head chefs, with boss Mrs Susan in the black. They cooked for almost 2,000 on site through the conference, with students starting each morning at 3:00 AM to help prepare.
In today’s global culture womanhood is being degraded and women made vulnerable. So also is manhood degraded. God came to restore us both.
Love in Christ,
Kent, Ruth and team
Giving In Australia A/C Name: Christian Faith Ministries Int., BSB: 032870, A/C# 207255 Donations to CFMI are not tax-deductible in Australia. However, you can give towards tax-deductible projects in CFM, where 100% of your gift goes towards your specified project, if you contact us for details before you give.
Giving in the UK A/C Name: Christian Faith Ministries Int., SC: 230580, A/C# 28337116 UK Charity Commission# CFMI 1137723. To give via Gift Aid, contact Peter Embling Gifts are tax-deductible. Please contact Peter Embling: emblingpeter@gmail.com International Transfers: Metro Bank, London, 1 Southampton Row, London, WC1B 5HA, IBAN: GB06MYMB23058028337116, SWIFT: MYMBGB2L
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We don’t have any admin fees. 100% of what is given to CFMI goes to our projects in Nigeria. Our admin costs are covered by volunteers. Kent & Ruth receive no wage from CFMI. No address is added to CFM's news email address list without a personal request. See www.cfaithministries.org and www.cfaithnews.org