February 2016 Update: Providing Bibles and Training

Our first Thompson Bible workshop in 2016 was in Limuru, Kenya this month and conducted by Brian Balster. Brian is from Platte, South Dakota and has helped me teach the workshop previously in Africa. This was the first time he taught the workshop by himself.

Brian shared this story concerning one of the pastors, “One young pastor came to me today and shared how the Lord is using him in ministry.  He is the pastor of a church that is growing and he even is on TV with a preaching ministry, also he has implemented social media with a daily devotional.  At his point he has 15,000 followers.  He shared with me how he is so thankful for what he has learned in the workshop and how it will change his preaching into a more Biblical based message.”

Testimonial From a Pastor

After the workshop, I received this email from a brother who has a ministry in various parts of Kenya and is very interested in helping APT Ministries expand the training throughout Kenya in the coming years . . . “I enjoyed going through the Thompson Bible workshop with Brian. It left me feeling spiritually enriched and empowered to preach from the Bible with more confidence. As a Bible school teacher of many years, I saw the workshop as a powerful tool that could be used to help equip pastors and other church leaders, who otherwise might never have an opportunity to attend formal Bible school training.”

Encouraging Church Leaders

Brian summarized so well the responses we get from the pastors and church leaders who attend . . . “One of the objectives of the workshop is to encourage the pastors in their ministry.  I know that many first came just to receive the Bible that we are making available.  I have seen in their faces at first a surprise as to the instruction that they are receiving, but that has grown into a deeper confidence and assurance that they have in the Lord and they are making application of this to their ministries.”

A Need For More Bibles

A common theme in the comments above has to do with the word BIBLE!  We praise the Lord that APT Ministries is growing as we train more pastors each year and provide them a Bible they can use for years of ministry as their own “mini-library” for study and teaching/preaching. BUT we still face the ongoing need to have funding for Bibles in advance so we can confirm our planned calendar dates for training. Without Bibles there is no training.

Funding Request for French Bibles

If you can help us buy Bibles for the French portion of the scheduled May training in Cameroon, it will be deeply appreciated by the 200 French speaking pastors who will be attending the training there. And please pray for provision for the remainder of all of the Bibles still needed for 2016!