April 2015 Newsletter

April 16, 2015July 7, 2015 8hovng

Dear Friends and Family,

Greetings in the name of Jesus! We give thanks to the Lord for he is good; his love endures forever (1 Chronicles 16:34). We have seen God’s goodness to us in many ways over the past month, so we give thanks to God for you as you have been faithful in praying for us and supporting our ministry here in Zambia. So much has happened in the past month that it is only possible to share just a few highlights. Please know that your ongoing prayers sustain us as we face unexpected situations every day.

TCCA is now Evangelical University
Shortly after our arrival in Zambia in 2012 I participated in a series of strategic planning meetings concerning the future of the Theological College of Central Africa. One of the outcomes of those meetings was the decision to pursue full university status from the Government of Zambia with a view to expanding the number of programs of study.

Earlier this year, TCCA was officially recognized as a university by Zambia’s Ministry of Education. Many changes will be required as we transition from a single college to a university. One of the first things to change will be the name, which has already been chosen: Evangelical University.

Last week I chaired a faculty retreat that began a review of our current curriculum and considered possible changes as we look to the future. Our time was very productive, as we discussed a wide range of questions. Now we remain with the task of gathering information, narrowing our focus, and implementing the necessary changes. Please pray that God will lead us as we begin the enormous task of planning the future for Evangelical University (Luke 14:28).

Spiritual Life Conference
This week we are in Lusaka attending SLC, the annual conference for SIM Zambia missionaries. This year’s speaker is Dr. Jonathan Bonk. In addition to serving as Executive Director Emeritus / Senior Mission Consultant at the Overseas Ministries Study Centre, Dr. Bonk has been the project director for the Dictionary of African Christian Biography (www.dacb.org). Please pray for safety on the road as we travel, as well as for a time of spiritual refreshing.

Frustrations at Home
The past month has had moments of frustration. Except for a few days last month, we didn’t have internet access from home, despite signing up with a second internet service provider. This has been especially difficult for Anna, who was trying to finish her first two university courses online. And the day the internet finally came back we lost our water! Kristina has spent much time helping out with the medical needs of children at the Chintu Road Adoption Center, and also with one of our workers, a single mother with three children who has been struggling with a serious illness. Please pray that these challenges will teach us to be patient and compassionate. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience…” (Galatians 5:22).

Praise Items
Every month we ask for prayer, but like the lepers who failed to thank Jesus for the healing they received (Luke 17:11-19) I too am often guilty of taking God’s provision for granted. This month I would like to ask that we give praise to God for answering the prayer items we shared in last month’s newsletter:

• TCCA’s faculty retreat was very productive, as well as a wonderful time of fellowship

• God has provided John with a work-term job as a business analyst at Memorial University

• We have all recovered from our head colds, even though it lasted for weeks

Prayer Requests
Here are the prayer requests mentioned above:

• For wisdom in helping to plan for the future of Evangelical University

• For traveling mercies and spiritual refreshment at SLC

• For patience in the face of day-to-day challenges

Blessings in Christ,
Tim & Kristina Churchill