November 2015 Newsletter
Dear Friends and Family,
Greetings in the name of Jesus! Once again we humbly thank you for your gifts in support of our ministry. We are also grateful for the many prayers offered on our behalf. “Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me” (Psalm 54:4).
As we shared in last month’s newsletter, God has called us to begin a new ministry in Cape Town, South Africa next year where I will be serving as the Academic Dean at the Bible Institute of South Africa (www.bisa.org.za). Yet we still have six months of service remaining at Evangelical University (EU, formerly TCCA).
This past month has been quite eventful. A few weeks ago I shared the news of our departure with the faculty, staff and students. Since then I have had many conversations with people about how God has been leading us, and the importance of God’s call in our lives. This has given me opportunities to encourage others as they seek to find and follow God’s will for their lives.
In addition to my regular duties as lecturer and Academic Dean, I have also been heavily involved in EU’s transition from college to university. I chaired a faculty retreat where we planned organizational changes related to the creation of new schools within the university. I conducted numerous interviews for the many positions that will be created, including heads of schools and lecturers for these new schools.
There has been much ministry outside the classroom and meetings as well. Several weeks ago I brought a group of EU students to watch a football match between Zambia and Mozambique. As we walked back from the stadium we got to see Zambia’s President Edgar Lungu, who waved at us as he drove by in the presidential motorcade. A few weekends ago our family joined twenty single students for a day trip to a nearby nature park. This past week we hosted all the single girls for a movie night at our house (I skipped the movie but stayed long enough to get some popcorn!). These social interactions deepen our relationships with my students, and as a result I have had the privilege of helping several students through difficult personal situations this month.
Tomorrow I will be traveling with Pastor Mwaanga, a Zambian colleague and friend, to represent EU at the triennial ICETE (International Council for Evangelical Theological Education) conference in Turkey. This is an important meeting of evangelical theological educators from around the world which should be of great benefit to the work at EU. One session of particular interest will deal with the transition from college to university, which I hope will help us avoid the problems that others have gone through while benefitting from their experience. I have already scheduled meetings with IT companies who may provide EU with new software, and with representatives of graduate schools who I hope may find scholarships for some of our gifted graduating students so that they can continue their education at the Masters level.
Following this conference Pastor Mwaanga and I will travel to Israel for several days of EU-related business before returning to Zambia. While I am away Kristina and the girls will be on their own. These days in Zambia are particularly challenging due to daily 8 hour power outages, irregular water supplies, and unreliable internet connectivity which limits our ability to communicate.
Prayer Requests
- Pray for me as I travel and attend the ICETE conference in Turkey, and also as I visit Israel
- Pray for Kristina and the girls while I am away, especially for God’s continued protection
- Pray for John as he continues his studies in St. John’s
- Pray for our family as we begin to plan the transition from Zambia to South Africa
- Pray for Evangelical University as we transition from college to university
“But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, the One who lifts my head high. I call out to the Lord, and he answers me from his holy mountain. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me.” (Psalm 3:3-5)
Blessings in Christ,
Tim & Kristina Churchill