RENEWED Ministries Update – 10 March 2021

This is the RENEWED Ministries update for 10 March 2021 as provided by Reverend Courtney Richards.

Dear friends and prayer partners, Shalom Aleichem! I hope you are doing well and living fruitfully in the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ despite the challenges of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s been a tough time for me. I realized that I was exceedingly tired and drained from doing lots of ministry online and seeing the limited few I could see here in Jamaica. All this while maintaining the various protocols. Managing relationships, mentoring, discipling and coaching leaders from various countries, preaching and teaching mostly online but sometimes in person here in Jamaica while working on plans for missions and ministry takes its toll emotionally and physically. I had to take a break! But I had to be wise about where I went! Finally, my favourite place, Youth With a Mission campus in Montego Bay, Jamaica, gave me permission to come for 10 days of solitude and rest. It was like manna from heaven! It was spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically refreshing and renewing. Praise the Lord. Hallelujah! I am still experiencing the positive renewing effects of the time away. God is good!

Along the way, our RENEWED Ministries Executive Committee (of which I am a part) met and discussed, among other things, our planned Africa missions 2021 to South Africa, Kenya and Uganda. I had been advised, before our Executive Committee meeting, by our teams in South Africa that we should cancel our missions outreach for this year due especially to the new coronavirus variant there that is very dangerous and deadly, more than the original one. They said that this was not a good time to come and probably will get worse by the time we would be there in May and June. In addition, they, as pastors and leaders have had to reduce meetings with their people to only Sunday mornings and with strong restrictions. So many persons have died there or got ill with the virus. And so, with due consideration of their wise counsel and consideration about my health (I have pre-existing conditions and the long air travel would be difficult for me) our Executive Committee voted unanimously to cancel all our in-person missions to Africa for 2021. We will have online consultations, strategic planning and training for our teams in Kenya and Uganda and those who are able to come from neighbouring countries. Our South Africa teams do not want online meetings at this time.

This has been hard on me as I love being on the mission field with our leaders, meeting new leaders and other people, listening to their heart, spending time with them, sharing a meal with them etc – the Jesus way! But I understand the exigencies of the times we live in and appreciate the wisdom of our leaders in Indiana and also in Africa. I KNOW you will understand and continue to support us in prayer and finances despite these difficulties.

I am working with our teams in Kenya and Uganda in planning for our online meetings which might be moved to June. That includes mobilizing people and transporting them to central places for effective training due to the challenges of the internet and some people not having devices to be involved in the training. The internet is not the best for most of them and we need strong internet connections and the appropriate technology to make these meetings a success. I am also working with them and those in Nepal for next year’s teams as everything has been transferred to the schedule for 2022, all things being normal by God’s grace. Please pray with us as we listen to and depend on God for guidance and provision in all these matters. WE NEED HIM NOW MORE THAN EVER!

As I previously told you, this year marks the 25th anniversary of RENEWED Ministries. Our Board has set up a planning committee to work on plans for a 25th Anniversary Dinner (hopefully at Bethel University in Indiana where RENEWED Ministries was founded in 1996 as I was on staff there as Associate Dean of Students at the time). This is currently scheduled for Thursday, September 9, 2021, at Bethel University in Mishawaka, Indiana. We will apprise you as time goes by on further plans to celebrate what God has done and continues to do in our lives and this ministry. 

If you are not living in or near the Indiana area, there are also plans in the works to celebrate the goodness of the Lord in our lives and ministry in some of the Caribbean islands where we serve. Jamaica, Grenada, St. Vincent and Guadeloupe are currently on board with having a time of thanksgiving and celebration of God’s goodness through RENEWED Ministries there. This will be later in October and November. We may add other islands later.

We would like to ask you to consider being a regular giver/donor to RENEWED Ministries. We need constant giving to help our ministries and ministry partners around the world. Also, we are asking for gifts of US$25 (to commemorate 25 years of ministry) or multiples of that. You may give these as regular monthly gifts or as one time gifts to RENEWED Ministries. So, for example, you can give (US) $25 or $50 or $75 or $100 etc per month or as a one time gift. Please give as God has prospered you and give what He has laid on your heart to give. Some of you and your churches are regular givers already. We are very grateful for your generous gifts and partnership with us to make disciples of the nations and to equip leaders to train their people in discipleship, mentoring, leadership, spiritual formation, soul care and Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. WE THANK GOD FOR ALL OF YOU, OUR PRAYER PARTNERS AND DONORS TO THIS MINISTRY. TO GOD BE THE GLORY, GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE! HALLELUJAH!!

Please mail your checks/cheques to: RENEWED Ministries, P.O. Box 1229, Mishawaka, Indiana, USA 46546 or give online via PayPal on our website at: www.renewed-ministries.org   Click on “donate” and follow the instructions.

God’s richest blessings, grace, love and favour to you and your family and loved ones. 

Coram Deo!
Always in His grip,
Courtney Richards

For more on Reverend Richards’ missionary journey, go to our Archive pages.