RENEWED Ministries Update – 20 September 2022

NEWS AND PRAYER UPDATE – AFRICA MISSIONS 2022

This is the RENEWED Ministries update for 20 September 2022, as provided by Reverend Courtney Richards.

Greetings friends and prayer partners. Shalom Aleichem! The peace of God be with you all and your loved ones.

I am in Chicago en route this afternoon to Fort Lauderdale and Miami. My time in Indiana was a blessing and a challenge. A blessing because I was able to see my fellow Board members of RENEWED Ministries and lots of friends, mentees, prayer partners, financial partners, and ministry partners. I was also able to speak in some partner churches on what God is doing in Africa, especially including our newest outreach using sports ministry to reach young people especially those in some Muslim communities. What wonderful doors the Lord has opened for us so much so that even some of the Imams are asking for MORE sports to help the children and youth be involved in meaningful activities! Wow! Praise God.

As you know we focus on relationships as central to disciple-making, “The Jesus Way”, and as such we are encouraged by these opportunities and open doors presented to us by God to build relationships and make disciples for His Kingdom and glory through various means. Please pray for this wonderful and growing ministry. And, if you feel led, please contribute specifically to our sports ministry in Africa. We are raising money to help buy equipment and jerseys (tee shirts) for the children and youth. If you send us money for this specific outreach ministry of RENEWED Ministry, please make sure to tell us that’s what it is for so we can separate it from your regular gifts and support.

Speaking of support, our Executive Committee just met on Wednesday last week, September 14, and approved our 2023 Missions schedule and budget. We need full approval of the Board so I can’t tell you quite yet how much it will be EXCEPT to say it is larger than last year’s budget of over $57,000 US dollars! Significantly larger so be prepared to start giving now as our 2023 Missions outreach takes us to Nepal, then Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda along with Burundi and Goma (Democratic Republic of Congo) Malawi, and South Africa. Our Missions schedule runs from March 29 to July 27. In some of these countries, we will be training in leadership and disciple-making, “The Jesus Way”, AND in sports ministry. And in Rwanda, we will engage in additional ministries as well. I will say more about all this in time. PLEASE PRAY! PRAY! PRAY!

We NEED your consistent and sustained prayers for God’s blessings, uncommon anointing of His Spirit, open doors, grace, and favour for the continued expansion of the ministry He has called us to do around the world and for VISION25 – reaching and expanding in 25 African countries by 2025! God is working in powerful ways. We are immensely grateful.

Along with the blessings of God, we have seen and experienced the tests, trials, and attacks of the enemy. There have been a number of accidents and incidents. Two persons close to me were arrested in two different countries for alleged crimes (one of them a son of mine in South Africa who killed someone). As it turned out, it was self-defense and he has been set free. Case dropped! Praise God!). Then I tested positive for COVID-19 upon my arrival in Indiana which I apparently got when I traveled to Jamaica for my stepfather’s funeral. I was sick for two weeks and still have a lingering cough. So, we NEED your prayers all the time. We need God to protect, keep and deliver us from all evil and use us mightily in spite of the attacks to build up His Kingdom!

Please pray for me as I travel to South Florida from Chicago this afternoon. Pray for safe and enjoyable travels and for good medical reports. I will visit my doctors on Thursday, September 22nd  (my 65th Birthday!!!) and at different times over the next week couple weeks. This is for my annual medical checks and get my lab tests results. May God continue to keep and sustain me in every area of my life and body. May He do the same for all of our teams in different countries for the glory of His name and for our benefit.

Thanks much for your loving, kind, and grace-filled friendship, support, and love for me and those in RENEWED Ministries. My prayers are going up to God for you and your family and loved ones. Grace overflowing from the hand of a gracious God!!

Please remember to send your regular or designated gifts to: RENEWED Ministries, P.O. Box 1229, Mishawaka, Indiana, USA 46546, or via PayPal on our website: www.renewed-ministries.org.

Every blessing in Christ. Coram Deo!
Always in God’s grip,
Courtney

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