Dear FMI Family We had anticipated that the Spring Conference would be outstanding - and it certainly was! The Lord graciously caused our connection to Dr Hendrik Vorster to be incredibly rich and we look forward to a fruitful outcome from his ministry among us. The Lord continues to build the FMI Family and a number of delegates sensed the “call of the Lord” to step into increasing levels of ministry. Let us pray for those who responded that they might take the next steps of preparing themselves, by putting into practice the essential fundamentals of kingdom living. As we look to the last quarter of the year, the Moving On Up event for the FMI Youth in December is going to be another kairos moment for young lives. Let’s encourage and support this next generation to go all-out for the King. Lisa and I will be taking a 3 month Sabbatical to rest, to be refreshed in energy and to be renewed in vision. We will be including a return trip to Israel after 31 years, as part of the intentional building into our lives and growing in our understanding of Biblical times. May you be filled with His love, peace and joy! For the King and His Kingdom John Crumpton |
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FMI SPRING CONFERENCE REVIEW The Annual FMI Spring Conference was held in Johannesburg at Breakthru Life Church from the 18th to the 21st of September. Once again the times of worship were refreshing and inspiring, the fellowship over delicious food was nourishing, and the messages both impacting and challenging. The focus of the event was on disciple-making and the inputs from Dr Hendrik Vorster were a tremendous inspiration. Each delegate received a pack of 5 books as part of their registration, and we took an overview of the books at a rapid pace. |
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The Apostolic Team sensed that the Lord is bringing about a fresh emphasis on discipleship and church planting for FMI as we move into a new era of vision and the intentional stewarding of this message. Much of what was covered in the sessions has been known to many of us, and yet the timeless truths were shared in a fresh way that inspired us to take action. The continent was well represented with 26 delegates traveling from Zambia, 22 from Zimbabwe, 4 from Uganda, 4 from Burundi and 5 from Kenya. The sense of belonging to a common family through shared DNA and vision was delightful, and many deep and inspiring conversations were held with one another at the meal times. |
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The leadership teams of the South African FMI Churches will take time to digest the inputs and discuss implementation strategies at the Regional Relating Leaders gatherings in November. The rolling out of the materials in every FMI congregation will be enormously beneficial to all our members. We look forward to tremendous fruitfulness as we take to heart the injunction of the Lord to “go” and make disciples. Let’s go and spread everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of Christ, and make disciples for Jesus! |
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ZAMBIA TRIPJune - July 2023 Johannesburg And the apostles went out announcing the good news everywhere, as the Lord himself consistently worked with them, validating the message they preached with miracle-signs that accompanied them! - Mark 16:20 (TPT) Rise and shine for the day’s work lies ahead of us and it will be fruitful because He is with us! Zambia 2023, led by Coenraad Dormehl, was a life changing experience for every person that went. Some of the most tangible testimonies include seeing the blind see, hearing mutes speak and experiencing how the deaf heard for the first time. Some unconventional testimonies include words of knowledge from intercessors in South Africa leading us to a red Massey Furgeson tractor in the middle of the Zambian bush, the owner of which received prayer and prophetic words over his life. Other testimonies include blessing fellow travellers at border posts, seeing mass deliverances take place and seeing Jesus reach the hearts of the desperate. |
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The predominant Mission for 2023 was focused on the towns of Chibuluma, Etoiya, Kalilo and Mumbwa. The three smaller towns lie close to Mumbwa and all four towns already have established churches with local pastors. Grandpa Derek had an amazing heart for Missions. I think he understood how practice became the preach and how preaching became the practice. Zambia was an exemplary example of this. When going on a Mission it is important to tie into existing structures, so that the encouragement that is brought to a town has a place to manifest. It also creates a place of safety for new believers and a network for them to plug into so that discipleship can happen, enabling the gospel to travel further and penetrate deeper. |
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The four churches we worked with are part of the more than 340 churches planted out of Lusaka. And it was amazing to walk in the footsteps of Paul as he would visit, encourage, correct, strengthen and give testimony of the amazing goodness of God. Thus strengthening the local body so that the local body has a strong international presence. Grandpa Derek understood how valuable Mission work can be if it is done in a sustainable manner, where relationships are forged, and the churches operate as one body. During Zambia 2023, new relationships were built, the Kingdom was preached and baptisms in water and Spirit took place. Growing the ever-increasing influence of the FMI family as FMI positions itself for another great wave of Revival being poured out over Africa. |
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It is difficult to summarise a life changing experience into a short one page snap shot, but maybe the best way to do this is to express our experience of the verses David Hogan kept referring to during his conference in June, Matthew 10: 7-8 in an interpretation applicable to the FMI Zambia 2023 Mission: “May you take courage. The Kingdom lives inside you and is touching lives around you by just getting close to them. You are an atmosphere changing, passionate, faith filled, zealous believer. Darkness trembles at the light that you carry! Demons flee, walls crumble, the sick are healed, lepers dance in their freedom and the dead are raised when you enter a room. You have been set free by the same passionate love that you now go out to share. Freely share this love till the whole earth hears. Share it till every knee bows. And take heart, for the Spirit that created the universe, is with you everywhere you go.” Jesus, build Your church, our hands are ready and willing! |
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"I'll praise in the valley Praise on the mountain I'll praise when I'm sure Praise when I'm doubting I'll praise when outnumbered Praise when surrounded Cause praise is the water My enemies drown in As long as I'm breathing I've got a reason to Praise the Lord! Oh, my soul Praise the Lord! Oh, my soul" Report written by: Luan Swart |
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MISSION TRIP REPORT:Kenya, Tanzania, Islands of Lake Victoria & BurundiJune - July 2023 During June and July 2023, teams from FMI went to different nations in the Great Lakes area to train and equip pastors and leaders. Kenya Chris & Tertia Liebenberg from Tarkastad, James Kato from Uganda and Lida Stander from Viljoenskroon went to Awendo, south of Kisimu close to Lake Victoria. A conference on the SOTS book, Glory in the Church, with leaders of existing churches as well as leaders of new church plants in the district. The book was also translated in Luo, the local language in the area. Sundays were spent preaching and strengthening different churches and what a privilege it was to see unbelievers receiving the Lord and others being healed during these meetings. People walk or ride with bicycles over long distances to attend meetings. Tertia and Lida held a conference for women on prophetic art while the men were visiting Tanzania. |
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Tanzania Chris took a team of local pastors and crossed to border into Tanzania to train leaders in Dede - 70km west of the Serengeti. The SOTS book was also translated in Kiswahili and each leader could leave with a copy of the material in their own language to teach in their local congregations. Most of the leaders in these remote areas close to Lake Victoria, cannot speak English and so the translated material became a great resource for leaders to teach in their local congregations. What stood out in these two nations is their hunger for the Word and the simplicity of their worship & devotion to the Lord. |
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The Islands of Lake Victoria After the conferences in Kenya and Tanzania, Joseph took Chris to visit some of the islands of Lake Victoria where Joseph has planted some churches. It was a deeply humbling experience to minister to leaders and believers on these very remote islands of lake Victoria. The poorest of the poor live in some of the worst living conditions one can imagine on some these Islands. We had two flat tyres on Rusinga Island and after two broken acks the car had to be lifted by hand to fit the wheel back in place by ± 30 bystanders who surrounded us. The 30 men asked us for money which we did not have as remuneration for their labour. We offered them each a cold drink and we preached the gospel and helped them to receive forgiveness and salvation as they surrendered their lives to the Lord. The Lord surely works all things together for good! Joseph went back to the island 6 weeks later, to disciple these new believers and started a house church. We missed the waterbus in the process and took a ferry to Mfangano Isand in order to catch the waterbus the next day to Remba island. We were asked to minister to 200 high school children on this island (where we weren't planning to be) and only reach Remba island late the next day to meet leaders of the church on the island. Remba is an island with 8 brothels and no hospital. Criminals who fled the main land, hide here to avoid imprisonment. Joseph has led some of these criminals to the Lord and planted a church with other members of the community on the Island. A deeply humbling and challenging experience as we spent the night on the island and encouraged some church leaders with the Word and prayer. |
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Burundi The well organized 2023 FMI Leaders Conference in Bujambura, Burundi was a great success. It was the 10th SOTS Conference for pastors and leaders in Bujumbura since 2012. The team consisting of Chris Liebenberg, James Kato and Jan Hugo lectured from the book “Knowing the Son”. It was a loaded week with another conference in the afternoons encouraging the Burundi people to read and write books. Leaders from different churches, universities, authors of books as well as leaders of other networks, participated in the conference. What a unique and powerful way to create a culture of reading and writing amongst believers in Burundi. The two Sundays before and after the conference were used to minister in different FMI churches and new church plants in the city. What an amazing and blessed 10 days in Bujambura! The presence of the Holy Spirit and the quality of our fellowship with Adrien and his team were overwhelming. Thank you Jesus for your glory in your church! Report by: Chris Liebenberg |
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Tickets for our annual FMI MOVING ON UP Youth Camp are LIVE! Join us for a time of connecting with youth from across the country, growing in the Lord together AND MORE! |
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