Today is the last time I am scheduled to preach at
CCR during this season of ministry. On
Monday, 4 June our family will leave Kigali believing God has called us to
leave all that is familiar to become missionaries to the Great Lakes Diaspora
in the United States. Today is the day
that CCR Handover becomes official. I
like Paul am hopeful for the future. We
will meet again both in this life and in another. I will in the future preach at CCR and be
with many of you through life transitions as we meet again. However, the season of CCR’s history in
which I have functioned as her Senior Pastor has come to a close. These moments of transition are awkward and
painful, but they are for a purpose.
Luke by the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit gathered the history of the early church. He wrote an exceptional history. With
his history he starts well with an introductory summary in Acts 1:8. Eugene Peterson translates the summary, “Timing is the Father's business. What
you'll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will
be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to
the ends of the world (The Message.)" Sovereign God orders time so the Gospel
can go forth. We are filled with the
Holy Spirit when we come to faith. Our
task is to take the Gospel to the ends of the world.
Luke’s history ends awkwardly. “Good” historical books conclude with a
historic victory and then several “lessons learned.” Instead Luke closes with the master
missionary Paul under house arrest in Rome.
While under house arrest Paul boldly states, “Therefore
I want you to know that God’s salvation has been sent to the Gentiles, and they
will listen! (Acts 28:28)” There is no
closure.
We turn the page
to Acts 29. Yet, there is no Acts 29.
My favorite
theologians write that we leave in the age of Acts 29. Our task is to proclaim the good news of
Jesus resurrection. As we proclaim
lives are changed, disciples are made, churches start and thrive. We live in the awkward moments of Acts 29 as
we wait for Jesus to return.
We are entering an
Acts 29 season at CCR. Closing a
chapter, but the story is not done.
If the Lord does
not return in the next 100 years one will arise to write the history of
CCR. If he is a good Bible student he
will start with God’s eternal plans of adopting us as His children before
creation. His next chapters will tell
the history of Rwanda that made our current season possible. Then there will be a chapter about the first
5 years of CCR’s history with me as her Senior Pastor. Then other chapters will begin with others
used by God. If the historian is honest
the history will show human triumphs and failings. All the good that humanity does is by
grace. God is the hero of the CCR story.
On Saturday 5 May
2012 CCR held her Annual General Meeting.
We elected a new Board of Directors.
This followed a long process.
God works through all of our situations to give us wisdom. Eight months ago, Jana and I announced that
we sensed God was calling us to leave Rwanda.
A question in many of our minds was, “How will the succession go?”
Jana and I spent 2
weeks in Nairobi when Mugisha was having convulsions. At one point we were in Uchumi
supermarket. We heard a familiar voice
in the background say, “Do you remember me?”
We turned and it was a very old friend, Mona Zikusooka. Jana and I had mentored Mona and her
husband, Jacob for 6 months as they prepared to wed in 1998. They are some of our best memories. As Mugisha’s convulsions added stress we
had a need to stay with some who were like family. We began living with Jacob, Mona, and their
three daughters. During this time we received some wise
counsel. Those we had previously
mentored gave us great wisdom. Jacob had
served as the Chairman of a church elders’ board as their Senior Pastor
transitioned. It did not go well. Jacob’s counsel was that there needed to be
a plan. I needed to lead it. It would require many individual meetings, small
group meetings, leadership meetings, and eventually a plan owned by the entire
church. We are now at this point.
In our CCR AGM we
unanimously elected the following individuals to serve as our new CCR Board of
Directors as our CCR Handover People:
Brett Shreck will
serve as both our CCR Senior Pastor and Legal Representative. As such he will be the Vision Bearer for
CCR. He will have the CCR Stamp and be
the one accountable for CCR’s dealings with the Rwanda government. Brett believes and does the right things to
be the CCR Vision Bearer. Former
Minister of Gender and Family Promotion, Angelina Muganza gave the original
idea of CCR – An English based church with a good children’s and youth program. Brett has brought excellence and order to
CCR’s Children’s ministry. I am
confident he will do this in the entirety for CCR. Brett and Keli Shreck have embraced the CCR
vision of Spoken For. We can build a
network of families who can foster children who fall into vulnerable situations
until they can either be re-united with their extended families or
adopted.
Moses Mbabaali
will serve as both CCR’s Youth Pastor and Deputy Legal Representative. In Brett’s absence Moses will carry the
stamp and be the one accountable for CCR’s dealings with the Rwanda
government. In Moses serving as CCR’s
DLR we are making a conscious choice for CCR.
We will embrace the youth. We
will do all we can to empower their success.
Among our leadership most of us conclude that Moses has the greatest raw
spiritual gifts of Vision Bearing. He
knows where we need to go and sees the steps we need to take to most give God
glory. For instance, some of you may
remember what the sound was like as CCR began 5 years ago. Our facility echoed. Our worship team was awful to the ear. Moses saw that we needed to make sacrificial
investments in instruments, sound systems, and young hopeful musicians. We bought sound systems and instruments when
we had no musicians. His vision bearing
has produced the worship team we now have at CCR.
William Rusty Linden will serve as
CCR’s Chief Executive Officer. He will
be responsible for making sure things function with order. He will continue to have a lead role in CCR’s
Community Groups and Worship Teams. I
do not believe CCR would have been able to accomplish 2 worship services
without Rusty’s leadership.
Our CCR Treasurer is UMUHIRE
Anita. She is not with us today due to
being sick with chicken pox. Some of
you may not know Anita. If you do not
know Anita please friend her on Facebook.
I want you to know Anita. You
will notice that Anita is young. In
fact, she looks significantly younger than she is. Anita serves as the Head of Finance at
Fina Bank. She also is someone who just
seeks out opportunities to serve. You
will notice her as a key participant with CCR ministries that are core to our
vision such as Sunday Children’s Ministry and Spoken For. It is obvious that her responsibilities as
Treasurer will be to manage CCR’s finances.
In the start of any endeavor the
first days require the few gathered to the vision to do almost everything. Brett has been managing CCR’s
finances. It is too much for us to
expect him to lead our CCR vision and manage our financial resources. Anita will quickly take the role of managing
our financial resources.
Our CCR Secretary is GAKIRE KABEHO Vivian. If you read through our CCR constitution you
will not find the constitutional role of a Secretary. Yet, if you look through the documents we
have given Rwandan government officials you will find the need for a
Secretary. Thus we chose to elect a
Secretary. For those who do not know
Vivian please friend her on Face book.
She has an MBA from Oklahoma Christian University and works in Rwanda’s
Prime Minister’s Office. She has been
an active participant at CCR. I
believe that as she serves as the CCR Secretary she will be able to lighten the
load of our pastoral leaders by keeping our documentation and records current.
Our CCR Constitution calls for two advisors on the Board of
Directors. The two to be elected are Dr.
NKUSI Emmanuel and NYAGAHURA Marguerite. I hope none of you have the misfortune to
meet Dr. NKUSI in his professional expertise.
May your family, friends, and you never need a neurosurgeon. If you
do need a neurosurgeon Dr. NKUSI is one of two in Rwanda. He works very long hours serving our
nation. Though he is quite busy I
trust he will bring his wisdom to our CCR leadership. For almost all who live or labor in the 2020
Vision Estate we know NYAGAHURA Marguerite. She is the one we call when we have a
problem and need advice. I believe she
will also give great wisdom to our CCR leadership.
Brett Shreck, Moses Mbabaali, Rusty Linden,
UMUHIRE Anita, GAKIRE KABEHO Vivian, Dr. NKUSI Emmanuel and NYAGAHURA Marguerite will serve CCR for two years as our Board of
Directors.
Besides this board we will have an Audit
Committee who will once per year review the finances of CCR. The Audit Committee is made up of BARIGYE
Arthur Mugunga, NIWENKUNDA Catherine, and NSENGA
Eron Asiimwe. BARIGYE Arthur Mugunga is trained in Business and is one of the
executives for MacMillan book publishers in Rwanda. NIWENKUNDA Catherine has an MBA from
the School of Finance and Banking and has served with USAID. NSENGA Eron Asiimwe is a businesswoman
trained by Peace Through Business. I am
confident in all three’s ability to hold CCR accountable to well document our
finances.
As we came to a new Board of Directors for CCR we also came to a CCR
Handover Action Plan. You will notice
that the Action Plan is not in detail.
However, it lays out seven broad areas that are key for CCR’s continued
vision. This was intentional. First, we want to empower our CCR leadership
to work out the details as they best see fit.
Second, we kept ourselves to 7 points so this would be easy to remember
and also reflect completeness as some theologians consider 7 a symbol of
completion.
First, CCR will continue to have 2 English Sunday Worship Services in
which the gospel is preached and facilitate community groups for the purpose of
spreading the gospel of Jesus. As an
English medium church CCR will continue to promote the learning of the English
language.
Moses pointed out well that our constitution empowers future CCR church
planting. I trust a day will come in which we will
notice a cluster of 10 to 20 CCR families in a Kigali neighborhood. On that day we will birth a new church.
CCR currently is at an awkward numeric place. We bounce in the 300 to 350 range. Most who study patterns of human community
and church growth say this is an unsustainable number. Either CCR will grow into the range of 500
to 1,000 or we’ll drift back to around 200.
We must make uncomfortable choices today if we believe God has called us
to grow. Thus we are choosing to continue to have 2
English worship services in our current facility plus community groups and
promoting of the English language.
Our following points on our CCR Action Plan all concern CCR’s vision to
build the leadership capacity of Rwanda’s youth.
Our second point in our Action Plan is that CCR will continue serving as
facilitator for Presidential Scholarship programs through Oklahoma Christian
University, the Hendrix Consortium, and other educational institutions. Our
CCR staff plays a key role as helpful friends in bridging MINEDUC and these
universities. We have helped over 300 of Rwanda’s brightest
to study at universities in the USA.
These students have excelled, and been exceptional Rwandan
ambassadors. Part of the reason my family
will be returning to the USA for a season is to pastorally serve these Rwandan
students.
Our third and sixth Action Plan points relate to property. They are:
Number three is to begin
exploratory conversations concerning the possibility of partnering in
developing a new school in property adjoining the current 2020 Vision Estate.
And number six to begin exploratory
conversations concerning the possibility of partnering in the developing a
youth cultural and sports center near the current 2020 Vision Estate.
As you can see we intend to plan
for growth. Rwanda has too few schools
and too few places for our youth to discover all their abilities in community. The property to our west provides options
for growth. A friend of mine who does
not share my convictions about the resurrection pointed out that though we
currently have fabulous facility we are not prepared for the population of our
hill to increase by 8 fold.
When my family first lived in the
2020 Vision Estate we walked by our current facility and prayed, “God I cannot
imagine that this property is available.
The next time an estate is built can we be on the ground floor?”
Thankfully, the property was
available. Yet, I am not convinced that
God’s intent does not reflect our original prayer.
When CCR was first granted
registration in May 2006 we were given instructions by MNALOC to develop
property. When we asked where we were
taken to the property to our west and told that it could become available with
the expropriation exercise. We felt
uncomfortable for a church to be involved in the expropriation exercise. Yet, now that the expropriation is finished
the property has sat idle for nearly 3 years.
Kigali City Council has recently
requested for stake holders in Kigali to participate in the Master plan. (See http://focus.rw/wp/2012/05/kigali-city-calls-for-input-on-master-plan/
and http://www.newtimes.co.rw/news/index.php?i=14985&a=53328.)
It is time for CCR to be a
participant in the discussion. Brett
Shreck before coming to Rwanda was a Real Estate broker. He has much more skill in this area than
I. Also, during our early days only a
few of us could speak for CCR. Now we
have significantly grown. It is now a
season for us as a corporate body to begin discussions on how CCR can partner
with KCC and CSR to build schools and youth cultural and sports facilities.
Our fourth point in our CCR Action
Plan is to continue sponsorship of students to attend secondary and
university. In 2012 – 2013 CCR will
sponsor up to 10 Female Students based upon need and academic success to attend
FAWE School and if they qualify for a university scholarship facilitate their
living expenses. We will also sponsor up to 10 students regardless of gender
but based upon their academic success and participation at CCR will be
sponsored to attend secondary school and university. This will necessitate an increase in our
giving.
Our fifth point in our CCR Action
Plan is to continue youth programs such as concerts, dramas, teaching moral
values, and sports.
Finally, our seventh point in our
CCR Action Plan is to continue in partnership with Rwanda’s Ministry of Gender
and Family and National Child Commission the Spoken For program of fostering
Orphans and Vulnerable Children in families until these children can either be
re-united with their extended family or adopted. Our families can do this. We can be the first place that is called
when a child falls into a vulnerable situation. This is representing that CCR is a bible
based church. The most biblical
response to OVC is adoption. Every
child has a right to be in a loving family.
Before we held our AGM I
repeatedly read both the Bible and our CCR Constitution. Our constitution allows for CCR to grow
across the borders of Rwanda with a vote of 2/3 approval in our AGM. On Saturday, 5 May CCR chose in our AGM to
commission our former senior pastor, Dave Jenkins and his family to become our
missionaries to Great Lakes Diaspora in the United States of America. As such they will preach the Gospel;
promote unity across ethnic, race, generational, and national barriers; and
seek out partnerships to facilitate CCR’s future growth.
Thank you. Our family will go to the USA with your
blessing and commissioning.
For our family we have spent 19
years in Africa’s Great Lakes. If you
include Jana’s childhood it is 29 years.
This is home. The only way we
can conceptualize leaving is to go as missionaries.
In Christmas 2009 Jana and I
discovered a ministry niche that gave us a similar passion as they day Angelina
Muganza asked for someone to start an English speaking church with a good
children’s program. We looked up old
friends we had not seen in years from our Uganda days who lived in my home
villages of Minnesota. We had lunch
with two. We had dinner with another
two. Dinner was classic for our
region. By the time it was over we had
20 more people at home. My friends had
produced 3 children, brought over a few relatives, and gathered their
network. I asked how many other
Ugandans lived in Minnesota and was shocked to find out it was 30,000. Then my friends disclosed that though they
had a Kiganda name one was a Munyarwanda.
The others were from Western Uganda and had relatives and friends in
Kigali. Our region socially intersects
frequently. As I visited with my old
friends I found they had done well academically, professionally, and
economically. Yet, they struggled to
socially adjust to America. Also, while
they were deeply spiritual people they had yet to find a church that was like
home. Jana and I walked away sensing
God would call us in the future to serve Great Lakes Diaspora for a season in
the USA.
We have learned not to make overly
detailed plans. God directs the details
of our path. Yet, we move forward
sensing His leading. It is our plan as
we arrive in a few weeks in Chicago to do the basic tasks of missionaries. We will meet as many of your family and
friends in the USA as possible. We will
join or start fellowship groups. We
will listen well to hopes. We will look
for opportunities to serve. It is our
hope that our season in the USA will be brief.
It is our hope that not only will we help Great Lakes Diaspora thrive in
the USA, but our presence will encourage them to return to our region with
resources, ideas, and their very presence to build for our children’s future.
Now as I have finished the
discussion of our CCR Handover People and Plan allow me to discuss five
Handover Principles. The overarching
theme is that God is the CCR Hero.
Please do not make me or any other man the CCR Hero.
As we face the awkward Acts 29
transitions here are 5 enduring Handover Principles.
First, God’s people thrive when they are led by a
vision bearing pastor.
God’s word says,
“Moses said to the Lord, ‘May
the Lord, the God who gives breath to all living things, appoint someone
over this community to
go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in,
so the Lord’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.’
So the Lord said to
Moses, ‘Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit of leadership, and
lay your hand on him. Have him stand before Eleazar
the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. Give
him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him. He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will
obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the Lord. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites
will go out, and at his command they will come in.’
Moses did as the Lord commanded
him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole
assembly (Numbers
27:15-22).”
Does
this sound familiar? A community is
experiencing a transition and a fear is that they will be left like sheep
without a shepherd. History shows that
sometimes this happens. Even some in a
season of transition will use the awkward moments to manipulate a community for
selfish purposes. The answer is that
current leaders must equip and appoint new leaders. Then God will work through new leaders, and
our community will be shepherded.
I
am confident Brett is our new CCR Vision Bearing Pastor. I am also confident that our CCR youth have
great leadership potential which will be nurtured. You are not left like sheep without a
shepherd.
Second, God’s people thrive when
they examine the teaching / preaching to confirm its truth. We must have a Vision Bearer to prosper. He must lead by teaching God’s word. We must examine the teaching.
As the master missionary, the
apostle Paul reached the city of Berea Luke by the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit wrote, “Now the Berean Jews were of more noble
character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great
eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was
true (Acts 17:11.)”
I hope this is not my pride, but you
should be aware that I believe the best bible preaching that can be found
within 1,000 miles of Kigali happens at CCR.
We have an exceptionally gifted group of leaders who teach and preach
here. You will hear different styles
and types of illustrations. Yet I always
hear men who have labored with God’s word to find the best possible application
for our contemporary situation. You should expect this to continue and hold
our leaders accountable to be good bible teachers.
One of my more delightful moments
of the last year has been walking through our estate and being greeted with the
phrase, “Pastor, can we talk?”
Yes, of course we can talk.
All of you have made me a better
preacher. You have asked questions,
found holes in my sermons, and helped our whole community become wiser. Please keep doing this.
Third God’s people thrive when they
confidently submit to their leaders. An
accountable leader can lead with joy.
God’s word says, “Have
confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep
watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work
will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you (Hebrews
13:17.)”
History shows that during times of leadership
transition there are usually some who gather seeking an opportunity to
manipulate. When the leadership is good
it holds the course of vision. It is
not easy to manipulate good leaders. Some will murmur about our new CCR
leaders. Some will portray them as not
as good as the previous. Yet God’s Word
teaches that those who are called by God to lead a local church have spiritual
authority. Their labor should be a
joy. Their teaching and nurture of all
of you should bring them the pleasures of earth. Yet, if there are some who murmur about them
and even stir rebellion their joy will be fleeting. In such circumstances they will not nurture
you as well as they can. Their time and
energy is sapped.
Remember your leaders are
accountable to God. Hold them
accountable to teach God’s word. Then
allow them to lead.
Fourth God’s people thrive when they financially
support their church and leaders. If you
have time read 1 Corinthians 9:1-23. It
is a bit lengthy for our time.
The theme is repeated in 1Timothy
5:17-18. Paul writes, “The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of
double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.
For Scripture says, “Do
not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves
his wages.”
During the early
days of a church plant finances require for the initial pastors to come with
their own support. Many matters that
should be properly the expenses of the church are paid from pastor’s
pockets. Paul did this in his early
church plants. It is just the cost of
being a church planting pastor. However,
as time goes on a church must mature in its giving, financial management, and
pastoral support.
I should have
given CCR more order than I did during my tenure as Senior Pastor. In the coming months you will hear our CCR
Treasurer and other leaders explain our budget. You will hear a need to increase our
giving. You will hear sermons and
teaching whose point will be that we must give more. When this happens do not murmur about the “new
regime,” and wish for my return. I
endorse fully more Bible teaching on giving at CCR and the pragmatic
expectation for CCR to have more financial resources. This is simply God’s teaching and plan for
the church.
Fifth, God’s people thrive when
they take each day’s opportunity to do good things. As Handover is completed you will notice
different pastoral styles and priorities.
Over the last few months I’ve tried to do less. Than at times I decided let me set one last
example. You will notice some things I
have done will not continue.
God’s word states
in James 4:16-17, “If anyone, then, knows the good they
ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.”
If you see something
at CCR that has brought you joy and nurture that is not being continued it is
your responsibility to continue doing it.
If you see something that has brought others joy and nurture that is not
being continued it is your responsibility to continue it.
Hold your pastors
accountable for three things. Are they
acting like your friends? Are they
praying with and for you? Are they
teaching God’s word? One of my favorite
writers on pastoring, David Hansen writes that pastoring comes down to just
these three practices – friendship, prayer, and bible teaching. The organizational order of the church that
pastors give is just a reflection of these three holy habits.
After friendship,
prayer, and teaching it is your corporate responsibility to nurture CCR.
I print a
bulletin each week. I think it makes my
sermon easier to understand and communicates clearly what is happening at
CCR. Our pastors don’t need to print a
weekly bulletin. If you want this to
continue just be in touch with our pastors to let them know you would like to
take this responsibility.
There are some
traditions I’ve developed at CCR. There
are some traditions that bring me so much joy I will endure the uncomfortable
for a few hours to days.
I enjoy the look
on little boy’s faces as they walk up the CCR steps on Palm Sunday. I enjoy when they realize that CCR is full
of leaves and sticks, and they can play with them as an act of worship. For this earthly joy I spend a portion of my
Saturday before Palm Sunday and early morning hours of Palm Sunday
decorating. Next year, our pastors do
not need to do this. I recommend if
Palm Sunday brings you joy that a group of you gather the Saturday afternoon
and decorate. We can do this in a
better way if we do it as a community.
I also enjoy the
look on mum’s faces when we give each one a rose on Mother’s Day. Our pastors do not need to do this next
year. A small group of CCR men can
easily buy flowers on Saturday and give them to children to distribute on
Sunday.
You will see many
more opportunities than this to do good.
Our city is full of opportunities to build and bless.
I am confident in
our new CCR leaders. I am confident in
Action Plan. I am confident in all of
you. Most of all I am confident “that
he who began a good work in you will carry it on to
completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6.)”
May God bless all
of you.
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