A Church in Every African Village

     Hello everybody, my name is Dean Davis, and this is “Multiply,” the podcast that provides a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.

Every Village Church Planter knows the VCP vision, “A church in every African village by 2050.” This vision, based on the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ provides overall guidance and focus for all we do as we work together to multiply disciples, leaders, and churches.

Village Church Planters, like God, are not willing that any should perish. We want everyone to come to repentance. We know that God is no respecter of persons. He loves all people everywhere. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16). We want to live godly lives, so we too choose to love people everywhere all over the world.

And yet when it comes to preaching the Good News, villages are often neglected. People in cities have many opportunities to hear the Gospel. In towns and along highways we see many churches. But historically, it takes a long time for the Gospel to arrive in villages. The founders of the Village Church Planting ministry knew this. That is why they prioritized the planting of churches in African villages without churches.

And now, you are a part of this great movement guided by the simple phrase, “A church in every African village by 2050.” Every VCP church planter, every VCP student, each trainer and coordinator, every Supervisor and Director and Church Multiplication Facilitator has a part to play in making this vision a reality.

First, we must pray. We must ask God that his kingdom would come and his will be done in every African village. We must ask for a church in every African village by 2050. Then we must put feet to our prayers, That is, we must act, as co-laborers with Christ, to see the vision fulfilled. 

Each church planter who is serious about this vision must know which villages near his or her training center have churches and which villages do not. If you and your fellow church plantes don’t know which villages within 10 or 20 kilometers of your training center still lack churches, find out. Go to each village within a day’s walk of your training center and find out if there is a church there or not.  Share this information with your trainer and your fellow students. If possible, record it on a map. Then focus your prayer on these nearby villages without churches. Each VCP student must take responsibility for planting churches in specific villages without churches. Prayer walk through these villages. Ask God to show you persons of peace, men and women who are hungry to know God and receptive to hear the Good News. Share your testimony, pray for people, tell them Bible stories, share the Jesus film with a few people or with the whole village. Trust God to use you and your fellow students to start healthy church in villages that have never had a church.

You may think your efforts won’t change Africa. But as you join thousands of other village church planters, they will. God will use you as a part of his great mission to bring abundant life in Christ to every place. For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Habakkuk 2:14). Count on it!

This has been “Multiply,” and I’m Dean Davis asking, who will you share this encouraging word with today?

#EncouragementForVillageChurchPlanters