I am happy to be writing this letter after celebrating my second Christmas and New Year in England, as well as voting for the first time during the general election. In spite of the election verdict, we must forge ahead to continue praying for our leaders and our country, and as citizens we continue to endeavour to treat each other with utmost care and unite our hands together, to reconstruct our ideals and values that will make our future generation proud of us.
As we approached the last quarter of the previous year; if I can remember very well, my last letter was distributed for your reading in September 2019. The letter aimed at challenging us to give attention to new areas of outreach initiative that God was leading us to act individually or as a community collaborative effort.
Indeed, I took that challenge to explore a new initiative of outreach work among the Swahili speakers living and working in Northampton. And under the support and leadership of St. Andrew’s Methodist Church, a worship program was launched taking place every third Sunday of every month at St. Andrews’s Methodist Church, Harlestone Road, NN5 6AB from 4pm to 5pm. The starting number was quite impressive on September 22nd, 2019; and I am looking forward to seeing more members joining in, as we spread the gospel of Christ in love to the Northampton Swahili community, through pastoral support of whatever kind to encourage their journey of Christian faith. Currently, we have changed the initiative strategy by introducing a Swahili bible study, which seems quite interesting to members. The encouraging news, is how positive the people themselves have embraced this program, resulting in young people’s initiatives in helping lead the worship. We anticipate the number to grow soon, as plans have been put in place for more publicity.
In this New Year 2020, we started with a covenant service at both Towcester Road Methodist and St. Andrew’s Methodist Church on the first and second Sunday of January and set the New Year rolling with renewing our covenant as Methodists. As well as challenging ourselves to setting our mind in welcoming any change in the way we do things. It might be enrolling yourself in a health club, changing of certain patterns of lifestyle habits, or commitment to personal spirituality among others. We draw such an inspiration that God has provided already, the grace to make that happen. Take a keen read in John.1:14-16 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.'”)
16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.