Solid progress in Port Harcourt

The Reformed Tabernacle in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, hosted their first youth conference, on 7-8 August. Its theme was ‘Biblical foundations for Christian living – in the home, church and society’. The attendance was encouraging, with 100 young people present and 17 churches represented.
Pastor Alan Levy and his wife Mary, of Penyrheol Free Church, Swansea, were our guest speakers. They have also worked with African churches in Kenya, Zambia and South Africa. Pastor Ani Ekpo opened the conference with an exhortation from 1 Timothy 4:12. This was followed by a welcome address by youth leader Ani Timothy to the participants.
Mr Levy gave three lectures from Daniel 1-6 on living for God in a pagan society. Daniel stood firm for God because he read the Bible and prayed; Daniel was firm for God and God was faithful to him; you cannot be too young to serve the Lord.
On the first day Alan and Ani addressed the young men and Mary Levy and Grace Ekpo the young women on relationships. Many young people opened their hearts in the questions asked during this session. On the second day Eno Umoh spoke on HIV/AIDS.

Other challenges

Later in the week 50 pastors and their wives gathered in the Reformed Tabernacle for a one day conference. Alan Levy spoke on the qualifications of a pastor, from Titus 1, and the type of people that we should be producing in our ministries, from Titus 2.
He also spoke on Christian stewardship and biblical preaching. There were separate meetings for discussion for the pastors’ wives. Alan Levy also spoke on the work of Pastor Training International (PTI).
The final conference that week again lasted one day. Twenty-nine men and 48 women came together to consider ‘Biblical foundations for Christian living in the home’ from Ephesians 5:21-6:9.
We have other challenges. The Tabernacle is considering planting a church on a large and needy government estate called Igbo Etche, where members of the church have recently been relocated. Prayer is urgently needed about this.
The Reformed Tabernacle’s building project is still incomplete, although work on it continues. We are eight years old now as a church and need to consider appointing faithful men among us as elders and deacons.