Music:  the International Language of Worship As the first choir made its way slowly up on to the platform I wondered to myself what the music of the church in Ethiopia would be like.  I have the privilege to travel to multiple African countries every year and have experienced the wonder of African worship from large cement block churches in cities to mud-walled, thatched roof village churches.  In each setting and in each country I have found the heart of worship to be expressed in ways that so clearly reflect the dynamic uniqueness of the people and their culture.  The keyboard player started the background rhythm and when he struck the first cord I knew that we were in for a real treat!   Young Ethiopian choir members were soon singing with all their might in the language of their heart.   Their faces expressed their joy in loving and serving Jesus.  The sheer volume of their singing along with the choreographed swaying and movements showed the enthusiasm for which they worshiped.  Soon the entire congregation was singing along with them.  Hundreds and hundreds of voices lifting praise to the Savior in a language that I couldn’t understand.  However, I didn’t need to be able to speak the language to know the love and joy that was driving their worship of the Lord that I too love and serve.  Kevin Compelien, Africa International Leader - EFCA ReachGlobal
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Music:  the International Language of Worship

As the first choir made its way slowly up on to the platform I wondered to myself what the music of the church in Ethiopia would be like.  I have the privilege to travel to multiple African countries every year and have experienced the wonder of African worship from large cement block churches in cities to mud-walled, thatched roof village churches.  In each setting and in each country I have found the heart of worship to be expressed in ways that so clearly reflect the dynamic uniqueness of the people and their culture. 

The keyboard player started the background rhythm and when he struck the first cord I knew that we were in for a real treat!   Young Ethiopian choir members were soon singing with all their might in the language of their heart.   Their faces expressed their joy in loving and serving Jesus.  The sheer volume of their singing along with the choreographed swaying and movements showed the enthusiasm for which they worshiped.  Soon the entire congregation was singing along with them.  Hundreds and hundreds of voices lifting praise to the Savior in a language that I couldn’t understand.  However, I didn’t need to be able to speak the language to know the love and joy that was driving their worship of the Lord that I too love and serve.

 Kevin Compelien, Africa International Leader - EFCA ReachGlobal


Church Planter Chronicles

CP Newsletter

Happy New Year!

I have goose bumps bigger than ever! I just finished reading one of the many stories we will share with you in the months to come about N.C.F’s church planters.

Listen to this young man’s own words. Tell me if you don’t get goose bumps?

From Regella we were invited where I am serving in to 400 KM distance to the house of woman witchdoctor. This woman has been opposing the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ that nobody has to listen and go the Christian families of communities. She has been known as a qualified trainer for young witch doctors. A married couple who lived with her for a long time have a daughter whose name is Astoria. In the meantime Astoria has been sick and couldn’t be able to be healed. This daughter has been taken to many with doctors to be healed, but there was no help to the girl at all. After her father and mother spent a lot of money for their daughter, they came to discuss with each other saying ” we’ve done our best to restore our daughters health in spending a lot of money, but no help has come. It is better if we could invite these Christian preachers* to come to our home and pray to their God if he could help our daughter If their God help our daughter and get to be healed we well let our daughter to believe their God and we will believe too” So then they called us to their home and told us every thing in details. Then we shared the Lord Jesus Christ to them and told them how Jesus gave His life to them and to all man kind to save from eternal death to eternal life. Then we prayed for a sick daughter asking the kindness mercy, and compassion of the Lord. We prayed as Jesus prayed at the tomb of Lazarus the day he raised him. We prayed, Lord please let us not to be a shamed, that we are here by Your Holy name. would you please honor your great name. Please heal this girl for the sake of your name. The father , the mother and their daughter all received the Lord as their personal savior. Praise God a sick girl whom her family were waiting her death has received a complete healing for the Lord on that same week of their salvation.

The story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead is one of my personal favorites. To see this Church Planter refer to the power that was present when Lazarus was raised from the dead to him calling upon the same Jesus for this little girl. Ohhhh the POWER of God. Doesn’t it make you thrilled this is the same God you serve? We are on God’s team beloved and our days are short. I thank you for your faithfulness in supporting these men and their families. Many of them continue to face very difficult circumstances yet they are thankful to be sent. Bless them! Would you remember them in your prayer this week as we continue to walk by faith.

May I ask you to join me? 15 of these men asked specifically for prayer for more soldiers to come to the frontline. Currently, N.C.F. has 60 men ready to go but the finances are preventing them. Please pray that God would raise the funds to release these willing men to go.

May God Bless you richly in the months to come!

Teresa Laher 
N.C.F. Volunteer

Source: newcovenantfoundation.org

Now This is Ethiopia! Trip Report from Dilla, Ethiopia

Church Planting - A professionally organized and geographically strategic ministry    

- Kevin Cole

It is clear that Ethiopia is a key player on the African Continent in many ways.  Geographically Ethiopia is a crossroads.  Politically it is the center of the African Union.  Militarily it is a major player in the region.  Religiously there are many forces at work pushing and pulling the people in different directions.  Muslim influence from the nearby Middle East at odds with the strong Christian influences.  The good news is the spreading of the gospel across the continent is being facilitated by a professional, organized, educated and committed church planting mission of the Ethiopian Kale Heywot Church.  One cannot help but be impressed at the level of commitment when a church in a third world country is supporting and sending out missionaries to the surrounding region.  These missionaries are called church planters.  They are well trained, married, committed men and women who suffer hardships and persecution and see miracles we in the western world have a hard time getting our arms around.  Besides the 60 or so church planters supported by the local church there are others being supported by people and churches from other countries such as the USA.  New Covenant foundation for instance has made a three-year commitment to support church planters.  More support is needed.  There are about 60 families who are trained and waiting for support so they can be sent.  Another 350 are currently going through training.  The cost to support a family runs around $150 per month.  The money is used for food, housing, medical support, and a small pension fund.  My hope and prayer is that Christians who read this will see the importance of this ministry for the spreading of the good news of Jesus Christ to a region of the world that desperately needs the hope that Jesus offers. 

February 25, 2011

-Carrie Cole

We went to the Kale Heywot church compound in Dilla and met Werku, a leader of the Christians in the area.  As we walked along the building, there was an awful smell that made some of us feel sick at the thought of going inside.  We were led to the front where seats were saved for us. There were probably a couple of thousand church leaders gathered for the conference and a large choir sat on the stage.  The pastor was talking to the people in Amharic about CHE and the importance of caring for the whole person.  The choir sang and the building was filled with the most amazing sounds of praise to God, then all the people sang as they poured to the front to place their offering on a table in the front of the church.  All thoughts of my personal discomforts faded as I was drawn into worship of our Savior with our Ethiopian brothers and sisters in Christ.  Werku introduced us and we each shared with the people, they love to hear about us and how we serve the same God they serve in our homes on the other side of the world.  Werku closed by singing Mike’s favorite Ethiopian praise song.  It was beautiful and I could have stayed and praised God with these people for hours.  As our traveling partner Zele said, “Now this is Ethiopia.”