Good Friday Gift 2020

April 01, 2020

in Lift Your Light

Our Good Friday Gift recipient is an evangelist and priest with the Diocese of Jos in Nigeria. He started a community school that currently serves more than 250 children, as well as housing a training program for local women. Daily lessons are carried out in only six roofed classrooms. The school has great need of a well, additional classrooms, a chapel, and an assembly hall to serve their growing population of students.

With his ministry team, he also planted a church in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Jos. This area is home to so many people who have been overlooked and neglected: families living in deep poverty, children who have dropped out of school, young women trapped in prostitution, and young men recruited by local armed gangs. Despite the many ways evil seems to thrive in this place, this church planter calls it the Heartbeat of God.

Surrounded by bars and liquor stores, Jebbu Bassa (Gospel Center) has started an apprenticeship program with local businesses to offer opportunities to learn tailoring, auto mechanics, and hairdressing. Two participants will be completing the program this semester and will return to finish their education at school.

Despite receiving a death threat from the terrorist organization Boko Haram and facing continued deadly violence against local Christians from Islamic extremists, the evangelist rejoices, “The devil has pitched his umbrella here, but the banner of Jesus has now been raised. Praise the Lord!”

This year’s Good Friday Gift will benefit God’s work in Jos, Nigeria as they serve people on the margins and share the love of Christ with them as they minister to body, mind, and spirit.