19th Annual Zimbabwe Preaching Summit
by: Al Serhal
by: Al Serhal
Students at Zimbabwe Christian College are all smiles after receiving their brand new Study Bibles. These Bibles will be invaluable resources for our students as they go out as ambassadors of the Gospel!
19th Annual Zimbabwe Preaching Summit
I arrived in Zimbabwe late on Tuesday, February 7 which allowed me a couple of days to get acclimated and just spend some time with Zebedee (Managing Director of HVCM in Zimbabwe), talking over many of the issues and plans that we have for HVCM going forward. Zebedee was able to bring me up-to-date on some of the challenges the mission is currently facing as well as some major victories.
I then had the weekend to prepare for my preaching class at Zimbabwe Christian College which was scheduled to start the next Monday morning. I preached both Sundays that I was in Harare at two different churches. I especially enjoyed the second Sunday when I was able to travel with 3 of my preaching Students out to one of the churches where we worked as a team for the day. The boys translated and prayed with many of the people who came forward during the service. I really enjoyed traveling with them and just talking and getting to know them and their stories. During the week I taught from 8:00-1:00 every day for the next 8 days. During that time I was able to present every student with a brand new NIV Study Bible (60 students) and also provide each of my students (2nd & 3rd year students) with a copy of Haddon Robinsons “Biblical Preaching” as our textbook.
On February 22, two brothers from the Tomoka Christian Church in Ormond Beach, FL arrived. That night we had a cookout for all of the ZCC students, faculty and staff. It was a wonderful evening filled with singing, food and fellowship!
I then had the weekend to prepare for my preaching class at Zimbabwe Christian College which was scheduled to start the next Monday morning. I preached both Sundays that I was in Harare at two different churches. I especially enjoyed the second Sunday when I was able to travel with 3 of my preaching Students out to one of the churches where we worked as a team for the day. The boys translated and prayed with many of the people who came forward during the service. I really enjoyed traveling with them and just talking and getting to know them and their stories. During the week I taught from 8:00-1:00 every day for the next 8 days. During that time I was able to present every student with a brand new NIV Study Bible (60 students) and also provide each of my students (2nd & 3rd year students) with a copy of Haddon Robinsons “Biblical Preaching” as our textbook.
On February 22, two brothers from the Tomoka Christian Church in Ormond Beach, FL arrived. That night we had a cookout for all of the ZCC students, faculty and staff. It was a wonderful evening filled with singing, food and fellowship!
 | Scholarship Recipients Al Serhal was able to meet with the two young men who are the first recipients of the Mike Grooms Scholarship Fund. Both are already outstanding leaders at Zimbabwe Christian College and are training to go out as preachers of the Gospel! Left: Morris Sithole, Right: Upenyu Gogo Want to help a preaching student? Click the button below to give to the Mike Grooms Scholarship Fund today. This full scholarship will be awarded to 1 or 2 exceptional preaching students each year to cover the cost of their college education. |
Preaching Summit Cont.
We then took the FL guys down to Chiredzi to see the mission work We went to two mission schools and then spent the evening with the children at the Children’s Village. On Sunday, we went out to one of our rural Churches to worship with the folks there and Greg from Tomoka preached.
On Monday we began the trip back to Harare for the 19th annual Preaching Summit. About 125 Preachers attended and they all received Bibles and a copy of John Stott’s book, “Basic Christianity”, along with pens and handmade cross necklaces. Speakers were, Pete Konkle from SC, Dr. David Fiensy from Kentucky Christian University, Dr. Darrel Pruett from FL, Greg Holmgren from Tomoka and myself. The spirit and attitude of the Summit was wonderful and the food was exceptional this year.
This year at the Summit we had preachers not only from Zimbabwe and Mozambique, but men also traveled 3 days to get there from the country of Malawi. One evening the men from Malawi asked to speak to me. We met outside where they pleaded with me to bring some kind of preacher training to Malawi. They say there are 200 Christian churches in Malawi and less than 100 preachers. A few of these preachers had some formal training at a small non-instrumental college there in Malawi, but most of them have not had any formal education and they are hungry for teaching and resources for Preaching. I felt very convicted to try and do something to strengthen the pulpits in Malawi.
On Friday, March 3rd I began the long journey home. I finally arrived at my little house in Grayson, KY around 3:00 in the afternoon on Saturday, March 4th. I battled some issues with dehydration for several days due to the long flight home, but am feeling much better now. It is good to be home with my wife and family and to sleep in my own bed for a while.
-Al Serhal
On Monday we began the trip back to Harare for the 19th annual Preaching Summit. About 125 Preachers attended and they all received Bibles and a copy of John Stott’s book, “Basic Christianity”, along with pens and handmade cross necklaces. Speakers were, Pete Konkle from SC, Dr. David Fiensy from Kentucky Christian University, Dr. Darrel Pruett from FL, Greg Holmgren from Tomoka and myself. The spirit and attitude of the Summit was wonderful and the food was exceptional this year.
This year at the Summit we had preachers not only from Zimbabwe and Mozambique, but men also traveled 3 days to get there from the country of Malawi. One evening the men from Malawi asked to speak to me. We met outside where they pleaded with me to bring some kind of preacher training to Malawi. They say there are 200 Christian churches in Malawi and less than 100 preachers. A few of these preachers had some formal training at a small non-instrumental college there in Malawi, but most of them have not had any formal education and they are hungry for teaching and resources for Preaching. I felt very convicted to try and do something to strengthen the pulpits in Malawi.
On Friday, March 3rd I began the long journey home. I finally arrived at my little house in Grayson, KY around 3:00 in the afternoon on Saturday, March 4th. I battled some issues with dehydration for several days due to the long flight home, but am feeling much better now. It is good to be home with my wife and family and to sleep in my own bed for a while.
-Al Serhal
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