Author Archives: The Coffeys

Coffey Family December 2015 Prayer Letter

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  • The last day of the year; it’s hard to believe.  2015 has been a great year.  We praise the Lord we were able to start New Life Baptist Church.  We have a superstar group of supporting churches and individuals that have been with us all along.  We truly don’t deserve you. 

2015 JBay Teen Camp

We finished strong this year with our Christmas day service with 10 first time visitors in attendance.  Over the past two weeks we have placed a Gospel tract on every house in Kwadwesi.  Several thousand homes were given the Gospel, along with being reminded there’s a lighthouse in their community preaching Jesus.  All of this is because of you being used of the Lord. 

As we change our focus from more language learning to church planting we are even more excited about what the Lord has in store for New Life Baptist Church this  coming year. 

Continue to pray for lives to be changed.  We are in a routine of going door to door 4 to 5 times a week with our team which is usually between 6 to 10 people.  There’s potential to reach a lot of people this coming year  with the Gospel. 

Prayer Request

  • New Church Plant in Soweto

More Highlights

  • Our first teen camp was a great success.  I say success because every teen made it back without injury or death, and we had a teen girl from our church trust Christ as her Savior. 
  • Jason and Ashley King came this month for their survey trip.  We are looking very forward to having this family back full time towards the end of the year. 

 

Needs 

  • $1550 was given to cover the remaining cost of teen camp.  Praise the Lord.
  • $6,000 has been given to start Soweto Baptist Church.  We have $4000 more that needs to be raised in the next few weeks.  We hope to see construction begin next week.  It’s been a joy seeing the young guys and girls of this church grow in their knowledge of the Bible. 
  • $500 for tracts.  Since we are going through a couple of thousand tracts a week now, we have decided to print our own tracts using a nice Ink Jet printer.  This amount will help purchase a new printer and supply tracts for 2-3 months

Coffey Family November 2015 Prayer Letter

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Praise the Lord, we had 4 Baptized last week and will have 1 more  baptized tomorrow.   We just completed the construction of our baptistry and are happy to put it to use.  We are starting to gain traction in the area of faithful people making the right steps in their Christian life.  As our core group is faithfully attending services and discipleship classes, real growth is taking place at New Life Baptist.   

Josh and Meagan Sullivan have been here for the last 6 month’s as interns working with our teens, and also going through language school.  They left this week to start full time deputation to come back to South Africa as missionaries.  Pray for them as the work to get back.  We are praying the Lord will bring us many more young families to help reach the people of South Africa.  The opportunities here are wide open.  Maybe you would consider coming to help. 

December begins summer holidays where many people go back to their homeland for a month or so.  Our Bible Institute will be put on hold until January, but we will use this time to really invest in the young people that won’t be traveling.  We pray, that as we begin, the summer with our teen camp, many of these young people will make life changing decisions that we can build upon during the summer months. 

Prayer Request

  • The Sullivan Family as they raise support to come back to South Africa
  • New Church Plant in Soweto
  • Teen Camp (Dec. 7-11)

More Highlights

  • Pastor Tom Hatley from Fellowship Baptist in Maryville, Tn, visited this month with his daughter and another member from their church.  Pastor Hatley has been a great friend in the ministry.  He was a great encouragement during his time here.
  • Pastors Austin Gardner & Robert Canfield from my home church visited this month, along with my mission’s Director Jeff Bush.  They were a help challenging our people and all the preachers to be men and women of the Book.

Needs 

  • $1550 for youth camp.  Three families will be trying to raise this amount to cover the cost of our very first teen camp here in Port Elizabeth.  (120 campers approx.)
  • $10,000 to start Soweto Baptist Church.  We have a small building but are already in need of more space.  The group that will leave from New Life to start the church will already fill up that space.

Coffey Family October 2015 Prayer Letter

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Prayer Request

  • More laborers for Southern Africa
  • New Church Plant in Soweto
  • Language learning
  • Youth Conference at Madiba (Oct 5-10)

As I sat with three teenagers at my home this week during a discipleship lesson, I was reminded about the priority of our ministry here in South Africa.  I’m excited about the people who were saved over the past few weeks at New Life Baptist Church.  I’m excited we have people in attendance that’s not just my family and Pastor Sipho’s family.  But the one thing that excites me the most is being able to sit around a table with some young people who seem interested in learning more about God’s word. 

Lisakhanya and Abongile, both 15 years old, were saved this past month.  Mvumelwa, who is 16 and also leads the music of the church, was  also there.  As they are learning the books of the New Testament this week and how to say Romans 3:10 & Romans 3:23 by memory, I see the future of a stronger church planting ministry in South Africa. 

I know investing in young guys is what it takes to build a ministry that will last.  Pray for our team as we seek to win and train more young men for the Gospel ministry.  Currently, I’m able to meet with around 10 young people who have showed interest in learning more of the Bible and of the ministry.

Needs 

  • $1550 for youth camp.  Three families will be trying to raise this amount to cover the cost of our very first teen camp here in Port Elizabeth.  (120 campers approx.)
  • $10,000 to help with the building for Soweto Baptist Church which will be started in December, Lord willing.  20 people who have been faithful to New Life will be going with my cousin Jeremy to start this church. 

More Highlights

  • 8 Saved at New Life this month
  • My wife Amy is now teaching two discipleship classes a week in Xhosa.
  • My sons are pretty happy about finding a baseball league here close to our house.  Luke is especially happy to have baseball back.
  • 8 Saved during open air service yesterday

August 2015 Coffey Family Prayer Letter

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Prayer Request

  • Bay Baptist Bible Institute
  • More laborers for Southern Africa
  • Two future church plants
  • Language learning
  • Plans for ministry expansion in the next few months

This past Sunday morning at New Life Baptist Church we had visitors from an area called Kwadwesi Extension.  This is an area that can been seen from our church over the valley and on the next hill. To get to our church from that location is about a 20 minute walk.  We have been going door to door in the area for the last two weeks and have had pretty good reception.  Pastor Sipho mentioned  his desire to one day see a church started in this area.  I went ahead and asked him to look into some available properties to see about starting a church there soon.  He quickly found a small building on a good piece of property that cost around $5600.

Please be praying for us about this decision.  Our thoughts right now are to buy the property and stagger our services which would allow us to run both churches. 

Our coworkers, Jeremy & Bekah Hall have also been working in an area called Soweto on the Sea.  They are doing Bible studies in the area with the hopes of starting a church there in the next few months or so.  Our team had a church close in the area over the last year, so we are excited about the possibilities of seeing a new work started back in this needy area.

More Highlights

  • Josh & Meagan Sullivan are in their 3rd month of their internship.  They have decided to come back to work in South Africa as church planting missionaries and will be starting full time deputation this January.
  • Our oldest son Tyler (pictured above preaching at New Life Baptist Church) turns 18 this month.  Pray for him as he has many big decisions to make during the next year. 

Needs 

  • $5600 to purchase land for the new church plant in Kwadwesi Extension 
  • Please pray that the Lord would direct us in the right area to buy property for our future training center.
  • Baptistry for New Life Baptist- $350

Missions from a Kid’s Perspective

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One of our supporting churches, Believer’s Baptist Church in Griffin, Ga, asked me if I would would record a message to share with the kids during their VBS to highlight missions in South Africa.  After thinking about it for a while, I thought a video from my son’s perspective would be more fitting for the VBS crowd.  Here’s the video I made with my son Luke.  We pray this video helps excite and encourage children and even adults in missions.  Let me know what you think.  Also, if you’re interested in visiting South Africa, I would love to know.

Coffey Family July 2015 Prayer Letter

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Prayer Request

  • The start of Bay Baptist College
  • More laborers
  • VBS this coming week
  • Language learning
  • Plans for ministry expansion in the next few months

God has blessed New Life Baptist Church.  Our best Sunday this past month we saw three people (one older lady and two teens) come forward and put their faith in Christ.  The following service all three of those people were back in church.  The week before that Sunday we had a high attendance in our Friday youth meeting with 25 teens.  Josh and Meagan Sullivan, our six month interns, have been a big help in the teen meetings since they arrived at the first of June.  We are already looking forward to them being here as full time missionaries.   

Wells Youth Meeting - 1

With best weeks also comes the not so best as far as church attendance.  Usually here in South Africa the not so best weeks are during Holiday time, the time students are out of school for winter break.  Although this is a usually a low time for attendance in all our churches, it’s a great time for extra evangelistic events and mentoring time with our young preachers in training.  This past week our pastors held a week long Youth Meeting (pictured above) at Wells Estate Baptist Church were they saw 5 people make professions of faith.  Also this coming week we will have a children’s VBS type program from Tuesday through Friday.  One of young guys, Yanga Gentzu, will be to gain some good ministry experience as he is preaching every day. 

More Highlights

  • Hannah Peabody will be leaving this week after finishing up her 1-month internship.
  • Amy and I celebrated our 15 year anniversary on June 24.  We’re actually doing more of the celebrating part next week hopefully.
  • Emilee, my oldest daughter, turned 13

Needs 

  • We praise the Lord that all the financing has come in to finish phase 1 at New Life Baptist Church and for the Pastor’s apartment at Madiba Bay Baptist Church.  We are so grateful for those that helped with both of these projects. 
  • Please pray that the Lord would direct us in the right area to buy property for our future training center.
  • Baptistry for New Life- $350

Coffey Family May 2015 Prayer Letter

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Our first pastors retreat in the little town of Addo was a great success.  We had a wonderful time with our team of missionaries and pastors.  The classes were a big help in encouraging everyone to keep their eye on the mark.  It’s amazing how easily distracted one can get when doing the  Lord’s work. 

This week, Missionary Randy Stirewalt from Kenya was able to visit and teach several classes for our Bible institute.  Brother Stirewalt has served in Kenya for over 38 years and has been involved in starting over 260 churches in Kenya, Uganda, and South Sudan.  We have been blessed to glean from his vast experience in ministry.  He has been a tremendous help in the plans of our Bible college, and will be helping as we setup the struture and curriculum. 

Please pray for the Josh Sullivan Family who arrives this week for a 6 month internship.  As they train for the field on the field, we pray God uses them in a mighty way during their time here in South Africa.

We pray God brings more young people just like the Sullivan’s here to South Africa for training.  I’m thankful to be a part of a team who has a burden to help young people to find their place in world evangelism. 

Prayer Request

  • The start of Bay Baptist College
  • More laborers
  • Pastor Sipho and his family as we work together at New Life Baptist Church.
  • Language learning
  • Plans for ministry expansion in the next few months

More Highlights

  • Akeme Ubom, pre-med student from North Ga University, visited this month and was a great blessing to all our families and churches. 
  • 4 teems came to church and made professions after Akeme preached at Tamsanqa High School
  • Hannah Peabody from Fellowship Baptist in Maryville, Ga arrives June 2nd for a one month internship

Needs 

  • $1300 to finish the electric work for the pastor house at Madiba Bay Baptist Church
  • $1000 to finish the plumbing at Madiba as well

Pray for Lungisa High School

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Sipho and I had the privilege to speak to the students at Lungisa High School this past week.  Lungisa High School is a public high school very close to our church.  We now have an open door to come and spend time with the students during their lunch break each week.  This is a great opportunity for us to be able to impact many young people with the truth of the Gospel.

 

The Church Building Open and Ready for Use

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On January 22nd, the construction began for New Life Baptist Church Kwadwesi.  Other than lacking a few doors, electricity, and water, the building is ready for use.  Well, we’re going to use it anyway:)  We will be having our first service in the main auditorium this morning, April 19th at 10am.  I want to thank everyone for their prayers and support during this building project.  The money for building came in just in time, even when I underestimated the cost or had surprise expenses.  I praise the Lord, there is a lighthouse in the Kwadwesi area of Port Elizabeth, South Africa to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Continue to pray as we seek to reach the lost and train young men for the ministry.