Category Archives: Ministry

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

October 2015 Update

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1st Annual Bay Baptist Youth Camp

Youth Camp: Our first youth camp is December 6-12. The cost to take 120 teens to camp is going to be $4650 ($38.75 per camper); which includes their food, camp facilities, and transport. Praise the Lord, we have had $200 given so far. We are planning to charge each camper R150 ($12) for the week. Fundraisers and work days will begin this weekend for the teens to help with their expenses. We are still needing to raise $3,010.00. If you would be interested in helping with this please send any money to P.O. Box 519 Braselton, GA 30517 (Att. Jeremy Hall/Youth Camp). Thanks so much for your consideration and for your prayers for this event.

Soweto Baptist Church

Church Building: Bekah and I are going to start our first church in South Africa, Soweto Baptist Church. We are needing $12,900 for the construction of a building (normally around $18,000+), if we are able to take advantage of the current exchange rate. We are blessed to not have to start from scratch. We already have land and two small rooms on that land, which will be connected by the new building, and serve as class rooms. The building will be able to seat around 120 people (1000 sq. ft.).

The Lord has already blessed our efforts in Soweto as we have been evangelizing and training many young men and women in the area. More than a dozen people have been saved and are ready to get baptized. Currently, we continue to transport around 20 people weekly to worship with us at a church started by my cousin, Mark Coffey, and Sipho Bonga in another area. We believe God will fill this building to capacity with new believers by the this time next year. Please pray with us that God would supply these funds while the rates are favorable (any donation should be labeled Jeremy Hall/Soweto Building Fund).

Other Announcements and Prayer Requests:

  • Prayer works! One of the guys I asked you to pray for last month was saved last week, Zolani. And, as I expected, several others dropped their guard and made professions as well; 7 young men in total. Please remember them in your prayers; Ntiska, Aphelele, Athini, Soli, Khanyiso, and Sibusiso. I am meeting with these guys (and about 5 others) several times a week, outside of church services, studying the scriptures. God is raising up a good group of guys who we fully expect to be used for the furtherance of His Kingdom.
  • Youth Conference Oct. 5-9, at Madiba Bay Baptist Church
  • We have several good friends coming over for a visit; Pastor Tom Hatley with Fellowship Baptist Church will be here Nov. 3 -12. Also Pastor Austin Gardner, Bro. Jeff Bush, and Bro. Robert Canfield from Vision Baptist Church will be with us Nov. 11-18. If you or your church are interested in taking a missions trip please feel free to contact me.
  • November is going to be busy. We are moving! Only about 3 miles down the road. Pray this process goes smoothly.

We are extremely grateful that the Lord allows us to do what we do. We hope this letter allows you to see a little of what your investment is accomplishing. Your prayers and support are greatly appreciated and you are prayed for often.

Sincerely,

Jeremy and Rebekah Hall

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.

New Life Kwadwesi Building Update

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Our building is progressing nicely.  We are still hoping to have our first service on April 5th, Easter Sunday morning, but we’re cutting it very close.  The I-Beam we need for the main floor won’t be available until Wednesday, at the earliest.  Without the I-Beam we can’t finish the main floor.

This past we we did experience our first break-in.  Someone tried to break in through one of our new windows.  With no success, they bust in through the new door.  We paid one of the workers to spend the night there, but he decided to skip that night.  Unfortunately, all of our builders tools were stolen, and the window and door need to be replaced.

I’m glad to know the roof is almost finished and hopefully water and electricity will be connected this week.  Overall this has been a great building experience with very little interruption.

Thank you all for you prayers and support.