Ghana 2009
Ghana and Crossroads ChurchAs of 10 years ago, I had never even heard of Ghana, much less, could I ever have imagined setting foot there. But in God’s good plan, Ghana has become a place close to my heart. And Lord willing, in July of 2009, a team of 11 people will be traveling to Ghana, West Africa for another short-term missions trip. This history of Crossroads Church investment in Ghana began about 9 years ago. In 2000, Crossroads Church began to look for opportunities to expand our global missions influence. Through the assistance of 16:15 ministries (www.1615.org) we were introduced to the Fra Fra people of Northern Ghana. We were able to partner with Wycliffe Translators as they were in the process of finishing up the translation of the Bible into the Fra-Fra language. As a result, we began a church wide campaign to raise awareness of the Fra Fra people and the needs associated. The initial stages consisted of prayer and finical support to see the translation process completed. Setting foot in GhanaIn 2004, Crossroads Church stepped out in faith and sent a missions team to the very rural north of Ghana. Since that initial trip, dozens of friendships have been formed and many people have become worshippers of Jesus. It is a tremendous opportunity God has opened up for our church to invest in the proclamation of the gospel within the Fra-Fra people. The emphasis of the trips has been to serve as short-term missionaries focused on village evangelism through the medium of drama, testimonies and preaching. We partner alongside the existing pastors to reach villages surrounding their churches. The primary purpose of these outreaches is to present and clarify the gospel message to those within reach of the established churches. As many Ghanaians are highly involved in the practice of ancestral worship and many have a superstitious view of “god,” it is necessary to clearly proclaim the God of the Bible and the gospel message. Bible Training InstituteThrough our previous visits to Ghana it became clear the greatest need is the establishment of godly leaders to disciple other Christians. There is a general openness and willingness to accept the gospel message within Ghana, but the lack of teaching leads to a spiritual amalgamation of Christianity and ancestral worship. A general immaturity in the Christian faith seems to prevail. Therefore, Crossroads Church has committed to seeing a Bible Institute established in Northern Ghana. The Bible Institute exits to develop leaders for the purpose of evangelism, discipleship, the planting and pastoring churches in Ghana. Currently, the school is renting a building in Bolgatanga and has seen its first class of students graduate! The Bible Institute has now become the primary focus of our efforts in Ghana, with our short-term teams partnering with the students as interpreters and guides as we seek to reach out to the surrounding villages and communities in Northern Ghana. How You Can HelpI ask that you would begin to pray for the Fra Fra people and our journey to Ghana. Pray for our team of 11 people as well: Brett Wagner, Jeff Roberts, Jeff Alaways, Allie Kranz, Bradley Hale, Brittany Brocke, Jonathan Robinson, Kristen Wesley, Matt Sullivan, Nolan Wright and Sarah Alaways. If you would like specific detais of how to pray, be sure to get live updates from the trip (see below). Not everyone can travel to a foreign country and visit a distant people-group. But everybody can participate in the mission to reach as many as possible with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Would you please consider lending your support to reach Ghana with the gospel? Prayer Support
Financial Support
Get Updates from the TripIf you would like to get live updates during the trip, you can follow @brett_wagner at Twitter here.
Trip Summary
– Brett Wagner    
 
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