Evangelism work
Apart from church ordinary services organized and implemented on weekly basis (morning and evening prayer) the church has successfully implemented complementary interventions to bring harmony and social wellbeing beside the communities:
Clergy and lay leaders’ retreats and seminars
The diocese with its major concern of helping the church through capacity building and empowerment organized a seminar for both church leaders and lay leaders with a primary objective of equipping them with relevant knowledge and skills such that they can also equip their fellows in their respective local churches.
A very interesting topic “Lest go, seek for them, bring them, equip them and send them” was shared at the end of September 2015 and brought together 250 from all over the 33 parishes of Shyogwe Diocese. Recommendations for that particular seminar have been made and include:
– participants made commitment to go and train the members at parish level and thereafter organize house to house Gospel proclamation in their localities for the sake of church growth and people salvation from their sins and poor habits;
– That the Church evangelism reports should always clarify the growth with accurate figures;
– That the church discipleship plan should be operational;
– Church leaders, evangelists and catechists methodologies of Gospel proclamation should reach outside the church. As it is written in Matthew 28:19 “Go, then, to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit”
Archdeacons and Pastors meetings
At the level of Shyogwe diocese, the pastors’ meeting is organized on quarterly basis. Whenever they meet, they share about: quarterly achievement, burning issues that require other pastors’ opinion and interventions, crosscutting issues and the way forward, church size increase and or decrease, church ownership. Pastors meetings are set on quarterly basis while the Archdeacons meeting is monthly set.
Outreach evangelism convention
Church leaders as well as church members in the diocese of Shyogwe revealed that they need to change the traditional approach of preaching the Gospel inside the church; instead they get committed and engaged in reaching unfaithful people outside the church “METHOD TO WIN SOULS “. This method consists of reaching door to door, to share with the members the wonders that God has performed for ourselves, others and our country but also give a simplified plan of salvation and pray with people, without terrifying their souls; this is making a big impact in the communities where the local churches are located especially in the following congregations:
Munazi chapel which is a result of the 07-12 December 2009 outreach campaign as an offspring of its mother chapel which is Kivumu where the two catechists Mr. Emmanuel DUSHIMIMANA and Mr. NTARINDWA Viateur were appointed as Evangelists/ Catechists. From 12 people who surrendered their lives to Jesus during the last two days 11st and 12nd December, 2015 the current statistics show that the total members are 114
Kayenzi chapel has been a result of outreach evangelism camp held at Kayenzi shopping and trading center early this year-2015 the center is located about three kilometers from Kamonyi district headquarters
. During this time of gospel proclamation, about 9 people surrendered their lives to Jesus and since then 30 members of the church are very comiited to helping themselves and others in healthy soul building and general life improvement. During the outreach, People are taught about their Spiritual growth but also about social and economic aspect such that they may holistically grow, improve their entire living conditions this positively influences their poor behaviors, peace and harmony within their families.
Musambira is another target area for shyogwe diocese. As an offspring of its mother Parish of Rugobagoba, 3 families that belongs to the mother church – Rugobagoba Parish in close collaboration with Mr.GAKUBA Francis are all engaged to do mission the small busy trading center that has about 5,000 inhabitants without limitation