Introduction
I thank God for the amazing things that happened in August. Director Gary Wybenga from the USA and Pastor Peter Kitangwa from Tanzania came on an incredible missionary journey to Uganda. They spent seven days serving the Lord in the Luweero district.
Luweero is located in central Uganda, about 65 km from Kampala, the capital city. Hosted by me, Pastor Stephen Ozelle, disciple-making trainings took place at Nalongo Centre in Butuntumula Sub County. Christ the Rock Church, led by Pastor Buure Titus, offered their church hall for the trainings.
The men who came to the seminars were disciple-makers from Luweero and other districts like Adjumani, Gulu, Masindi, and more. Each day, there were 12 participants, not counting the 3 members of the team. Daily we started with breakfast and time to meet the day’s participants. Then we participated in the 4-hour presentation and discussion. We enjoyed lunch at the end. The participants were invited based on the guidance of the Holy Spirit. In this report, I will share the activities and success stories from the seminar.
Highlights
On the first day, Pastor Peter and Director Gary landed at Entebbe International Airport and traveled 3 hours to the church. The training began after lunch. Director Gary led the teaching on how to Be, Make, and Multiply disciples of Jesus Christ. The participants learned that discipleship isn’t just a program you do once. It’s a lifestyle for every believer, as part of the Great Commission.
The second day featured discussions with the pastors. In the evening, some of the pastors were invited by Gary for dinner at the hotel, where they continued to share and connect.
On the third day, six pastors and six young leaders joined for dinner at the hotel. During the seminar, participants asked questions about the challenges they face while making disciples. Questions included:
● How can young men stay motivated to stay involved in the church despite the pressures of life?
● Should disciple-making only focus on those who have already accepted Christ as their Savior?
● How can we reach young men who have varied educational backgrounds?
Director Gary, with input from Pastor Peter, provided answers that left the participants encouraged and challenged.
Moving Forward
● In Uganda, only about 5% of church members are young men. Participants acknowledged the challenges young men face and noted that many church leaders have not been focusing enough on them. Director Gary suggested that pastors and youth leaders take the initiative to join the Network 20 movement in their local areas.
● Pastors recommended that the monthly training materials be translated into local languages. Uganda has many different languages, and this would greatly help disciple makers.
Prayer Requests:
● Pray for Uganda and for the commitment of those who become disciple-makers of young men. The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.
● Pray for Director Gary, that he continues to be strengthened by God as he leads, coaches, and encourages others in this important work.
May the sufficient grace of God be upon every believer in order to be disciple-makers in Jesus’ name!
Being, Making, and Multiplying Disciples
Ozelle Stephen
Network20 Uganda Country Leader
Pastor Rural Evangelical Church—Nalongo
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