East Grinstead Team at Ebenezer

East Grinstead Team praying for an apprentice who isn't feeling well

Team looking at the tomatoes

It was great having a team from East Grinstead come out and visit Ebenezer Training Centre, together with Mbonisi Malaba. Simon and Gwen Elliot and David Rowsell had a tour of Ebenezer and saw what the apprentices were doing in their fields.

East Grinstead team looking at the bricks at Ebenezer

Impressions from David and Ann Rowsell:

Ann: Ebenezer looked so tidy and clean. It was impressive.

Dave: Ebenezer was great. Really enjoyed it. Good to see first hand. Had heard about it and Foundations for Farming. Great that it incorporates business and spiritual. Seeing lives change is great .

By Molly Manhanga

Keys to building team by Steve Hunter

Steve Hunter and Ebenezer apprentices about to row a boat

It's just been great listening to Steve Hunter, leader of Weymouth Family Church, share on Building Teams this morning. This is what he said....


The best role model of what a team leader is Jesus. Jesus had the disciples and they were his close friends. He was with them for 3½ years – going to different towns and working with them. At the breaking of the bread at the Last Supper, Jesus said “Do this in remembrance of me”. In the context of team, we are to do it. We are to model team to one another.

Aspects of what makes a good team: The 3 C’s: Character, Competence and Chemistry

1. Character. This is the most important. What is going on in your heart? Don’t confuse character and personality. God wants t work on our character. Am I humble, teachable, reliable, have a healthy work ethic, willing to do what you are asked. These are good indicators of character. WARNING: The absence of Godly character can often lead to the breakdown of a team.
2. Competence. Being able to do the job. Some people do a great job but don’t have a Godly character. Jesus looks at character first then is the person able to do the job. God has given us specific gifts.
3. Chemistry. How we get on with people. Some people irritate us, upset us or say untrue things about us. As a team, how do we handle it?


How do we use people? When someone offends us, do we go around telling others – telling stories, starting rumours, talking behind a person’s back, gossiping etc. We can’t afford to be a tank, a volcano or a gossiper. How do we respond when conflict comes? We need to love people unconditionally and ask God to help us. We need wisdom and we need to be in a good relationship with God. Words hurt. How people see us hurts. We need to come to God and ask him to help us. Be honest with people. If you do that, your team will be well.

Good leaders set the pace. Right throughout the Bible we have teams working together. It’s important how I relate to my leader. It’s a heart condition. Can we serve our leader with all our heart? King David’s army followed him. We need to be able to follow a leader because our heart is for our leader.

Summarised by Molly Manhanga

Steve Hunter, Mick Richardson & the Ebenezer Team

Steve Hunter leading us in a time of worship

We had such an excellent evening last night with Steve Hunter and Mick Richardson, leaders from Weymouth Family Church, U.K as we shared a meal together, chatted and laughed. It was great for the Ebenezer team to socialise and "kick back" with Steve and Mick.

This morning was just amazing as Steve Hunter put aside his planned motivational talk with the team and felt God stir his heart for us to pray together. He led us in an amazing time of worship before we prayed for each other. Steve felt that God wanted to "strengthen us in our inner being".

Steve Hunter, Mick Richardson and the Ebenezer men praying together



Prayer is so encouraging and such a spirit-lifter.

By Molly Manhanga

Keys to a life of satisfaction in God by Mick Richardson

Mick Richardson

Are you satisfied with how things are? Are you satisfied with what you have? God has so much more that he wants to give. Will you find your satisfaction in God? Paul is speaking to the Philippians in Philippians 4:11 – 13 “Now I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Don’t settle here. God has so much more for you to enjoy.

Psalm 103:1 – 22 This is a stirring and wonderful scripture. Being satisfied with good is a benefit of being in God. Remember these benefits:
1. Forgiven all our sins and iniquities. Sense of knowing we can be forgiven. Jesus provides that for us. Jesus forgives us all the time. This is the entry point to finding satisfaction.
2. Healing. God can heal all our diseases. Let’s come for inner and external healings. Come expecting and believing.
3. Ransomed and redeemed. God has ransomed and redeemed our life from the pit. Not bound from hell. The pit has no hold on us because of Jesus.
4. Crowned. God has crowned us with love and mercy. We are being treated like royalty. It is a crown of love and mercy that is forever….from everlasting to everlasting. God knows Kezi and Ebenezer. He isn’t impressed by external appearances. Its people that matter to him. It’s where His people are that matter to Him.
5. Satisfies us with good. Where am I finding my satisfaction? He satisfies us with good.
Come before God and He will strengthen us. We’ll feel alive in Him and satisfied in Jesus.

What came before the benefits? Bless the Lord, oh my soul. There is a sense of praise, of blessing to God that comes in the beginning. Bless him; praise him with all our being. Be thankful and have hearts of gratitude. Tell one another what He done. Tell yourself what God has done for you. Help each other see how good God is especially when we are down. We need someone else to help lift our arms e.g. Moses

Summary
• Bless
• Remember
• Forgiven
• Healed
• Redeemed
• Crowned
• Satisfied

Summarized by Molly Manhanga

Meet Brett Mills

Brett Mills

Brett comes from London and he is serving at Ebenezer/Crossroads for 2½ months.

M.M: What is your favourite meal?
B.M: Roast dinner. This consists of roast lamb, potatoes, vegetables and Yorkshire puddings

M.M: What is your favourite drink?
B.M: Coke vanilla

M.M: Who is your favourite Bible character?
B.M: David

M.M: What is your favourite film?
M.M: Batman Dark Knight

M.M: What is your favourite book?
B.M: Northern Lights by Phillip Paulman

M.M: What did you think of the service at Crossroads Community Church?
B.M: A complete privilege. God really spoke to me as I was preaching and showed me that the liberty that exists at Crossroads is becoming a rarity in churches and t is refreshing to see such freedom in the service. It was also an honour to pray for the woman who came to the front after I had finished preaching.

M.M: How has your time been in Kezi, Zimbabwe so far?
B.M: It has been a challenge. I think it is very difficult to mentally prepare yourself for the complete change in culture. There is however no words to describe the experience so far as every day allows God to show me more of his glory and more of his might. I look forward to the amazing things God has in store for me in the rest of my time here.

M.M: What an honest answer. I really hope you enjoy your time with us in Kezi and that God reveals many things to you while you are with us.

By Molly Manhanga

A minute with Steve Hunter

Steve Hunter

What is your favourite scripture?
Ephesians 2:8 - 9 "God saved you by grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it."

Who is your favourite Bible character?
Nehemiah

What's your favourite meal?
Roast chicken, potatoes, carrots

What's your favourite drink?
Coffee

What are your hobbies?
Football and baseball

A minute with Mick Richardson

Mick Richardson

What is your favourite scripture ?
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whoever belives in Him will not perish but have everlasting life."

Who is your favourite Bible character?
Elijah

What is your favourite meal?
Eggs, chips, beans and crusty bread

What is your favourite drink?
Beer (Young's bitter)

Meet Adam Landreth-Smith

Adam Landreth-Smith

Adam comes from Camberley, Surrey and he is serving at Ebenezer/Crossroads for 2½ months.

M.M: Tell me about your background?
A.S: I’m the eldest of 4 children to Mark and Beverley Landreth-Smith. I have seen the Beacon Church grow to 300 since 1994 from 2 families. I became a Christian in 1996. I studied civil engineering in 2007 – 2010 in Chelmsford, Essex, U.K.

M.M: What do you enjoy?
A.S: I love football, films, the Bible and my mother’s cooking

M.M: What is your favourite film?
A.S: Batman

M.M: Is this your first time to Zimbabwe?
A.S: Yes

M.M: ….and you’re serving in rural Zimbabwe! What are your impressions after your week out here?
A.S: Rural Zim is very sparse, lots of space, lots of heat. The people are very friendly. Jesus is here. The buildings are very interesting. I look forward to seeing the crops.

M.M: Who is your favourite Bible character?
A.S: Daniel

Adam concentrating real hard!

M.M: What’s your favourite drink?
A.S: In the morning – OJ. In the afternoon - milkshake. When it’s hot – coke and when it’s cold – tea.

M.M: Interesting! A drink for all occasions. What did you think of the service at Crossroads Community Church?
A.S: It was my first time in a rural church. It’s incredible how people live out here. I am very impressed. The worship is very enjoyable even though I don’t understand the songs. People don’t have much but they have big hearts, big smiles and make the most of everything else. Unkulunkulu Muhle.

M.M: Go Adam! You’re picking up Ndebele quickly. I really hope you enjoy your time with us in Kezi.

By Molly Manhanga

Envisioning the graduates

Graduates watching a powerpoint on Changing Africa

It was excellent having Peter Cunningham stir and motivate the graduates yesterday. The key phrase for Africa is “Trade, not Aid”. Africa is changing and the race is on. Africa is a great continent and it is poised for change. It is the people of Africa who will unlock Africa’s resources. The resource that needs unlocking is farming. The future of Africa is farmers and production. It is the people of Africa who will unlock the change.

Discussion in progress

God is sovereign and he desires heart change. Once there is heart change, we will express our relationship with him through our work i.e. farming and have great produce. The key is to have role models. In Acts 4 we see how the disciples rocked the world. Jesus chose 12 ordinary men who turned the world upside down. Start with a vision, have heart change and leadership filled with authority and power to farm and to set up good families. Our prayer is to set up families to show God’s way. We need men and women of purity. Production and purity go hand in hand.

By Molly Manhanga

What's happening at Ebenezer pt 2?

Stephen (left), Adam (far right), Brett (right)

Stephen is having breakfast and planning the day’s activities with Brett Mills from London and Adam Landreth - Smith from Surrey.

The apprentices are also harvesting their potatoes and wheat. Some of the potatoes are looking great. The maize is really struggling with bollworm but we hope to contain it soon.

Harvested potatoes from a 2nd year apprentice

By Molly Manhanga

What's happening at Ebenezer pt 1?

Apprentice house at roof height

The apprentices dorms are being built at the moment. We have 6 that are on the go from foundation level to roof height. Time is ticking by as we try to beat the rains and be ready for our new intake of apprentices in 2011.

Apprentice house going up

Foundation for apprentice house

By Molly Manhanga

Meet Rodney Spencer

Rod Spencer

Rodney is from South Africa and has come to serve Ebenezer until December, but potentially until March 2011.


What is your background?
Marketing

What work are you doing in Zimbabwe?
Ebenezer programme consolidation, Marketing of vegetables, volunteer recruitment

What is your favourite film?
Brave heart

What is your favourite drink
Horlicks milkshake

What is your favourite meal?
Indian food

What is your favourite Bible verse?
As iron sharpen iron, so man sharpens one another.

By Molly Manhanga

Hearts ready to serve

Brett Mills

It’s really great having Brett Mills and Adam Landreth-Smith coming out to Zimbabwe to serve at Crossroads and Ebenezer for 2½ months. Brett was part of a team that came out to Kezi last year, while this is Adams first time to Zimbabwe. Read on and get to know these gentlemen a little more…….

Adam Landreth-Smith

By Molly Manhanga

Marlene Poe gets going.......

Ebenezer girls making some biscuits

From buildings, to crops, lessons to presentations, we are now back to baking again as Marlene Poe gets going with girls at Ebenezer. Yesterday they attempted to make peanut butter cookies. The girls simply love cooking and baking. They have learnt so much since Marlene started teaching them how to make biscuits and they have been doing so well baking them in wooden ovens.

By Molly Manhanga

Buildings in progress at Ebenezer....

Staff house coming along nicely!

Another staff house is going up pretty rapidly at Ebenezer. It's great to see. Hopefully it will be finished soon and we can get going on another...... Watch this space...

Buildings in progress...

By Molly Manhanga

"Spiritual" Presentation on "The Life of Joseph"

Stephen telling the story of Joseph

We had a great time on Tuesday this week as we watched Stephen Manhanga do a 30 minute presentation to the staff on Spiritual. This presentation was in preparation for our Selection Camp which is on the weekend of the 12 – 14 November 2010.

2nd years singing a song

We had an interesting time doing the set-ups which turned out beautifully. Stephen liaised with the 2nd year apprentices who will be graduating on the 15th December this year, to present a song and skit. They did an excellent job. Song, dance and drama seem to come very naturally to the apprentices. Their skit was on how being at Ebenezer for 2 years has changed them. It’s really interesting and quite hilarious.

Skit on life at Ebenezer

Stephen then shared the story of Joseph from God’s word highlighting the 4 “P”’s: Joseph in the Pit, Potiphars house, Prison and finally in the Palace. The story of Joseph is an all time favourite and the discussion questions that followed were great. We were each given a sweet – as encouragement – for getting our answers correct.

What an excellent presentation! We look forward to presentations on Agriculture and Business next week Tuesday.

By Molly Manhanga

"Situational Leadership" with Bob Kuest

Bob Kuest

Situational leadership – meeting the people where they are. True leadership is taking who we are and meeting the followers where they are. We make the adjustment to their situation e.g. Jesus met Simon where he was.

“Leadership style is how you behave when you are trying to influence the performance of someone else.” Ken Blanchard

“There is nothing so unequal as the equal treatment of unequals.” Ken Blanchard

Situational leadership is based upon the interplay between a leaders ability to discern two components of each follower’s need.

Directive behaviour:
1. How much guidance and direction does each person require?
2. How much time should the leader spend spelling out responsibilities?
3. How much support and encouragement does each person require?
4. How much emotional support should the leader provide for the task?
5. This determines the amount of energy spent in two-way communication: explaining, listening, asking and praising. It is important to allow the follower to express ideas and concerns.
The amount of each behaviour is determined by an assessment of developmental readiness of the follower.

Commitment: is a joining of willingness, motivation and confidence
Competence: is bringing knowledge and skills together – experience to action.
Don’t confuse competence with talent and potential.

There are 3 responsibilities that a leader cannot delegate:
1. Vision
2. Creating ownership of the vision (influence)
3. Aligning people with the vision (empowering)

Summarised by Molly Manhanga

News from on the ground.....

Belt of maize at Ebenezer

Highlights:
• The winter wheat is still excellent and being harvested now. We are expecting 300kg per plot.
• We have harvested and sent 2,400 cabbages to market which is a phenomenal achievement for the apprentices. We are hoping to sent 2,500 cabbages weekly.
• We are harvesting onions and they have done extremely well.
• We are harvesting potatoes as well.
• We ventured into planting a variety of crops like butternut, covo, rape, peas, green peppers, beetroot and so on. The crops are growing well and we can serve a wider market.

Maize in a first year apprentice field. Looks great but it needs mulch.

Challenges:
• Water: Our electricity supply has been erratic and load shedding seems to have intensified. This affects our watering of crops. We have a diesel pump as a back up measure but we use no less than 80 litres of diesel daily and this is not sustainable.
• Wild Life: We still have wild life coming to the fields and eating our crops.
• Pests & Diseases: Stork borer is affecting our maize and late blight is affecting our potatoes.

Nice size onions

Solutions:
• We are hoping to use 2 pumps. We have a lister pump that will support 2 electric pumps and we are hoping that it will manage when we have electricity load shedding.
• We are concluding clearing and putting up bushes fences to keep animals at bay. We also have 2 people employed to patrol the perimeters of the fields.
• We are spraying chemicals to combat stork borer and we are harvesting our potatoes which will combat late blight.

By Molly Manhanga

"Leadership is lifting people to their potential" with Bob Kuest

Bob Kuest

Key scripture: Isaiah 55:8 – 9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” Gods ways and thinking hasn’t changed. We need to recapture the way God is thinking.

Leadership is lifting people to their potential.

Situation: Sharing a Kingdom
If Joseph was power-based, he would have kept the people ignorant and dependant but Joseph was servant-based so he invited the nations.

Leadership is lifting people to their potential – coaching and mentoring. Leaders constantly look for the potential in people and work to bring it out. Get to know people and their life-story. The way they are thinking and acting is a product of their life-story. We’ve got to have a relationship and get past surface level to see what is there. Different people know their life-story and help them solve it.

When all is said and done, Leaders produce leaders.

Summarised by Molly Manhanga

"Leadership is Assistance" with Bob Kuest

Bob Kuest

Key scripture: Isaiah 55:8 – 9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” Gods ways and thinking hasn’t changed. We need to recapture the way God is thinking.

Leadership is assisting people or a group. It’s empowerment.

Jesus came to serve. Matthew 20:28 “Just as the Son of Man did not com to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.”
The holy spirit comes beside us John 14:16 “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper that He may abide with you forever.”
Leaders comes beside a person or group to make them successful.

Situation: Potential disaster – Joseph knew a famine was coming.

If he was power-based, Joseph would have protected himself but, Joseph was a servant-based leader and so he instructed and assisted the people.

"Leadership is building people" with Bob Kuest

Bob Kuest

Key scripture: Isaiah 55:8 – 9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” Gods ways and thinking hasn’t changed. We need to recapture the way God is thinking.

Leadership is building people – making people stronger. “To serve” is an action verb.
Hellenism sees leadership as a “position”. God sees leadership as a “responsibility.”

Leadership is dedicated
a) On purpose (set myself aside to that which God has called me to)
b) It is a heart-set. 1 Timothy 3:1 “There is a faithful saying: if a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work.” What is your motivation to this call?
c) Based in willingness. 1 Peter 5: 1 – 4 Willingness means I didn’t choose between options

Situation: Forced Service – Back to the story of Joseph: when he was sold into slavery, he was forced to serve.

If Joseph was power-based – he would have tried to fight and flee. Joseph was servant-based – he made other people look good.

Dedicated leadership stays the course

"Leadership is a Service" with Bob Kuest

Bob Kuest

Key scripture: Isaiah 55:8 – 9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” Gods ways and thinking hasn’t changed. We need to recapture the way God is thinking.

Situation: Depressed workers – We pick up the story of Joseph when he is in prison with the Butler and Baker. They both have dreams and Joseph interprets them.

True leadership gets to know the people, knows their needs and is then able to serve the people.

Servant leaders: thinks of the needs of others and gets to meet them. A servant leader can say No and sets boundaries. The biblical description of an Elder is to visit and to know the needs. Sadly we have made eldership an office rather than a ministry.

If Joseph was power-based, he would have scolded, whipped and degraded the people but Joseph was servant – based. He “attended” Genesis 40:4 “The captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them; so they were in custody for a while.” The Hebrew word is he “gave menial service” or “waited upon”.

Leadership is NOT
1. Go - command
2. Come - command
3. Over (thinking)

Jesus leadership is not lording it over others (seeing yourself as better than others)

Read more on leadership with Bob Kuest....

Uncommon Leadership with Bob Kuest

Bob Kuest

The Ebenezer team had a superb morning with Bob Kuest as he shared on Uncommon Leadership and Situational Leadership. Bob is from Washington, USA and he has a heart to go to different countries and share Biblical principles on Leadership.

Bob started by sharing a key scripture: Isaiah 55:8 – 9: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.” Gods ways and thinking hasn’t changed. We need to recapture the way God is thinking. Can we really use Biblical principles in business or in leading people?

What is leadership? Leadership can be defined as “A relationship of service dedicated to assisting people and or a group to reach their potential.”
e.g. Joseph was a great leader who used Godly principles. God turned Joseph’s life upside down and between Canaan and Egypt, Joseph became useful to God.

Joseph is a Kingdom Thinker. He thought beyond himself to the greater good of those he serves:
1. Joseph was a servant in Potiphars house – he became prosperous in house and field.
2. Joseph was the lead prisoner – the captain of the prison had no concerns.
3. Joseph became the governor of Egypt

NOTICE in all 3 leadership positions, Joseph made other people shine.