Family Renewal Africa http://familyrenewalafrica.net Where the Families of Africa can be renewed in Christ Tue, 28 Feb 2012 09:54:39 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 our finished product http://familyrenewalafrica.net/2012/02/28/our-finished-product/ http://familyrenewalafrica.net/2012/02/28/our-finished-product/#comments Tue, 28 Feb 2012 09:54:39 +0000 Donna http://familyrenewalafrica.net/?p=122 I have just posted a pdf copy of our book to this web site. So far we have conducted two seminars. We have several upcoming seminars for this year. Some churches are planning a camp for married couples and we will use our material for a three day marriage enrichment.

]]> http://familyrenewalafrica.net/2012/02/28/our-finished-product/feed/ 0 Synopsis http://familyrenewalafrica.net/2011/10/17/synopsis/ http://familyrenewalafrica.net/2011/10/17/synopsis/#comments Mon, 17 Oct 2011 10:01:35 +0000 Stan http://familyrenewalafrica.net/?p=111 click on the following link to get synopsis of “Biblical Foundations of Marriage”:

Synopsis of Biblical Foundations of Marriage

]]> http://familyrenewalafrica.net/2011/10/17/synopsis/feed/ 0 Why we are preparing a marriage seminar for Africa http://familyrenewalafrica.net/2011/10/05/why-we-are-preparing-a-marriage-seminar-for-africa/ http://familyrenewalafrica.net/2011/10/05/why-we-are-preparing-a-marriage-seminar-for-africa/#comments Wed, 05 Oct 2011 10:25:28 +0000 Donna http://familyrenewalafrica.net/?p=68 Why?
Stan and Donna have been in South Africa for 12 years. We have been teaching at Bible Institute Eastern Cape. We had students from all walks of life and just about every age. It seems the longer we are here the deeper we get into the personal lives and culture of the people. Donna taught counseling. She incorporated marriage and HIV as major portions of the course.
Teaching in another culture causes us to do more study and causes us to try very hard to apply the scripture and lessons to that culture. Over the years we have discovered that Port Elizabeth has a 70% divorce rate. This is across the races and in the church and outside the church. Of course the question is “why?”
• A large portion of the churches are not teaching about Biblical foundations of marriage.
• Some churches are telling the young men to find wives outside the church.
• It is customary for the husband to pay lobola (bride price). As a result of the bride price custom the parents of the girl are pushing the girl to marry someone with money even though he may not be a believer or he may be an immature believer.
• Presently there is very little preparation before the marriage. Only some parents are now talking to their children about male/female differences and relationships. Men and women do not understand each other. Those who do premarital counseling say that something better needs to happen because by the time they get to marriage counseling “the bride already has her dress,” (meaning the couple have already decided to get married and are really not listening to the pastor).
• Some couples report that if the wife is working she spends the money the way she sees fit. Others report that one of the members of the marriage may be sending money to parents and not talking with the wife about this.
• Sometimes the parents are putting pressure on the couple to follow their advice indicating that for one reason or another leaving and cleaving has not been done.
• South Africa is not immune to westernization/globalization and the effects of feminism. Equality is promoted in the government and the work place. Churches are grappling with what all this means for their denominations and churches. As men and women in the cities are changing and culture is changing they need to know what the Bible says about life.

]]> http://familyrenewalafrica.net/2011/10/05/why-we-are-preparing-a-marriage-seminar-for-africa/feed/ 0 Quotes from the Book, “The Cost of True Worship” http://familyrenewalafrica.net/2011/10/03/quotes-from-the-book-the-cost-of-true-worship/ http://familyrenewalafrica.net/2011/10/03/quotes-from-the-book-the-cost-of-true-worship/#comments Mon, 03 Oct 2011 11:51:10 +0000 Stan http://familyrenewalafrica.net/?p=64 Commitment

The Bible explains commitment with the word “cross”. Cross is not always a nice word when applied to missions. The cross is something more than costume jewellery around the neck. It is the symbol of Christ’s death. The cross is a symbol of severe and complete commitment. It is giving oneself to another person or cause without restraint. For the Christian, it is the total commitment to Jesus and his ministry. Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24). The cross here involves death to self; it is total commitment to Christ.

It needs to be noted that the background for this time period is the Japanese occupation.  This began a 40 year period of oppression that taught Koreans the meaning of the cross.

 Shrine worship

“We decided to oppose in every way submition [spelling Dr. Byram’s] to this requirement to the end” and “to be accounted worthy to witness for Him no matter what the cost”

 The shrine worship had been explained that this act was only showing the Japanese that they were loyal to their government. Many churches and missionaries accepted this explanation and went to the shrines. Those who were more astute saw this shrine worship as no less than bowing to another god which they refused to do.

 “Shere fright and terror grip the native church organizations, unless they worship at the Shrines of the Sun Goddess, and these shrines are being set up in the church buildings. Our strength and our boldness is not to be found in ourselves…We believe that the Word of God has power and that those who are enemies of our Lord Jesus Christ are afraid of that power…”

 Persecution

We hear of new arrests every few days but with this news come messages of encouragement (they encouraging us) and the strongest groups are those where the greatest number have gone to prison.

In Prison (with Bruce Hunt)

A wonderful victory had been won right there. So all day long again there was that marvelous  privi lege of witnessing to the highest courts in that land. We were in one and then we were in another. We were able to witness to the highest courts in that land to the one true God and the necessity of all mankind turning to him and to his son, Jesus Christ. What Jesus had done and how we must accept his sacrifice. It was clear and those people heard without any shadow of a doubt the true biblical teaching of the coming of Christ into the world and of the sacrifice made by him .

 Freed from Prison

My (Roy Byram) experience remains a subject for great thanksgiving and even exultation, for we came to know that we leave behind us a member- ship in Christ’s body who resisted “unto blood” the demands of State Shinto. By going with our friends to prison in a sense we were able to show our sympathy, but not as he, may God grant him repentance, who went out with his students to worship with them at the Shinto Shrine to show his sympathy for them in doing something which they did not desire to do. In the providence of God we were allowed the unspeakable privilege of going with them to do something which they rejoiced to do for Christ’s sake.

Call of the Missionary

These were clear, definite calls of God, and they required obedience.  Failure to obey almost cost Jonah his life.  It is a tremendous and glorious thing to be entrusted with the Gospel of the Eternal God, but to become a missionary without God’s call, is something no one should dare to do.

]]> http://familyrenewalafrica.net/2011/10/03/quotes-from-the-book-the-cost-of-true-worship/feed/ 0 Where to get the book http://familyrenewalafrica.net/2011/10/02/where-it-get-the-book/ http://familyrenewalafrica.net/2011/10/02/where-it-get-the-book/#comments Sun, 02 Oct 2011 04:46:30 +0000 Donna http://familyrenewalafrica.net/?p=31 The only place that has published the book is in Korea. If people have ideas on how to publish it with a recognized publisher please let me know. At the present you can contact

Dr. Sang Gyoo Lee at the following two e-mail addresses
sglee@kosin.ac.kr
or
paxsglee@hanmail.net

]]> http://familyrenewalafrica.net/2011/10/02/where-it-get-the-book/feed/ 1 Cost of True Worship http://familyrenewalafrica.net/2011/10/01/cost-of-true-worship/ http://familyrenewalafrica.net/2011/10/01/cost-of-true-worship/#comments Sat, 01 Oct 2011 19:02:05 +0000 Donna http://familyrenewalafrica.net/?p=49

Stan Armes has written a book entitled “The Cost of True Worship” It is a story of his grandparents, Roy and Bertha Byram,  who were missionaries in what is now N. Korea from 1921-1935. They were both medical doctors and worked in the city of Kanggye. In 1935 they moved to Harbin and stayed there until they were imprisoned for not bowing at the Shinto shrines. It is a story of their faith in Jesus and the testimony of many Christian Koreans who died for the testimony of Jesus.

There will be exerpts from the book coming shortly

]]> http://familyrenewalafrica.net/2011/10/01/cost-of-true-worship/feed/ 1 about us http://familyrenewalafrica.net/2010/03/02/about-us/ http://familyrenewalafrica.net/2010/03/02/about-us/#comments Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:37:26 +0000 Donna http://familyrenewalafrica.net/?p=25 Long term missionaries in Africa. Stan grew up in Kenya. they served as missionaries in Kenya 1978 to 1987. They are presently serving in South Africa. Stan is a pastor, Bible teacher, and evangelist. Donna is a nurse and counselor. They both taught at Bible Institute Eastern Cape. They are international speakers and trainers.
They have three married daughters and four grandchildren.
Their passion is to see solid families who will lead their churches, the country and the continent.  
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]]> http://familyrenewalafrica.net/2010/03/02/about-us/feed/ 0 the beginning of a journey http://familyrenewalafrica.net/2010/03/02/the-beginning-of-a-journey/ http://familyrenewalafrica.net/2010/03/02/the-beginning-of-a-journey/#comments Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:19:53 +0000 Donna http://familyrenewalafrica.net/?p=22 Stan and I are starting on a journey! We have done alot of traveling but this is a journey of a different sort. We are developing a seminar for married couples. We have the Bible and several people have written good books on the subject. I might add there are lots of not so good books as well. So what is so hard???

There are two things difficult. One is that we are taking the seminar to another culture. We are western and have lived in africa together for almost 20 years. We are writing this for the african urban/township dweller in South Africa. The second difficulty is to work together on such a project. We have each accomplished work or projects on our own with the other’s support. This now is a team effort in writing and presentation.

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