By Joyell Nevins – CFFM blogger
Before Jesus Christ ascended into heaven, he commissioned his disciples then and in the future with this proclamation:
“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 NKJV
The power of the holy spirit and the witness of our testimony starts in our own backyard, our own neighborhood, and our own city, but then it extends to our country and across the globe.
Christian Family Fellowship has long supported pastors and missionaries both in America and abroad (read From Ohio to the Philippines: A Global Kingdom Connection for one such God-connection).
Recently, CFF helped send off and support Pastors Charles and Carol Furman of Legacy of Love Ministries as they embarked on one such mission. The Furmans are gone for two months on a trip to Germany, Macedonia, Serbia, and India.
“It’s a long time, and I know that the hand of the Lord is so upon this,” Carol explained at the December 28, 2022, evening service (audio version).
Believers gathered around Carol, laid hands on her, and prayed blessings and coverings, both on the Furmans and the people that they will be ministering to.
“Her life is so big and it’s not measured in circumstances or time, but it’s measured in Your timing and Your kingdom and Your purposes,” one of the local believers prayed.
Associate Pastor Kevin Guigou likened the time of prayer to christening a ship.
“We are launching you with our love and financial support,” he said. “God is interweaving this tapestry of traveling.”
A New Door
The Furmans have worked with ministries in eastern Europe before, but the Indian connection is a brand new door.
They will be visiting a father and son who host a school for gypsy kids, outcasts who live outside of the city. The Indian family trained at Lester Sumrall’s missionary school, and are now training the gypsy children as pastors, too.
“He told me, ‘I don’t want your money; I want that anointing that’s upon your life to be here in our city,” Carol said. “The Lord has connected us, and it’s larger than life what the Lord has called us to.”
Moving Kingdoms
“Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: ‘Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down, to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant.” Jeremiah 1:9-10 NKJV
These verses in Jeremiah were encouragement to those saints gathered together and specifically to Carol, too. Pastor Tom Dill emphasized to her, “your words to the nation change lives and expand the kingdom.”
There is power in YOUR words too, fellow believer. We may not all be embarking overseas or even traveling outside of our neighborhood, but there is Kingdom work to be done, and God’s good news to be spread.
Let’s build and plant together!
Senior Pastor Tonia Shroyer has also traveled to India. Under the oversight of Movement Church and TellAsia Ministries, she and a team of women ministers delivered Bibles and helped train spiritually hungry Christian leaders. To hear more and see photos from that trip, watch Pastor Tonia’s November 20, 2019, sharing on India and Nepal.
You can see Carol preaching at Christian Family Fellowship in 2022 by viewing “Progress!”