2017 Christmas Greetings

The year 2017 has been very eventful to the glory of God, despite its peculiar challenges. The successes recorded this year wouldn’t have been possible without your various contributions. Thank you.

We in Passion have the following to thank God for during the year 2017:

In January, Passion launched in Kujama, a settlement where Islam is liberal and open for the Gospel. This led to the highest record of Muslim converts in one year since the commencement of our ministry. Realizing the significance of the ministry in Kujama, Passion consistently held monthly prayer revivals and discipleship teaching for MBBs for three days each month.

In the month of August, Passion held a joint partnership Seminar between Passion and One Hope (USA) to prepare specialist teachers who are now helping in the teaching of children from MBBs families. Pastor Uche from Lagos was our resource person from One Hope.
In the year under review, Passion was able to distribute a total of 70 copies of Bibles for the converts in Kujama alone which were donated by you.

Passion organized and held an Evangelism Outreach to Kakura 2 where a harvest of 110 souls was made. We praise God because this is the largest harvest Passion has ever made. The new converts are currently undergoing discipleship. Interestingly, 30 of them are MBBs.

In this year, the demand for another safe keep Home caused Passion to ask supporters for sufficient funds to buy a piece of land in a Christian-dominated area, south of Kaduna town. Our prayers were answered.
Through your relentless support, Passion was able to establish 6 converts with small business-making ventures, allowing them to become self-reliant today.

The Passion family celebrated the graduation of Stephanie from High School and her successful admission into the University. There were also a number of births during the year in our wider Passion family. We praise God.

The future:
Passion looks forward to host two important Revival programs in Makarau (26th – 28th December, 2017) and Kujama (9th – 15th January, 2018).

By the grace of God, Passion is planning to host the first Passion family meeting. The aim is to brainstorm on how the family members can start helping new converts.

We are also trusting God to commence the building of a new safe keep Home on the piece of land purchased this year.
Passion’s aim is to concentrate on discipleship. ‘Train the Trainers’ is our target for the year ahead.

May you and your loved ones know the blessings that Christmas brings to all of us.

United States House of Representatives says Nigeria is world’s most dangerous place for Christians in 2017

In February 2017, former President Goodluck Jonathan addressed the Sub-committee on Africa, Global Health, Human Rights and International Organisations, outlining the challenges faces by Christians in Nigeria.

The Chairman of the Sub-committee, Christopher Smith, said that he and his staff director, Greg Simpkins had made several visits to Nigeria, conversing with both Christians and Muslim leaders and inspecting several burnt out churches. He added that impunity for those responsible for killing Christians seem to be widespread.

Sadly, little seems to have changed since the present President, Muhammadu Buhari came to power in 2015.

Newsletter Dec 2016 – Building a network at Zonkwa Synod

Please find our latest  Newsletter for Passion for Converts International:

From Passion’s Desk:

The Founder and Executive Director of Passion for Converts comes from the Southern part of Kaduna state. This region is facing the most challenging issue today. For over three years now incessant killings of the indigenes at will by what is popularly known and titled, “Unknown Gun men” in this region simply signifies an agenda. What is baffling him is the way the present Government has deliberately refused to consider the people from the Southern part worthy of security. Sympathetic enough, the Kaduna State Government sets up a joint border patrol team in the north-west just to secure cows from cattle rustlers. Gun men recently walked into communities like Godogodo and Atuku, killing and burning houses without a single provocation. The Kaduna state media refuses to report this and remains mute about it.

The Southern part of Kaduna state is a free zone for Muslim evangelism and converts are currently safer there than in the north. The concern Passion has now is that if this situation continues, converts in the zone will no longer be safe. Passion cannot be comfortable taking our converts there. Ultimately, Muslim evangelism in this region will eventually become impossible. Thank you for remembering Passion for Converts International in your prayers.

Our Political Predicament

 

In our most recent publication, the issue of election was paramount and took the headlines of all world media. Religious sentiment in Nigeria cannot be devoid of the political arena.

The Christian community at various levels and times pretended to be too holy to be involved.It is very clear that political power encourages spiritual freedom. We can see that in the contention between the Roman authorities and the early believers. The elections are since come and gone. A Christian leader who could not keep his religious ethics in his political career lost to a Muslim. Right from the day Muhammadu Buhari’s government was inaugurated, (29 May, 2015), we can see clearly the number of appointments made so far. Over 90% are Muslims and close allied are all Muslims.

Sad in this game was the support given to the Muslim with a trust that he will end insurgency. Today, we are still under insurgency. Unfortunately, we read from the media how the leader of ISIS has secured a Nigerian visa to come and hide in Nigeria. This seems to be speaking about the connection between Nigeria’s terror group and ISIS.

Mistakes upon mistakes in the name of spirituality are common among Christians. When we finally lost political power, we are fast drawing to the end of our religious freedom as Nigerians. As we pray we must watch.

Makarau community Crusade 2015

Passion for Converts International again partnered with the Makarau Community for a Revival Crusade 25th -27th December, 2015. The theme was “Destroying Foundations and Loosing the Chains” Acts 16:26.

This is the 3rd year now that Makarau community and Passion submitted the entire community to God in prayer in “Makarau community crusade”. We have uncountable number of testimonies.

We’ll provide more details in our next newsletter.

Newsletter Aug 2015 – Our Political Predicament

Please find our latest  Newsletter for Passion for Converts International:

From Passion’s Desk:

It is one thing to have a convert but it is another and most important thing to have such a convert established in his or her newly found hope and identity before men and God. Passion is doing all within reach to have our converts established. Attention has recently been turned in this direction.

Musa, the first of the Lord’s harvest in my family is our concern today. Since 1998 when I was saved, I have never stop praying for my family.  The unique thing about Passion is that it provided both spiritual and material encouragement that can make any convert from Islam to Christianity, holistic. We have the grace to discern a convert’s genuine conversion and move such to the next level of life.

We also move the church’s leadership from the level of doubting converts to that of discerning if a convert is convinced and converted.  As a group of passionate missionaries and disciple makers, we raise mission-minded believers. We are committed to doing all of this in and outside Nigeria.

Rev. Muhammed Ibrahim

Thank you for remembering Passion for Converts International in your prayers.

Worth reading – Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus

In Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus, former devout Muslim Nabeel Qureshi describes his dramatic
journey from Islam to Christianity, complete with the friendships, investigations, and dreams and visions he encountered along the way.
Many Westerners are confused about Islam, somewhat fearful of Muslims, or simply uninformed about the relationship between the Islamic and Christian faiths.

In turn, many Muslims are hindered by cultural, intellectual, and theological barriers from under-standing, or even rightly hearing, the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Throughout his story Qureshi provides a compassionate yet powerful apologetic for Christianity over Islam, with an emphasis on relationships and love.

  • ISBN: 0310515025

500 long days …

On August 25, a candle-lit vigil was held in Abuja by many relatives of 219 still-missing schoolgirls,marking 500 days since their abduction by Boko Haram fighters in the town of Chibok in Borno state.

It has been reported by international rights group Amnesty International, that at least 2,000 women and girls have been captured by the group since the beginning of 2014.

Upcoming Events:

A Seminar incorporating a Book Project is planned for October, 2015.
We intend to sell a range of books about Islam, written from a Christian perspective by Christian Islamic scholars. Christian leaders from Kaduna and Kwoi diocese will attend the Seminar.
It is intended to encourage Christians to read those things Muslims never teach or tell Christians about Islam.
This will demand a significant amount of money, since the books will need to be subsidized to be affordable.

Three communities are asking Passion to hold a community crusade in December, 2015. This is a very important outreach for Passion. The result of the three year community crusades held in Makarau, Rev. Ibrahim’s home village, is evident and welcome.

Another amazing story

For security reasons, we are not able to publish a photo of a new
convert named Tahir.
His parents are Muslims from a Royal family in northern Nigeria.
Here is his story as related by Rev. Ibrahim:

“Tahir received Christ in his dreams and confessed this to me when he met me in the mechanic’s workshop where he works and where Tahir’s boss repairs my car.  He heard his boss call me Pastor and eventually discovered that my name is Muhammed. He went to the far end of the workshop to talk to me. I told him how I became a Pastor. When Tahir heard my testimony, he told me that Jesus has being visiting him in his dreams for the past two years but he never had any idea how to confess this because of fear. He asked for my help to lead him to Christ and also help him face less persecution. Today I have Tahir with me serving and enjoying the fellowship of brethren. He looks forward to having a bus and becoming a commercial bus driver. This will need our collective support.”

It was a joy to hear that Tahir can read and speak English.
He is currently reading ‘Let Your Light Shine!: Christian Witness in a Muslim Context’ by John Azumah.