Greetings

After a fruitful meeting where staff workers introduced ZAFES at ZERA  International College of Health Sciences

It is always a joy to share the ministry update and bless the Lord for what He is doing in ZAFES. This update will cover the ongoing Ministry on Campus, Ministry among Graduates, Resource Mobilization and Daily Nuggets. The update will cover ministry activities from November 2024 to February 2025. During the period under review, ZAFES raised K144,170.00 and spent K 135,698.65. We remain thankful to God for every blessing we receive. The Lord has been faithful, and we can attest to His goodness.

Campus Ministry

During the period under consideration, the staff and associates in different parts of the country have been engaging students in various campus ministry activities. In leadership development, this has been an integral part of the ministry, focusing on equipping leaders to serve the campus and community. We have trained 250 leaders across the country.

Mr. Mwindula and students after training students on how to use.

Mr. Kaemba training students on ZAFES

TESTIMONY

One testimony is from Philbert, a former chairperson at Zambia Institute of Animal Health. After being visited and trained by ZAFES staff and associates, his feedback was: “I wish I knew the things I have learned about ZAFES and how a fellowship should conduct its activities before starting to serve.

Students National Executive Committee (SNEC)

Early in January, we successfully conducted a SNEC training as part of our leadership training. This was the first physical trainingpost-COVID-19, and we truly appreciate God for the grace and wisdom granted to the staff team to undertake this training. The fruit of the training is showing through the active involvement of the team in organizing students for ministry and ZAFES Regional Conferences across the country.

Scripture Engagement

We encourage scripture engagement through various initiatives. Scripture Engagement for 2025 begun with the 2024 Staff Retreat, held in December, were a week was dedicated of both reflection and anticipation, setting the stage for the 2025 ministry year. Beyond evaluating the 2024 year’s work and planning for 2025, the retreat was marked by a deep commitment to Scripture engagement.

Staff members immersed themselves in God’s Word, meticulously proofreading the 2025 Daily Nuggets Edition, a devotional resource encompassing five books of the Bible. This focused engagement, coupled with prayerful study of 2 Timothy 3:16-17, led to the adoption of “Anchored in God’s Word” as the guiding theme for 2025. This theme, rooted in the transformative Power of Scripture, would serve as a foundation for all ministry activities, emphasizing the Word of God as the primary source of equipping and guidance.

Mr. Mushili teaching Scripture engagement at Mukuba University

Some of the activities under scripture engagement:

1. Through Scripture engagement, the staff team has initiated a weekly Wednesday devotion and a daily scripture engagement campaign through social media platforms. 
2. From January 6th to 11th, 2025, the Students National Executive Committee Training placed a strong emphasis on practical Scripture engagement, with daily sessions dedicated to Bible interpretation. Led by Mr. Kennedy Gondwe from the Centre for Apologetics Research, these sessions, attended by four students, five staff members, and one associate, focused on 1 Peter 2:1-25.
3. Mr. Gondwe underscored the foundational principles of biblical interpretation, emphasizing that “context is key” and “scripture interprets scripture.” He also highlighted the importance of establishing the historical background of a passage and adhering to the essential steps of observation, interpretation, and application.
4. The impact of these sessions was evident in the enthusiastic feedback from the participating students. All four students expressed a deepened understanding of the significance of context in interpretation. Notably, Douglas from NORTEC voiced his commitment to applying these principles in future Christian Fellowship Bible studies, ensuring that observation, interpretation, and application would guide their engagement with God’s Word.
5. In the month of February, 33 Students Leaders have been introduced to scripture engagement through scripture engagement gatherings and 150 students have been introduced to scripture engagement placing emphasis on the theme of the year “Anchored in God’s Word”.

Mr. Mushili teaching Scripture engagement at Mukuba University

Graduates/Associates Ministry

Ministry among associates is another key area ZAFES is targeting to revive across the country. So far, associates have been involved in campus ministry in seven provinces where we do not have full-time staff. Besides engaging in campus ministry, fellowship among associates is one factor that recent graduates have been enjoying. We have seen active branches in Lusaka and Solwezi, while five others meet occasionally. The desire is to see most branches continue with fellowship among associates and thrive together in life and ministry.

One testimony is from Mr. Everson Banda, who reached out to ZAFES last year asking how he can be involved with some campuses in Muchinga Province. After meeting and sharing with him, he is now helping Zambia College of Agriculture in Mpika. Such testimonies of associates engaging in campus ministry encourage the staff.

Associates Conference (ASCO)

We were able to bring back the Associates/ Graduates Conference after 27 years of not hosting it. The conference took place from October 18–20, 2024, at the Pilgrim Motel in Kabwe, with the theme “Transforming the Marketplace through Faith and Works. ”Professor Grave Singogo, a member of the ZAFES Board of Trustees, served as the main speaker, and there were 26 participants from all over the country, including one from the United Kingdom.

The group was a good mix of recent graduates, people in their 30s to 50s, and those over 55. The plenaries and seminars were so beneficial and timely that by the end of the conference, everyone was convinced that this is a ministry that we have neglected and that ZAFES Associates from across the country should be encouraged to attend future Conferences.