Women of Reverence welcomes Noreen Sifiso Ncube as a guest blogger.
I am a mother, wife and a businesswoman. I own a crèche. I’m married to Mlie Ncube, a Lead Elder at Tabernacle of Worship Church in Harare (Crowbrough), Zimbabwe. Mlie and I serve on the NCMI Global Apostolic Team. We have 3 children, an 8-year-old boy, 6-year-old girl and 4-year-old boy. We always thank God for these miraculous gifts he has entrusted to us. I serve in the kids’ ministry and worship. I’m passionate about making Jesus known!!!
1 Timothy 4:12 (ESV): “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching.
Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
As a young couple back then, this scripture kept us going through thick and thin, to where we are now. We are grateful to God for a good testimony that we carry with us.
Here are many things that l have learnt on this journey:
Church planting is not a walk in the park. It is not an easy task, as there are many challenges.
Where you come from also plays a role. For me, coming from a rural set-up, planting into a big city
and not knowing anyone at all, was a big challenge.
Church planting requires a lot of things to be set in order, just to mention a few:
vision, commitment, patience, flexibility, wisdom and strategy.
Never be impressed by people too early and start profiling them before you know them better.
We profiled some people too early and they hurt us big time and also destroyed the relationships
which were well-established with the few people who were in the church by then. Truly speaking, l
found ministry very interesting because it’s as if, when you plant, you sort of attract all rebellious
and disgruntled people who come to make you feel good and act as if they are in support of what is happening. However, later on, you discover that they come to hurt other people because they are carrying a lot of baggage.
Church planting is not for personal gain; if it were, we would have left a long time ago. l have
learnt that it is not always where finances flow and to follow the Vision.
Building relationships with other churches around you is key because, in ministry, you are never
successful on your own – you need other people to help you, stand by your side and pray with you.
Spiritual warfare is real when it comes to church planting. I have experienced a lot of spiritual battles where you feel like you are touching a nerve of the devil.
Prayer, preaching and carrying a good testimony of a lifestyle of reverence to God, as well as
having respect for people and the community, are very important. Nothing should derail or obstruct
you from the plan and purpose that God has for you.
—respecting your spouse, supporting each other, communicating well and being open or vulnerable with each other is key because these are some of the downfalls for church planters when not handled well.
—faithfulness and consistency are Kingdom currency, therefore do not unnecessarily jump ship,
change places or drop people that walk with you.
—have people that speak into your life “for checks and balances.” When people you lead see that
you are submissive, they in turn submit, follow willingly and trust you. 2 Timothy 4:2 says, “…preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” (ESV)
What we have done well
-We have built with the Trans-local because we realize that on our own, we will not go far.
-We have learnt to humble ourselves because our characters and humanity sometimes get in the
way of the Lord, but building with the Apostolic always gives direction and stability.
-We have raised leaders that are better than us and we are building with all generations. However,
without the help of the Apostolic, it’s easy to feel threatened by men and women of higher capacity;
we understand that church is not built around a man but it is God’s church. Therefore, we always
build away from ourselves and continue to bring through strong leaders that will be able to continue
when we are no longer around.
-We have built a base for generations to come and the future is great!!!
My encouragement and prayer is that God kindles fire in people’s hearts to plant and break new
ground – more New Testament churches!
Love
Noreen