11 ways to pray for Kenny, Rose and Jenna Lloyd

This weekend, I would like to focus our thoughts on Kenny & Rose Lloyd, who are involved in student ministry at Nelson Mandela Municipality University (NMMU) in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The Lloyds are linked to our 8am and 9.45am services.

Personal: Kenny & Rose met at George Whitefield College in Cape Town, where they were both studying theology. They were involved in St James Church serving under Frank Rutief. In 2004, Kenny & Rose moved to Sydney to work at St Thomas’ Church, North Sydney. Towards the end of 2007, they made the decision to head back to South Africa, for involvment in student ministry. Jenna, their daughter, was born in early 2008.

Ministry: The Lloyds are committed to preaching the Word truthfully & faithfully in a city that so desperately needs it. Their main ministries are: a) Bible speaks today – Bible study ministry on campus & in student residences, b) Campus Bible Church – campus based church, meeting on Sundays for preaching, prayer and encouragement, and c) Word of Life Ministries – training future leaders in knowledge & love of Jesus.

Port Elizabeth: PE is one of the largest cities in South Africa. It is situated on the Eastern Cape Province, and is one of the major seaports in SA. It is nicknamed the ‘Friendly City’ or ‘The Windy City’. PE was founded as a town in 1880 to house British settlers as a way of strengthening the border between the Cape Colony & the Xhosa. PE now forms part of the Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality, with a population of over 1.3 million. Since the elections of 1994, Port Elizabeth has faced the same problems as the rest of South Africa, namely Urban Decay, HIV/AIDS, a surge of violent & dug related crime. Nelson Mandela Municipality University was formed in 2005 by the amalgamation of the University of Port Elizabeth, Port Elizabeth Technikon, and the Port Elizabeth campus of Vista University. It is the largest university in the Eastern and Southern Cape, with around 24,000 students in seven faculties spread over eight campuses. The main language is Xhosa.

Major issues in ministry:

- Lack of Biblical knowledge amongst majority of Christian students.
- There are so many so-called ‘Christian’ groups on campus – most of whom do not preach the Word.
- Lack of leaders and servant hearted attitude.
- Transport issues – getting to and from campus is difficult, and get to church on Sundays even harder.
- Constant turn over of students – through drop out and graduation!

Praise points:

- Increased hunger for God’s Word.
- People coming to faith – and a number of baptisms!
- God’s provision of co-workers (from Australia & UK) – to support & encourage the Lloyds.
- Real fruit from the years of ministry – people committed to serving the Lord in PE.
- Opportunities to run various Christian ‘camps’ over the year.
- A strong, Christ-centred marriage – and the joys of raising Jenna in the ways of the Lord.

Let me share one story for your encouragement. Rose writes ‘Prashant is an incredibly tall, soft spoken Indian guy from Zambia who was a Hindu until sometime last year. His girlfriend dumped him because as a Christian she no longer felt she could pursue the relationship. He decided to investigate Christianity as an attempt to win her back. He did not win her back but he did win Christ, a far greater prize! He is struggling with the decision of whether to tell his parents of his conversion. If he does, he will lose their financial backing for his studies’.

Please uphold Kenny & Rose in your prayers! For Christ’s renown,

Paul Dale (Senior Pastor)