Why You Should Join Africa Network BFTF and what you are missing out on if you don’t.

So what is Africa Network BFTF and why should I join. 

WHAT IS IT 

Africa Network BFTF is an online platform for all those in any leadership position in the church, Christian NGO or entrepreneurial activities focused on winning the lost, maturing the church in Africa and helps by building connections and sharing resources with physical conferences, leadership training, pastors gatherings and prayer times. 

PURPOSE 

The purpose of the network is to give African church leaders the ability to connect with other leaders and foreign missionaries of various types to assist the delivery of the great commission in Africa.

The plan is to network ministers, ministries and other Christian networks of all kinds interested in the great commission in Africa for mutual benefit and encouragement, establish national groups in all African nations that join together their individual ministries for a common goal of reaching their nation for Christ, building fellowship and prayer networks among leaders where strategic intents for the nation can be discussed and implemented.

Allowing ministers to provide teaching and encouragement to others, those more experienced to share their insights and wisdom with newer ministries. To connect people through their various skills with those looking to utilise such skills.

WHAT IS IT DOING 

Africa Network BFTF is building resources to help African Christian churches grow, mature & deliver the Great Commission. 

WHO RUNS IT

It is a division of Beautiful Feet Task Force, an international, interdenominational Christian mission organisation focussed on evangelism and bring the church into unity and maturity. 

WHAT CAN IT DO FOR AFRICA 

As more and more members join from many different types and styles of ministry, from many countries and regions we are able to facilitate more resources into training leaders to be more like Jesus, in ways to mature the church and bring it into greater levels of unity. 

We recognise that there are many types of ministry with many different outworkings, doctrines, methodologies etc  and yet these differences create a wonderful kaleidoscope of patterns and colours that the Father is using to portray His church to the world. 

From Him the whole body is fitted and held together by every supporting ligament. And as each individual part does its work, the body grows and builds itself up in love. Eph 4.16 Berean Study Bible.

Through coming together in times of leaders prayer and fellowship at a local level as well as at special events and BFTF Network Summits and conferences of other groups, the church grows in maturity and develops opportunities to reach out to and positively affect local communities with life changing love and care through the message of Jesus Christ.  The overall practical effects of the gospel on Africa is a development of skills, love, peace, joy, resulting in less crime and corruption, less governmental headaches and people wanting to love and serve their communities and nations; this in turn provides a better standard of living and improved interpersonal relationships. 

On a spiritual or eternal perspective, this results in growth in the kingdom of God in both numbers and maturity, bringing more sons to birth and populating heaven with new children for the Father.

"...that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me." Jesus (John 17.21)

WHAT CAN IT DO FOR YOU

As a leader interested in seeing these things happen through practical Christian outworkings you have the opportunity to meet and mingle both online and in face to face situations with other leaders with similar interests even though you may have never met them and perhaps would not ever meet them in the ordinary course of your life; people from your own area as well as other areas of your nation and internationally. People that you can share your insights with to help them with the skills and revelations that you have become confident in. 

The beauty of giving this way is that you can also learn from others, build relationship that will last long term, even to the creating of opportunities for your ministry to spread to other churches, areas and countries. 

Now with over 3000 minister members from over 95 countries (including 44 African countries) you can effectively grow your ministry and influence thousands of similarly inclined leaders instantly by sharing your revelations, knowledge, skills and events in a number of ways as outlined below.

WHAT RESOURCES YOU CAN ACCESS

There are many resources on the platform contributed by members as well as official network tools, some of these are:- 

Pulpit Rock Training

Online training for using the network (We recommend all members undertake this short 10 minute a day training) and learning the why and how of social networking through other sites. 

Make friends

Like other social media sites you can make friends and communicate easily with them. 

Access online chat

Live chat box enables you to have live chat with any member online either publicly or privately.

National Groups

Here you can contribute to the discussions about matters of national interest, share your concerns, help others, post information about events that would be of service to others etc. 

General Forums 

Here you can read others concerns of a general nature and contribute to the discussions as well as adding your own, these are available to the whole network membership. 

Blogs

These are places where you can place your teaching, revelations, testimonies, insights, sermons and read what others have to say.

Post Photos and Videos

Similar to other social media sites you can share your media to let people know about what you are involved in or care about. 

Groups

Join existing special interest groups or set up your own, create mentor groups or even groups for your own church or denomination ministers etc. 

Source Speakers

Find people with just the right skills from over 3000 members to come to your ministry to help you overcome certain issues or take your church to new levels of skill, knowledge or anointing. 

Promote your Speaking and other Resources

A wonderful platform for you to find new places to take your ministry to. Share your speaking skills,  promote your books, music, training and publishing etc.

Promote your events

Create events and share them with members using full information, graphics, videos, location maps etc. A free service. (Low cost paid advertising also available.)

Attend Network Summits

Every year BFTF holds Network events somewhere in Africa, (moving around different countries) for unity development and leadership training bringing different international qualified ministers to share in the teaching.

Start a Ministry Training School 

All the tools you need to start training leaders to train members so that the whole congregation can train new believers in the basic foundations of the Christian faith and reproduce disciplemakers. 
Includes Videos - How to train, 10 foundational lessons and 10 answers to each subjects questions, admin tools, marketing tools, financial planning tools 

News Updates

The network features RSS feed for Africa news and Christian mission news.

Access tons of resources including sermon outlines, access to free password vault, Christian Ministry Academy, Training in dozens of digital tools, Bible study and theology aids, evangelism tools, and many many more.

These are just some of the many features of the network that will enable you to take your ministry into the next level and build on your reputation or find people or resources to help you through current issues. 

HOW DO YOU JOIN 

Easily. Use a computer to go to the network website http://bftfafricanetwork.ning.com/ and sign up, follow the prompts and security features, (designed for your protection and privacy) and create your account. 

The network uses double optin security. Some smart phones do not have the required level of security to create an account, if you get stuck in the signup process, this is probably the problem and you should sign up using a tablet, laptop or desktop computer, afterwards you can access your existing account through a smart phone. The network is mobile friendly.

We look forward to seeing you on the network, sharing your resources and accessing those from others to help develop maturity and unity in the Christian church in Africa …. and beyond.  

To Join, click this button, select Sign Up and enter your details, confirm your email.

Having difficulty signing Up for a new account ?

or 

You have an account already, but having difficulty signing In to your existing account ?
Check these helps How to Sign UP or Sign IN to Africa Network BFTF

African leaders, find out more, stay connected, network for unity, join over 4000 leaders concerned for the gospel in Africa, join Africa Network BFTF here http://bftfafricanetwork.ning.com/ 

Rev Dr Howard Sands is the International Director of Beautiful Feet Task Force, is available as a speaker for churches, outreaches, business & missions. 

INTERESTED IN INVITING HOWARD SANDS 

to speak at your church, College or organisation? 

For more details on how to frame an invitation see here.

See ministry recommendations here. 

Send your invitation here via facebook messenger

If you would like to donate to BFTF International Missions for training leaders in developing world countries donate here.  

Payment options

PayPal – The safer, easier way to pay online! 

or

Bank account Direct Deposit

Beautiful Feet Task Force

Commonwealth Bank of Australia

BSB 062 614

Account 94 0442 

Follow BFTF 

Facebook       YouTube     LinkedIn     Sound Cloud     Africa Network BFTF 

Why God Wants You To Change

Soren Kierkegaard was a Danish Theologian who lived from 1813 to 1855. He related a homely parable about a flock of geese that milled around in a filthy barnyard imprisoned by a high wooden fence.

One day a preaching goose flew into their barnyard,  stood on an old crate and admonished the geese for being content (ripped it into 'em), he recounted the  exploits of their forefathers who spread their wings and flew trackless wastes of sky, he spoke of the goodness of their Creator who had given geese the urge to migrate and wings to fly.

This pleased the geese, they marveled at his eloquent words, nodded their heads and applauded his preaching; just then Mrs Farmer came in with some good corn so they waddled off, after having their fill they gaggled for years about the greatness of the preaching goose.

They never did fly. 

Don't copy the behaviour and customs off this world, but be a new and different person with a fresh newness in all you do and think. Then you will learn from your own experience how His ways will really satisfy you. 

Romans 12.2 Living Bible

CHANGE: Oxford Dictionary-         making or becoming different,

different from previous state

substitution of one for another

EG.   New clothes - when you first put on new clothes  you may feel special, obvious, noticed and proud, having a sense of worthiness; 

but they are a little stiff, you are not so not familiar with them as your trusty old jeans, there is a small amount of trepidation.

Your old clothes on the other hand are comfortable, blend in, nothing special, nobody notices. 

Change makes you feel different.

3 Reasons why God Wants You To Change

1/ If we don't have change the past will be the present and the future, boring, lifeless, useless, dead.

Abraham would still be in Ur of the Chaldees (Iraq),

Moses would have been the next Pharaoh of Egypt instead of Israel's deliverer,

David would have continued as his brothers lunch boy instead of slaying Goliath,

Esther may have lost her life along with thousands of Hebrews, Mordecai said to her, "Who knows if you haven't come to the kingdom for such a time as this."

Nehemiah would still be serving wine to King Artaxerxes in Susa instead of motivating a bunch of no hoper Hebrews to build a wall around Jerusalem,

Peter & John would still be out fishing for lunch instead of changing the world as Christs apostles,

Paul would still be a religious narrow minded, threatening, murdering bully, instead of converting the gentiles to Jesus.

Czar Nicolas II, who ruled Russia from 1894 to 1917, was walking in his palace garden one day when he found a soldier who was stationed as a sentry to guard a particular place standing to attention in a lonely part of palace garden.

"What are you guarding," asked the Tsar

“I don't know - captain ordered me to this post," the sentry replied.

The Tsar asked the captain why, he replied, "Written regulations specify a guard to that place."

The Tsar ordered a search of records to find out why. 

The archives yielded the reason.

Many years before Catherine the Great had planted a rose bush in that corner of the garden, she ordered a sentry to protect it for that evening.

100 years later sentries were still guarding the now barren spot. 

Are we still guarding our precious traditions, old songs, hymns, revelations of 30 years ago, or 20  or 10 or 2?

Are we willing to change the way we do things to meet a changing community and stay relevant?

Ask "Am I willing to get out of my own personal comfort zone to bring the lost to Christ."

If we don't have change we'll die in the past.

2/ God is a God of the New Thing.

Isaiah 42:9  Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.

Isaiah 43:18/19  Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth;

Jeremiah 31:31  Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: because his compassions fail not. 

Lamentations 3:23  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Ezekiel 11:19  And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you;

Ezekiel 36:26  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you:

Luke 5:33/9   new wine goes into new wine skins

use of wine skins, (dead carcass) empty, dry, hard, inflexible, useless, throwaway when used,

the only important thing is the wine.

History is filled with dead carcasses of people, organisations, denominations, churches, that wouldn't stay flexible to the new wine.

They like the way it used to be (old wine - mellow - dead)

3/ You'll always get what you've always got

If you always do what you’ve always done,

You’ll always get what you’ve always got.

we need to sacrifice for the new thing.

Wine skins come by ripping the guts out of an innocent lamb or kid,

change means sacrifice.

A lot of people don't accept change because they're not willing to sacrifice for the new thing.

Sometimes you've got to stop doing it because its not working.

Have you ever seen a blowfly trapped in the house in the summer and flying at the window in a vain effort to escape.

After many attempts of flying into the glass window, you will find him dead on the window sill the next morning.

We've got to get used to taking the new wine.

v39 they like the old wine because its mellow/dead doesn't challenge them,

new wine is full of life fizz, and challenge.

New people come into the church, they don't know we've done it this way for 25 years & they come up with new ideas.

Change requires work, effort, challenge, sacrifice.

Don't fall for the old trick     -    "the old is better."

The new wine is full of fizz and life, it's always better.

What God does is always new.

Where will you be in 1 year,  5 years,  10 years?

Will you still be a pew warmer admiring the good things that someone else does?

If you want to get something different to what you've always got;

You've got to do something different to what you've always done.

Where will your church be in 1 year, 5 years, 10 years?

The church is changing.

The last 50 years have seen more rapid change than at any time in human history. Changes in technology have changed every aspect of life: from contraception to computation, from communication to community formation. 

Philip Hughes, Christian Research Asso0ciation

When is the last time you did something for the first time?

At the resignation of the Queensland state clerk from a major Christian denomination she wanted to leave a parting gift to the executive members.

After the executive meeting she took all the members onto the roof of the 14 storey hotel building in Brisbane where the meeting was held.

They were met by a mean hulk of a man with biceps on his biceps, The clerk advised here is my parting gift to you. 

The hulk expressed, "You're all going over the edge, face down, walking down the side of the building to the ground." There was of course ropes, harnesses and all the safety gear.

Fear and trepidation gripped one man, he backed up against wall and stuck there until every other member had successfully completed the mission of walking face down to the ground from the roof of that 14 storey hotel, the trainer eventually talked him into it, harnessed him up and gave him his instructions etc.

Stand on edge looking 14 storeys down to the Brisbane streets below, "you will take one step and go from vertical to horizontal in 2 seconds,"

With his heart in his mouth he took that step, and finally after many more he got to the bottom. He unhooked his harness, screamed at the top of his lungs, "YES," and hugged first person he saw, a complete stranger,

"I'm going to do that again," he exclaimed. 

When he got home he said to his kids, "You should have seen your dad today."

CONCLUSION
Plans to change the church will not happen unless there is change at every level.

Change Means:

Being different

Thinking Differently

Doing Differently

Warning

New wine will burst old wine skins,

wine will run out,

wine will be ruined,

You will lose it if you're not willing to change.

Encouragement

There's always a new wine with God.

Prophecy

God is engineering change in his church.

3 Things for you to do now.

Take action  - make a change in your life.

Greatest change you can make is to make Jesus your Lord.

Be filled,

refilled and refreshed with the Holy Spirit.

Be prepared to do something you have never done before,

if you want to have something you have never had before,

if you want to see God do something in and through your life you have never seen Him do before. 

Change starts here: 

BFTF Unity conferences southern Africa Nov 2018

Australian ministers/leaders interested in joining the BFTF team register here https://www.facebook.com/commerce/products/1293265677401646/

African leaders, find out more, stay connected, network for unity, join over 3000 leaders concerned for the gospel in Africa, join Africa Network BFTF here http://bftfafricanetwork.ning.com/ 

Rev Dr Howard Sands is the International Director of Beautiful Feet Task Force, is available as a speaker for churches, outreaches, business & missions. 

INTERESTED IN INVITING HOWARD SANDS 

to speak at your church, College or organisation? 

For more details on how to frame an invitation see here.

See ministry recommendations here. 

See products and services here.

Send your invitation here via facebook messenger

If you would like to donate to BFTF International Missions for training leaders in developing world countries donate here.  

Payment options

PayPal – The safer, easier way to pay online! 

or

Bank account Direct Deposit

Beautiful Feet Task Force

Commonwealth Bank of Australia

BSB 062 614

Account 94 0442 

Follow BFTF 

Facebook     Google+     YouTube     Sound Cloud     Africa Network BFTF

Kingdom Building Through Unity.

Kingdom Building Through Unity. 

John 17.20-23 Jesus Talked about unity, Churches talk about unity.
BUT...
The world sees the church and thinks - factions, fractured, confusion.

Have we got unity because we talk about it.?
Have we got unity because we believe in it?

The only way we can develop unity is to DO something about it.
I'm NOT talking about ECUNEMICALISM.
(everybody getting together and trying to agree)
They tried that with language ESPERANTO, it didn’t work.

There is something deeper, stronger, more binding than mere agreement, it is brotherhood. It's OK for you to worship different to me, practise your faith different to me, have a different view of end times to me, in fact most things are not mandatory that we do in our religion, but, there's the problem, religion - it divides, but Christ brings together. When I see you as my brother in Christ instead of my competitor or misinformed or a backslider or apostate, only then can we walk together in unity.

When we see and act together as brothers in Christ, only then do we have a chance at unity like Jesus prayed for.
"That they may be one as we are one."
What do you think ???
How well do you know your brother minister down the road?

How will you develop unity with other believers outside your church?
Let's develop a maturity for unity!!!

Jesus taught deep profound truths - Hidden mysteries of the kingdom that cannot be discovered with human intellect.
So human reasoning is not going to bring us unity.
There needs to be a spiritual connection.

Jesus refers to the church amongst other things as:-
A Field
A Building
A Body
These all signify one not many.
How many churches does Jesus have?

Jesus said "I will build my church..."
he did NOT say:-
I will start churchES across the world, or
He and a few others would build the church or
Apostles, churchplanters or whatever would build their church.

Lets be clear:-
It is His church, not ours (pastor, its not your church);
He will build it, your job is to preach the gospel & make disciples;
There is only one church, you are either in it or you're not (some might be surprised),
Jesus is coming back for HIS church, it will be one without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.

So the question we should be asking ourselves is:-
Is what I am doing in line with what Jesus commanded me?
(Am I doing the job to prepare such a church?).
Food for thought!!! 

UNITY IS ACHIEVABLE if the desire and willingness is there.
Let me make it clear, I'm talking about Unity NOT Uniformity.

There is One God, One Lord Jesus Christ.
He is among the different churches but doing different things in each. There is beauty in diversity.
There are many local churches mentioned in the New Testament, they are all different.

As pastors and leaders we can easily get so concerned about our little flock (even if there are thousands in your church it is still little), that we forget the bigger picture that Jesus is looking at; millions around the world.

When we are self focussed we think about :-
• Protecting what WE have accumulated,
• What OUR ministry is doing,
• What outreaches OUR church is doing,
• How important WE look in the eyes of OUR people.

Friends, we don’t have any people.
Its HIS church not our church.

When we are Kingdom focused we:-
• Look at what Jesus is doing elsewhere & rejoice in it.
• Rejoice with other ministries & share with them; we are here for you, not us.
• Release people to have a ministry themselves separate from our local church because we don’t control them.
• If we have to control their every move we are of all people insecure and don’t know that Christ has made us free from law and placed us under grace.

When we are big enough to release people, God will grow us.
While we have to control people, we stay a small person.
Selah 

How to build unity

Know your local pastors.

• Get together to pray for each other and share ministry concerns.
• Pray for common issues in your area, city, nation.  
• Co-operate on some special events together.  

When a church can’t miss a service because:-

We won’t get the offering which we need for wages, building costs, loans, programs etc

We’ve missed the point of church.

We have organised unity OUT of the church by OUR commitments and OUR projects.

Is it possible that all this time we have not been preaching the same gospel as Jesus?

Matt 13.10-17  it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven

There are mysteries that the dull of hearing will not get.

Backbone of the religious church has been studying about the God of the Bible (Theology) –

an intellectual exercise in futility that cannot either personally know God or His kingdom.

Backbone of the relational church is intimately relating to God & hearing Him by His Spirit.

The purpose of meeting together in groups is not to learn about Him, -  but to know Him, experience intimate relationship.

The Church in this Kingdom age is returning to the reality of hearing and following the voice of God.

John 10.27  Hearing from God involves the Holy Spirit.

Jesus waited until the Holy Spirit came on Him before demonstrating the miracles of the kingdom, before bringing heaven to earth.

He taught us to pray like this:- "Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven...."

What will you DO to ensure that it is? 

BFTF Unity conferences southern Africa late 2018

Australian ministers/leaders interested in joining the BFTF team register here https://www.facebook.com/commerce/products/1293265677401646/

African leaders, find out more, stay connected, network for unity, join over 3000 leaders concerned for the gospel in Africa, join Africa Network BFTF here http://bftfafricanetwork.ning.com/ 

Rev Dr Howard Sands is the International Director of Beautiful Feet Task Force, is available as a speaker for churches, outreaches, business & missions.

INTERESTED IN INVITING HOWARD SANDS 
to speak at your church, College or organisation?
For more details on how to frame an invitation see here.

See ministry recommendations here. 

See products and services here.
Send your invitation here via facebook messenger

If you would like to assist BFTF in its mission to equipping Africa Network Bible College with chairs, tables, beds, linen, cupboards, filing cabinets etc etc so they can equip ministers with the word of God to empower their own generation you can donate to BFTF here. 

Donations via PayPal

If you would like to donate to BFTF International Missions for training leaders in developing world countries donate here. 

Payment options

Option 1 : $30.00 AUD - monthly Option 2 : $50.00 AUD - monthly Option 3 : $75.00 AUD - monthly Option 4 : $100.00 AUD - monthly Option 5 : $150.00 AUD - monthly Option 6 : $200.00 AUD - monthly Option 7 : $250.00 AUD - monthly Option 8 : $500.00 AUD - monthly

or

Bank account Direct Deposit

Beautiful Feet Task Force

Commonwealth Bank of Australia

BSB 062 614

Account 94 0442 

Follow BFTF 

Facebook  Google+  YouTube  Sound Cloud Africa Network BFTF