Volume 17, Issue 10 St. Augustine Evangelical Bible Church, Cor. Agostini & Bellesmythe Sts. Curepe
Editorial
Faithful Through The Ages with Pastor Kelvin Mapp
As a prime example of God's faithfulness through the ages, our very own Pastor Kelvin Mapp gives us an insight on how God has kept him throughout the many years as he ministered to the members sacrificially. Here, we will learn more about him, of his challenges, as he also shares his best kept secrets, plus, continues to encourage and edify the brethren with his words of wisdom. We truly thank God for him and his spirit of service, and our prayer is that in all respects he may prosper and be in good health, just as his soul prospers.
How did it all start with your attendance at St. Augustine Evangelical Bible Church?
I first started coming to the young people’s meeting on Friday evenings when the Church was at Sellier Street, Curepe. I was saved at an ISCF meeting in School in 1972 and then invited by Francis Warner, (my friend, of now over fifty years) to attend the youth meeting. I remembered that my first “Church responsibility” was coming early and arranging the wooden pews in different and creative formations for youth meetings.
What has been your secret to being faithful through the ages and being an active and long-standing member?
I believe that one of the key secrets to me being “faithful through the ages” is remaining focused on the Lord Jesus and continuing to grow in the knowledge and application of God’s Word. I recall in my early days of attendance at St. Augustine there were controversial issues which I did not fully understand, but I resolved not to take sides and to faithfully continue my commitment to Church participation and growing in my understanding of the Scriptures – to abide in the “place of blessing, so that I can continue to be blessed”.
Can you share your most valuable contributions you've made to the church?
What I consider to be amongst my most valuable contributions I have had with the church is the starting (with sister Janet Gill - nee Dillon), development and growth (with sister Helen Lewis) of the Young Adult Sunday School Class. It involved creating and mastering a new approach to doing Bible Study with Young Adults, in which their contributions - positive and negative - were key to their understanding, acceptance and eventual obedience to the Biblical text. Also there have been my contributions to the Pulpit Ministry over the years and involvement in Church Leadership from being a Youth Leader, Sunday School Teacher, Deacon, Elder, Chairman of the Board and recently, Pastor. In addition, I have been deeply involved in other ministries of the SAEBC including the Prayer Ministry and Benevolent Committee.
What has been your greatest challenge in dealing with St. Augustine?
Amongst my greatest challenges in dealing with St. Augustine is the carrying out of Church Discipline Procedures which often divided the SAEBC in different “camps” - leaving the Elders by themselves. Another big challenge was leading the Church in terminating the tenure of a particular Pastor at St. Augustine.
What do you think is needed in passing on the baton, do you see any areas or opportunities of growth for the St. Augustine family?
I am one who firmly believes that there is excellent potential and opportunities for growth for the St. Augustine family - given the wealth of spiritual gifts and other resources God has brought and invested in the Church. No-one who is attending, and has become a Church member, has done so by Chance. There are Divine Purposes at work. The opportunity is there for expanding the blessings, from personal growth experiences and revelations of God and His Word at St. Augustine (from the Pulpit and other ministries) to the “wider-and-wider” communities through the expansion of ON-LINE ministries and access. The “Digital Team” is key to this advancement. Other areas include – comprehensive family and marriage ministries, expansion in more regional and world-wide missions, mining the “evangelism and encouragement” depths of our music, choir, drama and dance ministries. At the same time, the Church will need to strengthen and reinforce its whole Sunday School and Young Peoples ministries, which form an important foundation for the other ministries of the Church. What “is needed in passing on the baton” is what is needed in ALL baton races, whether physical or spiritual – focus, commitment, consistency and sacrifice – of time, energy and effort.
Share a fond memory from your time at SAEBC.
A fond memory or memories with SAEBC would be of camps and camping over the years. The first “Young Peoples” planned and executed Carnival-time, Camp at Tucker Valley, Chaguaramas, the Young Adults Sunday School camps in Tobago and Toco and the well-planned and well-promoted SAEBC Church Camps in different locations in Trinidad. These were all times of memorable fellowship amongst the believers and of true increase and life-changing encounters with God and His Word. A close second would be the different wedding ceremonies over the years including those of Charmaine and Don Juan Acosta (when I did the very first of numerous wedding charges) my two daughters – Christal Reid and Emerald Lorde, Daniel and Ruthann Ramoutar (the biggest reception I have attended ) and the recent, Keisha and Saron Joseph (in the Covid season).
Even the doctor needs to be doctored and the counsellor needs counselling, who has been your greatest source of inspiration?
My source of inspiration has come from different key individuals at different stages of my spiritual growth over the years. In my early days Brother Goddard, a Christian Teacher at my school, proved to be a valued source of inspiration, together with those who led the Young Peoples Group in those days – Ron Harder, Arnold Doobay and Johnson Chang Fung. Then, there was the first Trinidadian pastor of SAEBC – Pastor Garnet Paris, who, amongst other things, took me with him and others to the first World Congress on Bible Exposition – lifting and changing my outlook and commitment to Bible Study and the Preaching Ministry. Thirdly, there are my favourite authors in my library at home – FF Bruce, Lenski, Wuest, J. Walwood and R. Zuck, E. Billinger – and of late Jewish teachers and writers including Martin Buber, the RAV and R.P. Bulka. I also want to highlight here those “iron sharpens iron” sessions with the other Elders, Deacons and Deaconesses of various SAEBC Boards. Finally, there is my closest “doctor and counsellor” of all – Marcelle, my wife of over forty years!
Tell us one interesting fact the members may not necessarily know about you.
I am a big fan of “Star Trek” and "The Matrix”, which are movie productions that have sought to challenge some of our common thinking and perspectives.
You have been undergoing some health challenges, how has God, and the members of SAEBC helped you during this time?
God has been very good and merciful during my recent health challenges. He placed key individuals, medical and otherwise, to help us along the way- including my daughter Emerald, the wound care specialists Dr. Alleyne and Dr. Boodoo, nursing assistant Lystra Richards and access to the Hyperbaric Medical facility in Tobago for advanced wound care treatment. The members of SAEBC have gone “above-and-beyond” expectation in their praying and physical support of us – those who called; supplied food and fruits for Marcelle while I was in hospital; those who were able to visit even during our time in Tobago. To ALL we say THANK YOU!
Where would you like to see SAEBC in the next 10 years?
I have said a lot of what may be applied here from my answer to question five (5). To add from the letter to Philippians 2:2– a Church becoming more and more of “one focus, one love, one spirit, and one mind”. Indeed, a Church that is not afraid to make big contributions to the Nation of Trinidad and Tobago and to face all the attention and criticism that come from seeking to impact at the national level. Also, I wish the Church to finally own and maximize the property to the east of us for the Lord’s honour and glory!
Do you have any advice, revelation, scripture or word of encouragement you'd like to give to the congregation as we continue to trust God?
I will share of “the word” that came to me from James 5: 7-11 and that word is “patience” - as a necessary virtue of the living on planet earth. First the author points to the “patient waiting” of the investor or farmer who must wait patiently for the expected return or harvest, since he has no control over the forces that produce them- vs.7-9. Then Bishop James speaks of the “patience in suffering” of the prophets of the Old Testament who, after delivering or sowing the word of God, often suffered patiently at the hands of their receivers before a “harvest” of true repentance and surrender to God was realized – vs 10-11a. Finally, the writer highlights the “patient endurance or perseverance” of Job who, in a God initiated, God controlled, God terminated, God rewarded season of deep trial, “sowed hope” in the character of God and reaped “victory in his latter life” – vs 11b and Job chapter 42. “Let (patience or) perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything”- James 1:4 - even in the difficult, but passing, season of Covid-19.
Missions
Answering A Call with Khemraj Lakhan on the Logos
Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us
Hello my SAEBC family I would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you from the bottom of my heart for joining in this journey of faith, you all are a huge blessing and answer to prayer and I give God praise for your lives and love for His Kingdom.
I would like to give an update on where this journey has taken me so far, since my last vist to home in 2019 things have changed a lot for us as a ministry, challenging us in so many ways: emotionally, mentally and spiritually. I have been stretched beyond my imagination, in these moments I asked God each day to help me, saying to him: I cannot do this on my own.
Corporate Services and Partnership Team
With this period came some changes with the way we function on board and one of them involved myself taking on an additional role on the team as Interim Partner Ministry Director. This means I supported the communications and partner services team during this time along with my other duties as Corporate Service Director (Business Service, ICT and Finance) as well as Leadership Development Manager. It has been such an honour being able to serve alongside these amazing Jesus Followers.
The team I had the honour of leading during my time as Director onboard.
Transitioning Into New Roles
Advanced Preparation Surveyor
In April 2021 I transitioned into a different season of my journey with the Ship’s Ministry, becoming the surveyor for the new countries and ports we visit. As we look at moving to different countries my role will be, travelling 5-6 months in advance to the future ports. Here I will supervise the first steps of the visit to facilitate the conversations with respective government ministries and agencies, port officials and local church and OM partners to see Logos Hope being able to enter a country and be the hands and feet of Jesus. Currently I am in St. Lucia undertaking these negotiations and conversations as we look toward a return to this island.
OM International
Along with my role in the Ship’s ministry, I serve with our International team in OM as the Funding Allocation Manager. In this capacity I am given the privilege to support our teams across the different countries OM works in; this is so that we can achieve our vision of seeing: Vibrant Communities of Jesus Followers Amongst the Least Reached. This is a new role and process for OM and mostly a pioneering one. My overall responsibility is to set up an effective funding allocation system that is transparent, accessible, empowering, accountable and maximizes mission impact where I report to our International Director for Field Ministries in OM. I have been blessed to be part of this journey in seeing what the Lord is doing in the Least Reached parts of the world, as well as in and through His children. You may recognize this is a significant change for us so please keep praying for wisdom and discernment for myself and my team as we lead this project.
Pray for:
Please pray that I can have rest during this season
Pray for wisdom and discernment as I undertake these two new roles
Please continue to pray for those who have never heard about our Lord and Saviour
Continue to pray that I can have joy and perspective
Please pray for my family to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ
Pray for genuine friendships and people I can share things with
And pray for those indirectly affected by Corona Virus. They are dying of hunger but most importantly they are dying without hearing or knowing there is hope in the Risen King
Contact
Email: khemraj.lakhan@gbaships.org
Tel (US): +1 954 518 7256
WhatsApp: +1 868 764 9310
To Send Packages:
United States Address: Logos Hope Container 779 St. Andrews Rd , Florence, SC 29501 USA
Germany Address: Alte Neckarelzer Str. 2 74821 Mosbach, Germany
I was reminded this week in an Organizational Culture training that what I value and measure is what shapes the organization even if I intended to do it or not; also, how we respond to crisis shapes the values of our teams. This has all been an exciting and a learning journey and He desires me to learn through Him. That’s my take away from this past month.
Thank you once again for all your love, encouragement, prayer and support. I hope to hear from you soon.
With much love,
Khemraj Lakhan, Calvary EBC
What's On
This Month
During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Offering Collection
We will continue to facilitate deposits at the church office and online. Deposits can be made at the church office Monday–Friday from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. Those wishing to transfer funds online please note that we cannot verify the receipt of funds until our bank statement is received. Our account information is as follows:
NAME: ST AUGUSTINE EVANGELICAL BIBLE CHURCH (Use Capitals without punctuation marks and enter as many characters as the field allows)
NUMBER: 100081011847061 (15 digits are required by RBC. If your app does not accept 15 digits, omit some of the leading digits i.e. 1000)
ACCOUNT TYPE: Chequing
Please notify us of the Date / Sum / Purpose or Distribution of your transfer and let us know of any needed adjustments to the above instructions.
Each local bank has its own online transfer app/system and we have been advised of problems affecting transfers from other (Non-RBC) banks.
This Month's
Prayer & Praises
Let's pray without ceasing for:
The budget and for wisdom to manage our country's resources
Sustainability and recovery of the economy as we continue to slowly reopen various sectors
The country of Guinea and the Coup that took place there in September; the people desire a better standard of living.
Let's give thanks for:
God's continued provision for our membership in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic
The Yearwoods arriving safely to West Africa
The wonderful time we had as an association at our AEBC Convention: 'Staying Together While Restrictions Separate'
Upcoming
Speaking & Worship Schedule
DATES | SPEAKER | TOPIC |
|---|---|---|
OCT 03 | Deacon Martin Hughes | Communion Service-Romans 3:21-31 |
OCT 10 | Sean Lorde | Romans 4:1-25 |
OCT 17 | Deacon Lindsay Gibbings | Romans 5:1-11 |
OCT 24 | Deaconess Ebi Sonron | Romans 5:12-21 |
OCT 31 | Deacon Noel Rose | Romans 6:1-10 |
NOV 7 | Pastor Francis Warner | Romans 6:11-23 |
TIMES | SERVICE |
|---|---|
9:00 AM | Sunday Service |
11:00 AM | Junior Sunday School |
11:30 AM | Adult Sunday School |
6:00 PM | Wednesday CBSI |
6:30 PM | Friday SAYBOB Young People's |
7:15 PM | Wednesday Prayer Meeting |