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GOD GIVES US 24 HOURS EACH DAY

.....How many do we give back?

  

Church Phone:     909·585·7455
E-mail Us at:    pastormikeerickson@hotmail.com

Big Bear Foursquare Church
515 W Big Bear Blvd
Big Bear City CA 92314 

P.O.Box 2764
Big Bear City, CA 92314
 
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Kenya Missions

 

In 1959 Inland Christian Center under the leadership of Pastor Leonard Fox established a Bible school in Nairobi called Harvest Fields Bible School. Since the founding of the school over 400 people have graduated and many are in some type of Christian ministry in Kenya. Today some are advisors to the President and in high government positions and some have churches in the thousands. These graduates have planted churches all over Kenya requiring an organization of those churches. The organization today is called Harvest Christian Churches and number 142 in 11 districts.


This is Overseer Moses Gatua who represents us as the Overseer for the churches in the Kirinyaga district. Today he oversees the works in Kirinyaga, Embu and Maralal. His work has produced over 30 churches and two new districts.


 

Sharon Cranford of Inland Christian Center, resident missionary since 1987, is administrator of the Bible School. Sharon also directs the organization of Harvest Christian Churches.

 


Dr. Michael Erickson has been going to Kenya since 1998 and his wife Trish since 2000. In the year 2000 Big Bear Christian Center was given the apostolic oversight for the churches in the Kirinyaga district at the time there were only two or three churches. Today the work has produced 17 indigenous national churches and has given birth to two new districts in Machakos and one in Maralal.

Since the year 2000 we have helped the churches and pastors in many ways. We have planted churches providing rent, buying church properties, and buildings. We have provided complete Pastor’s Conferences, including books, materials, and personal items for all the pastor’s families. We have helped with medical supplies, sound equipment, Bibles, books, bicycles, children’s materials, and books for discipleship.


Each year our responsibility to the district of Kirinyaga is to support Overseer Moses at one hundred dollars per month, to bring a special project to the district each year, and to make an annual trip to be in the churches. When we are in the churches we conduct interviews with all of the pastors. In the interview we take general information and have them give an accounting of the activities during the previous year. Also we take their pictures and conduct a video interview. This interview is so important for our connection to the churches. It is at this time that many problems are solved and issues addressed for the development of their church and ministry.

As we set about preparing for our annual mission trip to Africa our minds are reeling with global and national current events. While Kenya is recovering from the tragedies resulting from political unrest earlier this year, the United States is facing serious moral and economic decline, which also impacts the rest of the world. Though in many situations the immediate natural outcome is uncertain, our confidence is in the Lord. Now more than ever we must boldly stand for the kingdom of God. Therefore we move forward with plans to encourage our brothers and sisters in East Africa, with travel dates of December 15th to January 9th.

Our beloved Overseer, Moses Gatua, has come to the place of retirement as Overseer of the Kirinyaga District He will continue to pastor Kiangombe HCC, while passing the mantle of Overseer to Pastor Hilum Muchira. Pastor Muchira will be commissioned at a special service with all Kirinyaga pastors present. We will also honor Rev. Gatua at a celebration on his shamba, recognizing 36 years in ministry with Harvest Christian Churches, eight as Overseer of Kirinyaga District.

We look forward to spending time with each pastor and his wife during the morning interviews. We hope to continue the tradition of giving a gift bag to each pastor’s family. This year we have planned afternoon teachings for the pastors, and would like to provide more Bibles for each of the churches.

This will be our first Christmas in Kenya, and we are excited to experience a simpler holiday with less distraction from the true reason for the season. Mike will minister at the campus church service on Christmas day, and we will share the evening meal with all who are on campus. We understand their traditional Christmas dinner menu includes roasted goat, ugali, beans, kachumbari, chapatis, fruit, cake, sweets and sodas.

Another first for us will be a trip to southern Kenya on the coast of the Indian Ocean. Mike has been invited to preach at a large Harvest Christian Church in Mombasa.

From there we will travel to Arusha, Tanzania where we will spend a few days at Christian Centre Bible College. Mike will speak in midweek chapel and Sunday services. Pastor Paul Mwai, son of Moses Gatua is the Campus Pastor and Bishop there. We hope to be an encouragement to the missionaries and all the teaching staff. Peter is one of the teachers and also pastors a local church. He lost his young wife Cecilia to cancer this year. Peter is now raising their three year old daughter, Rachel, with the help of his sister.