The Story Begins...

Many people ask me how the idea of Mizizi came about. In the process of starting Mavuno Church, I noticed we had quite a few new Christians around and it was time to do a new believers study. I was rather unhappy with the materials available as I found them too 'western' and 'information oriented'. I kept wanting to write something that would be more African, practical and hands-on.

Well, an intern I was working with at the time (Barry), under pressure from all these new Christians, became impatient with me because I was taking too long to start a new class. So one day, he calmly informed me that he'd signed them up for a class and told them I'd meet them the next week! When the day came, 30 people showed up! I met with them, and told them that doing this class would cost them big time...

• It would cost them their money (for class materials and refreshments)
• It would cost them their time (we wouldn't discuss the materials in class but would focus on application)
• It would cost them their comfort (they would be required to share deeply and honestly)

I asked them to sign a covenant to abide by these conditions if they were thinking of taking the class. Perhaps I hoped to scare some of them away but to my surprise, all of them signed up!

And so the adventure began. Each week, I would prepare readings for the next week and hand them out at the next class. When we met, we would spend the first half hour catching up over refreshments then delve deeply into applying what we had learnt. I determined from the start that I would be real and honest about my own struggles and our conversations became quite deep. I was amazed to watch people's lives being transformed before my eyes. Many who were struggling with enslaving habits were able to stop. People who had never been able to connect with God before became excited about their faith. Some who had never understood Christianity decided to give their lives to Christ.

At the end of the class, we had a two night retreat, the culmination of which was a bonfire night, when we prayed for each person to be filled with the Holy Spirit. I then commissioned the class as members of the church and charged them to represent Mavuno in their day to day lives.

People in church and elsewhere had been noticing the changes in the lives of those taking the course. By the time the first class was completed, the second class was fully signed up!

To date, hundreds of people in many churches have done the Mizizi course. The purpose of this blog is to chronicle some of their stories.

Lets change Africa!