Stories by David and Sarah Wataba

A Word from the National Director

The Ministry is Well Placed to Advance the Gospel

LIFE Ministry Uganda stands at a critical time in her history where a new chapter in ministry is starting. LIFE Ministry Uganda is 50 years old this year of our Lord 2021!!! Ebenezer for sure. The fiftieth year in Bible times was significant for slaves and bonded laborers, for those who had leased or mortgaged their land. It meant freedom and restoration. It meant that God cared for everyone and periodically would give His people an opportunity to begin afresh. As a ministry we have not been in slavery, bonded labor or has our property been leased or mortgaged. However, the ministry was born in 1971 at a time when Uganda’s political landscape was turning turbulent. These turbulences continued into the 80s, the 90s and part of the 2000s. These turbulences have been compounded by the fact that the population is largely under evangelized and the church undiscipled. There is untold moral degeneration due to the breakdown of family values, widespread economic hardships heightened by Covid-19 pandemic, teenage pregnancies, child molestation, alcohol and drug abuse, disintegrated families, exponential youth trafficking due to lack of employment and increasing godlessness even in the face of heightened religious activity. Yet, we are in a time of tremendous opportunities, marked by unprecedented technological developments and open access to information, knowledge and resources. Despite these opportunities, there is a worrying vice of corruption in every fabric of society, which made the ministry landscape precarious to the extent that anyone who wanted to quit ministry was justified. Yet amidst all this LIFE Ministry Uganda grew, touched lives and thrived. To God be the glory.

Time, space and resources cannot allow us to tell the entire story of the goodness of the Lord over the last 50 years. The 50 years have collectively been a period of maturation. From a humble beginning of a handful of staff, currently we are involved with Embassy and Executives, professionals at different levels, Men and Women in uniform, University, College and High school students, Family life and the church, community and humanitarian initiatives, digital outreaches and missions.

We are eternally grateful for the sacrifices made by the men and women who started this ministry, those who continued it and the gallant men and women standing today ready to go towards 2071! We heartily appreciate the associates and partners who prayed and gave financially. Through their prayers, financial contributions and physical involvement, we have been able to advance our singular vision of building spiritual movements everywhere so that everyone knows someone who truly follows Jesus Christ. As a result, over numerous believers have been mobilized to pray, millions have been exposured to the gospel and won to Christ, hundreds of thousands have been trained to become multiplying disciples and sent out to start spiritual movements of multiplying disciples around the world. Many of the sent disciples became evangelists, teachers, pastors, reverends, bishops, apostles, leaders of national, continental and global ministries, vice chancellors of Universities, professors and prominent men and women in the marketplace.  Again, to God alone be the glory! 

Looking ahead, the Ministry is well placed to advance the gospel of Christ to a lost and confused world with increased efficiency and fruitfulness. Although much has been accomplished, much more is yet to be done and can still be done to position the Ministry for increased effectiveness, fruitfulness and impact through innovation, technological advancement and cutting-edge management practices. With COVID-19 hitting the entire world, the way we live, work, do ministry and worship have fundamentally changed and at an unprecedented pace. We have entered the “Phygital” era, where life, work, ministry and worship oscillate between the physical and digital and virtual world hence the word phygital. We have been Online Missionaries, using social media, digital resources like zoom and apps like the Jesus Film app, God Tools and Everystudent.com. Just like the men of Issachar in 1 Chron. 12:32, who understood the times, we have had to re-align, refocus and become agile to effectively minister in an ever-changing ministry terrain. Agility will be the posture for ministry in the next 50 years.

Imagine 50 years from now, the year 2071! What will life, work, ministry and worship look like? Will it be more physical or more digital? How should we prepare? As LIFE Ministry Uganda, grateful for the past and the present, we recommit ourselves to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, to total dependence upon God and the control of the Holy Spirit, to our divine mandate of making disciples as given in Matt. 28:18-20 and to our vision of building spiritual movements everywhere so that everyone knows someone who truly follows Jesus Christ. We recommit ourselves to discipling 1. Communities/Churches, Enriching Family and Marriage Life. 3. Building and Mentoring Leaders
4. Raising Local Resources for sustainable spiritual movements.

My wife Sarah joins me to welcome you in celebrating the goodness of the Lord in the last 50 years! We are honoured to be leading a great family, a selfless staff team, a dedicated and diversely gifted BOD, and generous partners. We welcome you as we launch into the future. We invite you to join us in helping change the world for Jesus Christ. The question is, if not now then when? If not you and me then who?

 Enjoy the stories and videos on our social media handles on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube and also on our Website.

David and Sarah Wataba

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