“A Christian without God’s word in his heart is like a soldier [with no bullets]. They surrender to the enemy, and that is what the church will do without the word of God in our hearts,” said Thomas, pastor of a Heart Bible church in Uganda. In the refugee camp where he serves, surrounded by soldiers and guns, he equips his family and church to face spiritual warfare with the Word of God.
Using OneWay’s Heart Bible for the Nations method, Pastor Thomas teaches his congregation to learn, tell and teach Bible stories, aiming to protect them from spiritual dangers.
His church fasted and prayed for three months in anticipation of OneWay’s JP Lindsey’s visit to train the believers. When authorities initially blocked the visit, Pastor Thomas prayed. He received a call from the camp leader, who ultimately allowed JP to come, saying, “I can’t stand in the way of God.”
Pastor Thomas invited nurses and doctors from the camp’s UN hospital to the training. Nurse Jackie, inspired by the Bible stories, began using them to comfort her patients, including a 15-year-old Muslim boy named Ibrahim, who had lost his parents in a bomb attack.
Jackie comforted him with the story of someone who shared his name — Abraham — telling him how God had chosen, tested and blessed Abraham.
“I didn’t realize it’s so natural to make a connection by telling a story,” Jackie said later.
Impressed by the trainees' response, JP and the Heart Bible team are planning larger trainings for pastors of Ugandan and South Sudanese refugee churches.
Members at Pastor Thoma's church take turns teaching each other Bible stories every Sunday, committed to discipling believers through internalizing the Bible.
Pray that Jackie and the other trainees continue to learn and share Bible stories, that their communities receive the Word well, and that Pastor Thomas’ church remains protected from spiritual attacks.
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