ST JOHN LUTHERAN CHURCH

TO HOST A MISSION SUNDAY

JUNE 24, 2012

Reverend Nicholas Salifu from Ghana, West Africa will be with us on June 24th.  He will be preaching a sermon and then will lead our adult bible study with a slide presentation of his work in Africa.  Nicholas graduated from the LCMS St. Louis Seminary receiving his Master of Divinity Study in November 2010.

Nicholas also was with us on June 13, 2010.

Nicholas was born in 1960 in a small town called Ziako, near Bawku in the Upper East Region of Ghana. He is married to Cynthia and they are blessed with five kids (three girls and two boys). They are all in Ghana.

He was one of the very few children who went to school. After his secondary school education in Bawku, he travelled to Tema, a port city in the south to find a job. He was employed in the Food Specialities Ghana Limited (now Nestles). It was in Tema that he became a Christian through an LCMS missionary by name of Rev. Wally Schmidt. He baptized and confirmed Nicholas. He also enrolled in the first Theological Education by Extension class organized by Pastor Schmidt.  In the church he held various positions such as youth secretary, vice chairman and secretary of the church council.

Educationally, he holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Ghana in the Study of Religions and Sociology. He went to the Lutheran Seminary in Nigeria in 1990 where he was trained as an evangelist. He has studied under Ghana Institute of Linguistics literacy and translation (Wycliffe organization) where he learned translation skills.

He has been involved in church planting and more than 20 churches have been planted using lay leaders that he has trained. They have more than 3000 members, most of whom are women and youth and children.

He has been involved in translation of materials for the church. Quite recently, the translation of Luther’s Small Catechism with Explanations has been completed and printed. He has helped in the translation of a story book “A child’s Garden of Bible Stories”.

He has helped start four schools during his pastoral ministry. For instance, the Ziako School in his hometown began as a Day Nursery in 1993 and has grown into a Junior High School with a total enrollment of more than 600 students.

Nicholas was ordained on August 14, 2011. His main duties include:  nurturing Kusasi Lutheran Christians to continue reaching out to their non-Christian communities with the Word of God; training more church leaders, establishing 300 churches in communities that have no churches.

Please come and join us at St. John’s for our Mission Sunday.  Services are at 9:15 a.m. with Bible Study at 10:30 a.m. Nicholas will have a power point presentation showing his work in Ghana.