Mike Udam’s 2023 Report

It was indeed a rare privilege to be involved in mission work this year in Kenya. In a team of five evangelists, only Adegoroye Abiodun and I made it to Kenya.

Within these 12 days, we actively worked for 10 days. We joined Dr. Ebenezer Udofia of Healing Hands International (HHI) to share relief with drought-affected communities. We cashed in on that opportunity to preach to the community and church members about the love of God and the need to seek spiritual food.

We also had three seminars with the church meeting at Eastleigh, Kamorock, and Oyugis. Lessons were centered on the family and its relationship to church growth.

We spent a whole day at the Nairobi Great Commission School; a leading Bible college in Nairobi, where we shared our thoughts with the students and faculty on key Biblical topics around the impact of the Pulpit on church growth.

We spent 3 days in Western Kenya, where we joined Healing Hands International to teach the people the gospel while HHI taught the community the Drip Irrigation farming technique. We were blessed to have people listen to us and resolve to make amendments in their relationship with the Creator.

From a human point of view, I think the impact of this trip was huge. We discovered that by skipping talking about the family and focusing on evangelism and church growth, we had missed the main issues all these years. Our lessons and the questions that followed clearly showed us that the church in Kenya had not been dealing with family. Our lessons filled that gap.

For me, it was a rare privilege to share my new book, THE PREACHER AND THE PULPIT, with a large number of preachers in Kenya; with the goal of shaping their output from the pulpit.

The main challenge we faced was rising ticket costs. It was tough to buy tickets for $1,400 a trip that usually costs a little above $750.

We thank God for placing Dr. Ebenezer Udofia in Kenya ahead of our arrival. He has been hosting, feeding, and carrying us around all the places we go. In fact, he is the one who tells us where to go and sets up meetings with his huge network.

Going forward, I want to appeal to you to help find a congregation that will set aside a yearly mission support fund of $2,000 for this project.

It was indeed a great privilege to go in search of souls to win to Christ and strengthen the already saved ones to remain safe.

Attached to this report is a PowerPoint presentation that captures the highlights of the mission trip.

God bless you.

Sincerely yours,


Mike Udam

Michael Udam’s January 2023 Report

We thank God we made it to 2023 and to the glory of God, work started on the 2nd of January with the first quarter Leadership Conference for church leaders around Northern Cross River hosted by the Ukpagada church. Ninety-eight church leaders from 38 congregations participated and we resolved to put more emphasis on reviving the congregations around us and intensify our approach to evangelism using World Bible School (WBS), Gospelshare, and other available tools at our disposal. Leaders also resolved to work closely with each other to grow the church around Northern Cross River state.

As a way of strengthening fellowship within the congregation and also taking into consideration the special needs of various age groups in the church, I had to plan to have lunch with the youths, the adults, and the children. These meetings afforded me the opportunity of evaluating the progress we are making as a church in the area of bonding and inter-family relationships; especially since we are a rural community.

Honestly, I enjoyed these meetings. Even when each meeting cost me more than 100 USD to provide the food, I returned home very happy and fulfilled as I heard directly from those I led about how excited they are being in Christ and the fellowship we share in Him.

Also, within this month, Healing Hands International USA choose our congregation to pilot the planting of Plantain to fight food insecurity in Africa. The church provided a piece of land and bought suckers to activate the process and to the glory of God, the farm has been established.

Externally, within the month, a nearby congregation invited me to speak in their gospel meeting on the 21st and my topic was Church Growth Destroyers. The brethren were edified and to the glory of God, a few brethren were strengthened who were already feeling discouraged about the behaviors of some brethren that they looked up to.

Our WBS team was also involved in a three-day evangelism effort in Bebi, Obanliku, and three souls were won into the kingdom and top amongst them is a senior lecturer of the College of Education Obudu.

God has been faithful and I am glad that I am found useful in his vineyard.

July-September 2021

REPORT OF WORK BETWEEN JULY AND SEPTEMBER 2021

Dearly beloved,

The work of the lord within the periods of July and September 2021 had been very rich in the eyes of man. I hope the lord will be satisfied with the labours of his servant who according to Luke 17:10 is an unworthy servant.

Within the church meeting at Ukpagada, the lord blessed our effort with 5 souls to the glory of God. We also lost three souls to the devil for not walking orderly as the Lord directed.

Externally, my team and I spent two weeks in Kenya to strengthen the church there and to the glory of God, the network of my preaching was expanded. My lessons I share daily on facebook and whatsapp now feed the church in Kenya, Eswatini, South Africa and the West Africa sub region.

Back at home in Nigeria, I had made a trip to Oron 430 km from Ogoja to speak to church leaders there during the Oro Leadership retreat.

We also spent a weekend in Wula eastern Boki, to strengthen the church there. God blessed our effort with 8 souls. We are planning a big mission there in December this year. Lord willing and with available funds, we will storm the area and hope to make a huge impact.

Within this period, our enrollment in WBS got reactivated. Our strategy is now to catch them young. So, most of the students we have now are school students. Close to 100 have so far been enrolled during this period.

Keep me in your prayers. After eight years of work at Ukpagada, I thought the workload would reduce, it is now that the workload has increased. I now teach bible classes in the two new congregations that we established (Ukpe = Thursday and Okuku = Friday) in addition to my two days at Ukpagada. As of now, with our dwindling economy, my expenditure on fuel and vehicle maintenance is now very huge.

The summary is that the work must be done and I am available. Thank you for your continued support. It has boasted my work so much to the glory of God.

My first daughter, NT-Rose, is through with secondary school at the age of 16. She is warming up to enter the university in the next three months or so. Pray for her.

In the last quarter of this year, our lectureship is the main focus of my drive. We shall have evangelism, open air preaching and indoor lectures. It is scheduled for between the 25-28 of November.

God bless you all.
Sincerely yours
Mike Udam

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Five souls added…

SECOND QUARTER REPORT

To the glory of God, we are kept safe by God amidst serious insecurity plaguing our country. Our God is faithful and his kingdom must expand.

Between the months of April, May and June 5 souls have been added to the vineyard of the Lord arising from  our work in the vineyard. The church meeting at Ukpagada withdrew fellowship from two brothers who allowed the devil to lure them away from the faith.

In April we had a Discipleship training that was focused on church growth and expansion. It was a great exposition and the resultant effect of that workshop is the renewed zeal to do great exploits in the vineyard of the Lord. The church at Ukpagada plans to start a new congregation in one of the 9 villages of Ukpagada. For this singular reason, I now lead my entire family with some brethren to preach there every Thursday for eight weeks now. A study center has been created there, the attendance is very encouraging and we hope to turn it into a congregation once we start to have conversion there. We are very close and will continue to covet your prayers in this regard.

Within this quarter, I had the rare privilege to speak at three gospel meetings. In one of the meetings, a couple surrendered to the love of Christ and obeyed the gospel the following day after the lectureship.

Two congregations gave me awards for my contribution to the growth of the kingdom in Northern Cross River state. I give God all the glory for being found worthy of such honour.

Our WBS team arose from the Discipleship training and spent three days preaching in Wula, Eastern Boki (9km from Cameroon) where we started a congregation there.

Three years ago, God used me to convert my Head of Department Mr Festus Okwo into the fold. His conversion got his daughter converted. Then his wife and then a church was planted in Wula his village and today his mother and 10 other souls are in faith. Today he is my Personal Assistant and co-labourer in going out for our Thursday evangelism. Our God is great.

Lord willing, I shall be heading to Kenya for mission work (leadership Training) between 6th and 16th August.

As a congregation, we will need a little support for our Annual Lectureship in November. $200 can be ok to cater for accommodation of our resource persons.

The Bible in my store is exhausted. $100 can get 30 copies and the work will continue to move.

Keep my family in your prayers.

I just turned 8 years working at Ukpagada. I hope the Lord is happy with my work? I am still an unprofitable servant.

God bless you all for the support I enjoy from you milk of personal and congregational kindness.

May the good lord bless and keep us all safe.

Amen

Mike Udam

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Preacher Support

8 Years of Service

Today the church meeting at Ukpagada honoured 8 outstanding preachers who have distinguished themselves and contributed significantly to the growth of the kingdom of Christ around Northern Cross River during the 8th Anniversary of my mission work with the congregation as their minister. Innocent Egwu of Okundi, Jonathan Ekpong  of the University Campus church, Abakpa, and Stephen Abua of Igoli. Others are Joseph Ohiero of Mbok Junction, Cornelius Monjok of Adagom, Randolf Asah of Okpoma and Chidi Chibunna of Oba, Anambra state.

It was a colourful event as all these great soldiers of Christ were charged by their awards to work more to advance the gospel of Christ.

The church has grown from 27 in July 2013 to 250 today with 37 disfellowships.

During these eight years, we have grown with the sustenance of God.

Today we have a vibrant children class with over a hundred children divided into two classes of fifty each. We also have a functional youth class with over 30 young people. We hope to work on instituting correct New testament leadership for the church.

Two years ago, we expanded the kingdom to establish the church at Ukpe. That church is now growing steadily with a Cameroonian refugee leading the church there.

Our major plan for now is to establish another congregation at Nwarranty, a major village of Ukpagada.

Our major challenge is just seasonal poverty. We are very rich during November through March and very poor between April and October. But the Lord is caring for us.

MIKE UDAM

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Christian Family Retreat

The 2021 Christian Family Retreat took place in Enugu over the weekend and to the glory of God, it afforded me and my family the opportunity to meet with other 7 families to spend time with each other in fellowship.

Since 2015, each year we use the holiday period during Easter to meet and critically look at how we are faring in our families. This retreat was born out of the fact that so many preachers and church leaders are not getting it right with their families. They may be effective in preaching but very poor in family management. They may be eloquent in evangelism but very poor in interpersonal communication with their spouse. So, to fill this gap, we decided to come together to share experiences with each other and help each other build a very strong home.

My family was blessed being in this year’s retreat. Our thinking is that a strong family leads to a strong church. Your support is part of what gave me the financial muscle to attend this retreat. We have to pay for accommodation for four days and pay for feeding during this period. I am glad that the retreat is having positive results. Lord willing, we shall be in Port Harcourt next year.

1st QTR 2021 Report from Mike Udam

REPORT OF WORK FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2021

I am delighted to share with you the report of work for the months on January, February, and March 2021.

The church witnessed 20 New birth through baptism, and one very significant restoration – a man that was baptized in the early 1990 and whose wife was converted to the faith six years ago turned himself in and reconciled with God.

Under this period, we did not record any withdrawal of fellowship even though we are still having members that are very epileptic in their attendance.

In February, the church organized her annual couples retreat to help shape the tone of couples living with each other in proper Bible-defined harmony. Over 80 couples attended and the bond of friendship in marriage was renewed.

In March, the church planted a very big farm for me to cater for my feeding. Since it is a rural congregation, that is the best they can do to support the work of their preacher.

Arrangements have been concluded to establish a congregation this year in a neighboring village. For the next quarter, all my evangelism efforts shall be focused in that area, and with God on our side, we will set up a congregation there.

Keep us in your prayers.

Within this first quarter, follow-up work with WBS students was resumed. We hope to have a WBS seminar sometime in July Lord willing and if the funds are available.

We are also struggling to finish our mission house where we hope to be keeping most of the visitors that come here to work with us. We have plastered and now we are at the stage of fixing doors and windows.

Thank you for supporting me to work out here. I am grateful.

My family shall be heading to Enugu state tomorrow April 1st for a four-day Family Retreat. It is a time once in every year where we go out and meet other Christian families and spend time together in fellowship during the Easter period.

I am doing well in health and the Lord is faithful to me.

God bless you all.

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Couples Retreat in Ukpagada

THE UKPAGADA COUPLES’ RETREAT

The UKPAGADA COUPLES RETREAT IS an annual gathering of couples to brainstorm ways of making their marriages work even when it is the desire of the devil to shipwreck Christian marriages. After hosting the program for 6 years now, we have recorded success in the following areas

1.       Stability of families. So many couples now know what it means to be called couples.

2.       Clearing of debt – so many couples that did not know that they were cohabitating learned what it meant to go and clear and they have done so.

3.       The public image of couples has improved.

4.       Conflict management amongst couples has been improved and enhanced.

5.       Communications between couples have been improved and

6.       A positive lifestyle is not promoted.

Through this couples’ retreat, men have now known how to take good care of their wives and vise versa.

The only challenge still hanging is how to Dwell with them with understanding.

We are working on that.

We are not yet at the promised land, but certainly, we have moved past where we were.

The church at Ukpagada believe that once the home front is ok, the entire church will be doing fine.

For this year, 83 couples attended and it was colourful. The Man, his wife and his health was the topic considered and we were refreshed.

Keep us in your prayers and also if you have the strength, you can support us as you see fit.

Ukpagada Lectureship 2020

UKPAGADA LECTURESHIP 2020

To the glory of God, the word of God has gone forth and for sure it will make a tremendous impact in the hearts of all those that listened attentively to the topics under the theme: The Christian Family in our just concluded lectureship.

 A total attendance of a little above 600 souls (450 adults and 156 children) participated in the lectureship from over 60 congregations across Nigeria.

One central message from the first speaker Hilary Johnson is that God expects us to lead our families well to enable him God write a good testimonial about us like he did about Abraham in Gen 18:19 “For I have known him, in order that he may command his children and his household after him, that they keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice, that the LORD may bring to Abraham what He has spoken to him.”

The second Speaker Elijah Abire provoked the audience to learn to walk hand in hand with their spouse and avoid acts and conducts capable of destroying their public image. According to Elijah Abire, any man yet to formally marry his woman is a kidnapper and is warming up for hellfire unless they repent and do the needful.

Bassey Esang used the open Forum to go over the lesson highlighting all the grey areas and making sure that the lesson sinks into our hearts.

The youths were made to know the power of being people of Integrity by the ambush commander Chidi Chibunna.

The lectureship had outdoor preaching the previous day 27th November, where Tobobelem West advised the audience to save themselves from this wicked generation. The open-air started at 6 pm and we finished by 10 pm due to questions that arose from the topic. We hope to harvest souls arising from this public lecture in the near future.

The high point of the lectureship was the defection of the mother of Bro Festus Okwo from the kingdom of darkness to the kingdom of light through baptism. Within two years, the baptism of Okwo, my head of department in the school where I teach has produced 9 souls to the kingdom of Christ, with 6 of these souls now worshipping in his village, Wula, 9 km to Cameroon.

Three members of the Ukpagada Mission team, Chidi Chibunna, Agala Chinedu and Ikenna Chiozoadighi presented a brand-new generator to the church to power our outdoor evangelism.

Our challenge is in the area of accommodation. We had built our mission house and were unable to complete it before the lectureship. So, we had to struggle to pay for the accommodation of our guest speakers and other friends from outside Ogoja who came to participate in the lectureship. If we can get a one-time gift of $500, we will be sure there will be a smooth sail next year.

Attached herewith are pictures that capture the event.

To God be the glory.

ICT Training in Adamawa and Taraba States-Nigeria

REPORT OF ICT TRAINING FOR PREACHERS IN ADAMAWA AND TARABA STATE – NORTH-EAST NIGERIA.

For the past 6 years, it has been my desire to build capacity in preachers in Nigeria on how to use the internet effectively especially for the sake of preaching the gospel of Christ to the dying world.

The location for this year’s training is Jalingo in Taraba state and so preachers from Adamawa state were drawn into the program.

27 participants including 18 preachers were trained in Basic Internet skills, Internet evangelism and Making of short videos for Internet Evangelism.

The coordinator of the training and minister of the church meeting in Jalingo posted this on the newly created WhatsApp group for continuous training;

“Brother Mike you are great blessings to the Lord’s church. We thank you and your entire Entourage for extending the hands of free blessing to the available Preachers and Church Leaders in Taraba and Adamawa State. It is my belief that the seed you have sown in these lives will grow and endure. Thanks a lot for your help. We were wrong to think we knew.”

I thank you all for the support you send to me to make an impact on the growth of the church.

Keep me in your prayers.

I am back to Ogoja with my team

God bless you. Mike Udam