Dear Friends and Partners in Ministry,
Our society normalises blasphemy as an everyday practice, with people of all ages and backgrounds routinely misusing God’s name. This isn’t new —the psalmist faced the same issue in his time, expressing a lament that still resonates today: “Remember how the enemy has mocked you, LORD, how foolish people have reviled your name” (Psalm 74:18).
Why does this matter? The reason is clear: God’s name is not merely a label; it reflects His very nature and character. It reveals who He is and what He does. In Scripture, God’s name often represents His presence and power. Solomon illustrates this beautifully when he writes, “The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (Proverbs 18:10).
God, in His grace, reveals Himself to us through various names, making Himself accessible to our limited understanding. John Calvin highlights this kindness, asking, “Is it not an inestimable goodness… that our God so stoops toward us and permits us to use his name?” Similarly, Bruce Milne emphasises that only God fully knows Himself, and as created beings, we depend on His self-revelation to truly know Him. In response, we find ourselves identifying with the words of Agur:
I have not learned wisdom,
nor have I attained to the knowledge of the Holy One.
Who has gone up to heaven and come down?
Whose hands have gathered up the wind?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a cloak?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is his name, and what is the name of his son?
Surely you know! (Prov. 30:3-4)
Milne goes on to write:
There is ... no road from man's intellectual and moral perception to a genuine knowledge of God. The only way to knowledge of God is for God freely to place himself within range of our perception, and renew our fallen understanding. Hence, if we are to know God and have any adequate basis for our Christian understanding and experience, revelation is indispensable
The late R.C Sproul who drafted the Chicago inerrancy statement; once said that the greatest need for those who are lost is that they know God and the greatest need within the church is that we know God. The Promise of God is that His name will be great amongst the nations and so with this blessed promise in mind, As we begin this new year, we are grateful for the Lord’s continued faithfulness and your loving support in prayer. The start of the academic year is always an exciting time, and we look forward to seeing how God will work in and through the students He has brought to us this year.
Urgent and Desperate Prayer Request: Ministry Support for 2025
We come to you with a matter of urgent and desperate prayer. To sustain our basic ministry needs for 2025, we require $240,000 USD, which supports the Fiji Bible College, the School of Evangelism, Christian Helps, Pastors Conferences, the Vocational School, the Gospel Retreat Centre, and the AFC(SP) Kindergarten.
For nearly a year, we have received less than half of what is needed to operate AFC(SP). Currently, we have only one month’s supply left to sustain the ministry. This is an urgent need, and we humbly ask that you make this a matter of earnest prayer.
Would you please join us in praying that God will provide for the needs of this ministry so that we can continue to equip students, serve the poor, and proclaim Christ throughout the South Pacific?
Praise for God’s Provision: College Renovations
We praise God for His provision at the end of last year when a dedicated team came to carry out much-needed renovations at the Bible college. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Roshan Ali, Aaron Ramquist, and the team who came over to help. Their hard work and generosity have been a tremendous blessing to the college, ensuring that our facilities are well-maintained for the students as we begin this new academic year.
The Beginning of a New Semester at CTEF and AIVT
We are thrilled to welcome 11 new resident students at the College of Theology and Evangelism Fiji (CTEF) and another 11 new students at the Ambassadors Institute of Vocational Training (AIVT). These young men and women have joined us with a desire to grow in their faith and be equipped for ministry, and we ask for your prayers as they settle into their studies.
In total, CTEF now has over 150 students, the majority of whom are enrolled in our Certificate and Diploma Extension Programs. These programs provide invaluable biblical and theological training to students across Fiji and the South Pacific, equipping them to serve in their churches and communities - but more than that equipping them with the theological foundation to live Christ in all of life and to share good news of our Lord Jesus to other.
Barnabas Aid Partners with Christian Helps
We praise God for our ongoing partnership with Barnabas Aid International, which continues to bless those in need. This month, for the first time, we were able to send food donations to Labasa in Vanua Levu. We are grateful for this provision, which has allowed us to meet urgent physical needs while also opening doors for deeper conversations about the Lord Jesus Christ.
Please continue to lift us up in prayer as we faithfully plant and water the seeds of the gospel, trusting in God’s perfect timing to bring the growth (1 Corinthians 3:6). Through the ministry of Christian Helps, which seeks to extend help in Jesus’ name to those in need, we have been blessed with opportunities to share the hope of Christ with countless individuals. We remember that our Lord said that is "better to give than to receive." We ask for your prayers that the Lord would raise up compassionate workers—people with a deep burden for the hurting and downtrodden in our society—so that His love may be made known in both word and deed.
The Lay Preachers Program: Equipping Men for Ministry
One of the exciting new developments in our training programs is the Lay Preachers Program, which is designed to equip local church leaders with sound biblical teaching in their heart language.
Koroi, one of our fourth-year graduates from last year, has been actively engaged in teaching in the remote regions of Kadavu (pronounced kanˈdaβu), Fiji’s fourth-largest island, as well as in various villages on the mainland of Viti Levu. Using our recently translated training notes in the Fijian (iTaukei) dialect, Koroi has found a great hunger for God’s Word among the lay preachers he has been working with.
(Sample of the front cover of the Introduction Page in the Fijian Language.)
Koroi returned from his trips greatly encouraged by the warm reception of those eager to be equipped for gospel ministry. This affirms the need for continued investment in training lay preachers who are faithfully serving their communities. Please pray that God would use these efforts to strengthen the churches in Fiji and that we would have the resources both in terms of people and finance to expand this program further.
Urgent Need: A Missionary Optometrist for Opticare
One of the ministries of Ambassadors for Christ (South Pacific) is Opticare, which functions as the optical care arm of Christian Helps. There is a critical shortage of adequate eye care in Fiji, leaving many in need of affordable and accessible treatment.
Our heart is to provide quality optical care while using these opportunities to share the gospel. We have had countless conversations with patients about the reality of eternity, forgiveness, and reconciliation with God. However, to continue and expand this work, we need a missionary optometrist who is passionate about both eye care and ministry.
Please pray that the Lord would send the right person to serve with us, someone who shares our vision of meeting both physical and spiritual needs in the name of Christ.
Repair Needs for the Vocational School
Our Vocational School has suffered extensive termite damage, with repairs estimated at $15,000 USD (approximately $20,000 AUD). Without these repairs, the condition of the facility will continue to deteriorate.
We are trusting God to provide for these repairs so we can continue to serve and educate students in a safe environment. Please pray with us that these urgent needs will be met.
Final Encouragement
As we begin 2025, our goal remains unchanged: to make Christ’s name known among the nations as He has revealed in His infallible and inerrant word and to share His love with the lost in both word and deed.
Would you join us in prayer for the new students, for our various ministries, and for God’s provision in the year ahead? We deeply appreciate your partnership in the gospel and pray that the Lord blesses you abundantly as we all labour for His kingdom.
In Christ’s love,
Narayan, Savita, and the AFC(SP) Ministry Team
