ZEMA Focus Newsletter Mar 2023

A NOTE FROM THE HOME OFFICE

Greetings from Zion! Carlene and I are still missionaries, now sharing our experiences, stories, and lives, and figuring out how to use these to expand ZEMA’s work through the home office!

In February, I met with Wenneyam, the president of the African Student Fellowship at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He was quite intrigued with the Zion work because his doctoral thesis is considering how to evaluate the cultural practices of his people in Burkina Faso with Biblical truth. With this in mind, he’s very interested in utilizing ZEMA’s work with the amaZioni as a case study for this thesis. Wenneyam is planning a meeting for us with the ASF to present the Zionist work to other TEDS students in March.

On the 28th of February, Carlene and I spent the day at Moody Bible Institute. We hope to expand the number of Moody professors that know about ZEMA and increase the potential for more interns to come to South Africa and work with ZEMA missionaries and the amaZioni. We also met with a theology student interested in a possible internship this summer. 

Carlene and I would like to schedule Crossing Cultures with Friends of ZEMA events on a monthly basis in various places. This is a gathering of people for a few hours where we will present the work that God is doing among the amaZioni and interact in real time with one of our African teachers. It would be great if you
would like to arrange a day with Carlene and I to do one of these presentations in your home. – Greg

VOLUNTEERS ARE VITAL!

WE’RE THANKFUL

We’re thankful for the faithful participation of a church from York, PA which has come to sponsor our conference on three occasions. This year eleven people from the Church of the Open Door traveled to SA and hosted this annual event on behalf of the missionary body. We were blessed and encouraged by their service. Team members each took time to share personally and participate in various ways. We enjoyed getting to know them and trust they also enjoyed the fellowship of our ZEMA family. Someone from their team provided devotionals each morning, ran a children’s program for our kids, and catered for the entire week!
This year’s conference facilitated many changes and transitions. Paul Seelhammer began his 5-year term as ZEMA’s new Field Director. This was the last conference for missionaries Dan and Beth Hoffman, and Greg and Carlene Seghers attended in their new capacity as Home Office Directors for ZEMA, USA. Due to the drastic staff changes at Sunbury Christian Camp, ZEMA’s missionaries began to help formulate and participate in a transition plan for covering the ministries at Sunbury. As you pray with us regarding Sunbury, pray for God’s provision: either for a buyer (Sunbury is currently for sale on the open market) or for a workable and permanent solution through partnerships that provide permanent staff for this camping ministry.
Historically, Zion ministries utilize Sunbury Christian Camp for nineteen functions each year. These include some Zion churches whose congregations use the camp, ZEBS (Bible schools and graduation), and Zion conferences (ZEFA church leaders, teacher training, workshops, ladies’ camps, and youth). Sunbury is also where ZEMA’s Annual Missionary Conference has been held since 1996. On the weekends that a Zion function is not scheduled, the camp is rented to other Christian churches and organizations. These organizations run their camps for spiritual enrichment, worship, and fellowship. In addition to opening the center to church groups such as family camps, men’s, women’s, and youth camps, other organizations focus on couples, spiritual recovery, and mentorship, including a Christian teacher’s group and a home for orphans. Without advertising, Sunbury is booked every weekend or week of the year.
With the Hoffmans and Seghers re-entering the USA, John and Janice Lewin (SIM partners) are the only ZEMA missionaries living at Sunbury. At conference this year, the missionaries of ZEMA agreed that, together, we are ZEMA, the owners of Sunbury, and, in cooperation, responsible for keeping the facility viable for sale and ministry until the Lord gives more concrete direction regarding His plan. It is up to our ZEMA family to fill in the gaps which exist right now. All ZEMA missionaries are asked to fill in by taking 4–6-week assignments throughout the year. Additionally, some couples from the USA have expressed an interest and availability to volunteer in a short-term/ up to 3-month capacity.

WHAT WOULD HELPING AT SUNBURY LOOK LIKE

Filling in at Sunbury means assisting with the administration and running of the camp and facility. Specific responsibilities would include hosting camps as well as others in the areas of housekeeping and maintenance. Sunbury has a website: www.sunburychristiancamp.co.za
Since it was placed on the market in July 2022, there have been no offers for Sunbury’s purchase. Please pray with us that God would lead and give direction regarding the next steps for Sunbury. Also, pray for those God is leading, and will lead, to staff Sunbury until a permanent solution is attained. Maybe God is leading you to help us for a time? Or perhaps someone you know might be available for a time. Please be in prayer as we work out these details.

SUNBURY CHRISTIAN CAMP JOB DESCRIPTION

Sunbury Sunbury Christian Camp, a ministry of ZEMA located an hour northeast of Durban, South Africa, has a need for a person or couple to join their ministry team. Please visit the website at www.sunburychristiancamp.co.za for more information on the camp.

The ministry team member’s responsibilities could include maintenance, housekeeping and/or camp hosting, as briefly described below.
Maintenance – Overseesthe camp’s buildings, utility systems, and gardening, including supervision and scheduling of Sunbury Staff. Formal training is not required, but general handyman skills with some knowledge of plumbing or electrical and a willingness to learn are essential.
Housekeeping – Oversees housekeeping staff in maintaining clean camp facilities. Duties include supervision and scheduling of staff and inventory of supplies.
Camp Hosting – These responsibilities do not require a full-time person or couple. They are shared with others living at Sunbury and are only required while camps are on the grounds. Camp hosts will regularly assist groups utilizing the camp. Responsibilities include welcoming the camp leaders, completing check-in paperwork and facilitating their needs throughout their time at Sunbury. These include but are not limited to taking payment, monitoring the camp’s activities and adherence to the camp rules, providing appropriate equipment, problem-solving maintenance issues that arise, and providing a tuck shop (canteen) for the group. Additionally, camp hosts manage Sunbury’s staff who work while the groups are at Sunbury. Staff needs vary from having the necessary equipment to do their job to ensuring that the hired staff are provided and able to interact positively with the camp. Camp hosts must be willing and able to communicate positively with and on behalf of people from every cultural background.

Sunbury Christian Camp provides accommodation for ministry team members at zero to minimal cost to the member. The Sunbury Committee will determine these costs and the personal cost of living at Sunbury in consultation with the applicant.

The Lees have volunteered at Sunbury four times. Three times helping in the kitchen for the ZEMA annual conferences with different teams from the USA and once to “fill the gap” whilst the Hoffmans were on home assignment. God willing, and enabling, the Lees plan to volunteer again from mid October 2023 to early January 2024.What surprised them most about their volunteer time at Sunbury was how quickly the time passed.

Katy didn’t really feel “experienced” in doing Camp bookings but relied on God to help her learn what she had to and handled those tasks to the best of her abilities.has a technical based skill set and learned to do some carpentry in his time there. They said, “Serving alongside of the group of people who work at Sunbury (the local staff) and Jon and Janice Lewin is such an enjoyable experience. Meeting people from the different groups who use Sunbury for camps and conferences and hearing about their ministries makes one realize how important having Sunbury available, is to them. The highlight of our time there was to be part of the 2021 graduation of 80+ students of the ZEBS curriculum. This was a time of great rejoicing African style, held in a large tent crammed with friends and relatives of the graduates.”

“We praise God for the opportunities we’ve had to serve at Sunbury and would highly recommend others to encounter what God is doing at and through Sunbury.” – Geff and Katy Lee

WHAT PAST SUNBURY VOLUNTEERS HAVE TO SAY

Greetings from Zion! Carlene and I are still missionaries, now sharing our experiences, stories, and lives, and figuring out how to use these to expand ZEMA’s work through the home office!

In February, I met with Wenneyam, the president of the African Student Fellowship at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He was quite intrigued with the Zion work because his doctoral thesis is considering how to evaluate the cultural practices of his people in Burkina Faso with Biblical truth. With this in mind, he’s very interested in utilizing ZEMA’s work with the amaZioni as a case study for this thesis. Wenneyam is planning a meeting for us with the ASF to present the Zionist work to other TEDS students in March.

On the 28th of February, Carlene and I spent the day at Moody Bible Institute. We hope to expand the number of Moody professors that know about ZEMA and increase the potential for more interns to come to South Africa and work with ZEMA missionaries and the amaZioni. We also met with a theology student interested in a possible internship this summer.

Carlene and I would like to schedule Crossing Cultures with Friends of ZEMA events on a monthly basis in various places. This is a gathering of people for a few hours where we will present the work that God is doing among the amaZioni and interact in real time with one of our African teachers. It would be great if you would like to arrange a day with Carlene and I to do one of these presentations in your home. – Greg