Our Stories
We are all in this together
A group photo with guest speaker, CRMF board members and CRMF staff during our first transition weekend at Orobiga in March 2019.
A group photo with guest speaker, Andrew Kwimberi and CRMF staff during the second transition weekend at Orobiga.
As Helen Keller quoted, “Alone we can do so little together we can do so much.”
A BRIEF RECAP OF OUR FIRST TRANSITION
The year 2019 has marked a number of significant changes in CRMF. The highlights of the year included, saying farewell to our long-term and short-term missionary families, the Wakefield’s and the Ward family, respectively. Within that period we also said goodbye to a few of our missionary staff at CRMF. These particular changes has left CRMF with a decrease in man-power and as a result the staff at CRMF has had to undergo a number of important shifts either in the change of roles or taking on additional duties and responsibilities. One such transition included the hand-over/take-over role of General Manager from former General Manager, Michael Wakefield to Bryan Mathews, the current General Manager.
During our first trensition weekend Guest speaker, Andrew Kwimberi and CRMF board members pray over Bryan Mathews and wife Pamela Mathews.
The first ‘Transition Weekend’ to commemorate this shift was held at Orobiga (outside Goroka town) from the 30th to the 31st of March (2019). This marked the official leadership transition for the General Manager position from Michael Wakefield to Bryan Matthews. On that date, the CRMF staff and managers along with special guests joined together in fun and fellowship to celebrate the transition. We also had the privilege of having Andrew Kwimberi, a Lawyer/Mediator and founder of Alternative Dispute Resolution as our guest speaker who facilitated the transition process.
CRMF Second Transition Weekend
CRMF held a second weekend of fun and fellowship with the staff, managers and special guests at the EBC Church at Orobiga recently. Andrew Kwimberi joined us once again as the guest speaker and he delivered a powerful word of knowledge and insight into the progress of our transition. This ‘Transition Weekend’ was a reminder to each one of us at CRMF about our calling, purpose, role and further how to adapt to change.
The Body Principle
As Andrew Kwimberi quoted, “It’s about the body, not about the hand, eyes, mouth…The parts of the body is what forms their meaning purpose and fulfilment by remaining and functioning as a body.”
In order for the Lord Jesus ministry and service to flourish and continue, he had to build a Church and the church was the people, the church began with the Lord Jesus and his disciples and each of his disciples played a unique part to create the church and body of Christ.
John Alt with Andrew Kwimberi at the first transition weekend in EBC Orobiga.
1 Corinthians 12:12-27 – New International Reader’s Version (NIRV)
12 There is one body, but it has many parts. But all its many parts make up one body. It is the same with Christ. 13 We were all baptized by one Holy Spirit. And so we are formed into one body. It didn’t matter whether we were Jews or Gentiles, slaves or free people. We were all given the same Spirit to drink. 14 So the body is not made up of just one part. It has many parts…27 you are the body of Christ. Each one of you is a part of it.
“We are the body of God, when we come together, the church is the embodiment of the kingdom of God.” – Andrew Kwimberi
During our first transition weekend we included a few fun and games to test our leadership skills, listening skills and communication skills when working together as a team.
Just as the Bible says we are many parts created and designed for a particular purpose to form the body of Christ. A church is not a place, but a church is a people. When we truly understand that, we can also apply that same principle to the ‘Body of CRMF’. The foundation of CRMF is first and foremost God. As 1 Corinthians 3:9-11 (NIV) says, “-9 for we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. 10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. 11 for no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
This is a reminder that Christian Radio Missionary Fellowship (CRMF) exists because of God and because of the people who are a part of it. CRMF is a people serving in the Christian Ministry under God and for God’s grand plan and purpose. Therefore, despite the changes that occur within the organization we are mere vessels created for one purpose that is to serve the will of God. Together we will continue to set our eyes on the goal, vision and promises that the Lord has set for the ministry of CRMF.
CRMF board members, leaders, staff and guest speaker having fellowship together during the first transition weekend at EBC Orobiga.
Our roles may change and the people we work with and the place we work in may change, but the goal and the vision does not change.
We were reminded of a number of famous accounts of leadership transitions especially with the people of Israel, when God initiated the transition role of leadership from Moses to Joshua. It was not the end of the promise nor was it a new promise. Yes, the leaders changed from an older and experienced leader to a younger inexperienced leader. Sure Joshua’s method of leading was quite different from Moses’s way of leading, but this change did not affect nor did it change the goal, the vision and the promise that the Lord had given to the Israelites. Likewise, when the Lord Jesus ascended into the heavens to be with the Father, the promises, the mission, the vision and goal he established with His disciples did not stop there nor did it go with him. In fact, when the Lord Jesus left them he provided them with the tools and resources, along with people that He brought along their way to build the ministry and Body of Christ. And above all these provisions, God gave the disciples the Holy Spirit to help them in their ministry. The Lord Jesus did not leave his disciples empty-handed.
John 14:16 – 31
16 I will ask the Father, and he will give you another helper who will be with you forever. 17 That helper is the Spirit of Truth…25 “I have told you this while I’m still with you. 26 However, the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything. He will remind you of everything that I have ever told you.
Before Andrew Kwimberi spoke, we had a beautiful time of praise and worship.
As long as this organization, Christian Radio Missionary Fellowship continues to function in the Lord to keep His vision alive, we will continue to see positive growth within CRMF.
We thank the Lord for the many new opportunity like the new Trainer of Trainers (TOT) workshop that the Lord helped our Tek Ministri Team initiate (Click the link to learn more about the TOT workshop https://maftech.org/seventh-year-harvest/).
We also praise God for the many solar and radio installations and repairs we successfully carried out, and the preparation and delivery of Audio Bibles, the Jesus Film Kit, and the Jesus Film outreach the continuation of the Website Design service we offer and the increase of sales and the successful Medevacs that we could be a part of within this year.
Final but not least, we thank the Lord for the new established partnership we have with Wycliffe Associates and Oil Search Foundation. God has strategically placed these organizations in certain areas with specific tools to help us reach our goals. Truly God has not left us nor as He left us empty-handed. God has and continues to strategically provide us with innovative ideas, people to work with and His Holy Spirit to guide and help us extend and expand God’s Body and Kingdom.
We all had a wonderful time of praise worship and a game of vollyball.
Andrew Kwimberi quoted from the book entitled Leadershift by John Maxwell, “You cannot remain the same; think the same act the same if you hope to be successful in a world that does not remain the same.”
Despite the new changes that occurred within CRMF, the Ministry’s goal and vision still stands. After day one of transition we have transitioned well and in fact we had more opportunities come our way with exciting prospects as well as challenges ahead, but we made it and we will continue to work together to grow and reach the primary objective of this ministry of God which is to faithfully and consistently provide communication and technological services and solutions to the Churches and the people of Papua New Guinea.
Once again Andrew Kwimberi delivers such a powerful word of knowledge and insight into the progress of our transition.
We aim to reach every part and corner of Papua New Guinea to share the gospel of God and reach the remotest areas of Papua New Guinea through communication and technology.
As co-workers of God, we know we cannot do this alone because as Helen Keller quoted, “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.”
Once, again we thank the Lord for our long-term partners like MAF and the new partnerships that we have developed with Wycliffe Association and Oil Search Foundation. We also thank you for your continuous support in prayer. Though we may be a small organization, we pray that together we can impact many lives and in doing so we each get to play a significant role in building the Body of Christ.