falyravoahangy

A New Perspective on Publishing

Sea Point Promenade, Cape Town. A giant pair of spectacles on the beachfront are pointed in the direction of Robben Island. The work is called “Perceiving Freedom.” It was meant as a reference to the sunglasses worn by Nelson Mandela because of the damage done to his eyes while working on the lime quarries of the prison island. The declared goal of the Ray-Ban sponsored artist, Michael Elion, was to appeal to us to look at the big picture and to immortalize the nation’s political icon. But the structure is controversial as many city residents feel that the piece is using the deceased president’s legacy to promote a luxury brand of eyeshades.

This raises an important question for us to consider: “How effectively do we communicate and spread ideas?”

Early April 2024, Avotra and I had the privilege of attending a Christian Publishing Intensive training organized by Desiring God a few meters away from Sea Point Promenade. It was truly a mindset-shaping event for us, and I believe a game-changer for our approach to our publishing ministry. 

Publishing jedis Rick Denham and Daniel Henderson led the workshop, challenging the traditional approach to publishing in Christian circles and inviting us to focus on spreading ideas. The workshop was attended by like-minded publishing ministries in Africa that are also in their inception phase.

Rick brought us back to the time of the Reformation when pamphlets and the ministry of Matthieu Zell in Strasbourg were instrumental in the spread of Luther’s ideas throughout Europe. Over 10 million were printed in those days around Germany. Pamphlets were the equivalent of the explosion of the internet or the current advent of AI in those days. They were successful because they were written in the vernacular mostly understood by the people, they were affordable and accessible, and they conveyed ideas both saturated with Scripture and relevant to the societal issues of the day. Finally, they were easy to reproduce and spread.

The real epicenters of the Reformation were the Scripture-based pulpits, publishing, and training. 

Rick revolutionized out thinking by conveying that the goal is to build a confessionally distinct community within a ministry ecosystem. The community must be fed continually, abundantly, and richly. 

The 4 doorways bringing people into this ecosystem are:

  • Publishing (books, articles, journals, etc.)
  • Web presence (website, online classes, social media, etc.)
  • Events and Training where books are promoted and distributed. 
  • Preaching/Teaching in the local church. Healthy local churches proclaim truth and equip their members to continue to learn, grow in their faith and live in community, and plant other churches. 

Daniel Henderson continued by emphasizing that the three central activities of a publishing ministry are:

  • Quality Content development.
  • Developing effective methods of spreading ideas. Content should not be fenced off but be made as accessible as possible. 
  • Nurturing the community/ecosystem: The community is created as people discover ideas and connect to others who share those same values. The community is not defined by any one doorway, but by the common ideas that unite them. Change happens very rarely individually. It happens when people realize that they are not alone. The main value in an ecosystem is where the lines converge. 

Based on all we learned, our ministry new Transformative Purpose at 3M Publishing is:

“To transform lives in Madagascar and beyond through Scripture-centered resources designed to raise and equip Preachers of God’s Word, Shepherds of God’s people, and Servants of Christ in local churches.” 

We produce 3 types of books to that end:

  • Books in French thanks to our partnership with Publications Chrétiennes and BLF Éditions.
  • Books translated from English or French by our team of translators and therefore now available in Malagasy.
  • Books in Malagasy written by Malagasy Christian theologians, pastors and teachers.

We want to make books available to as many as possible so these Bible-infused ideas will spread.

To accomplish this:

  • on Saturday April 20th, we will open our bookstore and library on the 3M Preaching Institute campus. 
  • We will also be launching 2 books written by Conrad Mbewe that we have translated from Malagasy: “God’s Design for the church” and “Your Discipleship Manual”. These resources written by an African author, suitable for an African context, are completely in line with our purpose and mission. 
  • Finally, we are planning to launch a quarterly magazine to be widely distributed with great content to feed the mind and the soul. 

May the Lord use all of these resources and avenues to edify His church! 

falyravoahangy

Madagascar 3M Launches the Christian Heritage Tour

By God’s grace, we are hoping to open our Preaching Institute on August 19th 2023. As part of our strategy, we are looking for ways to subsidize students’ tuitions to make it accessible and affordable.

The Christian Heritage Tour (CHT) is an exciting opportunity for you to sponsor our students. The first tour will be on May 15th to 21st or 25th, 2023.

The idea of CHT has been in my mind since I was able to be part of the Christian Leadership Tour of the Grand Canyon by Canyon Ministries in 2017. We then brainstormed ideas to put together a tour that would enable participants to discover the island’s unique endemic ecosystem and God’s faithfulness in bringing the gospel and preserving Christianity in the country.

Now you can be part of an adventure of a lifetime!

CHT enables its participants to enjoy the unique fauna and flora of Madagascar, while learning about the history of the first missionaries and the development of Christianity in the island. The participants will also engage with local congregations as the trip includes visits to present-day churches.

CHT combines History, Nature, and Adventure. Field experts in History and Biology will be on the trip to answer questions from the participants, providing insightful inputs as to the unicity of the fauna and flora in Madagascar.

Though primarily designed for pastors and church leaders, couples, young adults and other believers are also welcomed on the Tour.

Route

11-Day Version7-day Version
Arrival in Antananarivo
Day 1 (May 15) – Antananarivo & Toamasina (City)
Day 2-3 (May 16-17) – River Cruise on the Pangalanes
Day 4-5 (May 18-19) – Andasibe-Mantadia National Park
Day 6 (May 20) – Antananarivo (City)
Day 7 (May 21) – Fianarantsoa & Isalo
Day 8-9 (May 22-23) – Isalo
Day 10 (May 24) – Fianarantsoa (City)
Day 11 (May 25) – Antananarivo (City)
Departure from Antananarivo		Arrival in Antananarivo
Day 1 (May 15) – Antananarivo & Toamasina (City)
Day 2-3 (May 16-17) – River Cruise on the Pangalanes
Day 4-5 (May 18-19) – Andasibe-Mantadia National Park
Day 6 (May 20) – Antananarivo (City)
Day 7 (May 21) – Antananarivo (City)
Departure from Antananarivo

Tour features

Premium Tour

All accommodations on this tour has been carefully selected to meet high standard of quality and comfort

Cannot be customized

The dates, accommodations and destinations of this tour cannot be changed.

Children allowed

This tour accepts children

Shared tour

On this shared tour, you will join a group of other travelers. 

8 minimum – 12 maximum per group.

Suitable for single travelers

Single travelers can join this group tour, but it requires a minimum of 8 people to run.

Activities

Historic Site Seeing

Nature Exploration

Guided Tours

A River Cruise

Natural swimming pool

Beach

Local Dining

Local Church Visits

A dedicated website is under development with all the details and the opportunity for you to sign up for this tour.

Rates Per Person

11-Day Version7-day Version
Single: $2 699/pers
Couple/Twin: $2 499/pers		Single: $2 399/pers
Couple/Twin: $2 199/pers

Inclusions

Included

+ Domestic Flights (Tana – Toamasina) in economical class

+ Meet and greet personalized on arrival at antananarivo airport

+ Goodies offered by Madagascar 3M including a “hatbrella”

+ All activities – (Unless labeled as optional) 

+ All transportation

+ Premium accommodations

+ All meals as specified in Daily Planner

+ Parks and guide fees

+ One litre bottle of water per day per person

+ 2 English/French speaking staff throughout the trip

+ Historian joining us on the trip

+ Roundtrip airport transfer

+ All Taxes/VAT 

Excluded

– International flights

– Additional accommodation before and at the end of the tour

– Upgrade to business class on the flights

– Tips (Tipping guideline US$10.00 pp per day)

– Personal items (Souvenirs, travel insurance, visa fees, etc.)

– Government imposed increase of taxes and/or park fees

– Drinks

As mentioned, the proceeds for every person on the tour will finance one student for one year at our preaching institute. You will get an unforgettable experience and contribute to furthering someone’s theological education. Have we convinced you yet? 😁

We need at least 8 people to sign up for this tour. Could you be part of it? Would you consider sending your pastor and elders?  

Last day to sign up is March 31st, 2023. Kindly consider this opportunity prayerfully and do not hesitate to contact us. Your participation to this tour will mean a lot for those you help getting a theological education 🙏🏽

Merry Christmas everyone! Let’s celebrate God’s greatest gift to mankind (2 Cor 9:15), Jesus Christ, as He became man so men can commune with God.

falyravoahangy

Being an Iconic Father

I looked up the icons representing fathers on this Father’s Day… A beer mug, a coffee cup, a fishing rod, sport related items, a watch, a briefcase, a beard and moustache, a shirt and tie…

That’s how the world sees fathers… and some of those are the gifts we are most likely to receive today.🙄

Would you say that these sum up what our wives and kids see in us? Hopefully…not.

Icon comes from a Greek word that means “image” or “representation”. 

The dictionary defines an icon as “A person or thing widely admired especially for having great influence or significance in a particular sphere.”

Fathers, what influence and significance do we have in our spheres (family, work, society)? 

Here are 4 icons to add to the list, representing 4 ways by which we can be “iconic” fathers:

1- Portraying – We are Mirrors. Men (and women) were made into God’s image to carry His image (Gen 1:26-28). We live according to the purpose we have been created for when we display the closest representation possible of our Father. Mirrors are pointless if they don’t reflect. Broken mirrors do not reflect well. We are the best mirrors we can be when we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us to conform us to the perfect Icon of the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ.

2- Pointing – We are Magnifying Glasses. We are here to help those around us see God bigger and better. As we ponder and share about who He is, what He has done (and continues to do), and His will for mankind, we help others see better their desperate need for a Father. We do it with what we say and what we do. Magnifying glasses cannot magnify themselves; they focus and help focus on Someone else. 

3- Parenting – We are Manuals and Mallets. We are to teach and discipline (Eph 6:4). We are to represent God’s loving authority and gracious guidance. Within the home, we are both tender teachers and just judges. Parenting is about molding a heart to see its desperate need for God, to have righteous affections towards God, and to reverently fear Him. Manuals and mallets are there to be barriers and encouragement along the way. 

4- Praying – We are Matin warriors. Matins are morning prayers. The home is where dependence on God is first modeled. In a world where fathers are to be strong and have answers to everything, a Christian father finds that strength on his knees. Those around us are able to see the fruits of our prayers, and they also will notice when we don’t pray. May we also pray for those who don’t have a father in their lives, that they will turn and find comfort 

May you have a blessed day today, and continue to grow to be a true icon of our heavenly Father.

falyravoahangy

Therismos Invests in Fishers of Fishermen

Madagascar. One of the biggest islands in the world. 4828km of coastline. Marine fisheries provide revenue and sustenance for all the country. Traditional, artisanal, recreational, and industrial fisheries are all performed.

Traditional fishing, undertaken on foot or canoe, represents nearly 68% of total fish production, largely focusing on exportable products, including crustaceans, holothurians and cephalopods, with men making up 97% of the workforce. It is the livelihood of thousands of families in the city of Mahajanga on the West Coast of Madagascar. 

Petite Plage is replete with hotels, restaurants and other beachfront attractions. It is also one of fishermen village. Hundreds of fishing boats launch from and return to that beach daily, bringing back their catch which is then sold on the local markets and eateries. The beach is also occupied at times by locals holding to traditional beliefs to practice rituals to connect with ancestors and plead for their help to prosper their livelihood. 

Pasteur Andry planted a church a few years ago in Petite Plage and has always had the vision to reach out to this community of fishermen. He has shared the Gospel with many of them and has personally invested in the fishing business to be part of that crowd. He has over the years been able to observe that the best way to relate to them is to be involved in what they do. This facilitates the daily conversations, and the life-on-life imparting of the Gospel. 

Therismos has decided to come alongside Pastor Andry’s efforts and is going to invest in fishing boats and gear to drive his vision forward. In line with our motto, “fueling the Lord’s harvest”, this project will generate income for those involved in it but will also, and mainly, come alongside Petite Plage Biblical Baptist Church’s outreach endeavors. 

By the nature of the activity, fishing requires a few things from those involved in it: 

  • It requires physical and mental dedication
  • It requires courage, patience and resilience
  • It requires skill and knowledge of one’s environment
  • It is still is subject to divine providence

 All of these are also required of those God calls to be His disciple-makers.

The Lord Jesus Christ chose 4 fishermen as part of his group of 12 disciples. He saw in these men character traits shaped by their line of work, which could be applied and developed for evangelism.

The Lord told them in Matthew 4:19 “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (LSB) 

This mandate has been extended to us in Matthew 28:19-20 as we are called to become disciples of Christ making disciples of all nations.

Please pray with us for this new venture. Please pray that the Lord will use and bless this project to bring many to the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. May many turn away from their idolatrous practices and bow their knees to the only mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Tim. 2:5). May this project flourish and bring an income for many fishermen in the region. And may they in turn be fishers of their fellow fishermen.