Plans for 2021

Dear friends and family,

Thank you for your support and prayer for our family in our work and ministry. We are writing to you today to give you an update on our ministry moving forward.

Our Relationship with CFM

CFM is now a large indigenous ministry with over 370 national staff. Their work ranges from farming, to a Bible college, to schools to legal advocacy work; to name just a few of the 25+ departments. We have a love for all that CFM does. As Kent and Ruth reach 35 years serving in Nigeria we have been thinking and praying about our long term role with CFM. The ministry approached us this year proposing to make us CFM leaders alongside the local leaders, Gabriel and Paul. We have a lot of respect for and confidence in these current leaders established by Kent and Ruth and we ultimately feel that if we were joint leaders it would be very easy for us to become the successors of Kent and Ruth in the long-run, in this cultural context. This is something that we feel is counter to the direction of the ministry in its indigenous leadership structure. So we have instead been thinking and praying about how we can be long-term partners with CFM without inadvertently assuming succession from local leaders.

There are projects (specifically the Computer Centres; Christian peacebuilding projects) that we have always had a strong desire to support and be involved in. Moving forward, under our entity Seek Peace, we will partner (fund and oversee) this and other Christian peacebuilding projects with CFM. We will also be looking for opportunities to start more Christian peacebuilding initiatives in this region.

Our Family

In deciding to live in this way there are many repercussions for our family. At the moment there are lots of things that we have to establish for us and our children to continue to live and serve the way we do. In this coronavirus season our plans have been significantly impacted. We can now no longer rely on our ability to get back to Australia or leave Australia as easily as we could in prior times. There is no resolution here for our work. So, we have prayerfully decided to move ahead with further establishing and growing a base for Seek Peace in the UK. This is due our need to raise support and also for its proximity to Nigeria (a four hour flight and the same timezone). There is a lot that we need to build this year. However, we have confidence and peace that God is with us and are now moving forward. Next year we will be based out of the UK. John is planning four trips back to Nigeria (one each quarter) to continue to develop the projects and support our team on the ground. Alongside this, technology allows us to remain in constant contact and work remotely with our team across these projects. At least one of these trips the whole family will be going to visit friends and also collect stories and media required for our fundraising efforts. Alongside this Kay will be working to establish a base and networks within the UK.

Our Fundraising

As of 2021 we will officially launch Seek Peace. We are currently working to provide both our British supporters and our Australian supporters with tax deductible giving options. In Australia we are in the process of partnering with World Relief Australia for compliance and tax deductible giving. Part of this process involves us setting up an Advocacy Team in Australia. This is a small group of people who we have semi-regular zoom meetings with and who can represent our work when we are not there. If you would like to be part of this small, strategic Advocate Team, we would love to hear from you! In the UK we will be starting the process of establishing Seek Peace as a British charity. We will be actively growing our work within the UK over the next year.

We continue to study and deepen our knowledge and we seek the Lord in the direction we are moving in (John: Peacebuilding & Reconciliation MA, Kay: Sustainable Development MA). You, our wonderful supporters, have helped us move forward. We continue to pray for the Lord’s direction in your lives. In December we invite you to give towards our 2021 vision. Everything we receive in the month of December will be used to launch our work in 2021.

IN AUSTRALIA

Acc. Name: John and Michaela Hodge
NPBS BSB: 650 000
Acc. No: 509530709

STEWARDSHIP IN UK:

https://www.give.net/20250406

This is a link to what will be our website. More details of our Computer Centres peacebuilding projects will be updated here in the coming weeks.

If you have any questions, please feel free to get in touch. If you would like to discuss this news in more depth we would love to arrange a zoom call with you.

All our love,

The Hodge Family