Reflections on what Grace & Light achieved during 2017 at our Annual General Meeting highlighted the challenges we face reaching complacent congregations.

Forty-one people joined Grace & Light staff, Nigerian trustees and board members in Jos for an update on achievements and finances at the AGM on 24 March.

Guest speaker David Tyokighir, of World Renew, illustrated leadership the Jesus way. He said that the world desperately needs servant leaders who model themselves on Christ and build trust without exploiting or manipulating those they lead.

“God has put us on earth and what does he want to do through us? Jesus focused on pleasing God, he did not focus on himself. Living in harmony with God’s plan is a privilege,” he said.

Grace & Light founder Mark Hopkins encouraged the audience to shine as lights in a world surrounded by darkness and to build up treasures in heaven rather than focusing on amassing earthly possessions.

“People aren’t choosing darkness, they are choosing to pursue the things of this world," he said. "They don’t realise that what they are getting is actually darkness. It is the same deceptive way that Satan worked when he was tempting Jesus in the desert.”

International coordinator Tassie Ghata presented the achievements of 2017 including reaching 35,506 people with the gospel message in 97 churches and 16 schools, testing 10,808 and seeing 1,100 give their lives to Christ for the first time and another 4,491 recommit their lives.

Six volunteer teams were active in 2017, while fundraising activities in the UK and Nigeria increased income by 32 per cent. Praise God!

Among the audience were local and national journalists from six publications including Jos TV station PRTV and Christian magazine Today’s Challenge. Subsequently, Tassie was invited to speak live with PRTV radio presenter Esther Bitrus about social righteousness on 8 May.