Doug Arthur & Valdur Koha’s Lagos Trip

Doug Arthur & Valdur Koha’s Lagos Trip

It was a special weekend of incredible blessings for us in the Lagos church as we were privileged to host two wonderful brothers, Douglas Arthur and Valdur Koha from the Boston Church of Christ in the USA. It was indeed an exciting time for us to welcome such men with great faith and unbelievable hearts of service.

Douglas Arthur is the lead evangelist of the Boston Church of Christ and the coordinator of the Lagos Church planting in 1989 while Valdur Koha is an elder in the Boston Church of Christ, an executive in the Beam Foundation board and the co-financier of the West Africa School of Missions, a teacher in Missions and one of the coordinators of ICOC 3.0

Doug and Valdur had the opportunity to meet facilitators and students from the West Africa School of Missions, our church staff, our elders and had a workshop for all our bible talk leaders. At the Bible talk leaders workshop held at the main Auditorium of the ICOC Mission House Otunba Jobi Fele Way, Central Business District Alausa Ikeja Lagos, the event started at 12 noon with a welcome address and opening speech by the chief host and lead evangelist of the English speaking West African family of churches, Chris Ogbonnaya.

The first speaker was Douglas Arthur who encouraged us greatly and spoke about the humble beginnings of the Lagos Church and how the church has done so well beyond expectations, with great and inspiring leaders with great experience and zeal. Valdur Koha centered his message on ICOC 3.0 (Forward by Faith) and the unity of the church, how we all have played a great role in putting hands together to see that our families of churches do better in the coming years. He stressed that it will be hard for us as a movement to be united and do things the right way except there is a plan, hence the ICOC 3.0.

Valdur continued in the second session of the workshop when he addressed questions on church discipling. He said that discipling is all about being examples and being open about our sins and struggles as they can cause a wall and can hinder our growth. Sin is spiritual illness, it wants us to be alone, hide and live in shame. Shame is Satan’s way of covering you up, isolating you and making you not open. Who are you imitating? Who are you confessing your sins to? Are you getting discipled? He asked. Douglas came up later to strengthen bible talk leaders with encouragements that the people we lead are God’s sheep and when we pray, we need to pray with joy that God is working in them. He encouraged that they should see positives in children. Staying there takes us to be there for them, encouraging them to fix their eyes on the prize, the goal and have a zeal for relationships with Philippians 1:2-6 as the scriptural text.

The Church-wide Thanksgiving Service on Sunday with Douglas and Valdur in attendance was one very huge mind-blowing experience for us in Lagos as Doug encouraged the church that our great God is good all the time.

It was indeed such a great privilege to have two heroes of faith in our fellowship in Lagos Nigeria and we pray for God to continually bless their great hearts of service.