Last Lessons#47 - BOARD

“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”  Hebrews 13:17

I’m taking time in this blog to encourage those who follow Rafiki.  I want to tell you about our Board of Directors.  Rafiki set up our Board in 1987 and some of us have been members to this day.  We have around ten members, both men and women, belonging to several different Christian denominations.  No one is paid as a board member.  We meet twice a year to formulate the vision and manage the affairs of the Rafiki Foundation.  I trust this Board and so can you!

The reason I am telling you about our Board is because at our last meeting we made a couple of significant changes.  Our motto began as “GOD’S WORD AT WORK” and that remains our motto.  We began Rafiki with two goals: to “HELP PEOPLE KNOW GOD AND TO RAISE THEIR STANDARD OF LIVING” and these two goals have not changed.  The change our Board made was to enlarge these goals to include the whole world, not just Africa.  We still know that the way to know God is by reading and studying the Bible.  We also know that the best way for people to raise their standard of living is by education, particularly Christian Classical Education.  In 1987 Rafiki began to teach the Bible and to educate Africans.  By God’s grace our efforts have been successful.  Ten English -speaking countries now each have a Village where the Bible is taught to every participant and where thousands of children are educated in Christian Classical Schools.  Beyond that, each Village has a Rafiki Institute of Classical Education (RICE) building where teachers are taught the Christian classical method.  The vision in Africa has expanded to include hundreds of schools run by churches using Rafiki curriculum.  These are the only schools in the continent of Africa using Christian classical curriculum.  Furthermore, Rafiki has prepared Sunday School Lessons for adults and children and given them to Africa churches.

Today we realize that God has graced Rafiki with some amazing gifts, especially the Rafiki Bible Study (RBS), Rafiki Sunday School Lessons (RSSL), and Rafiki Christian Classical Curriculum (RCCC).  So at our last meeting the Rafiki Board of Directors agreed that we should make what God has given to us available to any English-speaking countries asking for them. 

Already many RBS Groups have started in the USA, in Europe, and in Asia. Churches in the USA are beginning to start Christian classical schools in their facilities using Rafiki curriculum.  We are trusting that churches in the USA and other countries will take advantage of the Sunday School materials that Rafiki produces.  In anticipation of the increased use of Rafiki materials, a PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION (PAD) building is being built at the Rafiki Home Office. All Rafiki materials can be ordered through Rafiki’s website (www.rafikifoundation,org). 

I have learned through thirty-six years of being involved with Rafiki, that God has given us our BOARD, the Executive Director (Karen Elliott), and all Rafikians to be used for his glory.  We are now praying that many more will join us so that Rafiki can help, as God leads, to give the Word of God to many throughout the WORLD.