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Nigerian partner to visit UK
Join us to hear first hand how your support is helping
to restore broken lives
As part of a programme
to offer churches the
opportunity to develop
direct relationships with
our partners, we will be hosting
a special visit to the UK from the
founder and head of Stefanos
Foundation in Nigeria, Mark Lipdo.
Mark will be speaking at a small
number of venues in the UK in
September to share how your support
is helping to heal the hearts and
minds of traumatised Christians in
northern and central Nigeria.
Through our Building One Body
church partnership programme we
are offering churches in the UK the
opportunity to develop a deeper
relationship with some of our key
international projects such as the
work done by Stefanos.
Churches who join the partnership
commit to promoting their chosen
project among their congregations, as
well as giving regularly and praying
specifically for the work. In turn, we
provide regular project updates and,
wherever possible, we aim to give
partner churches the opportunity to
meet a representative of the project
they support in person.
Release International supports
several projects run by Stefanos,
including the provision of Bible-
based trauma-healing workshops for
Christians who have been impacted
by violence and displacement.
Victims are supported to express
their pain and bring it to Christ. By
the grace of God, they are enabled
to forgive those who have hurt them
and rebuild their lives.
In response to the killing of 230
people in a series of attacks in the
Mangu area of Plateau state between
April and November last year,
Stefanos organised a special trauma-
healing workshop for 36 women who
had lost their husbands.
Datet who participated in the
programme said, ‘Before I came here, I
had deep wounds in my heart, but now
I am healed and doing better.’ Another
widow named Plangnan said, ‘Since I
came here, I have spent a lot of time
crying, but I have also laughed a lot,
because I have found joy and peace in
my heart. I am very grateful for these
teachings that you prepared for us.
These teachings have strengthened
me.’
Several of our Building One Body
church partners have chosen to
support this project and Mark will
be spending time with them when
he visits. We are delighted to be
able to make these events open to
all our supporters, so, if you live
locally, please do come along to hear
from Mark as he shares about the
powerful work Release International
is supporting in Nigeria.
•
 Sunday, September 22 | 6.30pm |
St Peter’s Parish Centre, 347 Church
Road, Bolton, BL1 5RR
•
 Wednesday September 25 |
7.30pm | Smithton Church, Murray
Road, Inverness, IV2 7YU
Additionally, on Saturday, September
21, Mark will be sharing during our
Volunteer and Supporter Day at St
Peter’s Parish Centre in Bolton. The
event begins at 12 noon with a buffet
lunch.
Please check our events page www.
releaseinternational.org/events for
further details.
If you would like to find out more
about how your church can become
a Building One Body partner please
contact our Lead Engagement
Manager, James Fraser, at jfraser@
releaseinternational.org.
• Mark Lipdo is the founder and
CEO of the Stefanos Foundation,
a Christian-based human rights,
advocacy and relief organisation
working to address the violent
conflict in Nigeria. He is the author of
the book Killings in North and Central
Nigeria: a threat to ethno-religious
freedom and democracy, and is a
Master Facilitator in Trauma Healing.
Mark Lipdo