Great Growth At Carmel Apostolic Church
Carmel Apostolic Church in Pontarddulais (Bont) has been experiencing a wonderful time of blessing and unity over the last two years. This unity has come from a steady increase in church attendance, church evangelism and the best of all, 7 people coming to receive Christ as their saviour.
We have seen our fellowship almost double in size as we have undertaken the work of opening a Friendship coffee morning in The Mechanics Institute (the town hall), which will see anything up to 60 people attending, many of whom are completely unchurched. From this adventure we have seen 3 people give their lives to Jesus, and many others attend church meetings on a regular basis.
We have also been privileged to baptize 5 people in the last two years, with another 2 ladies preparing to go through the waters in May 2024. Recently, we baptized a lady called Odette, her story is quite incredible. Odette’s husband was invited to one of our Café Church meetings held once every three months on a Sunday night. He said he would only come if his wife was able to come along too. That night Odette heard the gospel, and that seed went to work in her heart until she finally yielded her life to Christ in March 2023. Odette told her husband that she was now going to serve The Lord and that she had found her home at Carmel. Over 80 people crammed into our building as Odette shared her testimony with great conviction and dignity, whilst 100 plus stood outside to witness the public baptism in a river that runs right outside the building.
We truly are grateful that we are seeing The Lord move and use us as we seek to make Jesus known in the Bont. Jesus said that believers are “salt and light in the earth” (Matthew 5:13-16). The challenge has always been getting the salt and light out of the building and into a community that is tasteless and in need of salt. We believe in the power of the gospel, that as we go, there is an unction from on high, that reaches souls and shares that reward with those who labour for our Lord. Every blessing.