You can Dr. T. Cyprian and Joy Ann Kia and family at: thekias@yahoo.com

PERSONAL PROFILE

Cyprian and Joy are serving missionaries in Nigeria whose residence is at Ika village in the Enjema District of Ankpa Local Government Area of Kogi State. They serve all the assemblies in Benue and Kogi State specifically, and generally throughout the entire country.

Joy started her ministry with the Child Evangelism Fellowship and conducted Good News clubs in Worcester, MA and in West Virginia. Before her commendation to Nigeria in 1969 she had many years experience in hospitals and public health, including supervision of Mercer County Home Health Agency and at Princeton Memorial Hospital. She arrived in Nigeria in 1970 and while there, in addition to nursing duties, she taught English at Faith Bible College, Ayangba, held Bible Clubs in the villages, and home schooled the children. She is a nurse and also has a degree in business administration.

Cyprian, whose background is in law, answered the call of the Lord from the position of a manager in an insurance company. While securely employed he was actively engaged in the preaching of the gospel both indoors and out. In addition to his background in law, he has a doctorate in missiological anthropology, as well as masters degrees in theology, missiology and business administration. Joy and Cyprian are blessed with three children. Their ministry consists of Bible teaching, evangelism, discipleship, leadership training, and counseling. All these are carried out on university campuses, high schools, local assemblies, Bible conferences, and Christian fellowships. They also utilize the Emmaus Correspondence courses for evangelism and discipleship and are seeing fruits throughout Nigeria.

Their perception of themselves is that of heralds of good news, of evangelists calling on persons everywhere to be reconciled to God, of gardeners who are planting and growing churches, of wounded healers introducing the hurting world to the Great Physician, of prophets who warn of judgment, and of pilgrims who journey toward the City of God. Consequently they do not engage in amassing possessions and empire building. Over the years they have seen many come to know the truth and accept the Lord, believers gathered unto Him and aided and comforted in their spiritual growth. In these years, they have also experienced rejections, attempts on their lives, evil reports, and distresses.

The Lord alone knows what awaits in the future. May He in His grace grant the strength to confide in Him alone with simple childlike faith. What makes us tremble more is not what happens to us from the outside, but the wickedness of our own hearts.

GOALS

1. To establish New Testament Assemblies that are autonomous centers of evangelism, nurturing, and service.

2. To assist national assemblies in Bible teaching, leadership, discipleship training, and character development.

3. To encourage local assemblies toward interdependence in mission.

4. To engage in peace making by reconciling conflicts, alleviating suffering, and participating in development.

5. To assist every believer in discovering their gift or gifts and function as believer priests.

Pray for us that God would supply all our needs according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19), that we would be submissive to the Lord's purpose and follow His lead (Exodus 32:34; Isaiah 1:19), and that the children would walk as obedient children before the Lord (I Peter 1:14-16).

MINISTRY PHILOSOPHY TOWARDS HOME MINISTRIES AND ASSEMBLIES

A. To help our local assemblies carry out the Great Commission

1. By encouraging them to start new fellowships and train leaders.

2. By supporting urban and ethnic ministries.

3. By encouraging body life and evangelism.

B. To extend the Kingdom of God and build the church through discipleship

1. By training the youth and young adults to be radically obedient disciples of Jesus Christ.

2. By releasing them to participate in global service and evangelism.

OUR MISSION

The central ministry of the missionary is to serve as the catalyst to assist in drawing the believers together, training them for service and then encouraging them in their unique ministries. Our task therefore has been to lead people of all nations and ethnicities to personal faith in Christ, to growth in Christlikeness and active involvement in a local church by teaching the Word of God through evangelism, seminars, and leadership training strategies.

FINANCIAL POLICY

We are committed not to let ministry "needs" get in the way of the Lord's message. Should enough support not come in, we would take that as the Lord's signal to cut back or to "close up shop." We are committed to living within the means God's people have entrusted to us and moving at the Lord's pace.

CURRENT NEWSLETTER

January 2005

Dear Saints, 

Four years into the 21st century has wakened us all to the fact that our world is aimlessly heading to its end (2 Peter 3:10). The evidence to this fact abounds in our environment, economy, society, and on the political terrain. Individually we react to this reality in the different ways we express ourselves. We do so in self-love, boastfulness, abusiveness, ungratefulness, unholy living, material pursuit, and mean spiritedness. Collectively we are alarmed, panicky, and helpless (2 Timothy 3:2-5). 

Christmas has reminded us that there is hope because our God, the Creator before whom nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37), has sent His Son with a solution (Matthew 1:21), a solution that will keep us from the destruction that is imminent before us (Leviticus 18:24,25). This Son laid in the manger is the guarantor and safe place for all to be in times like this. Hence, the angels sang “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to men in whom His favor rests” (Luke 2:14). 

Sin is the chain that ties us to the destruction that is aimed at the earth. In the Son this chain is broken, and we are provided a safe place to land. The earth may be coming to an end, but we who are in the beloved Son are united in Him in His endless life, and we will not end (I Thessalonians 5:9,10). We will not end because sin, which enslaves us and corrupts our world, is robbed of its power and authority, and we are free. 

Sin, therefore, can no longer take us further than we want to go or keep us longer than we want to stay or cost us more that we can truly afford. May we take hold of our gentle Father’s hand and walk in His Son’s footsteps, for they will never lead us astray. Whatever your dreams, whatever your hopes, may they come true for you in the new year through God’s leading and His loving grace. 

Cyprian has stayed home to see Joy through the health crises that challenged us greatly in 2004. Joy was twice hospitalized and then months of visits to hospital, doctors and clinics marked our daily routine. As God provides, he will travel back to Nigeria to continue serving in the work. Many have written expressing disappointment that he has not been seen this past year and are expecting his arrival. 

Leaders of various aspects of the work kept close touch with us. They gave us several opportunities to participate in absentia in the decisions they make regarding their growth and the Lord’s work. May the Lord Himself cause us to surrender our own will and give it up completely to Him. Our vision of Him and His doings has been enlarged. So we are now passionately committed to the raising of the next generation of leaders through training and disciple-making. 

Prayer items 2005: 

1. that we will pursue the rare legacies of lives lived in virtue 

2. that we will not look for peace and joy in the false glitter of things that can be seen 

3. that we will not allow success or failure to turn us from the Presence of God 

4. that we will be content to serve our blessed Savior as obscure soldiers of the cross 

5. that we will enjoy wholeness and health, vigor and strength. 

We remain ever in Emmanuel, 

Cyprian and Joy

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P.O. Box 50824
Los Angeles, CA 90050