Ministries

A large group of school children gathered outdoors, some raising their hands, with a wall, some trees, and buildings in the background under a cloudy sky.
Group of women standing outdoors in front of a makeshift shelter, all wearing similar patterned skirts and white tops.
Two women smiling and standing in front of a large schedule board with blue and red text.

  • The primary focus of our ministry is—and always will be—Evangelism. We seek to minister to the whole person, but every ministry initiative begins with sharing the Gospel. Practical programs create opportunities to meet people where they are and introduce them to Christ, trusting the Holy Spirit to draw responders into saving faith.

    Our two primary outreach channels are:

    • School ministry: engaging students and school communities with age-appropriate Bible teaching, discipleship, and relational care.

    • Jesus Film screenings: showing the Jesus Film in rural communities to present the life and message of Christ in a clear, accessible way.

    These outreach efforts are concentrated in rural areas in and around Lilongwe, Blantyre, Jenda, and Mzuzu, Malawi, where we aim to build relationships, provide ongoing spiritual support, and connect new believers with local churches for discipleship and growth.

  • In 2018 Circle J Ministries began offering Discipleship Classes in the Lilongwe area. The curriculum consists of a twelve-lesson series translated into Chichewa and printed in multiple sets so local churches can continue using them when our team is not present. Designed to equip church leaders and congregations, the lessons explain why discipleship should be carried out through the local church and provide practical guidance for discipling new converts.

    The classes have been well received. Circle J team members taught the first three to four lessons during their visits; local pastors completed the remaining lessons in the weeks following our departure. Many pastors have requested additional resources; development of those materials is currently underway.

  • There is a severe shortage of pastors across Malawi, especially in rural areas. Rural churches struggle to attract full-time pastors because few employment opportunities exist to support a pastor and family. Small or newly planted congregations often cannot provide reliable financial support, so many pastors relocate to cities where additional work and income are available.

    To meet this need, many urban pastors supervise multiple rural congregations. When we plant a church in a rural area, a partnering urban pastor typically assumes responsibility for it. Some pastors oversee ten or more congregations at once. The urban “mother church” supports rural fellowships by sending deacons each Sunday to preach, while the supervising pastor visits regularly to perform baptisms, funerals, communion, and other pastoral duties.

    Circle J Ministries supports these pastors and congregations by providing Bible study materials, communion elements, and other requested resources. We also organize regional Pastors’ and Wives’ Conferences to offer training, encouragement, and fellowship, strengthening leadership and sustaining ministry in rural communities.

  • Malawi continues to struggle with the long-term effects of HIV/AIDS, deep poverty, and fractured family networks. Widows frequently lack the resources to support their children, and many children are raised in sibling-led households where older brothers or sisters shoulder caregiving and income responsibilities.

    Circle J Ministries has partnered with Hope for Widows, a local Malawian organization, for more than five years to create sustainable livelihoods for vulnerable women. In 2018, donor-funded sewing and knitting machines gave widows in Lilongwe the tools to earn income. Today these women produce school sweaters, purses, rugs, table linens, jewelry, and other handmade goods. Circle J Ministries brings many of these items to the United States for sale, and the proceeds support the ongoing work in Malawi.

    We also encounter many children in sibling-led homes who lack reliable access to daily meals. To meet this need, Circle J Ministries plans to expand support for community feeding programs that provide children and families with consistent, nutritious meals—helping improve health, school attendance, and stability for the households we serve.

    Ways you can help

    • Support income-generation: Donations fund equipment, materials, and training for widows’ cooperatives.

    • Sponsor feeding programs: Regular gifts help provide daily meals for children in sibling-led homes.

    • Purchase handmade goods: Buying products made by Malawian women directly supports their families and local economies.

    Join Circle J Ministries in strengthening families and building sustainable hope for communities in Malawi.

  • In every school where we share the Gospel, we first ask whether a Bible Club already exists. These voluntary, extracurricular clubs meet once a week after school. Where Christian teachers lead clubs, we often invite the local pastor to assist; teachers welcome that support. Circle J Ministries provides lesson materials and arranges translations into Chichewa and Tumbuka.

    Many schools—especially in the northern region—do not yet have Bible Clubs. In those cases we request permission from the headmaster to start one; nearly every request has been approved. Local pastors then visit weekly and teach Bible lessons alongside the school’s teachers.

    We have established clubs at both primary (elementary and junior high) and secondary (high school) levels. Primary school lessons are delivered in Chichewa or Tumbuka; secondary school lessons are taught in English.

  • Since our founding, Circle J Ministries has lived out our commitment to the communities where we share the Gospel. We don’t simply visit, present, and leave—we partner long-term, investing alongside local pastors and their wives to meet spiritual and practical needs.

    Our work includes:

    • Bible and scripture distribution and church support

    • Widow and orphan care programs

    • HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention initiatives

    • Environmental stewardship projects

    These community-focused efforts reflect our conviction that sharing the Gospel includes serving people holistically—spiritually, emotionally, and physically.

  • The Jesus Film is our primary evangelism tool in rural communities. Each evening our team travels to a different village, sets up a projector and screen, and plays music and short Christian videos while a local pastor invites people to return at dusk for the full film. Children arrive first, followed by adults. Near the end of the film we pause to share the Gospel and extend a clear invitation. Over the years, thousands have responded to Christ through these showings.

    The Jesus Film also serves as an effective church‑planting tool. Pastors choose screening locations where a new church or preaching point could take root. Regular monthly screenings—suspended only during the rainy season—have helped establish ongoing ministry in many communities, even when our team is not on site.

    Early screenings in Malawi relied on worn reel‑to‑reel projectors and unreliable generators. Equipment failures often left communities discouraged and events incomplete. We later partnered with Renew World Outreach to provide reliable, portable systems specifically designed for showing the Jesus Film worldwide. Each compact kit fits in a purpose‑built backpack, weighs about 42 pounds, and runs on a durable battery roughly the size of a large cellphone that holds enough charge to play the film twice. We currently have three kits in use across Malawi; local pastors use them monthly, multiplying the impact of each investment.

    A complete kit cost $2,195 (early 2020 price). As funds become available, we plan to acquire additional systems to expand screenings and support new church starts. If you’d like to help us bring the Jesus Film to more villages, contact Circle J Ministries to learn how your gift can provide the equipment and training these communities need.

  • HIV/AIDS has devastated communities across Malawi. In the schools where Circle J Ministries serves, as many as one in four students live without an adult caregiver because their parents or guardians have died from AIDS. Through focused HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention programs, we are working to reduce that number.

    In partnership with local pastors, Circle J Ministries offers age-appropriate classes, educational materials, and Bible Club programs in schools to give children and teens the knowledge and support they need to protect their health and build resilient futures. These efforts combine practical prevention information with compassionate pastoral care to reach young people where they are and empower them to make safer choices.

  • One of the most rewarding outcomes of our school and village evangelism is planting churches where none previously existed. Over the past 10 years we have helped establish 12 new congregations:

    • 9 churches in and around Lilongwe

    • 1 church in a rural area outside Blantyre

    • 1 church in a rural area outside Jenda

    • 1 church in a rural area outside Mzuzu

    These congregations continue to grow; one church regularly welcomes more than 200 people on Sundays. We maintain close relationships with each new church and support them practically by helping to locate land for a permanent building and seeking assistance for roofing and other construction needs when the time comes.
Join Us in Malawi
A group of men in white clothing at an outdoor event. One man is shaking hands with another, who is holding a black box. Several people are watching in the background, with boxes and bags on the ground nearby.
A woman with long braids smiling while sitting on a ledge, peeling raw cassava root into a large woven tray.
Large group of school children seated outdoors on grass, wearing school uniforms, listening to presenters near trees and school buildings.
Four people wearing bright green shirts, sitting in an airplane cabin, smiling, with some giving thumbs-up gestures.