Besonderse mense is vir my tot 'n seën

SONDAG SE PLAASBEDIENING

Sondag is ons weer na die skooltjie tussen die plase langs die Bottelary pad. My pa en ma is ook daar en bring vir Anna en Jeanette saam. Hulle getuig van verlossing uit verslawing van drank, dagga en rowwe lewens.

Hier staan my ma en pa Anna met die wit kopdoek en Jeanette met die swart kopdoek. Hulle lyk baie ernstig hier, ons het seker oor 'n groot uitdaging gesels.

Die trane het geloop met hulle getuienis en ek glo dat dit 'n geweldige indruk moes maak op die mense. Jeanette het vertel hoe die Here die spirits so bitter gemaak het dat sy dit nie eers met koffie kon inkry nie en dit het haar lewe gered.

Die ander ding waarmee die Here met haar gepraat het is dat sy nie meer 'n ma vir haar kinders was nie. Hulle was baie keer honger en verwaarloos. Dan het albei 'n getuienis van 'n kragdadige bekering wat hulle lewens tot in die wese verander het. Hoe hulle ontdek het dat hulle nie kan nie, maar 'n Here dien wat deur Sy gees wonderwerke gedoen het. Genade onbeskryflik groot.

In die kar praat hulle oor baie seerkry in hulle lewens en hoe hulle nie daaroor kan kom nie. Ons praat van hoe mens vir die Here kan kwaad word en dat dit deel van ons verhouding met Hom is. Hoe eerliker ons is, hoe meer van ons hart kan ons met Hom deel en Hy wil deur die seerkry nader kom aan ons. Hy is nie veroordelend nie.

Ons besoek 'n huis van 'n jong man wat verslaaf is aan tik dagga en dra bende tattoeer merke. Hy wil graag bevry word daarvan, maar sy pa raak net kwaad vir hom en help hom nie. Ek sit in die sink huisie langs hom op die bed en bid vir hom en gesels eerlik soos net hulle kan doen. Hy kom agter ek is aan sy kant en ek dink dit is die grootste boodskap. Net soos ek aan sy kant is, is die Here ook aan sy kant. Hy deel die stryd met hom. Hy het die week vir die eerste keer reg gekry om nie saam met sy vriende se verslaafde partytjies toe te gaan nie, maar om by die huis te bly.

Handevat begin maar nou eers sy voete vind. Veral in die begin tyd, moet mens ure in vergaderings sit. Dit is baie bevrydend dat mens nou ook al meer met uitreike betrokke raak, want dit is daar waar ons as gemeentes iets kan ervaar van die nood rondom ons. Dit is onder andere daar waar ons leiers kan bystaan en die rimpelings van God se koninkryk kan sien beweeg.

DRC Presbytery Task group for "Fresh Expressions of Church" and involvement

I attended my first Presbytery meeting in South-Africa. The Presbytery talked about the recent General Synod meeting where a mission identity were decided to be a value for the DRC. "Dutch Reformed Church".
The presbytery talked about "Fresh expressions" of MSM and evaluated that we need to do something like that in Brackenfell. They elected representatives from the four congregations and asked this task group to start a Fresh Expression in Brackenfell. I were asked to help in this initiative.
After two meetings we start to form ideas on how this approach can help the community of Brackenfell. I am the only one in the group that did the training.
I still do not know how this initiative will develope, but I am enthusiastically part of it. I firmly believe that it is a step in the right direction.

New expressions of Church and involvement

"New expressions of Church" is an initiative of MSM (Mission shaped Ministries) from the UK. 

It is an initiative that created 80% of new growth of churches in the UK. The basis of this movement is missional. The church as it exists today, do not manage to get people back to the pews. Even if the church do their work, which they did up to now, very well, they have the potential to reach only a very small portion of the population. Most of the population will not sit in a pew again. Something else is necessary. In Brackenfell we know we have about 300 000 people and in all the christian churches together, there is a membership of about 12 000. Most people are not negative towards christianity, but will not sit on pews on Sundays.

New expressions of Church is giving the church training, not to get people in the Church building, but to go out and reach the people that will not come. It is possible to create an expression of church in the community that looks and functions differently, without giving away the biblical principles of being church. 

MSM worked out a course of 24 modules on subjects like: Prayer, Sacrements, Discipleship, Small groups, etc. I participated in them and found them very useful. I believe that this course will help many churches in South-Africa also. The DRC already included this course on the training of new Reverents. 

Read more about MSM at: http://www.missionshapedministry.org/

I were asked by the MSM South-African group to be part of in their planning and training group for 2014 and also present some of the modules. I believe that I can play a roll in a process to adapt this training for the South-African situation. I believe that this training will help many churches in South-Africa.
This year more than 50 leaders were trained and next year it looks as if more people will be trained.