November 2006

Dear Friends

The year draws rapidly to an end … quite where it has gone is anyone’s guess. The last month has been one of sadness and joy.

Sadness

The van der Merwe, Coetzee and Rodda families have all experienced the loss of loved ones—please keep them in your prayers.

Joy

We have celebrated the marriages of Anton and Tarryn Smit (neé Bertoni) and Monty and Misha Matee (neé Govind). Please keep them in your prayers as they begin a new and exciting chapter in their lives.

Staff developments

Our Administrator, Bonita, has resigned due to Trevor receiving a management promotion to Port Elizabeth. While being grateful to God for this blessing in their lives, we will miss them both. Bonita has played an increasingly important role in the office and parish, and I will certainly miss her. She has been professional, efficient, reliable and caring, and has impacted very positively on the life of us all.

Planning

2007 is almost upon us, and next year holds some exciting possibilities—more about this in the December Magazine—for us as a parish. The new Council (who will officially take over after Annual Vestry in January will meet towards the end of November to do some planning for next year.

Caring for Young People

I had the privilege of running a workshop on “Young People & Worship” for a recent Diocesan Children’s Ministry morning event held at the Cathedral. In preparing, I realised that we often over-simplify ministry to young people by talking of “Youth”, and that we need to focus on the differing needs of the various age groups that this encompasses. Young children learn best through stories, teenagers through discussion, and young adults through debate.

In terms of worship (and this is true for adults, too) we need to understand, and we need to participate.

Churches where ministry to and for young people thrives are often communities who employ a full-time, paid youth-pastor with responsibility for facilitating the diverse aspects of this ministry.

As Anglicans—and this is true of us here at Corpus Christi—we rely on volunteer parents who already have full lives (families, work, and other commitments), but expect the results of a full-time commitment. Further, we want young adults and young married couples to be more involved, but then complain when toddlers make a noise during services; we want Sunday School but leave it up to the faithful few to teach our children; we want a Family Service but then don’t attend because we have to control our own children during worship.

There comes a point where we need to acknowledge that sacrifice and discomfort are required if we want ministry to young people to take place in our parish. We need to have the courage to step out in faith and make it happen.

Women’s Ministry

I have raised with Council the possibility of the formation of a branch of the Anglican Women’s Fellowship (AWF) in the parish. I recently came across a copy of the History and Formation of the D.A.W.F. [Diocesan Anglican Women’s Fellowship] in Pretoria, which outlined the aims of the AWF as:

¨ Prayer & Worship
¨ Fellowship & Study
¨ Mission & Witness
¨ Service and Stewardship

Whereas the Mothers’ Union (M.U.) “is dedicated to the witness of Christian marriage”, the AWF is broader and seeks to “unite all women into a fellowship of prayer and service”.

I am aware that belonging to such a group in a parish gives women a collective mandate for ministry and service, something that one does not necessarily experience as an individual.
Please speak to me if you are interested in the parish taking this further.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Shamiso Kumbirai on her election as Head Girl for St Mary’s DSG for 2007—we are very proud of you!

Blessings
Mark