October 2007

Dear Friends

Archbishop-elect

As many of you will be aware, Bishop Thabo Makgoba (47) of Grahamstown has been elected to take over from Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane. He takes up his position from January of next year. His election marks a new era for the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, and we ask for your prayers for +Thabo and his family, the Diocese of Grahamstown as they seek new leadership, and our Anglican Province as we move forward into our future.

Mission & Evangelism: 5 Marks

As you may be becoming aware, one of my growing passions is the question, “How do we do mission & evangelism from an Anglican perspective?” In preparation for the Anglican Decade of Mission in the 1990’s the following five marks were noted:

To proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom;
To teach, baptise and nurture new believers;
To respond to human need by loving service;
To seek to transform unjust structures of society;
To strive to safeguard the integrity of creation and sustain and renew the life of the earth.

During 1996 these five marks were reviewed, with some pertinent insights noted: the focus of all Mission is announcing the Good News (From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Matthew 4:17), and thus a call for Anglicans to be involved in personal and community Evangelism; Mission always happens in context, and is shaped by the great diversity of places, times and cultures in which we live, proclaim and embody it; worship is central to Mission and our common life, a sign that all of life is holy, that hope and meaning can be found in offering ourselves to God; Mission is central to the nature of being Church, and we are called not just to do mission but to be a people of mission; Mission is God-in-action in that Mission is God’s initiative, not ours— we are called simply to serve God's mission by living and proclaiming the Good News.

The Lambeth Conference of 1998 proclaimed: "Mission goes out from God. Mission is God's way of loving and saving the world… So mission is never our invention or choice." (Section II p121). Mission is our duty, and should inform all actions that we take as the people of God.

An Anglican Statement on Mission

In seeking to make a definitive statement on Mission, a statement of the Commission on Mission of the National Council of Churches in Australia was adapted: Mission is the creating, reconciling and transforming action of God, flowing from the community of love found in the Trinity, made known to all humanity in the person of Jesus, and entrusted to the faithful action and witness of the people of God who, in the power of the Spirit, are a sign, foretaste and instrument of the reign of God.

A Response

Much of what is expressed in the five marks, and the insights that came out of the review in 1996 reflect what is already happening within our life, ministry and worship as Anglicans. You will find our liturgy infused with these concepts; the ACSA Constitution and Canons, as well as our Diocesan Rules, reflect these commitments.

The challenge is for us at grassroots level in parish, family and community life, to internalise the understanding that “we are called not just to do mission but to be a people of mission” and that “mission is never our invention or choice”.

Some Questions

How does your life proclaim the message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near!”?

At Corpus Christi we speak of our lives being a place where others meet Christ: who are you inviting into the community of our lives?

Blessings
Mark

http://ww.anglicancommunion.org/mission/fivemarks.cfm

June 2007

Dear Friends

Mission, Ministry & Evangelism

Willow Glen has been our parish growth focus since January, and it is wonderful to see the growth that is happening. May saw the introduction of worship services for that community, and the initial service had great support – thank you! In terms of the Diocesan 3-year programme I have been disappointed by the lack of enthusiasm to visit, but understand the time pressures on many of us, along with genuine fears of travelling the roads at night. However, please consider being brave: Jeanne Jackson (012 348 3505) is coordinating the visiting programme and is looking for further support. Our “Friendship Meals” kicked off with Isobel Holden hosting a meal for some of the single women in the parish, and this was a great success.

The next phase begins in Trinity Tide (now!) and includes a Diocesan Convention on Ministry & Evangelism to be held on 10 June 2007 at 14:00 where we will tell our stories and hear from others. I encourage you to make the effort to attend as it is always encouraging to hear what is happening in other parts of God’s vineyard! As part of this next phase we are encouraged to examine issues of enculturation and liturgy, and our Patronal Festival’s “Cultural Dinner” begins this journey for us – I hope we will see many of you there!

Building

A special parish Vestry meeting has agreed to our plans to do some major maintenance and minor extension to our Church building, as well as erect a bell tower to house the magnificent bell that was recently donated by one of our parish families. Parish Council is finalising our fundraising approach, and we await Diocesan approval, which we hope to have by mid-June. Concept plans are in the parish office, and you are welcome to come and view them.

Youth Fusion (13-18 year olds)

Kerry MacGregor and her team have been working hard to build up our youth, and we held a most successful camp just after Easter (see the April Magazine). After comments last year that our more ad hoc approach was not sufficient, Kerry has committed to holding two Youth events a month during school time. Sadly, attendance is erratic and apart from the first event, has not been well attended despite exciting programmes. We are aware that young people are somewhat fickle and change their minds at the last moment, but I suspect that parent commitment to getting their teenagers to the venue is also an issue. Unless numbers pick up substantially, we may need to review what we can offer our youth outside of Sundays – please, Friends, your support is required!

Please take note that Youth Fusion is for Teenagers (13-18 years) – younger children prove disruptive and are not catered for. There may be a need for a “Tweens” youth group, but we are not able to staff one at this stage.

Visiting

On an irregularly regular basis I put a reminder in the Pewleaflet that I (and other clergy) are available to visit in your homes. It has been a recent pleasure to have been invited in to meet two families. I spend a lot of time meeting people on the Church property around various personal crises or preparation needs, but it is always a pleasure to build relationship in your homes. High walls, security arrangements, and an increasingly busy urban lifestyle make it very difficult to just “pop in” as one perhaps still can in more rural environments, and used to “in the old days”: an invitation – even for a cup of tea – is always welcome!

Information & the Office

I am aware that Church on Sunday is a good time to catch the Rector or Administrator to deal with various issues, and to float various ideas. Please be aware that any “Yes” obtained from me is agreement in principle, but that if any follow-up action is required it is wise to contact the office during the week to follow up on detail or any other action required: yours is not my only conversation, and by Monday morning has become a vague awareness of a mixture of memories from Sunday’s many interactions!

Please also respect our Administrator’s personal space – on Sundays she is just Gwen, a parishioner of the Parish. On Monday morning she reverts to Administrator! Again, please phone in during the week to deal with “Church Matters”. Please also note the office is closed for administrative purposes on Thursdays – the answering machine will direct you to members of the clergy if you have a crisis that needs urgent intervention.

Crime Prayer Summit

Sadly, it appears that while the crime situation is often part of our conversations, sacrificing a Sunday afternoon to join other Christians to reflect prayerfully on crime is not, and raises the question as to whether we are really serious about dealing with crime and corruption, or just concerned for our own skins. My personal thanks to Nan Muir, Gill Condy and Paul Pretorius for representing Corpus Christi and Willow Glen. As part of the proceedings, those gathered were called to make a commitment to refrain from the purchase of stolen goods as a personal contribution to fighting crime, which was overwhelmingly received. Paul Pretorius will be coordinating this in the parish, and I ask for your support for “Smack Attack”.

Blessings

Mark