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

March 2007

Dear Friends

On Parish Renewal

The Diocesan “3 Year Programme on Mission and Ministry”, motivated at our last Diocesan Synod, calls for us to begin at home, and to focus on the renewal of our parish life, starting with our own families and moving on from there. This year, entitled the Diocesan Year of Mission and Evangelism, is all about finding the lost sheep and bringing them back into the fold. I was encouraged by the efforts many put into bringing a family member or close friend – who do not normally attend Church – to Church at the beginning of February. The challenge now is to keep them coming and to integrate them into our parish life. A further challenge is to identify those who reside on our Parish Roll but not in our Parish Church, and to draw them back in.

Love Your Neighbour

Our Archdeaconry focus for Lent is “Love your neighbour”. As a parish we are responding in two ways: firstly we are attempting to understand our neighbour, and our Lent Course focus is on giving us an opportunity to explore different aspects of Christian Spirituality – both to help us discover and deepen our own Spirituality, but also to understand where other fellow Christians come from, and how we interlink with each other as Anglicans and as members of different Christian denominations; secondly we are seeking to build friendship by inviting you as parishioners to hold a meal in your home, inviting a parish family you know and a family you don’t know to share food and fellowship.

Young People

It was exhilarating to find an excited group of young people running around the parish grounds last Friday evening (I believe the T-bone was eventually found … and later devoured!), meeting in the Hall for some Scriptural reflection, and later sharing fellowship around the Braai-fire. It was a wholesome mixture of fellowship, fun and interaction with scripture for our teenagers. Our Young Adults have also had some positive interactions, including a braai at Epiphany House. One of the challenges for our young people this year will be to draw back in those who have been confirmed over the last five-years, but sadly have treated their Confirmation as a form of “Church Leaving” graduation.

Willow Glen Mission

Our missionary Deacon, Vernon Foster, reports elsewhere in this magazine on this exciting mission initiative. I sincerely ask for your prayers for this development, and for Vernon in particular. He has taken up this challenge, and has thrown himself into it with fortitude. Your support – however you are able to demonstrate it – is valued.

Security

Corpus Christi has joined the Garsfontein Proper Residence Association, which links into the Garsfontein Community Policing Forum. The challenges in addressing crime and violence are massive, and although seemingly overwhelming, there is light on the horizon. You may have noticed substantially increased police activity in the last two weeks, and this is a result of the Garsfontein Police Station being able to access significant additional resources since the President’s “State of the Nation” address to Parliament. The key, though, is for us as residents to begin to take back responsibility for the safety of our own areas by working together. So get involved with a Home Owners Association in your area, support the local Community Police Forum: be involved!

Blessings

Mark

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