Please uphold Matampi family in prayer!

Dear friends,

As a precaution, while under anaesthetic, Kefilwe Matampi was given an injection in the neck to improve blood flow to her head area and to lessen pain and headaches. She was discharged from hospital on Monday. Please uphold the family in prayer at this time. Kefilwe is still on medication and drowsy, but things are moving forward.

Blessings,

Liz and Solomon.

Please give freely of foodstuffs this Easter & every other week for that matter

Flashback to Harvest Festival .... you gave generously then, so let's do it again

Dear friends,

Sunday is a special day for all Christians, but we can make it special for all those in need of just the basic food stuffs to get by. Chairwoman of the WA Sophia Williamson highlighted the challenge on Sunday in pointing out the need for our congregation to give generously in terms of staples, so that the WA can maintain the standard of packing the required 17 food parcels.

If you have anything to spare in terms of rice, tea, sugar, jam, biscuits, peanut butter, mealie meal, oats, soup, table jellies, pasta, tinned milk, vegetables fish, meat, fruit (small and large tins) please bring the groceries and pop them into the baskets at the door.

And Sunday being Easter Sunday please bring along fresh eggs, by the dozen. These go to charities were support.

And it doesn't end there. If you are to attend the bring and share breakfast between the Communion and   10h30 services please bring along rolls, cheese and jam for a welcome light snack.

Note the diary has been heavily updated, so you now have a ready reference to our Activities in this holiest of weeks.

The St Mark's Editorial Team

Bigger challenges await the men of St Mark's

Chairman of the Men for the Master Giyani Matampi ... all smiles on a very special day.

The Men for the Master have a clearly defined  Mission Statement and Aims and Objectives and much was achieved this past quarter.The big clean-up and the seminar with Rev. Dr Amon Kasambala, but we have not scratched the surface of what needs to be done. The Lord will guide us in our second quarter Here's a brief reminder of what the men stand for..

Mission Statement
 To cultivate the fields and take care of the sheep

 Aims and Objectives
 enhance the Spiritual growth of the members
 provide support to the Sunday school and the youth
 provide a forum that enables the involvement of Men in the life of the congregation
 contribute towards the maintenance of the church’s property
 encourage giving and donating towards the finances of the congregation

The St Mark's Editorial Team.

The men vow to make a difference at St Mark's!

The men of St Mark's celebrating the Lord is song on Sunday ... use the slideshow feature lower down the blog site on the right to see lots more pictures.

It is perhaps a small blip in the magnificent history of St Mark's Presbyterian Church, Yeoville, but the 28th  March 2010, Passion Sunday, will be remembered by the men of the congregation and their family members, as one of the most significant days of their lives as the Lord, continues to work his little miracles in the spiritual life of this ever changing congregation.

On Sunday, the Men for the Master, who had started off in such a small way last year with Interim Moderator Moshe Rajuili, our Probationer Solomon Surwumwe and our chairman Giyani Matampi the founder members, were granted permission to lead a men's service by Session, in recognition of their status as an Association in good standing with St Mark's along the same lines as the WA.

The Congregation turned out in numbers - the official count was 139, including 39 children, in whom the future of this congregation and the Christian faith rests.

Norman Mangena and his young charges display their palm branches

It was an emotional service, representative of all generations and all race groups, and thanks must go to all those who put so much time and effort into getting this together. To Irvine Florence, who so ably linked the various aspects of the service, to Giyani, for speaking so eloquently in his sermon of hope and commitment, to the Sunday school and their teachers, Colleen Butler and Norman Mangena; for Joy and Sophia who went all the way out to the Flower Market to get the palm breaches; and to to men, who came forward to celebrate the Lord in songs of praise.

St Mark's diversity was spelled out in many ways on Sunday, not least of which were the many national costumes on show. But despite our differences it is only in unity that we will succeed. And Giyani pointed the way forward by pledging that the men and the WA will build on already solid foundations to both spread and sustain the faith and service to our congregation in Yeoville.

NOTE: Giyani's sermon title was "God's purpose for Man." The readings were: Genesis 2:4-17 & John 10: 7-16.
 

The St Mark's Editorial Team..

We have friends in need of prayer at this time

Dear friends,

Please pray for Kefilwe Matampi her, her doctors and for Giyani and the children. She was checked into hospital on Friday with a suspected neurological problem causing numbness to the left side of her face and a problem with her lip. The doctor wants to do further tests including a brain scan.

Samuel Ayeah’s wife, Zoleka, is also not well and in hospital – she is expecting their third child so please keep her, hospital staff,  Sam and their two daughters, in prayer too.

I am not sure whether her problem is related to her pregnancy, but she has not been well throughout, so it may be so.

I do not have info re which hospitals Kefilwe and Zoleka are in. Anyone who has this info please let us all know.

Thanks and blessings to all, especially Giyani and Sam, and their families,

Liz

How about a Gardening Fund for St Mark's?

Hi there,

Just a BIG “Thank you” to Marianne for taking over on the gardening side … I did have a fear, when I heard that Jane had left us, that the garden would take a downward plunge, so it is good to know that another enthusiast has taken over the reins, who will devote time and energy to its maintenance.  I would like to suggest a “Gardening Fund” (I don’t think there is one in existence?), so that the contributions can be used to replenish the plants in order for St Mark’s to remain the Oasis in Yeoville!

Blessings,

Val.

Marianne volunteers to help with the garden

This was the big clean up day ... Marianne has already brought in plants to fill the gaps

The Women's Association met on Wednesday and one of the topics on the agenda was the continued maintenance of the garden, so ably maintained by Jane Henderson, so selflessly, for so many years. Jane is no longer involved, so the WA has decided to remove the gardening portfolio from it's monthly to do list. Session will be duly informed officially of this turn of events, but Marianne van Heerden, herself a keen and accomplished gardener, has volunteered to pick up where Jane left off with one proviso ... that Wednesday becomes the gardening day, so that she can align her interest in the garden with Barbara MacMurray's Bible Study at the church, thereby saving multiple trips across town. We watch this space with interest.

The St Mark's Editorial Team

Men, we need you early at church on Sunday!

There's nothing like a healthy plate of food ... Elvis Fokala in fine spirits after Rev. Dr. Amon Kasambala's service last Sunday.

My dear friends,

Would you believe that I have been privilaged enough to have attended all the seminars hosted by Rev. Dr. Amon Kasambala.  I could sense that most of the people, who attended "So, who is the boss in your house?" att St Mark's over the long weekend,   were excited and especially the men who are preparing for their big day this coming Sunday.

Our chairman Giyani Matampi has asked me to remind all of you that the men are required to come so as and participate in the all the work that needs to be done.

I do not want to give details of the content of Rev/ Dr Kamabala's seminar here, because Amon willsending notes to the people who attended via e-mail

Last Saturday around 20 people attended; on Sunday we were more than 40 people and on Monday 24 were on hand to give me their contact details

NOTE: Thank you Solomon these details have now been added to our distribution list.

Blessings,

Emmanuel Solomon Surwumwe

Lent Fact File

The period of 40 weekdays before Easter observed in some Christian churches as a period of prayer, penance, fasting, and self-denial. This period, starting on Ash Wednesday in Western churches, commemorates the 40 days that Jesus Christ spent fasting in the wilderness.

Contributed by Val Brake

It was a"boss" performance from Men for the Master choir on Sunday!

Rev. Dr. Amon Kasambala ... hosted the opening session of "So, who is the boss in your family?" at St Mark's on Saturday.

The theme for Rev. Dr. Amon Kasambala's 3 day seminar at St Mark's was, "Who is the boss of your family?"

Basically this dealt with the role of the man in the family from a scriptural point of view. The seminar also served as a "retreat" for the Men for the Master, who will achieve official status as an association under the auspices of St Mark's on the 28th March.

The readings - 1 Kings 19 1-14 & ; 2 Corinthians 13 5-13 -  were ably delivered by Irvine Florence. The Lord cleared touched our community for Rev. Dr. struck a chord with more than the men of our congregation. His sermon, "How are you doing?" was a talking point with all those, who were fortunate enough to attend the "open" service this Sunday.

This struck such a chord with Marianne van Heerden that she nipped into the A S Welsh Hall to search for Rev. Dr. Kasambala's book related to the subject. She had no luck on that score, clearly he has another topic to embellish upon. She did however find another interesting book by Dr Kasambala, called "Parenting with Assurance".

The men of St Mark's soaking in the wisdom of Rev Dr. Kasambala in the A S Welsh Hall. 

Sunday also saw the first "public"   performance by the Men for the Master choir. They had practised all week under our Interim Moderator Moshe Rajuili's baton, and they, and the traditional choir were in fine voice in a shared communion service.

The congregational lunch after the service that the WA ran out of food. Marianne reported that dollops of ice cream made up for it. Yes, we can go forward together.

Thank you to Sophia Williamson and the WA for the wonderful lunch ... the seminar ends tomorrow with a review of the past two days with Rev. Dr. Kasamabala.


Meanwhile our Probationer Solomon Surwumwe, contributed this report on the Saturday seminar: "So, who is the boss in your house?" presented by Rev. Dr. Amon Kasambala, got off to a fine start st St Mark's on Saturday. Among the highlights was a performance by the Men for the Master choir. The 20 delegates who attended the opening day of the seminar, among them SABC Sport soccer analyst Christophe Bongo, from St Giles, felt all that they had benefited from the exchanges and Rev. Dr. Kasambala. It was disappointing that the wives were not present to share the views expressed, but then this is a "Men's Retreat." concluded Solomon.

Other snippets:

Solomon has completed his last PATS seminar, which ended at Rocky Valley in Krugersdorp this week. Yes, our Probationer will soon be a Minister. He is passing his exams with flying colours.

And the best for last - the office land line is working. Telkom have fixed the fault. Dial 011 648 1115 to get connected.

NOTE: There are many more pictures to be hand with our slideshow feature, which you can access by scrolling down the right hand side of this page. Geoff missed out on the seminar because of work, but Elvis, Solomon and Norman kept the camera clicking.

The St Mark's Editorial Team.

St Mark's joins in a grand plan to unite Presbyterian congregations in prayer

Here is the letter that sparked Colleen Butler into action. It explains the concept that will bring us all together for 50 weeks. The project has both Moshe and Solomon's. Colleen has put a register on the bulletin board in the A S Welsh Hall. Get involved St Mark's. Read on and keep 23 to 25 April open. We need to pray in one hour slots both day and night.

"FRERE ROAD AND BEREA

PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES

Congregations of the Uniting Church in Southern Africa

To All Ministers and Congregations of the U.P.C.S.A.

Dear Friends,

Greeting to you all from a warm and beautiful Durban.  Derek Potgieter, minister at Frere Road Congregation and myself, William Poole, minister of the Berea and Stella Congregations, would like to put a suggestion to you which has the support of the Moderator of the Assembly and the General Secretary.

Our suggestion, as you will see by the title of this letter, is to try and get congregations from the Cape to the Copper belt in Zambia to join in a concert of prayer to cover 50 weeks of the year 2010.

We are asking congregation to consider praying for a whole day (24 hours) or for a weekend, or for a whole week, with each day broken down into one hour slots and volunteers taking responsibility for each hour.  We believe that there must be at least 50 out of our 400 congregations who would be prepared to take up this challenge.

We think that if we manage to carry this off it will create a wonderful sense of unity for our church sharing in one common activity.  We also hope that this will direct our church and Congregation into new ventures and mission.

The St Mark's Editorial Team.

Lucky 21 for Kasambala seminar

The seminar, "Who's the boss in your house?" will be well attended. Chairman of Men for the Master Giyani Matampi checked in with our friend Maxwell, who has been keeping a tab on acceptances for the sessions with Rev. Dr. Amon Kasambala and here's his e-mail:

"Hi all

I' spoke with Maxwell this morning he has a list of 21 names and he'll e-mail it to Liz today.

Regards

Giyani"

That's a good turn out St Marks. Remember the seminar starts on Saturday and ends on Monday. Check out the Diary section of your web site for more details.

The St Mark's Editorial Team.

Mac and Shirley made a meal of Yeoville

Mac and his beloved Shirley .... the needy of Yeoville will not forget them in a hurry


For many years churches around Yeoville helped the Meals on Wheels Organisation in Muller Street,    Each Church cooked 36 dinners once a month and served them up into the receptacles which were sent round to the church the day before.  Payment was from various sources, but there was always some contribution from the people doing the cooking.  The meals were then collected from St Mark's by Meals on Wheels,

Margaret McClarty  took over as team leader/finance-record keeper in 1994.  At this time the McTaggerts were helping Pat Barenburg to buy the meat, and when Pat became too ill to participate George (Mac to his friends) took her place on the team.  He and Shirley not only pre-cooked half of the meat needed six times a year, but also took over the payment for it. 

On the day three or four members of the team finished off the cooking in the church kitchen from about 7 to 9 a.m. and then served up the 36 meals, which were then collected by the Meals on Wheels people for distribution.  Mac did mainly the re-heating and serving up of the meat.  (There were two teams alternating monthly). 

Well done Shirley and Mac for 16 years of selfless service to the community.


The St Mark's Editorial Team.

Men for the Master looking for a Master Blaster choir

Our new choir, but the men will be making one or adjustments to the line-up just our one special day.

Moshe will be at Church on Tuesday at 19h00 to eye out the available men's talent for the choir that will grace the service to be led by the Men for the Master on the 28th March. An SMS notification has been out to the lads and we are expecting a good turnout/ The more who arrive the rehearsal the better. Giyani, Roger and Elvis have undertaken to have the drums thumping and there may be other African instruments we have not seen before involved Your scribe is so looking forward to this part of the service as we celebrate our diversity.

The St Mark's Editorial Team 

Solomon's car is coming to to a crunching halt

Jackie Turner and Solomon all smiles at Perry's baby shower. She was still in hospital with David.

Perry and David drove out to Solomon at Rocky Valley,where Dad is on course with fellow Probationers. On the way home the car broke down and is is currently in a garage in Germiston. The diagnosis is dirty petrol tank and fuel filter. Just recently Solomon was stranded on the highway with break problems Perhaps our church car could be rolled out to solve Solomon transport blues in the interim until a permanent solution comes into play. Use the comment button below to have you say on the issue.

Have a look at the Rocky Valley Web site at:

http://www.rockyvalley.org.za/   

The St Mark's Editorial Team

Faith Presbyterian Church Huntsville focuses on outreach

Dear Friends,
Dave from Faith Presbyterian Church Huntsville, has been in touch. Faith are "twinned" with Kensington, but he shares the news with us too. They are really busy and they have a web site dedicated to their various endeavours. It may be worth clicking on the hyper link below to get a "feel" of the scope of their projects.

http://hs.presby.org/stories.php

Blessings,

The St Mark's Editorial Team.

Geoff and Goofus part ways after 32 years

Geoff and Goofus and yes the dam is very green, but it's beautiful


Geoff has decided to sell his Mistral yacht Goofus after more than three decades of fun in the sun at Hartbeespoort Dam. The decision was eventually an easy one. Soaring club membership fees and a bad back added up t  making the sensible choice. Still it was a wrench for our "techie" Elder.

The Jamiesons came around to casa Van Heerden on Friday night..They are currently on train with their new Corolla heading home to the Cape. This is quite a nifty option. You can load your car onto a flatbed and then sit back for 28 hours, while the train does all the hard work. It was great seeing them.And would you believe that this is one of the Corollas, that has been recalled to have its accelerator fixed. Fortunately the Jamiesons are intact and the "fix" takes only two hours. They'll have it done next week.

Geoff is currently up to his ears in 2010 as there are are fewer than 12 weeks to go before the World Cup kicks off. This will mean less time to play with the Blog, so be patient and await an update notification, which will mean that he has been busy.

Blessings,

The St Mark's Editorial Team.

Great news for Amon Kasambala!

Dear all,

I thought you may want to share this news with me which I received from a high profile Zambian researcher based in New York, USA.

 It has been brought to my attention that I have been listed in the latest publication on “Who’s Who Among Zambians” – a prominent and internationally recognized publication.  This is a collection of high profile Zambians (currently living outside the country) who have made great international contribution, achievement & difference in Academics, Research, Politics, Economics, Education, etc.  You are most welcome to search the web site provided (below) for more information on this.

The news came as a surprise to me – as it has always been the case when I am spotted out like this.

To God be the Glory! May this encourage each and every one of you as you continue to make a difference in people’s lives and in your current situations.

 Regards,

Amon.

Rev. Dr. Amon Kasambala .... below is the e-mail that put a smile on Amon's face:


Dear Dr. Kasambala,

This is to inform you that the Mwape Who's Who Among Zambians: Collector's Limited Edition 2010 is now available and you are listed in it. Congratulations on all your achievements and great contribution.  You make us proud.

You may get your copy at: http://www.mwape.com/whoswho.html

To buy it in Kwacha, please email: james@mwape.com for instructions.

Regards,

James Mwape
Publisher: Who's Who
www.mwape.com
1-856-745-1643

St Mark's spreads a little cheer

The members of St Mark's gave generously at Harvest Festival this year. The church was a picture with many and varied vegetables and fruits strewn artfully for all to appreciate. But the Lord blessed these gifts and St Mark's has received letters of gratitude from both Guild Cottage and Means on Wheels. We print this correspondence for your interest and to serve as an inspiration to celebrate the joy of giving.

Letter 1: 

Dear Members of St Mark's Congregation,

Thank you for the wonderful collection of fresh produce from your Harvest Festival which you kindly delivered to us on Monday, our children will thoroughly enjoy everything.

Your ongoing support of us is always appreciated.

May the Lord Bless you all abundantly.

Yours sincerely

PA Heslop
Director: Guild Cottage

(When we dropped off the boot full of fruit and veg, Trish the director, was thrilled and said the food would last for the rest of the week)

The fruits of the Harvest ... Guild Cottage and Meals on Wheels were beneficiaries

Letter 2:

Dear Friends

Thanks you for once again remembering us and our recipients and giving us that wonderful bounty from your Harvest Festival.

As I said to Sophia when she delivered all these wonderful vegetables and fruit, we were just about to go out and buy some.

Many thanks and God Bless

Love

Wena (Congregational Church: Meals on Wheels)

Be the first to know!

Barbara (far right) is back from Australia and New Zealand and the ladies of her Bible cannot wait to launch their studies at their first meeting of 2010 on Wednesday.

Dear friends

Did you know our Probationer Solomon is having voice coaching at Accents Training CC? Did you know that this training is sponsored almost entirely by Presbytery? Did you know that Barbara MacMurray's Bible Study is back in full swing? It starts again tomorrow at St Mark's. Who is Rev. Dr. Amon Kasambala? All these and other questions are answered right here on your one stop information pit stop in celebration of the Lord.

You'll find the Order of Service on Sunday in the right hand column. Scroll down below that for the Twitter headlines, with all the latest news snippets. Keep going down and you'll find everything from the Church Diary to a Google Map of Yeoville. There's a Bible Research tool and the verse of the day is updated daily. What's more we are inter active. So you can post a comment on any article on the site.

Enjoy the Marksman Online as we build our Christian community in Yeoville.

God bless,

The St Marks Editorial Team.. 

Please distribute the flyer that has been e-mailed to you!

A flyer has been distributed to our e-mail list in the hope that we all print it and stick it on our various notice boards, so that all men get know about the seminar "So is the head of you family, at St Mark's over the long weekend. Here is a text copy of what Val Brake produced for us. The real thing is in colour and snazzy.

The flyer: 

"So, who is the head of your family?” is a seminar for men exploring their responsibilities in family church and society. The seminar will run from 20th March to 22nd March at St Mark's and will be led by the Rev. Dr Amon Kasambala, CEO of Focus on the Family, South Africa.

Dr. Kasambala will be asking the men of St Mark's the tough question:"So, who is the head of your family?"

CEO of Focus on the Family Dr. Kasambala, was born in Zambia on December 13, 1965.

As lecturer at Justo Mwale Theological College in Lusaka Zambia, his responsibilities included:
• Lecturer in Psychology,
• Pastoral Theology,
• Society & the Church Leadership Development, including strategic planning for the College and engaging with international donors from the United Kingdom and USA.
Amon holds Masters & Doctoral of Theology (D.Th.) degrees from the University of Stellenbosch. His Doctoral Dissertation title: “The Interplay between God-images and healing in Pastoral Ministry: Engaging an African Spirituality.” He is currently doing an MBA in Strategic Management & Marketing with the Management College of Southern Africa (MANCOSA). He is well-travelled, and has lectured on a variety of topics in various parts of the world including Princeton in the USA, the Netherlands, Scotland and the Far-East.

Amon is married to Tiba (Tibalenge) and they have two children, Eddie Samuel born on April 25, 2000 and Victor Joshua July 23, 2007. He enjoys reading, playing soccer and volleyball, travelling, sight-seeing, gardening, and motivating others on issues of life and hosting guests and international visitors.

While Dr. Kasambala could enjoy a high profile position in the corporate or academic worlds he has felt called to serve God at Focus on the Family.

20TH TO 22ND MARCH. Remember the Sunday service is for all the family and this will continue after lunch until 15h00. All family members are invited on this day.

SMS Maxwell at 083 952 2222 if you would like to attend..

Contributed by Val Brake. Thank you Val.

Warm words from Mac and Shirley McTaggert

Dear Men for the Master,

We have just read a hard copy of the Marksman "best of the Marksman online" (we don't have the access to the internet) and were impressed and heartened by the work of everyone on clean up day. Thank you to all involved. A special thank you to the men for the Valentine Day rose which lasted 8 days - a lovely gesture. 

God bless,

Shirley and George McTaggart 

Nurturing and Protecting Families in Africa through Outreach and Trustworthy Resources

Focus on the Family, who will be leading the seminar, "So, who is the head of your family?" at St Mark's over the forthcoming long weekend,  strive to achieve their goals through give Guiding Principles.The Editorial team has lifted this article from the Group's web site, which you can find under Christian links, to underscore the quality of their work.

Focus on the Family Africa is a non-profit organisation, founded by Durban businessman, Danie van den Heever in 1992. It has no political or denominational affiliations. However, its programmes and services are motivated and based on the Christian ethics.

Focus on the Family Africa was established to minister to the needs of families in Africa.

Our desire is to be sensitive to the needs of families and, most importantly, meet those needs with strong, biblically based advice and resources. We consider this our prime directive and a call we are deeply committed to answer.

Focus on the Family programmes are broadcast on over 55 radio stations in Africa. Newsletters, magazines and other resources are sent to people on our mailing list while staff respond to telephone calls and letters that include counselling and referral services to families in need. In this way we are able to make thousands of contacts with people every month. Our outreach programmes offer a variety of biblically based solutions to world problems including HIV & AIDS and Drugs, as well as guidance for married couples and parents.

This article is printed courtesy of the Focus on the Family website. It's not too late to contract Maxwell. His contact details are listed elsewhere on this web site..Come on Men of St Mark's get involved.

Hall curtains update ... yes they are to be fixed!

Lest we forget ... the curtains in the A S Welsh Hall have been bugging us all since Kevin and Nadene's day. Now Liz (in the green jacket) and Sophia are doing something about it

Your scribe was chatting to Sophia this morning and the plan is in motion. A seamstress from attached to the United Church School will do the job. Sophia confirms that new material will be required for the edges, but she and Liz have the project in hand. And the Men for the Master can rest. Even the taking down of the curtains has been taken care of. Thank you Sophia and Liz.

The St Mark's Editorial Team

Provisional line-up for the service on the 28th March

Joefred ... this was his first crack at door duty and there was not faulting his contribution

Here's the "provisional" line-up for the service to be led by the men at St Mark's on the 28th March.
Sermon: Chairman Giyani
Service leader: Irvine.
Readers: Maxwell and Mac
Door Duty & Collection: Geoff  Joefred, Felix, Joseph
Choir: Delauney, Giyani, Roger, Elvis, Charles, Norman, Samuel..
Vestry: Roger and  Eyong.

The St Mark's Editorial team.

Presbyterian Men of Gauteng get to St Mark's this coming long weekend!

It's all about family ... this is Elder John Bowman and his latest grandson

"So, who is the head of your family?"is a seminar for men exploring their responsibilities in family church and society. The seminar will run from the 20th March to the 22nd March at St Mark's and will be led by the Dr.. Amon Kasambala, CEO of Focus on the Family, South Africa.

What is critical now is that we know how many men will be attending. All those who are interested in attending must please confirm their participation with Maxwell  Sewornu either via e-mail at 36899143@mylife.unisa.ac.za or SMS. His mobile number is 083 952 2222.

It essential to we know how many of you are interested to facilitate pre-planning for this seminar.  A Saturday afternoon session, a Sunday morning session, which includes the 10h30 service for the whole family and a Monday morning session have been scheduled. Please ask your male friends to come along. The more the merrier.There will be tea and eats and this invitation is open to all our friends in the Presbyterian family in Gauteng. Please spread the word with passion. 

The physical address of the church is the corner of Kenmere Road and Frances Street, Yeoville. Don't miss out on this enriching experience.There's a whole lot more detail elsewhere on the Blog as well. 

St Mark's Editorial Team.

Some things you may not have known about Dr. Amon Kasambala

Dr. Amon Kasambala ... he will be asking the men of St Mark's the tough question:"So, who is the head of your family?"

CEO of Focus on the Family Dr. Amon Kasambala, who will be conducting seminars at St Mark's on the 20th, 21st and 22nd March titled "So, who is the head of your family?" was born in Zambia on December 13, 1965.

As lecturer at Justo Mwale Theological College in Lusaka Zambia, his responsibilities included:

• Lecturer inA Psychology, 
• Pastoral Theology, 
• Society & the Church Leadership Development, including strategic planning for the College and engaging with international donors from the United Kingdom and USA.

Amon holds Masters & Doctoral of Theology (D.Th.) degrees from the University of Stellenbosch. His Doctoral Dissertation title: “The Interplay between God-images and healing in Pastoral Ministry: Engaging an African Spirituality.” He is currently doing an MBA in Strategic Management & Marketing with the Management College of Southern Africa (MANCOSA). He is well travelled, and has lectured on a variety of topics in various parts of the world including Princeton in the USA, the Netherlands, Scotland and the Far-East.

Amon is married to Tiba (Tibalenge) and they have two children, Eddie Samuel born on April 25, 2000 and Victor Joshua July 23, 2007. He enjoys reading, playing soccer and volleyball, travelling, sight seeing, gardening, and motivating others on issues of life and hosting guests and international visitors.

While Dr. Kasambala could enjoy a high profile position in the corporate or academic worlds he has felt called to serve God at Focus on the Family.

Source Focus on the Family web site. There is a direct link to the site under Christian Links in the right hand column of the Marksman Online, or you can try this one right here. http://www.safamily.co.za/default. It's a wonderful resource.

NOTE: Men of St Mark's please let Maxwell know as soon as possible if you will be attending Dr Kasambala's workshop? SMS Maxwell at 0839522222.

The men's "to do" list just grows and grows in service of the Lord

Giyani and son .... Giyani, chaired both the Executive and Bi Monthly meetings at the weekend.

The executive of Men for the Master met at the A.S. Welsh Hall on Saturday evening to  plan for the service to be led by the men of St Mark's on the 28th March. The executive was joined by the Interim Moderate Moshe Rajuili and after the opening prayer the "blue sky" session began.

The purpose of the  meeting was  to come come up with a compelling framework for the service, which will "officialise" the existence of the Men for the Master under Session, with the same terms of reference as the Women's Association in support of St Mark's and its community.

The following points were agreed and will be discussed by the full Men for the Master group at a meeting before Communion on Sunday.

1. The sermon will be delivered by the chairman of Men for the Master Giyani Matampi.

2. A Men's Choir, which is to be coached by Moshe, will be formed especially for this service and among the members will be Norman, Giyani, Samuel, Roger, Charles, Elvis and Delauney.

3. The accompaniment will be traditional African drums and the intention is that the the folk in the church on the corner, with the mega sound system, will hear us.

4. Moshe is away next week as is Solomon, but on Moshe's return the men with have choir practice for 5 days, starting in the week of the 28th,  to ensure a flawless performance on the day.

5. Our traditional choir will also be involved and we'll share the plan with our Session Clerk Liz, once the Men for the Master have met and agreed what we are to do as a group.

6. Men will also be on Vestry duty, door duty and will assist with the name tags and Irvine, if he agrees ,will lead the service..

7. A major aim will be to invite friends from the Men's Association's off all churches in our area to attend and host these friends to tea and eats after the service. We could be looking to some help from the WA here.

8. The Sunday school will also be involved on this special day and ALL are welcome and the aim will be to wear traditional clothes so as to embrace our diversity in service of the Lord.

Other points:

• The erection of a church sign board has been prioritised.
• The painting of the toilets in the A S Welsh Hall is already in hand and Sophia is running with that project. The men will offer to extend it to the entrance hall up to the kitchen if funds permit..
• That the men buy tickets for the Bafana game at Soccer City and attend as a group to support South Africa against Mexico on 11th June (Good one Solomon).
• Liz has requested that the Men consider fixing the notice board in the hallway too. 
• That we scrap the Bank account idea in favour of a cash box to be kept in a safe place to do away with bank charges.

The men agreed in principal, on all the above but the focus is now firmly on "So, who is the boss in your family" retreat and the men's service to follow on the 28th March. 

The St Mark's Editorial Team

Oh, the joy of seeing God at work

Moshe Rajuili .... our Interim Moderator of St Mark's wonders at the growth of our Ministry in Yeoville

For once Peter got the right answer when Jesus put the question of his identity to the disciples.  The others made guesses thinking Jesus might be John the Baptist, perhaps Elijah or some other important prophet.  It was Peter, of all people, who spoke up saying of Jesus, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God,”

That led to Jesus commending Peter warmly assuring him and his comrades that, as the Lord of the Church, he would build it in such a way that the gates of Hades would not overcome it. (Mat 16: 18).  The church which Jesus established through his life, death and resurrection would never die.  It might experience minor and major set-backs, but would remain alive until he comes back to receive it to himself as his bride.

Jesus continues to build his church.  I must admit though that I do get despondent when I see many church buildings turned either into businesses, or warehouses, when toddlers and dwindling golden oldies seem to hang on to the church out of loyalty.  However, since Jesus undertook to build his church there are signs in this country, and elsewhere, that the Church continues to grow.

It has been wonderful to witness what the Lord has been doing at St Mark’s over the past few months.  It is heartening to see old and new members take ownership of the work in Yeoville.  The Marksmanonline blogspot has had over three thousand hits, attendance of Sunday services is definitely on the increase and late coming not as prevalent as it was when our starting time was 09:00.  And, the establishment of Men for the Master, a group to be formally launched this month.

The majority of worshippers don’t stay behind for tea after morning services, but those who do, go all out to enhance our fellowship.

On Saturday 27 February after the last new member’s class, I was muttering to myself that the stage curtain in the Welsh Hall is an eye-sore.  I was not the only one who was disturbed, because a day later I heard that plans were in an advanced stage to have it sewn up!

Besides the steady growth in numbers, there has been a clean-up day of the premises by the men and several women too; continuation of the collection and distribution of food parcels to those in greater need; Bible Study ministry.  Recently, four worshippers responded publicly to be followers of Christ.

In the next article, I hope to reflect on spiritual growth of our members.  What a joy and privilege to see how the Lord has been leading in new directions.  He is definitely building his Church.

Shalom,

Moshe

NOTE: The Marksman Printed Edition will be available at the church on Sunday. The Markman will include the "best of the web" from the past three months  and our lead article from Moshe today. 

Good Samaritan saves Solomon on the highway

Solomon's car broke down on the way back from voice training in Rosebank giving the family some anxious moments

Dear friends,

Solomon broke down on the highway on Wednesday and his car's clutch is in need of repair. Good news is that a good Samaritan stopped and towed him back to St Mark's, much to the relief of Perpetue and David. Here's his story.

".Dear Geoff,

On Wednesday around 16:15, when I was coming from Voice Training that I attend every Monday and Wednesday at Rosebank, I got stuck on the road (Houghton Drive) as you come from the M1 to Joe Slovo. I was disappointed, because I had the appointment with the builders (Johar and Jotam) to go to Makro to get the cheap price for the materials they needed for painting the toilets. They were waiting for me in the flat.

While I was on the road, I was also thinking about the Executive Meeting of Men of the Master. I could not attend the meeting and everyone was asking where I was. I tried to phone Moshe and tell him about the meeting and asked Giyani how it was going to happen in absence of three members?

Finally, the meeting was postponed to Saturday the 6th at 17h00. Around 19:00 pm a Samaritan business man stopped next to me and he pulled the car to Yeoville. Praise God that I am home, although Perpetue and David were panicking.

I am hoping that tomorrow after the meeting with the Church clerk and Moshe, I will be able to contact a workshop to repair the clutches.

Praise God,

Solomon."

Lost and found at St Mark's

 

Kefilwe Matampi pouring tea after Harvest Festival ... that's Marianne looking for the owner of the keys on the right.

Dear friends,

Marianne has picked up a huge bunch of keys. We found them in her bag and they may belong to some one at St Mark's. You can contact her on 011 7884416 if they are yours. They look like something Joyce would carry around. Secondly Liz picked up a magnificent set of sunglasses on Saturday after the Harvest Festival set up. She mentioned this during the service on Sunday and they are in the church office for safe keeping.

Lost too are all Geoff's St Mark's e-mail addresses. So if you are not getting your Marksman Online reminders this is why. Please send him your addresses to vanheerdeng@gmail.com as soon as possible. Her reinstalled Microsoft Office and with that went all the old settings. Eish.

Other snippets:

1. The Marksman Printed Edition is done and is being proof read as we speak. This will include the Best of the Web over the past three months. See you all at Communion on Sunday.

2. The Men for the Master Executive meeting will take place at St Mark's at 18h30 tonight and Moshe is likely to be an honoured guest.

Blessings,

The St Mark's Editorial Team 

Update from Liz on contact details for, "So who's the head of your family?"

The learners of the UCS were on hand to help with moving the Harvest Festival goodies to the cars on Monday ... thank you Roger for organising assistance for Sue here and for the rest of the WA.

Hi friends,

It is essential that we know how many of us are interested to facilitate the pre-planning for the "So, who's the head of your family" seminar with the Rev. Amon Kasambala over the long weekend the 20th to the 22nd March 2010.

At this stage a Saturday afternoon session, a Sunday morning session, which includes the 10h30 service for the whole family and a Monday morning session are envisaged.

This has been confirmed. The programme was finalised when Moshe, Solomon and I met with Amon last Wednesday evening. I have done the basic planning with Amon, Moshe and Solomon, so I have very specific thoughts on the subject, hence my interest in fielding the acceptances for the seminar from Presbytery.

Kind regards,

Liz.

NOTE: Please SMS Maxwell if you are a member of the congregation at 083 952 2222 with either a yes or a no in support of Liz. We need to know how many will be attending. Members of Presbytery can get hold of Liz directly at e-mail at stmarksyeo@gmail.com. or telephone 011 717 1175. Guys let's get involved.This is a team thing.

Good news ... the hall curtains will be fixed!

Hi Geoff,

I have just glanced at the latest edition of the Marksman Online and I can report that the fixing of the curtains  IS in hand.  I have discussed with UCS and a lady who works for them, who is a seamstress is likely to do it for us.

I am awaiting feedback from Helenne and will follow up later today if I have not heard…

God Bless,

Elizabeth White