Spiritual growth is now now key for Men for the Master

This is what it's all about ... the men of St Mark's joining the Women to expand our church and grow in the Spirit.

The Men for the Master have had a busy and successful quarter, culminating in the seminar, ""So who is the boss in your house?"

The executive met on Monday to review January to March and to plot the way forward for the next TWO quarters as our chairman Giyani Matampi, will be reporting to Session this coming Saturday, to get sanction for our plans.

After opening prayer Giyani raised the concern that perhaps the men were losing focus on their spiritual lives, with too much emphasis being placed on delivering practical service to the congregation.

His views were shared by the executive and the men will now actively work on ways of growing in faith, while looking to the spiritual needs of the Lord's flock at St Mark's. The issue of how to combine deeds with spiritual growth will be discussed with the full membership at the bi-monthly meeting, which resumes in the A. S. Welsh Hall at 09h00 on the 11th April

Other issues to be put to the membership are the potential projects to be initiated in the next six months, along the timelines needed to complete them, once Session has had oversight of them.

Projects on the table are:

1. Complete the new sign board outside the church. Materials have been bought and all that remains is for Session to be informed of the plans and to sign off on the wording on the 10th April. This project is a rollover from the first quarter.
2. To paint the Men's and Ladies toilets in conjunction with the WA (Sophia has some of the paint.)  This is another roll over project from the first quarter.
3. Organize another clean-up day themed along FIFA World Cup lines. The children and youth of the church can play diski (tennis ball soccer) and join the men and their families for a braai afterwards. This is a project close to our chief braaier, Charles' heart, who was a welcome invitee to the Executive Meeting today.
4. Organise a gardening work day to assist with the spreading of compost. Indeed the setting up of a compost heap is at the heart of this plan, but we will need advice from Julius, Marianne and other gardeners among us.
5. Organise a Men for the Master retreat and perhaps have a guest speaker to guide on issues of faith.
6. Organise the purchase of tickets for the World Cup, so that a delegation from St Mark's can share in the wonders of this once in a lifetime world class event. Charles already has his tickets for the Cameroon games, so we will have to wave to one another at the stadium.
7. Organise another hot dog Sunday for the youth and Sunday school to tie in with a special day on the youth calender.
8. Design name tags for Men for the Master members, so that members can be identified in church and be seen to serve as "examples" to others in our congregation. This would involve a token membership fee to cover the production of the clip on name tag.
9. Oh yes and the Men for the Master choir. This was not discussed, but is another roll over from the first quarter projects yet to be completed.
10. Trial the concept of "couples fellowship" at St Mark's.

So much enthusiasm and so little time in which to get things done, but the Lord will guide us to blow His Spirit into our dry bones, in reference to Giyani's reading from Ezekiel on Monday.

The St Mark's Editorial team.