Exciting new initiatives at St Mark's

Moshe busy capturing the team inputs, watched by Colleen and Veronika

Dear friends,

Session broke away for a two day retreat in Orchards over the past weekend and the deliberations were fruitful, guided by our Interim Moderator Moshe Rajuli..

A "Vision Statement" has been drafted, which aligns with St Mark's current "Mission Statement" (that's in our weekly Diary) and this in turn led the to team identifying goals that will guide us into the future as we grow the Lord's flock in Yeoville.

A "strategy" has also been drafted, which will lead to a "to do" list for all of us. It's vital that all of you in the pews give of your gifts to our ministry and that everyone gets involved. There will be a lot more detail coming up in the following few weeks.

Norman, Felix and Joseph plotting the way forward in Orchards

In the short term, the Men for the Master will be erecting a new signboard to advertise our presence.That should be complete before the Communion service.

A new women's group will meet on Saturdays. The launch will be on the 14th August.

The Couples Fellowship will start on the 5th September, which is also Communion Day.

The Morning service has been rescheduled. From the 5th September it moves from 10h30 to 10h00. Set those alarm clocks if necessary.

Blessings,

The St Mark's Editorial team.

North Alabama pray for Norman

Dear Geoff,

I just saw the note about Norman's (Mangena) visa request having been turned down. We are upholding him in prayer and hope it will be granted, if there is a way to apply again.

Have you talked with Rev. Maake Masango (pastor at Alexandra)? He is coming with the group in September as well. I've known him for many years, and he and his wife Pauline have told me in the past that they don't have trouble getting visas to come over - so perhaps he has a special way of requesting mission-related visas. And you may have already tried everything - I just thought it was worth mentioning, just in case.

Norman's visa and visit are in our prayers.  

Heidi

John & Chris meet up with the Snymans in Wales

John, Chris and Nadene all smiles in Wales. Check out the slide show in the right hand column 

Hi All

We have had the most wonderful evening with John, Chris and Elaine in Mumbles, Wales. It was wonderful to catch up with wonderful friends and hear about the St Mark's family. It was a special time and here are some pics to share.

All our love

Nads and Kev

A wonderful weekend with the focus on Healing

Rev David Hutt lays hands on the Session Clerk of St Mark's Elizabeth White

Few attended the Healing seminar hosted by the Rev David Hutt on Saturday morning, but the numbers increased during the day as did the interest.

 On Saturday:
- David started the service with the music from his laptop,with speakers and projector (I need something like that). He started by explaining what is 'healing" and "why we need healing ministry."  He explained that healing is the restoration of a relationship between God and His people. This is because God wants to change the hearts of His people. This is why every congregation should be the body of Christ in the community. Thus the church should have a healing ministry as part of the service.

- He spoke of "having faith and believing". He explained the 'Work of the Holy Spirit in healing' and ended with healing today.

On Sunday:
It was a normal service with a powerful preaching of the Word and which ended with praying for those who are sick. Almost the whole congregation came forward for prayer. Elvis took some photos of this service, which you will be able to see elsewhere on our Blog site.
Thank to to Rev David Hutt from all of us at St Mark's.

Blessings,

Emmanuel Solomon Surwumwe 

A leper ... insights from David & Val Hutt

In the parable of the Leper, we read the story and often find it difficult to relate to, simply because

this person was suffering from a horrid skin disease, and we don’t. The reality is that although the person suffering from this disease; the result was that they were excluded from worship, they could not be part of normal society and they were rejected from being part of a family because of this.

We need to understand that we do not have to have leprosy to suffer in this same way, that many people

feel rejected from their families for many different reasons, others are isolated from worship for reasons that they believe to be relevant, yet there are others who seem never to be able to cope in society, no matter how they perform.

We all sometimes feel unclean. Each of us in someway or another will come to that point where we understand that we are not always the most popular on the block. Where we are hurt, rejected by others no matter what we have done, it is Jesus who is willing to reach out and lift us up. It is Jesus who answers us when we ask Him to heal us, He answers, ‘Yes I am willing’.

Matthew 8:2 A man with

leprosy came and knelt before

Him and said ‘Lord if you are

willing, you can make me

clean’

For you and I we need to have the courage to ask Him to heal us and set us free from those things that prevents us from being who He has called us to be. We need to recognise our needs in order for us to ask that these needs are met.

It is a sad day when we believe that we are not in need of Christ, for we all fall short of where we need to be, the grace of God is to actually realise this. Like so many parables, this parable has many different layers of meaning, so that you and I will know that this is also meant for us. been well utilized by the church, although there are few people that make use of the counseling and retreat facilities offered.

The number of churches using Linga Longa for church camps and teaching over weekends has increased, most of the ministry undertaken is by their own Pastor/Teacher.

We need to have input and prayer guidance, so that we seek the wisdom of Christ in this regard. How Val and I are praying that the path ahead in our ministry will become clearer so that we do what pleases God and not ourselves. The big question is where is the Lord leading the Christ Healing Fellowship?

What is the role of Linga Longa, in the healing ministry, and is there a need to have Linga Longa as a centre

of healing? How do we get ministers to actually come and spend time and rest at Linga Longa? We are here to serve the church, to pastor those in need, to help those in distress, to pray for those who are struggling and to be refuge for those who have lost their love for Christ.

Please pray for us.

David and Val Hutt

NOTE: Rev David Hutt will be leading a Healing Seminar at St Mark's this weekend.

Healing in contemporary society by Rev David Hutt

In society today there is an absence of understanding of what it is to be healed and how to live in a state of peace. A state of peace with self, with our neighbour, and within our community. 

Maybe this is because very few people know what a normal life is anymore. We are exposed to media, to news and our experience that establishes for us an environment that is broken and hurting, and because we have not seen or experienced anything different this has become our normality. 

The tragedy is that we can bring healing into these situations when we bring the Good News to ourselves, to others, and so to the community we find ourselves in. Christ died on the cross reconciling God to the world, so that salvation would come to all who believe in Him. This reconciling power has not stopped, yet it would appear to have done so, when we observe the world around us. What has stopped would appear to be the desire of the church to reach out into the world with the Good News.

I heard a statement the other day that the church is like a paraplegic,  it is no longer able to go where it needs to go, nor is it able to do what it needs to do. This for me was a scary image and it made me sit up and think. How then do we need to bring about the change in the way we act and respond as a church to the desperate situation in society today. There are many people who have not heard about Jesus Christ within the suburbs we l ive in, even our neighbours may have no idea. 

We need to bring the Good News of God’s reconciling and healing power into their lives.We do this by caring enough for them that we will pray for them and showing them kindness in the way we respect them, to share Christ with them, not in what we say but in what they see us doing. We also need to be

praying for our leaders, for the community we livein, and for them to know Christ.

                     

Rev. David Hutt

Christ Healing Herald

NOTE: Rev Hutt will be hosting a seminar at St Mark's on the 31st July and st of August 2010

Football and Faith - Mail & Guardian reports on St Mark's Soccer Day

The article below appeared in the Mail & Guardian on the 17th June, 2010 ... and yes it's about our World Cup Day. Thanks for the tip-off Norman. 

A woman wearing a Nigerian football jersey and a white and green bonnet sits behind a man dressed in Bafana Bafana jersey and next to a lady in a Cameroonian tracksuit. These are only a few of the colourful worshippers who gather in St Mark's Presbyterian Church in Yeoville on a Sunday morning.

The whispering stops when Reverend Solomon Surwumwe starts his sermon: "Yesterday, our youth from St Mark's played St Giles youth. It was the final of the Mini World Cup. We won 4-2, and it was not only beating them, we taught them a football lesson". Reverend Solomon's address is stopped by applause and the cheers of church-goers. "Let's magnify our little heroes in the name of our Lord," adds Solomon, beaming from the pulpit.

"This is just a foretaste of the football talent Bafana Bafana is going to show to the whole world during this 2010 World Cup,” a congregant proclaims. Speaking to the Mini World Cup winners, Solomon continues, "Guys, congratulations! It is Sunday school time now, just cross the street and go to the outbuilding. A teacher is waiting for you. You need to be strong to conquer the devil every time".

Kids dressed in the national colours of South Africa, Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, and some of the European football clubs, stand in a line like players on a pitch, and then walk out with piano-organ music and the soft voice of the choir in the background.

Cars parked along the fence of the red brick Church building flaunt flags of the six African representatives of the 2010 Soccer World Cup. Passers by carry mini banners and flags to display their loyalty to football teams; it is impossible to ignore the excitement brewing for the soccer tournament.

Sunday school is set up like a soccer field. There are two removable goal posts set up in the square, three balls lie on the ground and chairs surround the pitch in a room decorated with pictures of Jesus Christ and his apostles. Norman Mangena, the head of St Mark's Sunday school explains why the church, that was once reluctant to accept football indoors, was 'wooing' football now.

"We are using the soccer platform to send our message to more people because the World Cup is going to be watched by millions of people. This is the opportunity for me to wear a South African National jersey with a message, 'Jesus loves you'. If it comes out on TV, it will reach millions of people," says Mangena.

Hombolani Charaa, an 18-year-old Sunday school teacher says, "Since Fifa announced the 2010 World Cup will be held in South Africa, everyone is focused on football. You have football everywhere and children are more and more attracted by football. If we use ordinary words our message won't get across, but use a ball as a tool, then it works so far ... but too much football is not good!" she exclaims as she ducks to avoid a ball kicked by Thulani Bryce, one of the young players.

"I am the captain of St Mark's team, we won yesterday and I scored two goals," Thulani boasts. "Are you here to recruit young soccer players? You can write my name, I want to be a player, Michael Essien is my idol."

The love of football has permeated every organisation, institution and people group in South Africa and churches are no exception. Is it idol worship or a means of communicating the message of the church using the language that the people of South Africa are so familiar with? -- TwentyTen

Published in the Mail & Gaurdian Newspaper, Johannesburg.