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