Nuusbrief vir lede van Constantiakruin Gemeente Junie/June 2016 Newsletter for members of Constantiakruin Congregation
Die Here was oor die jare vir Constantiakruin Gemeente baie goed. Oor die afgelope twaalf jaar het ons Gemeente van rigting verander. Soos ‘n groot skip wat besef hy moet mik in ‘n ander kompas-rigting, het ons sistematies geskuif. Vantevore was Constantiakruin bekend as ’n gemeente wat op instandhouding fokus en gemaksones geleef het. Maar toe hoor die Gemeenteraad die roeping van die Here om gestuurdes te wees. Die Suid-Afrikaanse Vennootskap vir Gestuurde Gemeentes het ons begelei om ‘n gemeente te word wat verstaan: dit gaan nie nét oor ons nie, dit gaan ook oor die stukkende mense rondom ons. Dit gaan nie nét oor wat ons kry by die kerk nie, dit gaan ook oor wat ons gee aan die omgewing en verder.
The Lord has, over the years, been only good to the Constantiakruin Congregation. Over the last twelve years our Congregation has changed direction. Just as a huge ship realises it must change course, so have we systematically moved in a new direction. Beforehand, Constantiakruin was known as a congregation that lived in its comfort zones and in maintenance mode. It was a relatively closed club comprising exclusive, well cared for members. Then the Church council heard the Lord’s call to become those that He commissioned to go out into the world. The South African Partnership of Commissioned Congregations has led us to become a Congregation that understands: it’s not just about us; it’s about the broken people around us. It’s about what we as a church give to our surrounding community—not only what we get.
En die resultate is duidelik: met tyd saam het ons as gestuurdes begin betrokke raak by seer en nood. Op verskeie maniere word mense se gebrokenheid aangespreek: deur DivorceCare, GriefShare, About Hope. Daar is ondersteuning vir kankerleiers, vir werkloses, vir gesinne wat deur substansafhanklikheid getref is en vele meer. Intussen verskaf ons kos aan baie kinders en seniors en die Heilige Gees lei ons om te sien hoe ons hulp en hoop kan bring aan alle mense in alle vorme van nood.
And the results are clear: over time together we the Commissioned have become involved with pain and need. In different ways the brokenness of the people has been addressed: with Divorce-care, Grief-share and About Hope. There is support for cancer sufferers, for those without work, for families that have been impacted by substance abuse and many more. Meanwhile we give food to many children and seniors every day and the Holy Spirit leads and enables us to bring help and hope to various people with all kinds of need.
Die leierskap van die Gemeente is gedurig besig om te onderskei: is ons besig met die dinge wat die Here wil hê? Is ons ‘n Gemeente van gestuurdes? As ons eerlik is, sien ons ongeveer 30% van ons Gemeentelede wat reeds hierdie roeping uitleef en deel is van God se missie na die verwondes aan die Wesrand. Die groot vraag is: hoe nou verder? Terwyl ons leraars met hierdie vraag gestoei het, is ons voorgestel aan Gys van Schoor, ‘n predikant van die Kaap wat self die pad van verwondheid gestap het en in die leerskool van pyn geleer het hoe om die knie volledig voor die Koning van die konings te buig. Ongeveer in dieselfde tyd is ons voorgestel aan Tom Smith, ‘n man met ‘n groot ongemak teen kommersiële godsdiens en ‘n groot passie vir eerlike lewenversverandering saam met Christus. Ons leraarspan het besluit om hande te vat met hierdie manne, en weer Christus se Koningskap hoog te hou in ons eie lewens en in die Gemeente.
The leadership of the Congregation is constantly practising discernment: are we busy with the things the Lord wants? Are we a Congregation of commissioned people? If we are honest we see about 30% of our Congregation members that currently live out this calling and are part of God’s mission to the wounded here on the West Rand. The big question is: how do we go forward? While our ministers wrestled with this question, we were introduced to Gys van Schoor, a minister from the Cape who has been wounded in his life’s walk and learned from the school of pain how to bow the knee completely before the King of kings. At about the same time we were introduced to Tom Smith, a man with a big aversion for commercial religion and a huge passion for honest life changing, together with Christ. Our ministerial team decided to take hands with these men, and once again to hold Christ’s Majesty high in our own lives and that of the Congregation.
Die uitvloei van hierdie verhouding, was die tema van Pinkster 2016: Ritmes van die geloof. ‘n Styl van lewe in jou eie huis waar jy die geestelike gewoontes van ‘n dissipel van Jesus beoefen. Dis nie meer ‘n verstandelike instemming met die feite nie, en dis óok nie ‘n teoretiese geloof nie. Dis geloof wat geoefen word, sewe dae ‘n week, en wat jou lewe vorm, sodat jy anders reageer wanneer die uitdagings kom.
What flowed out of this relationship was the theme of Pentecost 2016: Rhythms of faith. A lifestyle lived out in your own home where you practise the spiritual disciplines of a disciple of Jesus. It is no longer merely a mental agreement with the facts, and neither is it a theoretical faith. It is faith that is exercised, seven days a week and that forms your life so that you react differently when challenges come.
‘n Tweede uitvloeisel is dat die Gemeente opgeroep word om 10 & 11 Junie vir agt ure saam met Tom te dink en te worstel oor ons Gemeente se verdere groei en prakties maak van ons roeping. Waar is ons, waartoe roep die Here ons, hoe gaan ons weet as ons geslaagd is, watter gewoontes moet ons beoefen om te verander – dis die tipe Godsvrae wat gevra gaan word.
A second outflow is that the Congregation is called to join Tom for eight hours on the 10th & 11th June to wrestle with further growth and the manner that ensures the practical outcome of our call. Reassessing where we are, where God is calling us to, have we succeeded, what habits are required to bring about change – these are the type of God questions that will be asked.
‘n Derde gevolg is dat ons leraarspan onsself verbind het tot ‘n proses van geestelike vorming. ‘n Paar keer ‘n jaar gaan ons wegbreek saam met Gys om te leer om by die Here se voete te gaan sit, en sy stem en wil te onderskei. Ons onderskryf self bepaalde geestelike dissiplines wat ons help om voorbeelde van geloof vir die Gemeente te wees.
A third consequence is that our ministerial team has pledged themselves to this process of spiritual forming. We will break away with Gys a few times a year, to learn how to sit at the Lord’s feet and to discern his voice and will. We will endorse certain spiritual disciplines that will help us to be examples of faith for the Congregation.
Laastens impakteer dit ook die kuierkerk op Sondagaande. In die derde kwartaal word kuierkerk ‘n skool van Dissipelskap. In die verlede was so ‘n kursus op ‘n addisionele aand in die week aangebied, maar ons besef mense se tyd is baie kosbaar, en daarom mik ons om Sondagaande hiervoor te gebruik. Maar daar is ‘n verskil: anders as gewone aanddienste, vra ons lidmate om in te skryf vir hierdie proses. Daar gaan spesifieke materiaal en spesifieke dissiplines wees waardeur ons saam gaan werk. Die uiteinde van hierdie proses is om lidmate doelbewus te lei na ‘n groei om ’n dieper verhouding met die Here, asook ‘n medewerker te word wat Sy wil uitvoer en leef.
Lastly this will impact the Sunday evening services in the Chapel. In the third quarter this service, known as ‘kuierkerk’, will become a school of Discipleship. In the past courses such as these were held on a week night, but we realise that people’s time is important and limited and therefore we aim to use Sunday evening for this purpose. However, there is a difference: we ask that people who want to be part of this should write in and let us know that they will be joining us. There will be specific materials and disciplines that we will be working through together. The purpose is to lead members to grow in a deeper relationship with the Lord, living and carrying out His will.
Ek hoop dat jy, wanneer jy hierdie lees, die dodelike erns by ons leraars sal bespeur om hierdie pad van dissipelskap te stap met mekaar en met die Here. Dis nie slegs lippetaal nie, dis ‘n totale verbintenis. Ons glo die Here wil elke lidmaat veel dieper neem op ‘n avontuur saam met Hom. Ons glo die beste deel van ons reis saam met die Here lê nog voor! Soos Gys sê: Die helfte is my nooit vertel nie! Kom word deel van hierdie reis, en kom ontdek saam terwyl ons groei! ● Ds. Jaco Schoeman
I hope that you, when you read this, will perceive that we ministers want, in deadly earnest, to walk this road of discipleship with each other and the Lord. This is no ‘lip service’, this is total agreement. We believe the Lord will take each member on a far deeper adventure with Him. We believe the best of our journey with the Lord is yet to be! As Gys says: “Half are never told me!” Come, become part of this journey and let us discover together as we grow! ● Rev Jaco Schoeman
The Story of Kyle
O
‘7
Ritmes vir kinders’ is ‘n boek wat die lewensverandering van ons kinders se geloofsreis toelig.
ne day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself: “Why would anyone bring all his books home on a Friday? He must really be a nerd.” I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on. As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all of his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up, and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes.
My heart went out to him. So I jogged over to him, and as he crawled around looking for his glasses, I saw a tear in his eye. As I handed him his glasses, I said: “Those guys are Tom en Lollie Smith verduidelik hoe jerks.” He looked at me and said: “Hey ouers ‘n ekosisteem skep wat thanks!” There was a big smile on his face geloofsvorming moontlik maak en showing real gratitude.
bevorder. Die skrywers verduidelik hoe belangrik ’n omgewing is waar ouers die onsekerhede en onduidelikhede van die hede opneem en vir hulle kinders teruggee as sinvol en verstaanbaar.
I helped him pick up his books and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me. So I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to a private school before now. I would have never hung out with a private school kid before, but we talked all the way home, and I carried his Die 7 ritmes is die voertuig van books.
hierdie proses en kinders oefen dus He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked in ‘n veilige ekosisteem aan die him if he wanted to play football on Saturday geestelike lewensvorming waarmee with me and my friends. He said yes. hulle tans besig is. We hung out all weekend, and the more I got Hierdie boek rig die uitnodiging dat to know Kyle, the more I liked him. Monday ons kinders se geloofsvorming ‘n morning came, and there was Kyle with the daaglikse prioriteit word, een waarin huge stack of books again. I stopped him and die hele gesin ‘n belangrike plek said: “Boy, you are gonna really build some opneem. Tom en Lollie stel ‘n serious muscles with this pile of books everyavontuur voor wat kinders se day!” He just laughed and handed me half the books. geloofsvorming opwindend maak. Over the next four years Kyle and I became Indien jy meer inligting verlang oor best friends. When we were seniors, we bejou kind en geloof, kontak gerus Dr. gan to think about college. Kyle decided on Wicus van der Merwe by die kerk- Georgetown, and I was going to Duke. I knew that we would always be friends, that the kantoor 011 475 1440. ● miles would never be a problem. He was
going to be a doctor, and I was going for business on a football scholarship. Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for graduation. I was so glad it wasn’t me having to get up there and speak. On graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He was one of those guys who really found himself during high school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more dates than me and all the girls loved him! Boy, sometimes I was jealous. Today was one of those days. I could see that he was nervous about his speech, so I smacked him on the back and said: “Hey big guy, you will be great!” He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled. “Thanks,” he said. As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began. “Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach - but mostly your friends. I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. I am going to tell you a story.” I looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his mom wouldn’t have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile, and said: “Thankfully I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable. I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his mom and dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile. Not until that moment did I realise its depth. Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture, you can change a person’s life! ● This touching story about the nerdy kid who was saved from himself by the intervention of a kindly schoolmate began its Internet life in February 2000. It is a rewritten, first-person version of "A Simple Gesture," an inspirational tale penned by John W. Schlatter and published in the 1993 bestseller Chicken Soup for the Soul.
’n Groep dames het onlangs, onder leiding van Ds. Jaco Schoeman, Volwasse Belydenis afgelê. Indien jy belangstel om volwasse kategese te voltooi, kontak gerus vir Ds. Jaco Schoeman vir meer inligting by 011 475 1440. Van links na regs: Karin van Greunen; Roxanne Erasmus; Idonette Viljoenskroon; en Monique Dell. ●
A significant number of people has recently, under the auspices of Rev Barend Buys, completed Adult Catechesis at the English Congregation. ●