Message South Africa - Annual Report 2014 - 2015 by The Message Trust

SA annual report

March 2014 - february 2015

contents

3 4-5 6-7 8-9 10-11 12-13 14-15 16-17 18-19

report from the chairman of trustees report from tim tucker ceo IMPACT REPORT 2014 PRISON MINISTRY REPORT ENTERPRISE REPORT EDEN REPORT CREATIVE REPORT FINANCIAL REPORT LOOKING FORWARD, BY TIM TUCKER

The Message Trust SA Registration information Trust Number: IT4/2014, Non-profit registration number: 133-638-NP0 PBO Number: 930046622 Section 18A Status Trustees: Andy Hawthorne OBE, Timothy Tucker, Stephen Van Rhyn & Warren Lodge

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Good news for South Africa A message from our Chair of Trustees

‘It has been wonderful to see God open so many doors for Message South Africa’

Dear friend, It hardly seems like a day goes by in South Africa when we aren’t bombarded with really bad news. From increasing unemployment to economic inequality to rising crime, it is hard not to despair and become overwhelmed. Is there any good news out there? I’m really glad to report that there really is! What has happened in the last 12 months in and through in Message SA is nothing short of amazing! Lives are being changed one person at a time and the way God has accelerated the work in South Africa has exceeded all our expectations. It’s hard to imagine that when Message SA launched last year in March we had only three staff members. Currently we have a staff of twenty-one people dedicated to sharing the gospel in some of the hardest-to-reach places in Cape Town. It has been a joy to launch our first Eden team in Salt River and we already have more Eden partnerships with local churches in the pipeline. Additionally we have launched an effective prisons ministry and reintegration strategy tackling the real issues of crime, recidivism and unemployment in Cape Town. Our first Message Enterprise was launched successfully, employing two ex-offenders, and it has been great to have them join our team. In 2014 we also recruited our first Message SA creative mission band who are currently being training by Message Academy in the UK before they join us back in Cape Town on mission in July later this year.

None of this would have been possible without the faithful support and prayers of so many people who have helped us over the past year. It’s thanks to people like you that we are able to shine God’s light into the lives of young people who find themselves in the darkest places spiritually, emotionally and economically. I am looking forward to all that God will do in the next financial year as we continue to step out in faith to reach many more young people across Cape Town. There is so much more to come and we need more people to stand with us in prayer and giving over the next year. Thanks for all your support,

Stephen Van Rhyn Chairman of Trustees

It has been wonderful to see God open so many doors for Message South Africa in the past twelve months. God really has done ‘more than we could ask or imagine’ (Ephesians 3:20), and that always seems to happen when we press into God’s will and follow his calling for our lives.

National Directorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s report By Tim Tucker Our first full year of operating as The Message Trust surpassed our expectations. Our main goal for the year was to establish The Message Trust South Africa as a legal entity and lay a foundation to become an organisation that raises up generations of Urban Heroes across Cape Town and beyond. We broke this down to five main sub-goals as follows:

GOAL ONE

GOAL TWO

GOAL THREE

Mobilize prayer within The Message AND with other organisations

First Eden to be implemented in Cape Town

Launch first Message Prison work

Eden is The Message Trustâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s community transformation strategy. In partnership with Jubilee Community Church, our goal was to recruit a team and team leader who would move in to Salt River, a challenging urban community on the outskirts of the City Bowl. By June 2014 we had recruited Grant and Stef Porthen as team leaders, plus an additional 12 volunteers. The team were commissioned at a special service in October and are all in the process of moving in to the community.

The Message prison ministry is a key component of our strategy to see the last, least and lost be raised to become Urban Heroes and Oaks of Righteousness.

From the outset, our desire was to keep prayer hot and central to all we do as a mission. We adopted and implemented the monthly prayer pattern of The Message UK which includes: daily staff prayer time, weekly staff devotions, sending prayer updates to our prayer support team, and holding a monthly prayer day. We are particularly excited that the monthly prayer day grew from three participants to over 20 each month.

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In 2014 we held our first Job Readiness Program (developed by Learn to Earn) in Drakenstein prison, from which 22 offenders graduated. In addition, we initiated our After Care program through three residential weekend camps for exoffenders.

TEAM DEVELOPMENT

Eden team leaders

What significantly aided our development in 2014 was the recruitment of a staff team who have the gifting and experience necessary to drive our ministry forwards.

Towards the end of the year we were able to make two further appointments of key leaders who will be involved in leading our prison and Eden work moving into the coming year. We also have a number of volunteers who are assisting with our events, prayer and other ministry activities.

GOAL FOUR

GOAL FIVE

Develop strategy & funding plans for Leadership & Enterprise Centre

Reach financial target AND GROW GLOBAL PARTNERSHIPS

Our initial goal to develop the strategic and funding plan expanded to include the development of our first microenterprise, The Soft Machine – currently employing three ex-offenders. This has laid the foundation for future enterprises that will be able to employ more exoffenders. We have also been greatly encouraged by the development of our Message Business Network which includes over 20 local business people who are offering their skills and advice as we develop our Enterprise Strategy. Following the input of the Business Network, we developed a unique brand, ‘Gangstar Enterprises’ – which will serve as the incubating entity for our primary job creation initiatives.

Not only did we reach our financial targets, we significantly exceeded them, which enabled us to accelerate the development of our program and to employ critical new staff. What has been particularly encouraging is that much of our new funding has come from South African donors. This bodes well for the future sustainability of our projects. Additionally, we launched Friends of The Message as a US-based 501(c)(3) which will continue to work on our global partnerships.

Summary

We thank God for his blessing, provision and favour during our first year of operation. We are particularly grateful for the amazing partnerships we’ve been able to form with likeminded organisations who are committed to seeing the challenges of unemployment, gangsterism and crime addressed in a gospelcentred and holistic way, as we seek to provide an environment for Cape Town’s young people to flourish. Thank you for all your support and please continue to support us as we seek to raise up Urban Heroes across Cape Town.

Launched The Soft Machine and hired 2 apprentices, Jade and Siphe PLUS 2 other ex-offenders hired in soft-serve enterprise Advisory board developed of 15 business people

DrakensteiN Prison M 4

27 40

hours OF

Launched Gangstar Enterprises Brand

Leadership & Enterprise

The Message 2014 Impact Report

YOUNG MEN STARTED and 22 young men completed the course

Job Readiness training with offenders including guest lectures and modules

Eden Proximity conferencE

people attended graduation of the job readiness class in December 2014

Eden launcH

1000 people attended

100

people attended

new Eden team launcheD PLUS Recruited

team members

Exploring Eden

people attended Eden extension meeting

people attended

22 people part of business network

churches in pre-Eden phase

7 Home/family visits reported so far of offenders still in prison

3 business breakfast events run with 37 different people in attendance over the 3 breakfasts.

2800 ice creams sold AT 33 events: including TV and film shoots, weddings, birthday parties,and year-end functions 6 MESSAGE SOUTH AFRICA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/15

Band recruitment:

Creative mission:

The Message Launch:

200

people attended

15 applications, 8 auditioned, 4 young SA people recruited

Ministry

pollSmoor

...large events with over 100 offenders (band performance â&#x20AC;&#x201C; evangelistic) with Andy Hawthorne and Sam Ward and 1 large event with over 200 offenders with rapper Jahaziel

50+

...large event for 200 offenders in Pollsmoor Juvenile Sentenced section with Jahaziel (in partnership with Hope Prison Ministry)

one-on-one support AND mentorship sessions

aftercare prison ministry We took 11 different ex-offenders with us on camps

40+ one-on-one meetings with ex-offenders and visits to family

Soccer coaching and gospel message sessions run 4 times impacting 250 children each time

5 church visits

1000

people watched Message SA bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s debut performance at Jubileeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Celebrate Diversity event

6 parole pickups and drive homes

school assemblies (Rhodes High School) with over 250 pupils

Gospel speaking event at school run once impacting about 500 children and adults

Community movie nights run 3 times impacting 90 children and adults

Community soccer match ran once impacting 20-30 young people

Community feeding programme ran once impacting 70-80 young children

Life skills sessions and biblical teachings run on 3 camps and 12 sessions

Bush Clearance on local farm run 3 times impacting walk and trail routes for people using the New Life Centre for NGOs and church youth camps

Pelican Park Youth: Message band performed for

young people

Proximity conference Message band performed for

200 people

Message band performed to

offenders in Drakenstein Prison

prison ministry report by mark slessenger, operations director South Africa faces many social economic problems including high levels of crime, unemployment and gangsterism. These challenges contribute to the high levels of youth incarceration in the Western Cape. Young people are often found in a state of hopelessness. The re-offending rate is high in South Africa, with research putting it anywhere between 65 and 80 per cent. My own personal experience of working in prisons over the past decade shows that care for offenders once released has been a massive challenge. Government, churches and nonprofits struggle to support ex-offenders and this often results in young men re-offending or breaking their parole. This sets the context for our Message In Prisons strategy, which we started to implement over this past year. We realise that for true transformation to come we need to offer a holistic, thorough care process to the offenders placed in our care. This includes working with the offender whilst in prison through to their

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release and then supporting them longterm through multiple support programs. In 2014 we were invited to partner with Correctional Services in developing a pre-release plan that prepares juvenile offenders for reintegration to society, especially focused on the issue of finding employment for them so they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t turn back to crime and gangsterism. Job opportunities for ex-offenders can literally save lives. From August through to December, we ran our first Job Readiness program in Drakenstein youth prison, in partnership with Correctional Services and Learn to Earn. A total of 22 young men completed the course and were taught how to equip themselves for release. The course included topics such as communication, conflict management, relationships, work ethics, interview techniques and how to write a CV. Part of our care process is to link young men through our programs to employment and study opportunities once released. Our first two Job Readiness graduates were released in January and

are currently on an accredited woodwork course with Learn to Earn (a partner organisation) and have a strong chance of employment once they finish the course. Our Enterprise department is working on matching employment opportunities with our graduates so we can offer tangible, life-changing opportunities to young men who come out of prison. In 2014 we also continued to strengthen our After Care program, which supports ex-offenders we have worked with. This included three camps for ex-offenders, family visitations and one-on-one mentoring. We are encouraged by the progress of many of the ex-offenders we are currently working with. The Message In Prisons team has grown over the year and we are excited to have appointed Preston Jongbloed as our Prison Team Leader. Preston will oversee our Prisons team â&#x20AC;&#x201C; he has great experience working with youth and has already added a lot of value to our work in prisons. Jennifer Belcher also joined us to pioneer our Message Entrepreneurship

testimony: Chumani mdzana When did you first meet The Message?

How has The Message supported you since release?

It was a privilege for me to meet The Message because it’s rare to find people who believe in young people behind bars. I met them at Drakenstein prison and learnt many things on their Job Readiness course.

They supported me inside prison by believing in me whilst others didn’t. They went the extra mile for me because after my release they placed me in a sixmonth woodwork course and supported me through it. When I was released my mother was not working, but today she is as The Message helped her, so they are very supportive not only practically but also spiritually.

I was a person who had no vision, goals or dreams for when I was going to be released. But The Message helped me to revive the vision, goal and dreams I had before I got to prison. I was released in January 2015 having a plan and a purpose, which most offenders don’t have when they are released. I came out knowing ‘Who I Am’ which I learnt on the Job Readiness course.

Program in 2015. Jennifer brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to our team. We are thankful for the commitment and dedication of Kwanele Cement and Vuyo Nyabaza (prison coordinators), Adam Bull (After Care) and our volunteers. In 2015 we launched our first Message Entrepreneurship Program in February with 27 offenders. This is an intensive six-month program that has been adapted from one of the leading rehabilitation programs in the USA. The early signs of this course have been very encouraging with some of our job readiness graduates selected as part of the course. Realistically we realize a lot of these young men won’t become entrepreneurs, but they will learn skills which will make them employable and an asset to the companies we will match them with once released. Additionally in 2015 we will be running our Job Readiness program in three prisons in the Western Cape. We will also continue running regular Bible studies and one-on-one counselling and mentorship to young men in prison and once released. Lastly we will be continuing to strengthen our After Care department, and have camps and bi-monthly support groups scheduled throughout the year. We are also working with individual offenders

on release to support them in their reintegration. This is done through our Prison, Enterprise and After Care teams developing a plan for each offender so we can see them become Urban Heroes and fulfil their God-given potential.

What is your vision for the future? My vision is to see young people changing their way of doing things by taking the opportunities that are in front of them. And secondly, seeing The Message grow so it can help more young people like me!

to learn more If you would like to learn more about Message In Prisons, please contact info@message.org.za

I would like to thank all those who have contributed to our Message In Prisons ministry this year – we are thrilled with the progress achieved in such a short period of time. We believe God is going

to do some amazing things in this next financial year as we seek to reach many more young people behind bars and share God’s love and hope with them in both word and deed.

Christ Centred Enterprise Report

by Jessica Longe, Enterprise Project Manager The 2012 Design Indaba was where our first Message Enterprise began. Cow Africa (cowafrica.com) showcased their design skills by renovating an old caravan into a food truck that served gourmet soft serve ice cream. Not the usual soft serve, made with powders, flavourants and colourants, but rather made from fresh, natural ingredients in season. The caravan was such a hit among event coordinators, it was developed into a small business with Donald Swanepoel and Willem van Biljon in partnership, hiring students to run the business part time. In 2014, the business had grown to a point of requiring a dedicated team to keep up with the demand and the owners had to make a decision on the next step for the business. Early in 2014, a think tank for Christ Centered Enterprise was established in order to pull all interested parties together in order to brainstorm the way forward. It was out of this platform that the owners recognized the opportunity… The Message Trust needed to establish a business to employ our young men

10 MESSAGE SOUTH AFRICA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/15

coming out of prison and the owners needed someone to take over The Soft Machine. After a successful six-month trial, a handover agreement was signed between the parties.

will produce many more Jades and Siphes – young people who have turned their backs on crime and gangsterism and are now focused on a bright future, full of hope and purpose.

It was a blessing to have a fully functional business with an existing client base to kickstart our Christ Centered Enterprise activities! Berenne Cristinni from Sorbetiere in Woodstock came on board to supply The Soft Machine with a range of freshly prepared gourmet soft serve, gelato and sorbet.

Warren Lodge from Life Brand assisted The Message to create a brand blueprint for The Message Trust: Christ Centered Enterprise, recognising the need for a strong, edgy brand to market what we do. After a series of consultative discussions we chose Gangstar Enterprises as the umbrella brand, and later registered Gangstar Enterprise Development (Pty) Ltd.

The Message’s vision is not only to eat ice cream all day but more importantly to raise up generations of Urban Heroes equipped with micro-enterprise business skills. The Soft Machine provided the opportunity to employ Jade and Siphe from October 2014 for six months with a renewed contract until September 2015. We are going to use the winter months for training and business development to create further opportunities in the new season. We believe in creating a safer South Africa and seeing young people fulfil their God-given potential. We have no doubt that our Message enterprises

The 2015 year will focus on establishing the administrative processes as well as a three-year business plan for Gangstar Enterprise Development (Pty) Ltd. The strategy will include a number of enterprise initiatives to create employment opportunities for our Gangstars. An application has been made to SEDA, The Small Enterprise Development Agency in order to assist The Soft Machine to strengthen its business

testimony: Jade Wyngaard

case and future expansion plan. This enterprise has fantastic opportunities for franchising and employ part-time employees as the business grows. Gangstar Gear will continue to provide a platform to develop the brand manual and implementation plan for Gangstar Enterprises. Forming Gangstar Agency, where employers and Gangstars meet, will allow businesses with opportunities to connect with our Urban Heroes to support them into sustainable employment opportunities. Gangstar Enterprises will look to develop an incubation model later in the year to support those who show an entrepreneurial aptitude through the Message Entrepreneurship Program running in Drakenstein prison. The Gangstar Advisory Team and Message Business Network are two platforms that will be formalized this year in order to continue consultation and development with people who are actively involved in the field and share the Message Trust vision to raise up generations of Urban Heroes.

My name is Jade and I am 29 years old. I grew up in Kensington which is on the Cape Flats in Cape Town. I grew up in a household with both parents and I am the youngest of four siblings.

Christ-like image of humility and respect for others. I knew I wasn’t the same person that went to prison but knew it was going to be difficult for others to believe in me and trust me.

The future seemed promising both academically and in sport – but bad choices led to big consequences in my life. When I was in my teenage years I began to party with friends and began experimenting with drugs and alcohol.

Growing up in a Christian home, I was always told about Jesus and been encouraged to go to church. My sister was always my go-to person, good and bad times. She was willing to put aside her own priorities for mine and this meant a lot to me.

When I was 19, I went to prison and was incarcerated for eight years at Drakenstein correctional centre. Prison life was difficult and as soon as you walk through the prison gate it feels like your life has ended. The little pleasures of life you took for granted were gone and it was something I struggled to accept. For example, switching the lights on or off, sleeping in a cell with 30-plus people you don’t know was hard to adapt to. But as challenging as prison was, it actually provided a platform for me to get acquainted with myself, a necessary opportunity for me to do some much needed introspection. When I came out of prison I knew it was going to be a massive challenge as my case was complicated. Considering the nature of my violation and being classed as a ‘high profile’ inmate there are always people watching your every move, just waiting for you to mess up. Having this in mind it was my desire to touch people’s lives by portraying a

After being part of a program within prison I formed a good healthy relationship with Adam and Mark who were part of the Message In Prisons team. The Message offered me an employment opportunity where nobody else would. I applied for the position and was accepted for who I am and that I was seeking to become a better person. I have grown a lot since working with The Message and still finding myself growing in many areas which in turn will assist me and hopefully break new ground for other young men coming out of prison. I am passionate about growing in God’s likeness as he proved faithful in his promises (Jer 29:11). I am also passionate about the beautiful game (football) and building my relationship with my family; getting my driver’s license; growing in my personal life and doing a few short courses like photography.

eden network report

by alastair buchanan Based on our experience of Eden teams thus far in the UK – many have come to Christ and we’ve seen crime, drug addiction and gang membership stats go down in areas where Eden has been for longer than 5 years. Our Eden teams in SA will consist of 12 really dedicated members who partner with a local church by moving into one of the toughest parts of a city. This can be done in a ‘downwardly mobile’ way by moving into the community or people remaining in the neighbourhood to live out the gospel with young people there.

12 MESSAGE SOUTH AFRICA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/15

Our first Eden team In 2014 we were excited to launch our first Eden Team in Salt River, in partnership with Jubilee Community Church. An amazing and diverse group of 14 people joined the new Eden team, including two artists, a lawyer, a pastor, a housewife and a brand consultant. One of our most exciting appointments was the recruitment of Grant and Stef Porthen as team leaders. God had already been speaking to Grant and Stef about incarnational mission (moving into the neighbourhood). Currently most of the team are now living in Salt River and are building meaningful relationships with their neighbours. We are excited to see how this will progress throughout 2015 and beyond.

Looking forward into 2015 and 2016 God has given us a vision to see multiple Eden teams across Cape Town. One of the most incredible things for the Eden Network is to bring churches from different communities together on mission in unity and purpose. In 2015 we seek to launch two more Eden teams, in Pelican Park and Nyanga.

Pelican Park’s

rapidly growing population makes it a strategic place to fulfil one of the main reasons for Eden’s existence. This to encourage the local church to reach out to one of our society’s potential ‘time-bombs’ – a predominantly fatherless and increasingly rudderless youth. Our Eden team here will be partnering with Cape Gateway International Church and we are now on track to sign an agreement with them in April and launch Eden Pelican Park later in 2015.

testimony: Grant Porthen, Eden Team Leader

When I was a child, I remember my mom calling me from work, telling me that she had bought me my favourite sweet treat. I remember watching the clock and waiting for her to come around the corner where we lived, full of anticipation and excitement. Being part of Eden Salt River has been a lot like this. Over the last few months we’ve been waiting with excitement and anticipation to see what God has in store for us in this community, but we have also seen him begin to provide what we need to do the work that he’s called us to do. There are two key areas that Eden Salt River has developed over 2014:

1. Accommodation Accommodation has been hard to come by in Salt River, but we have seen God provide accommodation for five of our team members, which means that more than half of our team are now in Salt River.

Nyanga

is the next community where we will be establishing an Eden team, together with New Crossroad Baptist Church. This community has been widely publicized as the ‘murder capital of South Africa’. Over this past year we have facilitated prayer walks in the area with recent converts from prison and a local gang. We have sensed the anticipation growing for an Eden team in this area. We have had two overseas teams come and do outreach with us recently and our target is to sign our partnership agreement before the end of June 2015. This agreement is a crucial milestone toward the launch but there is much to be done after this in both areas. We’ve begun recruiting at an ‘Exploring Eden’ evening and with one-on-one interviews for both teams.

A network of Edens Our long term vision for an Eden Network has in a sense already begun as we have already met with church leaders in seven areas of deep need and deprivation across Cape Town. As we look beyond 2015 we are trusting God to provide us with the resources to launch five new Eden teams in 2016.

2. Community highlights • We have started walking deeply with a group of teens in the community, and we’ve been blown away by their hunger for God. • We’ve begun walking closely with a couple who are both unemployed. We’ve been sharing the good news of Jesus, and with the help of Jubilee Church have come alongside them to start a small catering business. • Our relationship with the local football team continues to strengthen to the extent that one of our ‘Edenites’ have been asked to run a life skills program with the entire junior division of the football club. We the Eden Salt River team thank God for all he is doing in our lives, through our lives and in the community. We continue to strive for the cause of the gospel – and just like little kids, we continue to wait with excitement and anticipation to see what God has in store for this community!

to learn more If you would like to know more about the Eden Network contact Alastair.Buchanan@message.org.za

Our heart and passion is to partner with churches in the most challenging communities and resource them with teams of people so we can encourage and assist them in becoming more missional to the youth there. There are so many great churches in these communities that just need encouragement and support. We are excited to partner with others and see gospel transformation come to this beautiful city.

Creative mission Report by tim tucker, national director As The Message Trust grows in South Africa, it is essential that we â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;keep mission hotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, using innovative ways to reach more and more young people.

We recognized the potential that the creative arts can have when Concrete Apostles performed at the Message South Africa launch event in February. Their dance performance was explosive and demonstrated the level of talent that young people have in South Africa. In response, Andy Hawthorne immediately offered four scholarship places for young South Africans to attend Message Academy in Manchester. And there began the process of recruiting our first South Africa mission team. The recruitment process was supported by local radio station CCFM and took four months. After an extensive advertising campaign, eight young candidates came to audition. Following the audition and interview, the final four were chosen in September and consist of two rappers (Justin and Jabulani), a dancer (Gilead) and a singer (Meryl). The audition/ interview panels were extremely excited by the complementary giftedness of the chosen four. From September to December the band members raised their funds for flights and applied for visas. They also begun to

14 MESSAGE SOUTH AFRICA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/15

collaborate and performed at our Prayer Day and an event at Jubilee. In January they departed for the UK where they will receive six months further training, returning to Cape Town in July 2015. In addition to the process of selecting our first mission team, The Message were also privileged to host Jahaziel for part of his tour to South Africa in March. Jahaziel visited Drakenstein prison and performed at Jubilee Community Church. We also had Andrea Carelse complete a six-month internship. Towards the end of her internship, Andrea was able to exercise her incredible talent for writing poetry, as she performed a spoken word piece at our Prayer Day and at our 2015 Vision Night. Finally, Tim was invited to serve as part of the advisory group overseeing Youth Transformation Africa in the build up to a large youth gathering set for April 27, 2015. Being part of this group has strategically positioned The Message for future partnerships as we seek to grow our Creative Mission strategy.

meet our creative team Justin I look forward to speaking and sharing the gospel with people and see God change lives. I’m excited to perform with the band and watch us grow closer and closer together. There is so much potential within this group to reach heights that we ourselves can’t picture yet. I look forward to seeing how God will use us in Cape Town.

Jabulani I’m really excited to go to prisons and work with young people in Cape Town.

Gilead I’m looking forward to bringing the gospel to the people who doesn’t know that there is a God, and showing them through the art of dance as well as music.

Meryl I’m looking forward to jumping right into work. I’m excited to see people’s lives changed through our ministry, both in rural and urban communities. And I think just offering young kids who think Christianity is boring the idea that being a Christian doesn’t mean you can’t have a crazy dance party!

Financial Report for the year ended 28 February 2015

93%

income generated

The Message Trust has grown in leaps and bounds this past year and this is reflected in their financial position as at 28 February 2015. During the year The Message Trust has raised R3 631 834 in income and spent R2 869 565 on operating and project activities, leaving a surplus of funds (mostly discretionary) carried forward into the new year for the continuation of their mission. The income has been generated from the following sources:

Donations and grants

Donation & grants

3,389,778

93%

Sales & services

174,424

Fundraising & other income

67,632

3,631,834

0.7%

INCOME The sources of income can be further broken down as follows:

4.7%

1.2% 0.1% 0.5%

2.6%

Donations

4.6%

Interest received

0.1% 34.5%

0.1%

Reimbursements Conference income Fundraising activities Eden partner contributions 2.7%

Sales Services

4.7%

48.1% 0.7%

Personal support Grants Message UK grant funding In-kind donations

As you can see the largest percentage of income (48.1%) comes from donations â&#x20AC;&#x201C; mostly individuals or corporates and predominantly discretionary. The next largest source of income (34.5%) comes from individuals and churches to cover the salaries of specific individuals employed by The Message Trust. The organisationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expenditure of R2 869 564 can be explained as follows:

16 MESSAGE SOUTH AFRICA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/15

expenditure Professional services Governance & promotions

0.9%

Travel & transport

0.8%

3.3%

Giving

4.3%

3.3%

Message International contribution

6.9%

Capital expenditure Cost of Sales

3.5%

Personal costs

1.9%

Premises & equipment

4.1%

Office costs

0.7%

54.8%

3.6%

Communications

9.1%

Eden Seed funding

0.4% %

Equipment

2.3%

Training & events Resource & materials As with any support/services based organisation, personnel costs (54.8%) make up the biggest part of the costs of the organisation. Other notable costs include the Message International contributions that is paid to The Message Trust UK based on 10% of donations received. Capital expenditure is made up of the purchase of a vehicle for the use of the projects, particularly The Soft Machine Enterprise. All income and expenditure is allocated to a specific project so that we are able to monitor surpluses and deficits within each project, set targets and track designated funds. The income and expenditure for the projects are reflected here: income income EXPENDITURE EXPENDITURE 54.8%

54.8%

L&E Centre Creative Mission Eden Prison Minsitry Cost

1.4% 3.2% 2.0% 0.2%

7.3% 1.4% 3.2%

7.3% 85.9%

2.2%

85.9%

2.8% 6.5%

2.0%

8.2% 2.2% 2.8%

8.2% 74.7%

74.7%

6.5%

0.2% 5.6%

5.6%

Soft Machine Enterprise Central Mission Costs

Understandably, the Central Mission Costs form the greatest part of both the income and expenditure of the organisation. The Prison Ministry, the initial inspiration for the Message Trust, generates and contributes the second largest portion to the success of the organisation. The Soft Machine Enterprise has only been operational since the last quarter of 2014, however, sales have already increased and a profit has been made in this short period. 0.9%

3.3%

0.9% 4.3% 4.3% 0.8% 3.3% 0.8%

The organisation carried a surplus of R762 269 forward into the new year. Some of the 3.3% 6.9% surplus is designated funds54.8% for the54.8% Prison Ministry and profit from the Soft Machine 3.5% Enterprise, which is ring-fenced for the costs and investments of the Soft Machine 1.9% Enterprise. A portion of the discretionary funds carried forward will be set aside to 4.1% build up a vehicle reserve, to purchase an additional vehicle in the future, and an 0.7% 3.6% 3.6% operational reserve, to ensure that there are adequate funds available to cover salary 9.1% 9.1% and operational costs for a few months, should the organisation fall on lean times. % % 0.4% 0.4% 3.3%

In conclusion, we are very proud to be working 48.1% with the Message Trust and 48.1% witness the 0.1% growth0.1%and the untapped potential of 0.5% this organisation. We look 0.5% forward to seeing what The Message 34.5% 34.5% 0.1% 0.1% 2.7% 2.7% Trust will accomplish in the next year. 4.7% 4.7% 1.2% 2.6% 0.1%

1.2% 2.6% 0.7% 0.7% 0.1% 4.6% 4.6%

6.9%

2.3%

Presented by: Michelle Davidson Director of MD Business Solutions (Pty) Ltd Accountants for The Message Trust South Africa * All figures are unaudited

2.3%

LOOKING FORWARD

by tim tucker, national director

At our January prayer day, I shared from John chapter 1, verses 4 and 5: ‘In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.’ Last year, 2014, was certainly a year where God did more than we asked or imagined… and as we look to the year ahead, we want to ensure that we continue to work towards providing an environment for Urban Heroes to emerge and flourish. Therefore, our vision for 2015 is based on life and light – that as we draw strength from Jesus who came to bring abundant life, we will be able to let our light shine in the darkness. So this is our vision… ‘Life and Light in 2015’. Cape Town is an amazingly beautiful city, but one that is wracked with issues of inequality, poverty, gangsterism and crime. We believe that God has called us to bring his life and light into this difficult environment, and to tackle these challenges headon through prison ministry, community transformation, creative mission and Christ-centred enterprise. These are early days for The Message South Africa but we are trusting God to heal the divisions, inequality and brokenness in Cape Town and to bring restoration and hope. And we’re delighted to be joining hands with many other churches and organisations that share this dream. I’m pleased to be able to share with you our five faith goals for 2015 that will help us fulfil the vision to bring life and light into the darkness:

18 MESSAGE SOUTH AFRICA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/15

One Pilot first Message Entrepreneurship Programme (MEP) with 27 Offenders

Building on the implementation of our Job Readiness course in 2014, the MEP programme will raise up a brotherhood of world changers through entrepreneurship. This six month intensive programme will connect the world of business with prisoners, and see lives that were trapped in darkness and destruction be transformed into a life of hope and purpose.

Two Launch Gangstar Agency

To create capacity to employ 25 ex- o f fe n d e rs i n 2 0 1 5 t h ro u g h Micro-Enterprise opportunities

Three

INITIATE two new Eden Teams in Pelican Park and Nyanga

Eden is at the cutting edge of community transformation. In relationship with two amazing churches, we will recruit and mobilise two new Eden Teams. In Pelican Park, we will place a team in the heart of the New Horizons development. And we will bring a new team to Nyanga in faith that the area currently known as the ‘murder capital’ of South Africa can become the ‘salvation capital’ of South Africa.

four Launch our first Message Creative Band

To raise up generations of Urban Heroes we need to keep mission hot! Four talented and passionate young South Africans are currently in Manchester, UK at our Message Academy. They will return in July as our first mission team, to use their creative gifts to serve churches and communities across the city and impact thousands of young people.

five Secure the purchase of our Message Enterprise & Leadership Building

God has promised to give us space to flourish. In order to fulfil all our other goals, we are trusting for the right facility, in the right location, at the right price – provided in God’s perfect time!

DONATE

To fulfil these goals we need to raise R2.5 million rand to make them happen Please stand with us today by giving at

bit.ly/donatetomessageza Or check the Contents page for Bank details. Thank you for your support.

Help us raise up generations of Urban Heroes in South Africa in order to accomplish our goals for 2015, we are seeking new financial support and encouraging people to stand with us through the following ways:

Prayer

join us in prayer and sign up to our prayer newsletter and updates.

People

we are always looking for passionate people who want to see young lives impacted with the gospel. Email us to find out about job and volunteer opportunities.

Partnership

there are various ways to partner with us, through financial support and joining us in our missional call to reach the hardest to reach youth in Cape Town.

to Donate Bank: Standard Bank

Branch: MOWBRAY

NPO Account Name: The Message Trust

Branch Code: 024909

Account Number: 071348794

Swift Code: SBZAZAJJ

www.message.org.za Message South Africa

@message_sa

@message_trust_sa

The Message Trust South Africa

email: info@message.org.za | phone: +27 0 21 447 3345 | fax: +27 0 86 665 531 The Message Trust SA Registration information Trust Number:

IT4/2014, Non-profit registration number: 133-638-NP0 PBO Number: 930046622 Section 18A Status Trustees: Andy Hawthorne OBE, Timothy Tucker, Stephen Van Rhyn & Warren Lodge Pg 6-7 Image Credit

20 MESSAGE SOUTH AFRICA ANNUAL REPORT 2014/15