Greatest Joy

A few years ago I had the joy of chatting about our ministry with a dear friend, who asked me the best question anyone has ever asked of my/our ministry.  He simply asked "What is your greatest joy in ministry?"

My reply was almost instantaneous, and remains the same today.

Quite simply, my greatest joy in ministry is raising others up and releasing them to minister in the Kingdom.

It's not complicated, and it's a key part of what any leader in any ministry should be doing, and is totally in line with God's word. And at The Gathering we fully believe in the priesthood of all believers.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9

This morning it was great to have Delena back among us, and she opened our time of worship magnificently, focussing on Matthew 11:30 when Jesus said "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light". This then tied in superbly with Mongezi's Spirit led word on not complicating the Gospel, using the example of the Samaritan woman in John 4, who went to her people and said ""Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?" John 4:29.

Thank you LORD for such faithful servants in The Gathering.

Delena's opening & Mongezi's word can be heard here.

Fuad

Last night's Soup Kitchen was as chilled as ever, especially as Remi was once again with us offering free haircuts to those that wanted one.

The evening was also brightened up by the visit of Fuad!

We've not seen Fuad for quite a while, so it was great to catch up with him again, and it was a joy to be able to bless him with a haircut as well as soup.

Dogs Of The Gathering

Whilst we were away over Christmas we got to spend a very happy hour with some good friends, chatting about life and having a laugh. I was struck by their new dog, a rescue from the local animal shelter. She's called Rosie and apparently has bitten everyone who has attempted to stroke her, including the local policeman.

Hub Of Blessing

Khayelitsha Boxing Academy

Having recently moved to Strictly Fighters Inc boxing gym, I've had the joy of getting to know some of the team running it, and it's been great to hear about their involvement with Khayelitsha Boxing Academy, a local NPO doing some great work in helping youngsters off the streets and distracting them from the life the street can offer. 

Quality Leadership

Last night we took time out to enjoy each other's company and to thank our leadership team for serving so faithfully this year.

It is a joy and a privilege to lead The Gathering with this remarkable group of people, and I love how in the Kingdom of God such a diverse bunch can come together in spirit, heart & truth to build something truly amazing for the glory of God's name.

The Man From DSD

Today feels like a day of breakthrough and blessing.

We finally got our meeting with the man from the Dept of Social Development (DSD) and to cut a long story short, he now works for The Gathering in a consultancy capacity. This is a huge blessing.

Thank you LORD!

X Is The Unkown Quantity

Today was one of those days where you just want to grab the person who has shed some light on a situation, and never let them go.

Many of you know of our ongoing saga in our efforts to get The Gathering registered with SARS (SA's tax collector) as tax compliant and exempt as a charity.

Accept The Invitation Of The Master

Church is such a good place to be, and all the more so when the Holy spirit is on the move, to the point where the opening, the worship and the word are so intimately interwoven, despite having been prepared by three separate people with no liaison between them.

Thursdays At The Gathering

Thursdays are Soup Kitchen days at The Gathering, and so today, alongside making 100 litres of soup, I've also finally gotten around to creating a dedicated home for our yogurt pot donations, and then sorted them all out into correct stacks with matching lids, which is a tedious and time consuming task!

Lavalier Mics

Recently The Gathering purchased some basic lavalier microphones to see how they might perform in recording the opening of our Gatherings & our Sunday sermons, and we were impressed by the results.

Too Cramped

The Gathering's Soup Kitchen continues to do some sterling work in terms of serving the neediest and most vulnerable in the community, but also building bridges with folk who need that little bit more in terms of support & care, and it's a real privilege to be able to serve through the church.

In The Dunes On The Cape

We've been feeling a bit battered of late, what with my surgery, Joel preparing to leave and then going off to Blighty, and continuing to support Eli as much as possible as he continues to spread his wings and fly.

Whilst we love what we do, and wouldn't change it for the world, the responsibilities we carry on behalf of The Gathering can become tiring, so sometimes it's just good essential to escape together. 

No Greater Joy

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
3 John 1:4

As a Christian, husband, father, pastor & chaplain, I don't think there is a greater joy as a parent than standing in the same room as your child in the presence of God, worshipping Him in spirit & truth together.

Bin Pickers

 

Testimony Sunday

Come and see what God has done, his awesome deeds for mankind!  Psalm 66:5

Testimony Sunday at The Gathering is always an amazing time in God's presence hearing about how He's moving in and through us to the glory of His name and the extension of His Kingdom.

Life

We're in the countdown for our trip to Blighty, and life just seems to get busier & busier.

In the midst of preparing for our trip, we're still juggling life and having to make some plans for the future, especially regarding my health.

We're really excited to be coming back to Blighty for a month, it means we'll miss a month of winter here, but most importantly, it means we'll get to spend time with Eli, having not seen him for over 18 months!

Ordained Chaplain

Having recently qualified as a Chaplain, it was a great honour and privilege to have been ordained as a Community Chaplain with SAFReC, the South African First Responder Chaplaincy.

Paula & I flew to Jo'burg on Friday for the Ordination which was conducted as part of their AGM.

I guess the reality and impact, or potential impact of this is still sinking in, but getting involved is an exciting prospect, and I'm particularly keen to see what doors may open in the coming weeks, months and years.

FTM Roadshows 2024

After six years and Covid, we're finally returning to conduct some of our Roadshows (see details in the image).

We will send out more detailed information for each Roadshow and church visit nearer the time, but in the meantime please make a date in your diary and we hope to see you very soon.

Haircuts

It's amazing the difference a good haircut can make one feel about one's self.