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. 

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.

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!

Who knew that there was such a thing as Fountain Pen Day?

However, having learnt of this day, I have to confess to being just a little bit chuffed about it because I've been a user and lover of fountain pens pretty much my whole life, and even to this day my preferred daily writing tool is my trusty Parker fountain pen which accompanies me pretty much everywhere I go.

I've not been riding as much as I would like lately, but there are a few reasons for that. Firstly, the wind has been terrible, and when the wind is pumping it is deeply unpleasant and borderline dangerous to ride in.

Secondly, I'm still quite a way off where I would like to be fitness wise since my operation. I had no idea quite how much it would knock me and quite how tough it would be getting back to where I was before the op'.

Thirdly...

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.

A Dry Year

I never intended to give up drinking alcohol, and I certainly don't judge those that do drink, and in truth I do miss the odd tipple, but having been dry for a year today, I have to say I prefer life without alcohol.

Now before you switch off, this post isn't a rant against alcohol, rather it's a celebration of the health benefits I have reaped from going dry.

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 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.