Report on the Work of God: SPMC November 2011
At SPMC we have a very clearly articulated vision: to offer Christ’s love. We dream of becoming a ‘nurturing epicentre’ for this community, of being people who love God in our worship, who love our neighbour in service, and who love each other in care. Without our extremely dedicated stewards, very little at SPMC would have been accomplished, and we all owe them a debt of gratitude. Each of them has a portfolio for which they are responsible. As I report on each portfolio, you will see how much work has been done to make our vision a reality.
The first portfolio of Sea Point Methodist Church, headed by together by Debbie and John van de Laar, is ‘Worship’, where we answer the question from our vision: ‘are we at SPMC loving God in vibrant worship?' Worship is the power house of the church, the sacred ground where each of us develops our personal and corporate experience of intimacy with God. This year we were thrilled to make it possible for parents of young children to be a part of our services, when we installed our beautiful cry room. Barely a week has gone by, since its installation, that it hasn’t been used! Our first-ever Children’s Christmas Eve Crib Service was a blast, and our first-ever combined Ash Wednesday service was well attended. Our ‘Rivers’ Harvest Festival and braai was very special, despite the rain. Although sadly we said goodbye to Charmian who was our organist for many years, to the choir and to Mike Louw who has for so many years done the flowers in church, we have also said welcome to Bryce on the organ and to Rika de Ruiter who has taken over the flowers from Mike. We are grateful to Anthony who leads worship so competently in my absence. Thanks go to our teams of readers (Kakra, Michelle, Lauren, Brendan, Chloe, Adwoah, Sue, Noeline and Rika), multi-media operators, (Kakra, Petrofski, Douglas, Robyn, and Panyin) , sound desk operators (Kieron, Sue and Mark) our communion stewards ( Averil, Adwoah, Michele and Audrey) who work together to make our services flow so beautifully. Next: Next week we will have a special Remembrance Day service, and we still need to firm up our plans for hosting the first-ever Sea Point Stop Hunger Now Carols by Candlelight in the Green Point Park. In March SPMC will be hosting the Women’s World Day of Prayer, where all Christian women in Sea Point join ecumenically for prayer. Lastly, we will use the whole period of Lent to launch a brand new evening service in Observatory.
The second portfolio, which is headed by Panyin is entitled ‘Justice and Service’. It challenges us to answer this question from our vision: ‘are we, at SPMC, loving our neighbour in service? This year we packed 14400 Stop Hunger meals over two food packing days, and distributed them to four projects.
The first is Intyatyambo. We started at this project by simply delivering epap, a highly nutritious porridge, to feed each child every day at this crèche in Khayelitsha. Then we hosted their Christmas Party, and started taking education and Bible stories out to them monthly, and fixing their buildings and loos. But since then we have developed a three tiered management model, and Colin, Dave and Gary have dived into the building of the Safe Haven at Intyatyambo boots and all, getting the paperwork of the project sorted out: e.g. getting tax exemption status and Section 18a registrations in place.
The second is the WA’s project at Hout Bay Methodist Crèche in Harbour. As with Intyatyambo, we started this project by simply delivering epap, and later also Stop Hunger Now meals. But since then the WA has carpeted the crèche, and knitted teddies, beanies, scarves, blankets and jerseys for each child in the crèche. They go out monthly to visit, taking bible stories and toys (like bikes for the kids to ride) and of course treats.
Thirdly, we support the feeding of adults through two projects. The first is the Soup Kitchen which runs from the Harbour Methodist Church. We supply them with 108 meals a month. Then, because we have so many homeless people in Sea Point, rather than giving in ways that foster the most dangerous way of living of all: living on the street, we provide the Haven Night Shelter with 800 Stop Hunger Now meals a month. In addition we supply Haven Night Shelter tickets (which cost us R10 each) to the homeless who come to our church looking for hand outs. This provides a bed, a shower, food and a change of clothing to the bearer. When the Haven is full, sometimes street people have to return a few times before a space can be found for them. In these situations we give them Stop Hunger Food, for they tell us they can always find someone who will help them to cook it for a share in it. The Haven’s Social Workers tirelessly work to re-integrate the homeless into their communities of origin, provide jobs and so on. If a street person doesn’t want a Haven Night Shelter card, then they don’t want genuine help.
In addition, we financially support Ons Plek a Methodist Home for runaway girls in District Six, as well our own congregation members who might be going through rough times through our ‘Loaves and Fishes’ and ‘Congregational Assist’ ministries. If you are a member in need of support in this way, please contact Debbie.
Next: In addition to continuing these projects, we will take part in 22 Dec food packing day at Green Point Park and will host two of our own Stop Hunger Now food packing days in 2012, AND Intyatyambo’s Safe Haven will be built next year! We will be handing out Stop Hunger Now ‘God cans’, and Stop Hunger Now donation vouchers and Stop Hunger Now Christmas Gift vouchers to anyone who could help us raise a little extra money for the project.
The third portfolio, headed by Gaynor, is ‘ Pastoral Care’, where we answer the question from our vision: ‘are we, here at SPMC, loving each other in care?’ Perhaps the most active group in this portfolio is the Women’s Auxiliary, who meet every second week ‘to know Christ and make Him known’. They remember, both financially and in service, many organisations we forget, like when they make Christmas crackers for the elderly. We also continue our prayer chain, and our monthly communion service at Sea Point Place, our new hiking group, and once again this year we hosted two ‘Welcoming Dinners’ for the new members who joined our church this year. Thanks must go to our faithful door stewards, Hannah, Nico, Averil and Denelle and our generous tea stewards Alice, Marge, Chloe, Beryl, Rika and Aileen who serve us so ably each week. Next: the WA are hosting two Christmas parties this year: for Hout Bay and Intyatyambo, and in the new year looking for recipes for their new publication, and will sponsor ‘their’ Marsh Memorial Home child’s Matric Dance outfit!
Another portfolio that answers the question from our vision of: ‘are we, here at SPMC, loving each other in care?’ is Verna’s one of ‘Educational Care’. On the Youth side, I must offer a warm word of thanks to our Sunday School teachers: Verna, Melony, Jacqui, Nico, Nicole and Jules. Building the play ground this year and painting out the maid’s room to be a dedicated Sunday School room made another venture possible: a Holiday Club! Kerry, Kaylene, Jules and myself ran ‘Pyramid Rock’ a journey down the Nile with Joseph! Our 15 children had a blast and can’t wait to do it again. They are now dragging their parents to church!! This year we also confirmed Chloe and Petra, we baptised babies, married couples and buried members. Next Year: We will run Holiday Clubs each holiday to draw children (and their parents) into the life of the church. We use the Holiday Clubs to invite the kids to our Christmas Eve Crib and Christmas Day services.
On the adult side of educational care, both the La Bonne and the Manse Bible Study groups have gone very well, with courses on Revelation, the Enneagram, the Hour that Changes Everything, In Search of Grace and Truth and Jesus at the Movies having been covered. Sadly, too few people signed up to make Disciple really effective and so we cancelled that. Next Year: We will use the Christian Calendar to develop our deep spiritual practices individually, by providing daily devotional readings that correspond with the teaching from the pulpit. We hope to add a third small group to be run by Colin Doyle in Hout Bay. We also hope to consider a course in relationships: Beyond Mars and Venus, and possibly a course in Evolutionary Christianity .
The last portfolio that answers the question from our vision of: ‘‘are we, here at SPMC, loving each other in care?’ is Vicki and Denelle’s one of administration. As always, Vicki, together with Denelle, Hannah and the Vestry Stewards, has quietly and efficiently made sure that all monies have been recorded and banked, all the books are properly audited and bills paid, and this is no small job. Beavin and Kakra launched our new website (seapointmc.wordpress.com) which has been used quite a bit this year. The Properties Team (Les, Rika, Colin and Annette) have worked hard at keeping the grounds in tip top condition, and getting the Cry Room and Sunday School projects off the ground. Brad has worked even harder installing the ramp and hand rail for wheelchair access to the church, fixing our down pipes, a roof leak, cleaning gutters and so on. Colin launched our ‘pew plaque’ project, removing and scrubbing all the pew brass plates one by one!! Thanks also go to Jeremy at Nature’s Garden for donating his garden services. Next Year: We need to do some serious work on the sanctuary. We try very hard not to bombard our members with constant financial requests and are extremely grateful to every person who contributes financially. Soon I will be able to share with some wonderful financial news, so don’t worry too much about the state of our budget.
Please remember too, that our Sea Point Society consists of two congregations: our 9:30 English congregation and our 16:00 Xhosa congregation. This afternoon congregation is a very busy and active congregation, with a six different organisations represented: Women’s Manyano, Young Men’s Guild, Young Women’s Manyano, Wesley Guild, Local Preachers and Sunday School. Next, In 2012 the preacher’s will boast four new Local Preacher’s ‘on trial’ whose studies we will assist, and ‘they’ will join together with ‘us’ for our Ash Wednesday, Holy Week (for those who can’t make it to Langa) Crib and Christmas Day Services, for our Women’s World Day of Prayer, our Women’s Tea in August, and for our Holiday Clubs and Sunday School picnic.
One of the great gifts of the MCSA is that we are also part of a Circuit and a District. This year our whole circuit joined together for our Ascension Day, and Good Friday services, but what really excited me was when we made the Table Bay Synod an explosion of life and colour in this District. This occasion mobilised us to work as a circuit for the first time in years: and then after that, we didn’t want to stop, so had our first ever Circuit Women’s Day Tea. Next: We have a circuit plan to make all the congregations in our Circuit truly financially viable for the first time in years! Watch this space!
Lastly, every six years the MCSA gives Methodist Ministers an incredible gift: in addition to our annual leave, we are given ‘furlough’, time taken out to ‘sharpen the saw’. I postponed my 2010 furlough, because it was so early in my stay with you, and I am still concerned that taking anything more than half of my furlough will compromise us as a congregation, but I will be taking at least that next year. I have asked John and various other ministers to step in for me to fill the gap.
Just as this world’s carelessness has caused the extinctions of so many creatures on our planet, so carelessness has caused many churches world-wide to close their doors. But in some places, and usually at tremendous personal cost, groups of people have said: ‘This bit is too precious to lose’. For me, this bit, SPMC, is too precious to lose. Won’t you join me, as together we answer God’s call to ‘Offer Christ’s Love’ to this community which needs it so badly? In Christ’s service Debbie November 2011