“We are truly blessed as a synod,” remarks Rev. Samuel Besitala, the general secretary of our sister church in Mozambique, the IRM Mphatso Synod. “A leadership and marriage seminar for pastors and their wives in Mozambique was conducted by Dr Davidson Chifungo, from November 14 to 16 at Vila Ulónguè in Northwest Mozambique. There were […]
Marina Prins sharing during the devotional time. “I had the privilege of attending the 5th GMC (Global Mobilisation Consultation) from 16-20 October 2023 in Chiang Mai Thailand,” says Marina Prins, director of Member Care Southern Africa. She was asked to present three devotional sessions from a Member Care perspective. “It was a blessing to […]
“I can confirm today that my psychological studies at HEFSIBA – Institute for Christian Higher Education, converted me to Christianity, and I am so thankful and glad it did. My salvation to Christianity was an act of pure grace.” Abreu Francisco Matenge _______________________________________________ Abreu Francisco Matenge was a Muslim who converted to Christianity during his […]
Positive Parenting workshop with the trainees in 2022 “The Positive Parenting programme’s goal is to see that families have the knowledge and skills needed to raise healthy, safe and resilient children,” says Xoliswa Arosi who started working as a social worker at Mfesane in 2021. Mfesane is a Non-Profit Company (NPC) that is a […]
Sewing skills training students at Mfesane “I am so grateful to Mfesane for this sewing skills training which I can use now to provide for my family and change the future of my children. It has opened my eyes to my abilities and I sew African attires and do alterations for my community,” says […]
Dr Daniël de Wet from Witness Ministry (centre) watching a brick laying and plastering trainee, with the programme manager Ms Mdunyelwa (in red top) and the trainer Mr Khoza (far left). Mfesane is a Non-Profit Company (NPC) that is a leading Christian development agency offering community-based health care, support services as well as skills […]
Mrs Christine Chanza, manager of CAVA, (Christian Audio-visual Action) a non-profit ministry based in Harare, Zimbabwe, sends us the following news: We have started on a good note this year, with more New Learning Centres outside Harare. (Birchenough Bridge, Mberengwa, Hwedza Marondera RCZ and Gweru). We are also thanking the Lord for what could be a […]
The RCZ candidate ministers and RCZ church leaders On Saturdag 19 November our sister church in Zimbabwe, the RCZ, celebrated their 98th graduation during which they also had their licensing ceremony of their candidates at the Murray Theological College at Morgenster in Zimbabwe. Rev. Simbarashe Munamati, principal of Murray Theological College says, “We are […]
Witness Ministry’s ecumenical partnerships with URCSA Msinga, KwaZulu-Natal has been maintained for many years and is a blessing to both parties. One of Msinga’s most supportive partners is eThembeni (which means ‘place of hope’ in Zulu). It is a partnership of churches, government, hospitals and organisations that has originated from the local DRC and URCSA. […]
The popular BrightStar course was presented very successfully by Industrial Ministry at the farm, De Eiken, last year. Rev. Jannie Booysen acted as facilitator. During this presentation 22 employees of De Kock Boerdery, including the production and workshop managers (who are, coincidentally, married), received training. Lene November, involved with Industrial Ministry and assisting with the […]
Dane du Plessis, ministry worker of Biblia in Cape Town Harbour, focuses a lot on the wellbeing of seafarers. Having seen and heard of the work Biblia has done in terms of fighting for the rights of fisherman, he was contacted by Margie Mason, an award-winning journalist from New York, early in March this year. […]
BIBLIA HARBOUR MISSION CAPE TOWN: Dane du Plessis has a passion for his work at Biblia and means a lot to many seafarers. Listen to his TEDxCape Town talk at https://youtu.be/IR1PyJLvd10
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Rev. Stephen Pedro (left) and Rev. Karin van der Broeke, Ecumenical Relations Officer of the PKN (Protestantse Kerk in Nederland) During the last week of August 2023, Rev. Stephen Pedro, MSS for Congregational Witness and manager for the roll-out of the Contextual Bible Study (CBS) project to our URCSA Cape Regional Synod’s congregations visited […]
Rev. Potwana after her confirmation as minister of URCSA Overberg. On Saturday 26 August it was a big occasion for URCSA Overberg when Proponent Phakama BJ Potwana was confirmed as their new minister. Background information Dr Daniël de Wet, MSS Witness Ministry, was present and says, “From Witness Ministry’s side, Rev. Stephen Pedro communicated with […]
From left to right: Rev. Stephen Pedro (MSS for Congregational Witness), Rev. Sean Esterhuizen (Diaconia), Rev. Godfrey Baartman (Chief Executive Officer: URCSA Cape Regional Synod), Rev. Eugéne Beukes (Manager for URCSA at the Seminary), Rev. Lucas Plaatjie (Ministry for Financial Administration and Actuarius), and Rev. Willie Koopstadt (Chief Executive Officer: Steinthal Estate). The URCSA […]
The five CYM members who attended the CBS follow-up workshop. Fltr: Sinazo Witbooi, Chwayitwa Cakwe, Anathi Nkozwana, Anele Bhili and Nomhle Qengqani “Today I have learnt skills and tactics of facilitating. I also realised that preparation is vital when you are going to facilitate a workshop in order to be able to guide your […]
“The follow-up training made me feel at ease. Now I feel prepared to go and facilitate and even train others,” says Mrs Funde, one of the CWM members who attended die CBS facilitators follow-up workshop on 12 July. Rev. Babalwa Sifuba facilitated the workshop to the CWM of the URCSA presbytery of Port Elizabeth. The […]
On the weekend of 20 to 23 July 2023 the Minister in Synodical Service (MSS) of Congregational Witness, workshopped with a few congregations from the Presbytery of Fish River. As always, we started off with a blessed Dwelling in the Word session. According to the Lectionary readings, we read from the Psalm of the week, […]
On Tuesday 4 April 2023 the CBS project manager, Rev Stephen Pedro, had a planning and training session with the CBS trainer, Rev. Babalwa Sifuba, as well as with the Christian Women’s Ministry (CWM) and Christian Youth Ministry (CYM) facilitators at URCSA Port-Elizabeth in Schauderville, Gqeberha. A few facilitators, who could not be present in […]
“My eyes were opened on how the Bible is being read, analysed, and understood,” says one of the members of the Youth Ministry who attended a CBS workshop on Sunday 2 July 2023, at Hofmeyr in the Eastern Cape. If you mention the word, Hofmeyr, most people won’t even know what, or who, you are […]
Rev. Stephen Pedro with some of the church council members at the equipment workshop. On the weekend of 30 June to 2 July 2023, Congregational Witness had an equipment workshop with the church council of URCSA Laingsburg. Their request was that we should focus on preaching and on the tasks of the elders and […]
On Wednesday 1 November 2023, Witness Ministry’s AGM was privileged to have had Rev. Shaun Cozett as one of our guest speakers. He presented to us an introduction to climate change. Rev. Cozett is the rector of St Paul’s Breë Street in the Anglican Diocese of Cape Town, where he also serves as the coordinator […]
Hi there! I am Noxolo W. Fihla, a proponent of URCSA waiting to be called to a congregation. I am a strong believer that the power of nature lies in this; that it gives back what has been given to it. If we preserve nature, it too in turn will preserve us. It is a […]
It is with great pleasure that we welcome Shaneeze Dilgee (URCSA Lavender Hill) and Frikkie Marais (DRC Napier) on board of our Green Team. May you enjoy the energy and enthusiasm of our team and may the Lord use our input in various ways to help people to think GREEN and help to preserve our […]
Earth Day is a movement that is more than 50 years old and first started in 1970. The mission of Earth Day is to champion diversity, educate people and activate a worldwide environmental movement. At the moment it is the world’s biggest environmental movement working together with more than 75 000 partners in more than […]
CLF (https://clf.co.za/) included this important opinion piece on ecology, written by Elise Tempelhoff, in their series on “Pastoral Tools for the Covid-19 time” (see https://clf.co.za/christian-resources/) – a must-read. Elise is a renowned environmental specialist journalist. The CLF-Elise Tempelhoff Prize for Ecology, as part of the prestigious Andrew Murray Prize Fund, carries her name. The 2020 […]
Maybe the COVID-19 challenge is giving us opportune time to talk about poverty. COVID-19 is leveling the playing fields – confronting all of humanity with the reality of our communal and individual poverty. “While the word ‘poverty’ is a negative term that immediately connotes deprivation and dependency … it is probably the most appropriate word […]
Please follow this very inspiring FAST FOR EARTH in lent, and make your life a joyful experience: Fast for the Earth
I was completely unaware of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report that was to be released on 8th of August 2019 when I wrote my two previous contributions for VrydagNuus on the need for changing our human diet. The English language calls such synchronized events (without human involvement) serendipity and normally they happen […]