New Apostolic Church Cape

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Silvertown youth in PE for a weekend

Following 6 months of preparation the day finally arrived for some 17 youth members accompanied by three ministers from the Silvertown Bishop Area to leave the Mother City for the Friendly City.  On Friday 19 October 2007 these brothers and sisters the Cape Town international airport at 10:00 am and arrived at the Port Elizabeth Airport and hour and a half later. At the airport they were met by their counterparts from the Korsten district who made sure that they don’t die of boredom while they are in their district.  That weekend this group visited various places, the Oceanarium for the dolphin show, the snake park and the museum to mention but a few. For Sunday service these brothers and sisters attended the Korsten congregation where they also witnessed a baptism of three souls.  The Sunday was concluded by a gala dinner where a three course meal was served for all youth members including the hosts at a local hotel. Well as the saying goes, all good things come to an end, this group left for home on Monday 22 October and this marked the end of the most memorable weekend of these youngsters’ lives.  But before they left one of the ministers from Korsten encouraged the youth members to persevere in order to become a success in the future, he also urged them to remain faithful to God and true to the vow they made during their confirmation.

 

 

 

Athlone district receives a new leader

On Sunday 14 October 2007, District Apostle N Barnes - accompanied by Apostle J Stephens and the Bishops J Bucchianeri and A Hans - served Sunlands congregation in the Athlone district. As a basis for this service the district apostle used the text word from the epistle of Paul to the Philippians 2:1-2.  
This congregation also got to witness the ordination of District Evangelist A. Hollander into the district elder ministry for the Athlone district. District Elder Hollander is now serving alongside District Elder G Plaatjies who will be placed into retirement in December.

 

 

 

Aiming for 100

The Hanover Park congregation is on a mission to form a 100 member orchestra by the end of November 2007. This initiative has seen much dedication and support from the congregation’s 2 700 members and the leaders. Music development classes are being conducted on a weekly basis with the congregation’s 20 member ensemble, including the recorder players. In their quest to create this 100 member orchestra leaders and the Sunday school teachers arranged an Orchestra Development Winter School from Monday 2 July to Sunday 8 July 2007. Just over eighty children and youth attended these classes, where the rudiments of music were taught. Dedicated musicians from this congregation held these classes and offered tuition in violin, trumpet, trombone, percussion, saxophone and recorder. The excitement generated by this undertaking was given a further boost when the Cape Town Orchestra (CTO) chose to relocate their scheduled Thursday evening and Sunday afternoon rehearsal to Hanover Park congregation to coincide with the Winter School week.

 

 

 

Guest choral in Langa

On Sunday 14 October 2007 Bishop Lutuli, accompanied by Bishop Witten, held a guest service with a choral concert in Langa. The text used for this service was Matthew 9:18. Well-nigh 250 members were in attendance and 78 of the invited guests were also present. Included in this number were 20 guests from England who were on a tour through Langa and accepted the invitation of one of our deacons to attend the guest choral.The focus of the sermon was about the ways in which one can be spiritually touched. The bishop used the example of the woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. Each and everyone present was certainly touched in one way or another, whether by the word, the songs of praise or the warmth and fellowship experienced in the congregation. One of the British guests asked if he could speak on behalf of the group and thanked the congregation for the wonderful time they had spent in their presence. He said that the hour they had spent with the congregants was definitely the highlight of their visit to South Africa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Iyure yomculo kwa Langa

Nge Cawa umhla we14 Oktobha 2007, uBishop Lutul ekunye noBishop Witten, baye babamba inkonzo yendwendwe kwakunye nomyhadala womculo kwa Langa.  Nje ngesiseko saleNkonzo ezi Bishopu zi sebenzise ilizwi lesi bhalo  nebeliphuma kwiVangeli ngokubhalwe ngu Mateyu 9:18.  Amalungu angaphezu kwa makhulu amabini anamashumi amahlanu (250) kwakunye neendwendwe ezingamashumi asixhenxe anesibhozo (78) nesibala kuzo amashumi amabini azindwendwe ezisuka e Ngilane, ziyizimasile lenkonzo nalo mnyhadala.  Ezindwendwe (20) nezingabakhenkethi kweli loMzantsi Afrika  ziye zamnkela isimemo sokuza kule nkonzo zakube zimemnywe ngomnye wabadikoni bethu xa bezikheknetha kwa Langa. Eyona mfundiso iye yagxininisa  kwiindlela apho ubani anokuthi achukunyiswe  ngazo ngoko moya.  uBhisopu Lutuli uye wenza umzekelo ngentokazi ethile neyathi yachukumisa umqukumbelo wengubo ka Yesu.  Wonke umntu obekho apho uye wachukumiseka ngandlelana ithile, ngeLizwi lesibhalo okanye ngomculo wo kudumisa okanye ngobushushu bobudlelwane obuthe bafumaneka ebandleni.  Omnye kwaba bandwendweli base Britane ucele ukuba akhe aphose amazwi ambalwa ethethela yena noo gxa bakhe, uqhube wathi uyalibulela “elibandla ngethuba elincomekayo” abathe balifumana kubudlelwane nalo.  Wongeze ngelithi leyure bayichithileyo nelibandla ibeyeyona ncopho yotyelelo lwabo kweli loMzantsi Afrika.

Bishop Witten opens ABSA advisory center

On Thursday 30 August 2007, Bishop A Witten was invited by the management of ABSA to open their new Advisory Centre with a prayer. Dignitaries who attended this event included the Deputy Ministers of Transport and of Labour, lecturers from various business schools, members of business forums and some prominent business people from the vicinity. In his address Bishop Witten said that it is always exhilarating to start something new, but that the real work begins when one considers the sustainability of the new venture. With this in mind the bishop advised that the management and staff to consider the factors which contribute to this growth: vision and mission. With reference to this, the bishop made mention of the promise of Jesus recorded in John 14:3 and said “What a clear and beautiful vision.”
He went on to say, “If you love your neighbour as yourself, you’ll have colleagues who respect each other’s opinion, colleagues who are supportive of each other. There will be harmony among staff and that, in-turn, will contribute to healthy relationships.” In conclusion the Bishop invited all present to join him in prayer thus marking the opening of the ABSA Advisory Center in Athlone. A portion of the Thank You e-mail from the management read: “First and foremost I'd like to thank you for offering up your time to bless the opening of the advisory centre and for the few words of wisdom you shared with us all. Quite a few positive comments arose from your motivational talk aimed at the management and staff of this centre when you related it to sustainability in the physical and spiritual form.”

 

 

 

A hearty breakfast in Langa

With the Sunday school outing for the end of the year looming, the congregants of the Langa congregation decided to gather funds through a breakfast fellowship event. On Saturday 1 September 2007 the “spring breakfast” as it was dubbed, was held at the Love Life center in Langa and focused on the sunflower theme.  Shepherd I Michaels opened the morning’s proceedings with a prayer and wished all present bon appetite. In addition to this activity, the congregation will on Saturday 22 September 2007 host a mini market to generate funds for the Confirmand’s week-end outing scheduled for November 2007.

 

 

 

 

Round number two: Sunflower seed planting

The morning of Saturday 21 July 2007 saw a group of excited Sunday school children gathering at the Hazendal congregation for the second leg of sunflower seed planting. The children arrived at the church all excited and joyful sporting their sunflower t-shirts. They prepared their soil for the planting, planted the sunflower seed, watered it . . .  and will now wait and see. After the planting had been done everybody got cleaned up, had a snack and then enjoyed some fellowship with singing and playing. The children were sent home by 12:00. This is the second round of the sunflower planting project, the first fruits being harvested during May and June. The seeds that have now been planted are expected to blossom by Thanksgiving 2007.

 

 

 

Death awaits, R U next

On the evening of Monday 9 July, the youth of the Silvertown district gathered at the Kewtown congregation for a presentation on the effects of drug abuse. The presentation which warned “Death awaits, R U Next” was done by Inspector Arthur Minnaar and his team from the South African Police Service in Mowbray. District Elder M Van der Hoven opened with a prayer and then a member of the SAPS known as Mr. Tik introduced those gathered to the negative effects of drugs. A handcuffed ‘prisoner’ was escorted into the hall by a uniformed police officer, followed by a coffin – both signifying the consequences of drug abuse.  Later, when the youth were invited to the front to see who was lying in the coffin, they saw a reflection of themselves inside.  A motivational speaker Marildia, 19, told the youth of her addiction and close shave with death as a result of drug abuse. She related the story of her lucky escape through rehabilitation. In conclusion Marildia asked the youth to pray for her as it remains difficult for her to stay drug free in a society where drugs are so freely available.

 

 

 

Sunday school teachers trained in Skills for Life

To accommodate the launch of the Skills for Life Programme in the Silvertown district, the Sunday school teachers from all over the district gathered for an early service on Sunday 10 June 2007 at the Silvertown congregation. After the divine service which took place at 08:00, the training programme was started. The teachers were given insight into what is expected from a Sunday school teacher, the definition of life skills and instruction in the implementation of the Skills for Life programme. A demonstration lesson followed and thereafter the teachers were given the opportunity to prepare and present a short lesson themselves.

 

 

 

District Apostle Barnes prepares Silvertown for chief apostle’s visit

On Sunday 8 July 2007 District Apostle N Barnes held a divine service in the Silvertown congregation. In this service, which he referred to as a preparation for the visit of the chief apostle in September, the district apostle served a congregation of over 1 800 souls with the text word from Genesis 5:24: “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not: for God took him”. In preparation for the serving of Holy Communion the district apostle referred those present to what is written in 1 John 1:8 & 9: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all the unrighteousness.”  The departed souls were served with Holy Communion through Bishop A Witten and District Elder M Van der Hoven. This day also experienced the placement of 2 Shepherds for the Parkwood district and 1 for Langa congregation. Two Community Evangelists were ordained for Silvertown and Hazendal congregations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bishop Witten invited to perform dedication.

Bishop A Witten, accompanied by District Elder A De Wet, was invited to perform the dedication ceremony of a new office block in Capricorn Park, Muizenberg, Cape Town. The bishop gave a short address to the staff and families of both the builder and the new owner who were present. He mentioned that a building is not merely brick and mortar, but a place where people meet and relationships are established. “On request of the owner, we ask the Lord’s blessing on these negotiations and relationships,” said Bishop Witten. He then offered up a prayer of blessing to meet this request. The owner, Mr. Richard Gie, expressed his appreciation for and was visibly moved by the proceedings. He thanked the ministers for taking time to be there.

 

 

 

People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care!

This concept was truly demonstrated after the recent service for the departed when the confirmation teachers along with 12 confirmands of the Silvertown congregation visited the Themba Care centre in Bridgetown, Athlone.

The facility cares for abandoned and orphaned children who are HIV/Aids infected.  Each confirmand presented the staff with a bouquet of flowers as a token of thankfulness for their unselfish care shown to the children. The volunteers were impressed by the gesture and invited the group to render a few hymns which were well received by all present.

 

 

 

Hanover Park district’s week-end away for confirmands

It was with great excitement that the 57 confirmands of the Hanover Park district looked forward to the week-end of 23-25 March 2007. This was the week-end on which they and 8 teachers and ministers headed off to the False Bay Ecological Park to spend time together before their confirmation.

Upon arrival at the Park, the group was treated to a delicious supper before formal introductions and a walk in the ‘wild’ took place. This lasted until 11 o’clock that night.

The Park rangers kept the young people busy over the course of the weekend with various programmes ranging from hikes to motivational talks. After lunch was served on Sunday, the group headed home having made new friends and also greatly anticipating the day of their confirmation.

 

Exercise for body, soul and spirit

On Saturday morning 17 March 2007 all the district ministries of the Silvertown bishop area and their wives joined Bishop Witten for a mountain hike. The day started out overcast and relatively cool, but this did not dampen the spirits of the hikers. The group commenced their hike at Rhodes Memorial with their end objective being Signal Hill. After having trudged along enthusiastically they were pleased to see a team on hand to provide a welcome breakfast. The hike served to strengthen the fellowship among the group who, despite some weary legs, agreed that this kind of activity should be repeated at least every second month.

Bright and Beautiful: Silvertown Bishop Area

Intensive care for Hazendal congregation, Silvertown district

On Monday 12th and Tuesday 13th of February 2007, some 30 priests of the Silvertown district converged on the area cared for by the Hazendal congregation. Their intention was to visit over 100 families in the space of these two nights and with the help of the resident priests in the congregation this became a reality.

The effect of this intensive spiritual care was noticeable on the Wednesday evening. The attendance at the midweek divine service increased by 60% and this trend continued on the Sunday thereafter. The members of the congregation also expressed their delight at receiving some special attention and were specially prepared and waiting to welcome the priests in their homes.

The exercise also developed a greater sense of team work and belonging among the ministers as many experiences could be related at the fellowship held after the evenings’ activities. The brothers are now looking forward to moving on to the next congregation in the district.

Fellowship for ministers and their wives, Silvertown district

After the blessed divine service conducted by District Apostle Barnes, which was audio-visually transmitted from Nobuhle North on Sunday 21 January 2007, a fellowship for the ministers and their wives of the Silvertown district had been arranged. This was a good way to commence the activities for the New Year 2007. Both Bishop Witten and District Elder Van der Hoven were present and shared their vision in respect of soul care for the year ahead with the ministers who were present.