Outreach

Pretoria Outreach

The work in Pretoria began many years ago when Rev Fred used to live in Pretoria. When Rev Fred moved to Middelburg, he kept in regular contact with some people in Pretoria and established a circuit/congregation of a few people in Pretoria. Throughout many years there continued to be church services, bible studies and short courses. The church was serviced by a number of preachers, ministers and pastors and the attendance varied from sometimes only two or three to twenty five or more. Much effort was put into the work in Pretoria and one cannot say, to no avail - many people received the Word of our Lord, and our Lord was honoured and glorified by many, perhaps not all. The congregation functioned as a kind of train station in many ways, with members and preachers changing all the time. A few people did remain for many years, particularly people like Jean Tilanus and her mom. Jean Tilanus was also one of the founder members of the church in Middelburg. She brought a number of people to church of which some are still with us today. Throughout the years Rev Fred kept the flame alive.

Around 2001, the congregation officially ceased to function as a circuit after the membership and attendance had dwindled to virtually nothing. The Sunday meetings had ground to a halt altogether. People including myself began to attend other church meetings.

It was not long before I was terribly disillusioned with what was preached in other church assemblies. I could not accept the humanistic and worldly message that only honoured man and no one else, and found myself destitute. Having preached on occasion in our now non-existent congregation, there was the choice of either attending other church meetings which left me and my family very troubled or beginning to preach to my own family that which I believed to be true. The decision was made that we would have a service at home every second Sunday and travel to Middelburg on the alternate Sundays.

We began with Sunday meetings with two to three families and sometimes only one attending. For the past four years we have continued to have services every second Sunday. As in the past, the attendance is from ten to twenty-five people per service with a few regulars and some who come and go. I have often wondered whether this was honouring to our Lord - the numbers are few, but then I know that it is not about numbers but about truth and being faithful to God.

Our small congregation is growing and we are going to return to our own church building soon, which we will rent from Irene Primary School. We have members that are willing to serve the Lord and to do His work and be faithful to Him. We may have been like broken reeds or smouldering wicks (and may be again), but we were not snuffed out and this only by God's grace and mercy. Through the work of some of His faithful servants like Rev Fred, Pastor Willie and others, we press on and leave the results in our mighty Lord's hands - may He forever be glorified and we be His faithful servants - for Jesus sake! Until He comes and we are all finally with Him face to face!

- Marius Muller

Prison Outreach

At our last conference (2005) permission was given to engage in prison ministry. I did pursue this and began visiting Pretoria Central Prison (women's section). I could not visit as an individual without obtaining permission from the authorities first. Because of the usual red tape and inefficient public service, I opted instead to enter under the Methodist Churches' Alpha course missionary work program. When entering the prison to do missionary work, you get to work with groups only, of around 15 to 20 people. The Alpha course was all that I was allowed to talk about. Although the Alpha course does have its merits, I personally do not believe that it is biblically truthful in all aspects and I did not want to be involved with it any longer. The way forward is to get to work with individual prisoners in a very intensive way and present the TLC course to the individual. Many prisoners are very far from the Lord and they need one on one counselling.

A distressing reality is that the Satanist movement is allowed to do work in prison too - all part of our wonderful new democracy. At the moment, I am busy presenting the TLC course to people outside of prison. As soon as we have a break, I will again look into doing work in prison and go through the process of getting the TLC approved by the authorities so that we can begin to present it in prisons.

- Marius Muller

Kragbron Outreach

Since April this year, we have been given a very wonderful opportunity to broadcast the Gospel. At least every 5th Monday from 10:00 to 10:30, I give a devotional over Radio Kragbron. This station is very popular and presently reaches more than 250,000 listeners - it may soon broadcast across the whole of Mpumalanga. This is a most rewarding and blessed ministry. There are those who contact us directly, but also indirectly, remarking that they or someone they know has heard the message.

They tell of how it has impacted upon their lives. May God continue to use this ministry.

- Rev Fred Shaw

Johannesburg Outreach

The evening of the 3rd of August 2006 found Rev Shaw, Marius and myself huddled together in a freezing cold parking lot at the Helen Joseph Hospital in Johannesburg. As we drove in convoy through the hospital grounds our senses were assailed by the filth and the stench of the place - rubbish strewn all over the roads, buildings in various degree of disrepair and almost complete darkness. This cold windy night heralded the official start of our outreach program to build a church in Johannesburg.

We decided to start our mission with the young nursing staff at the Helen Joseph Hospital. We wanted to introduce them to Nouthetic counselling in the hope that they would be in the perfect position to counsel folks who desperately needed the Lord in their lives. From these young ladies, we were then going to get a list of people who did not have a spiritual home, go and visit them and encourage them to search for the Lord and thus start the framework of the church in Johannesburg.

As we arrived at the nurses' residence, the icy wind bundled us into the dimly lit foyer where we awaited the arrival of what we hoped would be a good few nurses. The shock of how this hospital, once one of the best in the country, had deteriorated in just a few years in the hands of our present godless government was plain to see on all our faces. Truly, the Lord had abandoned this place and now, in the hands of Satan, it crouched - cold, dark, filthy and altogether without hope. If ever a place needed the work of God - it was here.

It came as no real surprise to us when only three nurses arrived. They had tried their best to round up more, but none were interested in hearing our Lord. Even so, as the six of us settled in a messy little lounge, the Lord spoke quietly and gently through Rev Shaw. He softly but firmly dispelled the myths of psychology and clinical psychiatry, relegating them to their place of being merely a descriptive science, but having no real power to heal. He spoke of the Cross of Calvary and of the hope we now have in Christ. We heard how none now have any excuse to continue with sin in their lives because Christ has come and by His blood, we are set free. It was have in Christ. We heard how none now have any excuse to continue with sin in their lives because Christ has come and by His blood, we are set free. It was very still as he spoke, all listened and heard the truth that night.

At the end of the hour, there was a short discussion and then we were back in the freezing cold parking lot again, leaving behind - one who was silent throughout, one who was interested but had many objections, and one who quietly stated that she would pray about it.

All things, both great and small, have a beginning. Ours was a very humble beginning indeed, but we have begun and there can be no turning back or letting up. We labour for the Lord and pray His blessing on our work. There is much work to be done - please pray for the work in Johannesburg - it truly is Satan's stronghold and the people are in deep darkness. Pray for the people in that godless region. Pray for strength too for the workers who labour for the glory of Christ. But above all, pray for victory for Christ that His death might not be in vain for those whom the Father has called and who have heeded that call.

- Vincent Stevens

Witbank Outreach

It was made clear to Rev Shaw by the Lord that we have dwelt long enough on the mountain. It was now time to break camp and advance into the hill country of the Amorites, (Deut 1 v 6&7) which for us is Witbank. It was now time to take that which the Lord has taught and revealed to us, to others.

We have had four services since starting in Witbank on August the 6th. The old office prefab at Cambridge Academy has been beautifully transformed into a chapel. We are also very grateful to Lorna who has been helping us in the evening since starting. At the moment we have one service at 5pm and if the need arises for a morning service this will also be made possible in the future.

We do pray and trust that the Lord Jesus Christ will bless this work in Witbank and will bring all those that He is drawing to Himself to the church.

- Willie Zowitsky
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2008-07-21: Audio
The Suppertime Conversation "Through the Gospel of St Matthew" that has been loaded is specific to the redication of the Church upon completion of major alterations. The Suppertime Conversations can be studied on a daily basis from Sunday to Saturday with the relevant Sunday Service by Rev. Shaw.

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