This is a link to Beth Uriel, its a ministry that has been established in Salt River seeking to reach out to young men from very difficult backgrounds.  Check it out, they even have a clothes label to support their work!

I have been involved with a Church plant in Hout Bay since the beginning of the year.  It’s been really exciting to see people come in and despite the small beginnings, have become very excited about the plant.  Which is why this week and next week we are looking forward to our two evangelistic meetings.  Tomorrow night we are looking at why Jesus needed to die.  The idea behind the evening is to explain the necessity of  the death ofChrist and how that impacts this world.  We’ll also be having an open Q&A session after that on just about anything, an open forum for the skeptics to be able to ask hard questions about Jesus, the Church and Christianity in general.  So if you know anyone living in Hout Bay, let them know about it.  Please pray for us as we try to reach out to this area!

Hout Bay Museum

7:00pm – 9:pm

Any other details can be found if you phone 021 715 1104

I wrote a post (some time ago it seems…) where i was trying to ask what the African mindset is.  i guess i take my cue from the fact that we talk so much about the modern/post modern mindset within the Western world that i often wonder if that really applies to our situation here in Africa.  Are Africans (i know this is a generalizing question) modern? Post modern? Pre modern?  Or something completely different?  The reason i ask i hear a lot discussion goingon about missions philosophyand practise with a presumption that we all live in a “post modern” world.  Since when did the world turn postmodern?  Did i miss a memo or something?  And i think that one of the struggles i have as a white South African is that i do not understand the African way of thinking very well.  So i guess if i am going to take the Gospel to the other white South Africans only, since i sort of understand them better, then my missions focus is minute.  I guess i don’t want to take false presuppositions into cross cultural ministry and feel the need to better understand the African mindset (for lack of a better term).

One thing that really confuses me is that we are very good at generalizing our friends across the pond when it comes to worldviews, epistemology and favourite breakfasts.  A recent trip to the States allowed me to test some of those generalizations and in some ways they are not too far off.  None the less, we act as if we are certain experts about foreign forms of philosophy and yet we are (well, i am at least) clueless about local epistemology or thinking.  South Africa is great because we have a melting pot of people and thinking, so we can’t use broad brush strokes, but as far as i can see no one is really talking about this issue, not even at Bible colleges.

 My request is that if anyone knows of research or resources that are availiable in this field it would be a great help in developing a contextualized theology.

Have a great weekend!

There are many reasons to live in South Africa, one its the most beautiful place in the world (yes, even more pretty than Brighton who may in your mind come a close second).  Secondly, we have an over abundance of public holidays!  Its true, check out our calender…but that’s not a real reason i suppose. A real reason is we have in so many ways a rich diversity of people here that makes our corner of the world unique.  Obviously that was something that was not always celebrated as Apartheid sought to squash the various races in this country.  But today is Human Rights day, a day where we are to remember our past seeking not to allow the same mistakes in the future.

Which is another reason why its great to live in South Africa, we hace entered a period of freedom from political oppression (although some may even disagree there…) which means that we as South Africans go enjoy our public holidays with friends and family.  Yet, our neighbour does not know that freedom.  Zimbabwe has felt the heavy hand of it’s dictator, Robert Mugabe for over forty years now.  With no signs of letting up, the country seems only to be free falling into political, social and economic anarchy.

So what i was hoping is if you read this and know of people seeking to bring restoration to that country please let me know so we can put their names up and be praying for them, maybe send them an email encouraging them in the work they are doing for the Kingdom of God.  One friend of mine is working their Vimbiso Kombora who is working in a local church in Harare.  Pray for her as she seeks to be a relevant witness in a difficult situation.

I know Stephen at …daylight wanted to find out about theologically sound writing on missions a while back.  Check this out for some upcoming books and papers on missions and a missional reading of the Bible.