Ministry News

To all our friends and ministry partners, we are grateful for your friendship and partnership throughout this year. When we reflect on everything God has allowed us to be part of in 2017, we know that it would not have been possible without your role. We stand and serve because through you God has provided the support we need to do all He called us to. The principle of ‘Ubuntu’ teaches us umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu. This means we do not exist as an island, we are created for relationship and community.

The Gap Year programme

Trainees and staff on the end of year hike.

The Gap Year programme is always one of our biggest highlights of the year because we spend most of our time with these young people. Every year in January we receive a group of young people, eager to receive training and go serve. As the staff, we spend time getting to know each of them, helping on their journey of becoming the men and woman God intends them to be. This is done through devotions, ministry training and personal discipleship. It is such a joy to witness the growth that takes place during their time with us. We know that this is only a part of their discipleship journey, so we always encourage the trainees to find someone to disciple them further at the end of their year with us. Our biggest lesson this year is to acknowledge that we only play a part in a work that God is doing. God has been doing work in the lives of the trainees before we met them, and he will “carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:6). We have to be faithful and do our best in the time they are entrusted to us.

Regional Director Role

By far my (Bhuti) biggest growth this year came from learning and taking on this new challenge of becoming regional director. In this role I come alongside Chico, country leader of Mozambique, to help him as he mobilises disciple making movements in that country. Chico has spearheaded J-Life work in his country since 2013. Over the years he has built a team of regional trainers (Movement Builder Multipliers) who are doing a sterling job of equipping the church to make disciples. 

Engaging with a peer on discipleship and coaching challenged me a lot. Not only did we discuss strategies and review plans and goals, we also spoke about glorifying God in how we live and lead our families; we prayed and studied the Word together. That is where the growth came from, going beyond curriculum to engaging authentically as followers of Christ. Please pray for our planned visit to Mozambique in 2018.

J-Life South Africa Summit

J-Life SA Summit: Josh, Jess and Gail left before the picture was taken

In November, the J-Life South Africa team met in Cape Town for our national summit. It was a huge blessing to be under one roof as we are based in different provinces and hardly come together.

J-Life Africa STM Co-ordinator

Jann flanked by Kelita and Joe in Zambia

A new role I (Jann) have taken on this year is that of helping our leaders across the continent plan, prepare and host a short term mission from partner churches. It has been really meaningful to use the skills and experience I’ve gained from hosting mission teams on Camp Eden and make them available to others in our team. I am also learning as I grow into this role. Each country is different, with its own capabilities and challenges, which keeps things interesting.

I had the privilege of being in Zambia for a short time during the STM from Grace Community with Joe, our country leader there. It was wonderful to see all the months of planning come together. Joe has a great team and they added much value to the team from Grace. Meeting Kelita, Joe’s wife and  working alongside them was a highlight. It was also good to spend time with friends from the USA and make some new ones.

Merry Christmas

Have a blessed Christmas celebrating the birth of our Saviour with friends and family. We pray that 2018 will be a year of greater impact for his Kingdom.

Ndumiso turned 4 in November

March-April Ministry News

Home Front

Family is a great blessing! We often reflect on just how blessed we are in this regard. Our extended
J-Life family is and has been going through many changes this year. Some Hello's, some Good-byes and quite a few See you Later's. Through these changes we are reminded to keep listening to the Father and remain obedient to his calling.

We often only acknowledge God when big things happen but he is equally present in the day to day happenings - his presence is constant, he keeps us healthy and always provides for our needs. We are grateful.

Youth Worker update

Our Youth Workers have been back in their communities where they are serving in their churches. This is always challenging and stretching for the trainees. When they hit the ground they soon realise that serving and leading is a lot harder than they imagined. Below two of our Youth Workers share a lesson and highlights.

“My biggest lesson has to be the one about serving. Just as there is no such thing as a non-functioning member of the human body, so there ought to be no such thing as a non-functioning member of the body of Christ. This is helping me to find my place of service through my spiritual gifts, natural talents and ministry skills. As I am learning this, I am also sharing it with the young people I am discipling.” Tumelo, Faith Mission Outreach, Heidelberg.

"After I came back from Camp Eden, the practical block ahead of me posed many challenges that I didn't feel I could overcome. Things like planning and managing our Friday night youth event and finding someone to mentor. But by the grace of God I managed to overcome them one by one. 
The biggest highlight of it all is that I have been able to learn and grow myself spiritually and mentally in an environment where the church staff and members are willing to guide and nurture me along the way. I've been able to build new relationships and learn a few new things about myself through this first prac block. For that I am truly grateful to God." 
Londiwe, Randpark Ridge United, JHB

Training Pastors and Youth Pastors to make disciples

Over the past two months we spent a lot of time knocking on Pastors and Youth Pastors doors to arrange training in different areas. We are doing this through 1 Day disciplemaking seminars that serve as an introduction to our training material. J-Life has learnt that seminars are good for information, NOT so much for transformation. Our goal is to run as many disciplemaking seminars as possible, and to use this platform to identify Pastors and Youth Pastors who want more. We plan to take those who want more than just information through our GC² Groups for training, coaching and discipling for implementation.
We have trained two groups of youth leaders, one in Finetown and the other in KwaThema. We are at different stages of planning these seminars in other towns.

Lead THE Cause

We took 2 of our youth workers and 4 young leaders they serve with at Ignite Youth, Acts Family Church to #fierceltc17. Lead THE Cause (LTC) is an equipping event for high school students that transforms young believers into leaders and life-long disciples.  Go.Live.Dare. ran this powerful event at Every Nation Rosebank. It was by far one of the most practical conferences and teens were given tools to share the gospel.

If you are around Durban or Cape Town, this event is coming your way. Check it out here. This event combines small and large group evangelism training and includes opportunities to engage unbelievers in different contexts.

Prayer Items

Please pray that God will provide us with people to join our support team as intercessors. If this is something you or someone you know would like to be part of, please contact us.

5-7 May – Training 2 groups of Clergy and lay leaders from Diocese of Johannesburg, Diocese of Pretoria, Diocese of Christ the King, Diocese of the Highveld
Please pray that this will spark a movement of disciplemaking in the Anglican Church.

8-12 May - Waterstone College Grade 9 Tour focused on serving in communities
Please pray for the hearts of the students as they learn about serving others, that it will become a lifelong attitude

13 May- One day Disciplemaking Seminar
Please pray that this will open doors to churches in Tsakane, Duduza and KwaThema townships.

17-21 May - Connecting with Youth pastors and training in the South Coast, KZN.
Please pray for safe travels for our family

22-26 May – J-Life Southern Africa Summit
Please pray for safe travels for all delegates and that it will be a great time of refuelling

8-30 June – Second Training intensive for the Youth Workers
Please pray for their ministries as they are away for 3 weeks

18 June - 29 July – 6 Weeks Internship
Please pray for more South African students to sign up

Jan-Feb Ministry News

The Home front

Our family is doing well and continue to enjoy being part of the J-Life family at Camp Eden. We are constantly learning what it means to be parents to Ndumiso who is now a busy 3 year old. He has recently taken to climbing which has both pro’s and con’s for living on a farm. We are extremely blessed to have him grow up in this environment and he loves it!

Jesus commissioned us to “make disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:18-20). As a family we are currently fulfilling this call through discipling J-Life trainees and training them to “make disciples who make disciples”.

The Youth Worker program

We have just completed our first of 3 training intensives in the Youth Worker Program. The participants spent 6 weeks learning to be disciples, live like disciples and make disciples. It is such an honour and privilege for us to disciple and equip them to make disciples. We aim to model and instil the character and priorities of Jesus for life and ministry. Over the 6 weeks we spent time doing that through lectures, spending time in community, small group studies, morning prayer, exercise and serving together. 

Scripture Union

We had 3 trainers from SU who spent a week equipping our interns for School and Children’s Ministry.  Scripture Union has a rich history of being active in schools as well as running excellent Holiday Bible Clubs. The training given will enable our interns to run Christian groups and present life skills lessons in schools. They also have the tools to plan and run a Holiday Bible Club for kids in their community.

The interns were given an opportunity to practice what they learnt during their time with Scripture Union Trainers. We visited 2 different high schools in the area where they presented life skills lessons to Grades 7, 8 and 9 classes.

Observation Visits

Part of our learning comes from others who are in the trenches of youth ministry. This intensive we visited JAM Youth at Selcourt Methodist, Springs. We were able to chat to Enoch (J-Life 2015) about their strategy to reach and disciple the youth of Springs and the surrounding suburbs.

We also visited Encouter Youth, a ministry of Everynation Rosebank and got to learn from Mark and Debbie Tittley, veteran youth workers.

Thank you to both groups for the investment into our interns and sharing how you reach and disciple teens in your communities.

Regional Directors Meetings

I (Bhuti) attended the J-Life Africa regional directors meetings held here at Camp Eden, 7-11 Feb. This was to learn more about my interim role as regional director. In this role I will be looking after our J-Life Mozambique Country Leader, Chico.
We spent time planning together for the regional summits which will take place in four host countries across the continent.
We are excited to see what the Lord is doing and is about to do in our beloved Africa.    

Please join us in prayer for…

-financial provision for our family (We currently need to raise more support in order to meet our monthly budget for living and ministry expenses).

-for the trainees to grow as disciples and to make disciples

-for our team as we disciple the trainees

-open doors to conduct training in new areas (expand our influence)

-a movement of disciple-making across the continent