June update from Capricorn, South Africa
American Summer in churches usually brings lots of service opportunities. I’m thankful my home church, Shades Mountain
Baptist Church is a missions-sending church and generously sends me helpers for
the harvest! This month has been full of visitors and missions teams. I’m proud
to say that the church in Capricorn was advanced by these short-term visitors
and we’re currently building on what they planted.
In late May, three of my former students from
Shades Mountain Baptist Church came to work with me for a “summer term” (it’s
winter here, but for the Americans we call the project a “summer project
term”). They committed 5 weeks to ministry in Capricorn and I think they’ll be
leaving a huge piece of their heart with us when they leave. It’s been amazing
to watch young ladies that I poured my heart into when I was in ministry in
Birmingham, Alabama now come and pour their heart into this new people-group I
love. I’ve been so humbled in this privilege of watching the discipleship
process happen right before my eyes. These ladies have had their challenges and
personal inner-struggles that we all go through when going cross-culture, but
they have shined a bright light for me and reminded me what giving up your life
for the sake of making disciples truly means. I’ve enjoyed their ministry to
the Youth of Capricorn and their encouragement to me!
In early June, Shades Mountain Baptist Church’s
University Ministry, led by Chad and Holly Cossiboom, brought 10 members to
help in Capricorn. They led a special Preschool (Creche, as we call it here)
program. We had about 200 preschoolers come through our door at Living Hope. It
was fabulous! The team also helped with the Capricorn Community Church – going
into the homes of our members for Cell Group (small groups for adults), putting
on a Worship Workshop for our Sunday Worship team, led an “Olympics-themed”
Friday Youth Night, conducted an all-day Saturday Youth Retreat for about 22 of
our CCC Youth, and participated in Sunday School and Worship the Sunday they
were here. The team had lots of time with our Youth from the church and many of
the team commented on how much they loved seeing the same people/youth over and
over again so that they could continue relationship-building. The church is
being advanced!
Our little church in Capricorn is going
through great growth – both numerically and spiritually. Pastor Severo is
trying to keep up with all the work and shepherding, and he’s doing such a
great job! He’s seen the struggles for our type of people to sit and learn
under a “typical” service on Sundays (sing, preach, pray), so he’s introduced a
once-a-month “WORDshop” as he calls it. We discussed the value of children and
introduced the concept of us all being 3 parts (body- everything physical, soul
– mind and emotions, spirit – ability to know and have relationship with God).
Once the short teaching was done, we broke out into small group to discuss the
lesson and let the congregation chat to each other about what they see going on
(good and bad) in Capricorn. The leadership led the groups, but the
congregation was eager to talk with each other! As I’ve said before, unity and
community is hard for our church because we’re a melting pot of nations :
Rwanda, Malawi, Congo, Zim, Xhosa South Africans, Afrikaans South Africans,
White Afikaans South Africans, UK, USA and more. Everyone had a voice this
Sunday. Everyone participated. Everyone was fed! The feedback we got from
adults and youth were great. They loved the change and wanted to do more of it!
This past Sunday was a huge treat. Our Youth
took over the Sunday Service. We’d practiced skits and planned for the morning
and the youth were so excited to lead! Youth that normally would never speak
about deep things, those youth stood up, gave testimonies, led Worship, starred
in a scriptural drama and shared their brokenness with the church. I sat back
and cried the entire service. God was allowing me to see growth in a group of
people I’ve come to serve. God gave the church much encouragement through the
young lives of Capricorn Youth! God is doing a great work and He promises to
complete what He began (Philippians 1)!
Continue to pray for our church and the
growth happening. I’m honored to be part of this journey and thank you for
being part of it as well. Bless you for your faithfulness to God’s work in
South Africa!
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RECAP in photos:
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| Capricorn LSE lunch with Shades gals! |
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| Last Sunday morning with our Shades gals. Leadership thanking and praying. |
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| WORDshop Worship : Small Group Worship! |
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| Capricorn Community Church Youth Sunday! |
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| Youth sharing a testimony about what she's learning in Friday Youth time! |
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| SMBC UMin team leading Preschool Ministry |
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| Holly and Chad at the Team House |
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