WIN - Christ Church Kenilworth

Transcription

Issue 4
thislife
BOY BOK PAT
my shattering moment
FREE
in search of meaning
LAMBIE:
Help,
I’m addicted to
my cellphone!
Dr Johnny Marr:
I’m not scared
of dying
winter warmer
greek
pastitio
How my life
turned around:
ex-shoplifter Joybelle
Is being good what really matters in life?
WIN!
Winelands tour
(find that veritas in your vino
without having to drive)
Teens
under pressure
for anyone who ever wondered where God fits in
contents
25
ON THE COVER
04
05
06
11
12
15
20
foodielife Greek pastitio to warm your winter
sportymoment Boy Bok Pat Lambie
teenlife Teens under pressure: how we cope
agony Help, I’m addicted to my cellphone!
mylife Dr Johnny Marr: I’m not scared of dying
mylife Ex-shoplifter Joybelle on her new life
stickyissues Is being good really what matters?
AND THE REST
07
08
09
10
18
21
22
25
26
27
paparazzi Did we snap YOU?
coolstories School principal Eleanor Lawrence
coolstories Craftswhizz Judy Lambrecht
younglife Joshua’s photolog plus WIN chocs and sweets!
photomoment Cheeky pics and photo competition
artymoment Mother’s blog
seniormoment Handing wisdom down the generations
hotread ‘Books that have inspired me’ plus WIN new books
betterlife How to give effectively
infomoment Where we are, plus courses for YOU: divorce recovery,
parenting, Alpha, marriage…
28 shoppinglife Top 10 gifts
5
26
A special thank you to Max Bosanquet and Martin Yodaiken
of Cape Photography (www.capephotography.co.za) who lent us
their studio
COMPETITIONS: up for grabs in this issue
•
•
•
•
•
Lunch for four p 24
Winelands/Cape tour for up to six people p 17
Callanetics classes p 5
Life coaching sessions p 20
Beauty treatments p 9
•
•
•
•
•
Twister scarf p 6
Francine Rivers novel p 25
Plate handpainted by artist Janie Siebert p 4
Lots and lots of SWEETS p 10
Your photo published plus print to keep p 19
winners from our last issue
Beryl Nicholas
Glenda Sloster
Arnold Williams
Pretty Taruvinga
Martin van der Merwe
Glenda Sloster
CONTACT US/COMPETITIONS
Want to enter a competition, give input or send a comment or question to anyone who wrote in this magazine?
• Email Katy at thislifemag@gmail.com (If you send pics by email, please shrink them first, all emails 2MB and under, please)
• Sms Katy on 072 802 7022
• Fax Katy on 021 658 4140
• Physically deliver anything (mark it ‘Katy @ thislife’) to the St John’s Parish office. It’s the brick hall off the large car park at
St John’s Church, St John’s Road, Wynberg (above Springfield Convent), tel 021 761 9020
ALL COMPETITIONS IN THIS MAGAZINE END 31 AUGUST 2011 (except winelands tour competition, ending 21 August 2011).
Editor’s decision is final!
02
thislife | issue 4
Hello...
W
One lump or two? Teabreak for the thislife team
and
welcome
to thislife magazine!
hat are we about? Life. The joys. The challenges. Anyone who lives life to the
full, enjoys friendships and likes debates on that ancient chestnut, the meaning
of life. People who inspire us. Sticky issues. Sticky food. Shopping.
This, without a doubt, has been the hardest thislife to produce. It includes an interview with a very
close personal friend, Dr Johnny Marr, who was diagnosed with cancer in March this year and died
nine short, intense weeks later.
The incredible thing about Johnny is that right till the end of his life he had an unwavering sense of
where he was going. A man who loved life (he once kidnapped a sheep and let it loose in a friend’s
hotel bedroom), he knew he was dying. As a top Cape Town surgeon who regularly dealt with the
very cancer he developed, he was painfully aware of what was going on in his body. But despite his
agony at leaving his family behind, he was peaceful in death, sure it was only the beginning. Read his
story on p 12.
Which brings us to the God bit on the cover. We all like to pigeonhole faith for reference
purposes, so let thislife ‘fess it upfront: we hail from the Anglican Parish of St John’s,
Wynberg, Cape Town (www.stjohns.org.za).
BUT… we don’t necessarily expect you to! We understand that many people out there have
been put off by the church (after all, humans invented it so it’s got to be deeply flawed
in places). We just thought you might like a glimpse into the lives of some people who feel God is
important to them and gives them hope.
Finally, make sure you enter our competitions! You certainly don’t need a faith to chance
your hand at these! We have a record number of prizes on offer and because we’re local,
your chances of winning are HOT.
Carpe Diem!
Katy Macdonald
Ed
PS
GoodLife, a sister magazine in the UK inspired by thislife, has just been launched.
We’re going global. Woohoo!
PPS Thank you, thank you, thank you, sponsors and all those who help us in so many ways.
We love you.
thislife | issue 4
03
foodielife
Greek Pastitio
Ingredients (serves 6 to 8)
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped • 30ml sunflower or olive oil • 1 clove garlic,
crushed • 750g lean beef mince • 60ml beef stock • 1 tin tomatoes • 125ml dry
red wine • 1 cinnamon stick • 1 bayleaf • 15ml dried origanum • 500g macaroni,
halved and cooked • 750g cheese sauce (made with 50g parmesan and
50g cheddar) • 45g grated parmesan • salt and fresh black pepper (optional)
Charlene and her Greek pastitio:
‘There are never any leftovers!’
Method
W
W
Gently fry the onion in the oil. Stir in the garlic then add the mince, stirring till the meat changes
colour. Add the stock, chopped tomatoes and red wine. Stir the mixture till it bubbles, then reduce
the heat and simmer it very gently with the spices and herbs. Then season with salt and pepper, if
desired. Leave to cook for 45 mins or till tender. Check seasoning
To assemble, mix the cooked, drained macaroni with the meat sauce. Turn into a large, oiled
ovenproof dish. Cover the mixture with the cheese sauce and sprinkle the 45g grated parmesan
on top. Bake at 190˚ C for 45 min or until the surface is golden brown. After removing from the
oven, let the dish stand for 5 to 10 minutes before cutting into squares
MEAT-FREE OPTION: Use 750g of cubed brinjals instead of mince.
Add more oil if necessary to saute the brinjals, and cook gently until tender
ho’s the cook?
Charlene September,
Emmanuel Church, Wynberg
hat’s the inside
story?
‘I got this winner recipe from a
book my husband gave me the
year we got married, 37 years
ago! It’s economical and handy
- often you already have all the
ingredients. Best cooked with
love, and served with a tomato
or Greek salad. There are never
any leftovers!’
WIN
H
by andp
(ww artist ainte
Sim w.jan Janie d plat
ply iesie Sie e
072 sms bert. bert
PLA com
Co
m 80
31 petit 2 702 TE to )
Aug ion 2.
ust end
201 s
1
CINNAMON
LOWDOWN
This pastitio dish contains cinnamon, a spice used since biblical times. Cinnamon is said to aid digestion and may also
help control blood sugar in people with diabetes (only to be tried out under medical/dietetic supervision). Some research
shows the mere act of smelling cinnamon may wake up the brain! Try adding it to breakfast cereals such as muesli and
porridge, or cooked veg, eg butternut, carrots, sweet potatoes
04
thislife | issue 4
Food Stylist: Tania Hass
!
One minute with...Boy
Bok
sportymoment
Pat Lambie
WIN!
picture courtesy of Sports Illustrated
picture courtesy of The Sharks
A month’s
classes by CoCallanetics
lleen
@ The Gentle Thomas
Mowbray (082 Gym,
78
Simply sms ‘G 0 3793).
YM
072 802 7022 ’ to
Competition en .
31 August 20 ds
11
Twenty-year-old Durbanite Pat Lambie is a bit of a prodigy. Not content with being
headboy of Michaelhouse and playing rugby for South Africa at schoolboy level, just one year
out of school he was already playing for The Sharks in the Southern Hemisphere’s
Super 15 tournament. Last year he was named Man of the Match in the Currie Cup final and
went on to make the Springbok squad for a tour of Ireland in November.
But of course, Pat is more than the sum of his parts.
HERE, exclusively for thislife, he opens the door a chink on his life and faith
Ultimate comfort food? Mom’s chicken
Why God? God, because I believe there is no
on pink every now and then
Why rugby? It’s my passion
Coolest thing about God? I think the
Cappuccino/rooibos? Rooibos
Why The Sharks? Born and bred in Natal,
Dogs/cats? Dogs
Pink shirt/blue shirt? Blue, but I’d throw
Most irritating habit?
A bit of a perfectionist
Best sporting moment? Part of a winning
Currie Cup team and being announced as a
Springbok, on the same night
Worst sporting moment? Shattering
the bone in my left elbow in the first game in U16
and being ruled out for the year
pasta, it’s my ‘night before’ meal
grew up watching and supporting the Sharks,
and my Dad and Grandpa both played for Natal
People who’ve inspired me are…
Henry Honiball and Andre Joubert who I watched
when I was growing up. It’s mostly because of
the way they played
Hardest thing you have to do, and
how you cope?
Watch my brother have an epileptic fit. We pray
and he takes medication
other way. At my school, Michaelhouse, I learnt
what faith was all about
coolest thing about God is His understanding
and how He is always there
Make me president and I’d…
have to find me a few suits!
How connect to God? Music, reading,
prayer. I go to church and bible study, too
Best spiritual read? Rick Warren:
‘The Purpose Driven Life’
I really should stop… and smell the
roses
this page proudly sponsored by Redford Capital.
Contact us at info@redfordcapital.co.za
thislife | issue 4
05
teenlife
Young people should never be seen as a burden on
society, but as its MOST PRECIOUS ASSET
Kofi Annan, former head of the UN
kelly writes...
Freelance writer Kelly Pluke lives
in Kenwyn and is an editorial
assistant with a media company.
She dislikes peas.
O
kay, so I’m 22 years old
which means not so long ago
I was faced with the stresses of
being a teenager! Even now, I still
find myself feeling pressurised to
act in ways I don’t agree with. We’ve
all arrived at a party to find the only
thirst quenchers are alcoholic ones.
Everyone’s indulging and you would
stand out like a baboon on Seal
Island if you didn’t too. On top of
that, all your friends are
encouraging you to join in the ‘fun’.
After many embarrassing no’s and
even being called the boring girl, I
decided I didn’t need to follow the
cool crowd to have fun. The next
party I attended, I arrived with my
girlfriends and my own fun nonalcoholic beverages. Everyone
wanted to know what I was drinking and how it tasted – obviously
delicious! I think I had the most fun.
After that night, when people invited
me to parties, they asked me to
bring along some of those awesome
drinks.
trendsetter
There are so many different
situations where you can feel left
out because you don’t agree with
them; like being promiscuous before
marriage, for example. Both guys
and girls can feel pressure from
friends to indulge. There’s a great
way to resist this type of pressure:
just think about all the complications that come with having
premarital sex - that should be
enough to put you off! There are so
many risks involved - the chance
of getting infected with HIV/AIDS
and STDs, falling/getting someone
pregnant… And so often there’s lie
upon lie that you have to keep up
with! By saying no to premarital sex,
you can dodge all the snags that
come with it.
By being assertive and actively
coming up with fun alternatives,
I stirred up the confidence in my
friends to turn down those foolish
pressures. I now know how to deal
with them. I make sure I’m certain
what I believe in and whenever I’m
tempted to go against it,
I remember that standing up for
what you believe in makes you a
leader and a trendsetter.
Sometimes, this requires a strong
personality, and trust me I’m not
very confident! I pray to God to give
me the strength and the great
thing is, it works!
Got a
question about
life/stress/suffering/
dating/God etc?
Send it to Andrew
(youth leader, Christ Church
Kenilworth) on
www.justaskingblog.
wordpress.com
I asked a few teens around Cape Town how they
avoid teen pressure. Here’s what they said...
grace bridgman
(16, Christ Church, Kenilworth)
‘I feel pressured to date guys all the time sometimes I feel it doesn’t even have to be
someone specific, I just feel I want a boyfriend!
But I’m lucky enough to be in a youth group
that’s a great support. There are a few couples
but they’re not exclusive and it’s just as cool to
be single. At youth, we dance to awesome music
with strobe lights and all my friends have a fat jol
without drinking or smoking or even making out!’
lisa cogill
(17, Emmanuel Church, Wynberg)
‘I’ve come to a point where I can easily resist
substances like alcohol, drugs and smoking
because of my firm belief in God. I often put my
point across about how I feel about the topic to
my friends and let them dwell on it so they can
make their own decisions. For me, good, clean
fun is having a good time by being with the
people I love: laughing, playing games, not doing
things that give me a guilty conscience, like lying.’
dean parmer
(16, St John’s Church, Wynberg)
‘My friends and I have fun going to each other’s
houses and playing TV games, soccer or cricket.
I don’t mix with people who don’t have similar
values to mine, which helps me stay clear of
being pressured into things I do not believe in
doing. When I feel I want to do something I know is
wrong, like swearing or driving without a licence,
I remind myself why these things are wrong and
ask God to guide me in the right direction.’
cassie mayekiso
(16, St Philip’s Church, Kenwyn)
‘My friends and I have fun watching classic
movies like Titanic, or we head out to Camps Bay
for lunch on the beachfront. Discouraging friends
from drinking, smoking or taking drugs is not the
ideal situation for friendships but funnily enough,
it can strengthen them. At the time your friend
may look at you in disbelief, but ultimately they
know you’re doing it because you care.
I feel that having a million and one boyfriends
by the time you are 21 does nothing for you. My
friends may date and get very sexually active but
that’s their decision. I just keep in mind that I have
a Prince Charming out there who has kept himself
for me and I’ll keep myself for him. We have a
mutual understanding like that, without knowing
each other!’
WIN!!!
this blue/red unisex scarfy thing
by Evolve Apparel
(www.evolve-apparel.co.za).
Simply sms SCARF to 072 802 7022.
Competition ends 31 August 2011
06
thislife | issue 4
Grace, Lisa, Cassie and Dean manage to fend off those social pressures
paparazzi
CAUGHT IN THE ACT
what are the people of St John’s Parish getting up to?
BABS, JUL
IA,
with the W LUCY AND CHRISTIN
arehouse
E @ Muize
nberg b
each
CAILIN @ Emmanuel children’s church
HAPPY 100TH! MR CORNELIUS
SEPTEMBER of St Luke’s Church
recently celebrated his centenary
ANDREW, GARTH AND GILL
ON SANDWICH DUTY @
Feeding the Hungry, an initiative by
Christ Church, Kenilworth
MARCUS, N
E
caught in th W MINISTER @ St Ph
ilip
e act of hu
gging his w ’s Church,
ife Colleen
DEBBIE AND MARK of Church of the Holy Spirit ‘relax’
on Mothers’ Day with Jessica, Emily, Joseph and
Sofia
KIM AND APPLE @ St
er camp
John’s Church summ
thislife | issue 4
07
coolstories
A series highlighting the varied
activities of people in St John’s Parish,
Wynberg (www.stjohns.org.za)
spotlight on... Eleanor Lawrence, principal
whole new world opening up
i
started at Emmanuel Educare pre-school here in the
Westlake community 10 years ago. At that time I
had 32 children to look after and I was teacher, cook,
bottle-washer and nurse!
When I arrived there were people living in and around the
school building, even in the toilets. They wanted the school
provisions which are kindly given to me by Pick n Pay but I
said ‘Sorry, I am a teacher, the food is for the children - we
are a school and not a soup kitchen!’ But we supplied the
community when there was surplus food, and still do.
The school has grown enormously since those days. Now
we have 127 pupils, five teachers, five assistants, four ladies
in the kitchen and a caretaker. There’s also my dog Keeno
who comes to school with me some days. She takes the
best seat in the office but is very well mannered.
There are a lot of challenges in the community here.
Drugs, alcoholism, child abuse, incest and relationship
problems occur where the children get caught in the middle.
Today I had a girl in my office, so traumatised because
someone entered through her window last night.
Many of the children are at a disadvantage when they come
here because they speak so many different languages –
Portuguese, Xhosa, French, Swahili, Zulu, Lingali – and we
are an English medium pre-school. We see the turmoil on
their faces as they sit and look at us as if we come from a
different world!
But as we teach them, we see a whole new world
opening up to them. At the end of the three years, our
children are blooming and able to converse in English.
Good schools in the area welcome the children we send
them. We get feedback that they are being called up on
stage for work well done, diligence, good attendance, being
able to speak with intonation and being happy in class. To
other people this means nothing, but we know for them it
is a huge victory over their circumstances. It makes it all
worthwhile.
If I didn’t have the Lord in my life, I don’t know where I’d
be! He gives me wisdom, even when I lose my cool and my
voice gets very loud. Personally, I don’t call that shouting,
it’s just raising your voice a decibel!
Emmanuel Educare is a private independent pre-school run under the auspices of Westlake United Church Trust. It is
governed and sponsored by six local churches of different denominations. Private sponsorship is also welcomed to assist
families who otherwise could not afford the fees (currently R250/month).
08
thislife | issue 4
coolstories
i
used to run a clothing
company but I’ve always been
drawn to community projects,
so in 2003 I volunteered at
Westlake United Church Trust,
which runs a range of community
support programmes.
I’m mainly involved in supporting
the arts and crafts project. I find
work for anyone with a crafting skill
and facilitate opportunities for them
to make things - over the years
we’ve produced “Madiba shirts”,
cushions, belts, wooden Christmas
trees, bracelets, button necklaces....
We try to make to order, and sell
A series highlighting the varied
activities of people in St John’s Parish,
Wynberg (www.stjohns.org.za)
necklaces to various shops in the
area - and occasionally take part in
craft markets.
their own co-operative in the building and sew big volumes of bags for
a local organisation.
Of course there are frustrations and
difficulties - one of the greatest is
that I have not yet managed to
empower the crafters to find their
own work. But I love being here
because it’s where miracles
happen every day. We have lots of
success stories. We had a group of
Congolese refugees who came on
our adult literacy programme, then
did a sewing course with us, and
now they all have jobs. We also
have a group of women who started
Why do this?
I like knowing I’ve made a little bit of
an improvement in someone’s life.
It’s not necessarily all the time as
the work ebbs and flows, but with it
they are better off than they would
have been. Also they are a very
faithful, loyal bunch of people who
patiently wait for work and are
usually eager to try new things.
I see amazing answers to prayer
here. It really strengthens my faith!
spotlight on... Judy Lambrecht,
community crafts whizz
miracles happen every day
!
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this page proudly sponsored by Dorrington Jessop Incorporated Attorneys.
Contact Barry Jessop: barry@dorringtonjessop.co.za
thislife | issue 4 09
younglife
Hey!
I’m Joshua, I’m 12 and I belong to St Luke’s
Church, Diep River. Do I look like a Man United player?
My total dream
Leg sandwich in the Drakensberg – yum!
No comments please about
my Prison Break haircut for
the new term! At school I play
cricket, tennis and hockey.
Oh yes, we have a few
lessons, too…
Believe it or not, I bake as well as play sport.
These hertzoggies were for my school’s
outreach programme
I were all
y! My family and orters.
World Cup craz
pp
su
Bafana Bafana
ea
ent out, I becam
When Bafana w
te
ppor r…
Netherlands su
Middle child
– it’s tough being the one
between Chelsea and Kian,
holding the family together…
Well done
10
Q: Can I still go to heaven if I’ve been naughty every single day of my life?
A:
Yes! God wants us to be his children, not robots! Once
we ask Jesus to accept us as his followers, God accepts us
as his children. Because Jesus died for us we can be joined
to him and his family WHATEVER we’ve done - and the
Bible says that ‘nothing will be able to separate us from the
love of God’. The funny thing is that the more we grow to
know this love, the less we want to do anything that might
make God sad
Why don’t you pray a simple prayer, saying you’re sorry for
anything bad you’ve done, and asking him to take charge of
your life and to guide you? Then find some others who want
to live as his children too - and encourage each other. You
could start by going to a church or youth group
Answer by Rev Gordon Crowther, Church of the Holy Spirit
thislife | issue 4
to Joshua for
his winning
photolog which
nets him R250!
you can
win too!
share your world with us
Fancy winning this sugar rush?
Simply send us your photolog with short captions and the one
we love most will win you the goodies - PLUS
we’ll publish your pics in our next issue!
You must be 12 or under to enter.
My dad said to me,
Competition and
‘Son, today I fought off the
contact details on p2
powers of darkness.’
How do
I said, ‘How did you
you make a
do that?’ sausage roll?
He said, ‘I paid the
electricity bill.’
Push it
QUESTION TIME
Orange heartbeat!
I even travelled to
PE to watch the
Netherlands beat
Brazil in the
quarter-finals
www.thislifemag.co.za
n
Got a sue?
y is
agon sly for
l Le
Emai ice at
adv mail.com
g
l be
uys@
lesly. mails wil ictest
All e n the str
di
e
treate confidenc
Help,cellphone!
addicted
I think I’m
Q&Aagony
to my
Q: Help, I think I’m addicted to my cellphone! I constantly check for messages
No I promise u, I reli luv
yr new shoes! I’m just
a little upset yr hubby
called us cel fone
addicts
and am disappointed when there aren’t any. I can’t stop using it - even when I
drive! I’ve told myself over and over to leave my cell alone, but just can’t do it.
Is this an addiction?
Ja, wot
an IDIOT.
Let’s hav
r tea.
My thums
r sor
A: Have you ever found
yourself surrounded by people
who aren’t talking to each other
because they’re too busy on
their cellphones?
Crazy? No, it’s the norm.
In our busy and tiring world, an
sms may be all we can manage
and it is a useful way of engaging – so when is it a problem? It
becomes a problem when our
emotions and behaviours are
affected by something/someone
and we have effectively made an
idol of it/them.
Dependencies include both
substance and processes (over-
spending, nail biting, fantasy).
Research shows that a behavioural dependency has exactly
the same effect on the brain
chemistry as a drug!
Addiction is progressive and if
left unchecked, ALWAYS GETS
WORSE.
For generations, psychologists
thought that virtually all selfdefeating behaviour was caused
by people repressing their feelings for a number of reasons
(war/family situations/poverty,
etc). However, we now know
this is not the case with addiction. Addiction attaches desire
to certain behaviours, people
or substances until they come
to rule the person’s life. That’s
why traditional psychotherapy,
which releases repressed emotions, is ineffective in treating it,
and why Cognitive Behavioural
Therapy (CBT) is so powerful.
CBT is based on the principle
that a cognition (thought) actually creates your emotion, and
it is this emotion which determines your behaviour. If you can
challenge your thoughts, you
can challenge the self-defeating
emotions and behaviours they
produce. Recent studies indicate
that CBT actually changes brain
chemistry and is more effective
than medication or other
psychotherapies.
if addiction isn’t checked it always gets worse
w
If you are struggling with cell
phone addiction, why not try
some of these techniques:
•
Wear an elastic band around your wrist
and every time you find yourself
obsessing, snap the band against
your wrist
•
Speak out loud! When you’re obsessing
about possible messages on your
phone, speak to a colleague or start speaking out loud the tasks you need to
do for the day
responsibilities; deterioration in school or work performance; endangering your own health
and safety or that of others; listlessness, depression, nervousness, lying; insomnia or sleeping in late;
shoplifting or vandalism. If you have any of these symptoms, please do something positive to
• Set yourself a limit to using your phone.
This may include only checking for
messages three times a day
• Switch your phone off when you are
driving so that you’re not tempted to respond to a sms or call
arning signs that a habit is taking over your life include withdrawing from people or
break the cyclic nature of dependency! If you understand why you behave in a certain way, the
battle is already half won. To do this, it might help to try the following CBT techniques:
• Repair present relationships (Mark 11:25: ‘And whenever
you stand praying, if you have
anything against anyone,
forgive him, that your Father in
heaven may also forgive you your trespasses’)
•
Work through painful
memories of a dysfunctional family with a counsellor
(Proverbs 11:14: ‘Where there
is no counsel, the people fall;
but in the multitude of
counsellors there is safety’)
•
Choose affirming, supportive
people who will encourage and hold you accountable
(Hebrews 3:13: ‘But exhort one another daily, while it is called today, lest any of you be
hardened through the
deceitfulness of sin’)
•
Rebuild your relationship with God, who has promised never to leave or forsake you
(Hebrews 13:5)
‘You can beat
addiction!’
says Rev Dr Lesly Uys
(Therapeutic and pastoral
counsellor, Rondebosch)
HOW DO I KNOW IF I’M DEPENDENT?
Dependency on a behaviour or
substance occurs in stages:
•
•
INTOXICATION - when a substance or
compulsion causes mood changes, faulty
judgment, aggressive behaviour, impaired
social functioning
ABUSE - use of the substance/behaviour
results in your failure to fulfil responsibilities
or to maintain healthy relationships, or you might put yourself/others at risk of potential harm (like driving while reading/writing an sms)
• ADDICTION - you experience these indicators:
Drug/behavioural tolerance: you need more
of the drug/behaviour to obtain the same effect
Physical dependence: you suffer from
withdrawal symptoms (anxiety)
Craving: you develop a pattern of compulsive
behaviour (cellphone use)
Withdrawal: the distress caused by lack of the drug/behaviour severely disrupts your daily life
thislife | issue 4
11
mylife
MOST of us question what life’s all about, and Johnny Marr
and Joybelle September are no exception. They come from very
different walks of life, but both say that ALPHA, a simple 10-week
church course, fundamentally changed their lives. Here, in their own
words, they tell their stories…
u
Dr Johnny Marr: ‘Life is about two things - love and faith’
ntil recently, Johnny Marr, 48,
was a specialist surgeon. A father of three
and husband to Sue, who runs a fashion shoe
agency, he lived in Bishopscourt. Johnny grew up
in Knysna and attended Knysna Junior School before moving to Western Province Prep School and
later Rondebosch Boys’ High School. He trained
at the University of Cape Town and opened a
private practice in 1999 at the Kingsbury
Hospital, Claremont. Johnny was diagnosed
with cancer in March 2011. Following his
diagnosis, he talked to thislife about the
impact an Alpha Course had made on his life.
Shortly before he died in May 2011, he made
it clear that he still wanted this interview to be
published. Sue is equally keen that her
husband’s story be heard
alpha trivia alpha trivia alpha trivia alpha trivia alpha trivia alpha trivia alpha trivia alpha trivia alpha trivia alpha trivia
What Alpha offers, and what is attracting thousands of people, is
permission, rare in secular culture, to discuss the big questions life and death and their meaning.
The Guardian Newspaper, London
‘It even worked for old
snobby me,’
Forbes Magazine (Susan Lee, senior editor)
12
thislife | issue 4
i
mylife
grew up in Knysna, the
second of five children. My
mother was a teacher and my
father was a GP who subsequently went into farming. My childhood was rich in experiences.
until our oldest son Oliver was about
to be born and I came to realise I
wanted our child to grow up knowing Jesus. We had started attending
a nearby church for baptism classes
musical and related to the beautiful
music, mainly traditional hymns. I
don’t remember much else having
an impact on me.
astounding
Every Sunday, our parents took us
all to church. I didn’t have an issue
with Jesus but I probably went to
church a bit resentfully as I preferred
to run around the farm on a Sunday!
I was sent to Western Province Prep
School as a boarder in Standard
4, which for me was like turning a
tortoise on its back - I never quite
got over the loss of growing up on
a farm! I was in the choir, which
involved singing at St John’s Church
in Wynberg every Sunday. I dressed
in a red and white tunic and a stiff
white collar. I suspect that killed
the love of God in me for a while
because the happiest words in the
whole service for me were the final
blessing “May the Lord bless you
and keep you and make His face
to shine upon you…” Oh, the joy of
knowing we were only two minutes
away from getting out of church!
In high school I prayed most nights
and as I was involved in various
leadership roles, I was conscious
that swearing, drugs and too much
alcohol were not right - but that was
about the extent of my faith. At
university I knew that Jesus loved
me and still prayed most nights,
but maybe more out of habit than
anything else. Obviously I knew the
history of Jesus but I didn’t really
have a sense of who he was, or take
him very seriously, and I certainly
didn’t tolerate ‘bible punchers’.
It’s quite astounding because when
I look back, I’m not aware of any
prayer that hasn’t been answered.
Look, I might pray in desperation
when I lose a golf ball and not find
it, but I mean serious things. There
was a miraculous healing of a young
chap with severe arthritis that really
encouraged me, as I had prayed for
him. There was also the recovery of
my son Matty who was dangerously
ill at one time with an intraabdominal abscess.
Happy days with daughter Jeanie in Cape Infanta
for Oliver and they introduced the
concept of the Alpha course there.
The time felt right to explore and we
signed up.
But in fact that first Alpha didn’t
make a huge impact on me. My
overwhelming memory of that first
Alpha is not in the least spiritual. As
However a little later, some friends
started going to the Church of the
Holy Spirit, a new Anglican church
in Kirstenhof. As our church was
temporarily without a minister, we
too started going there. This church
also ran an Alpha course and it was
then that I took a leap of faith in
a big way. Finally, everything just
beautiful thing
I met Susie at Forrie’s, a student
pub, and she was the most beautiful
thing I had ever seen. It took quite
a while to connect with her again as
she was at Stellenbosch University,
but we eventually got it together.
She had a very strong faith but it
never really impacted on me. I was
unaware that Susie was praying for
me daily. I didn’t really have an
interest in exploring my own faith
and talk to him one-on-one, which
I didn’t know how to do before. I
started to know him as my friend
and understand what it meant for
him to be my saviour.
Johnny with sons Oliver and Matthew at a family wedding shortly
before he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer
part of the course we went away for
a weekend and all I really remember
is sharing a bungalow with a lovely
man who used the bathroom a lot
in the night! The part I enjoyed the
most was the worship. I’m a little bit
made sense. It got me to a new
level in my faith.
In fact it brought me into a
relationship with Jesus that taught
me how to pray confidently to him
Not long afterwards, I had a careerthreatening problem with my neck
when a disc prolapsed, causing
nerve entrapment. I was off work
for six weeks and started reading
Chasing the Dragon by Jackie
Pullinger, a lady who worked with
drug addicts in Hong Kong. She
talked about the power of the
‘Prayer of Faith’ mentioned in
James chapter 5:
Is anyone among you in trouble? Let
them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them
sing songs of praise. Is anyone among
you sick? Let them call the elders of the
church to pray over them and anoint
them with oil in the name of the Lord.
And the prayer offered in faith will make
the sick person well; the Lord will raise
them up. If they have sinned, they will
be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins
to each other and pray for each other
so that you may be healed. The prayer
of a righteous person is powerful and
effective.
Jackie Pullinger wrote that in many
cases, this simple prayer had been
successful in getting people off
heroin. I thought that if she could
do that with this prayer, anything
was possible. I was due for an op
but kept praying and on the Friday,
three days before my operation, the
pain disappeared and I never had to
have it.
What is Alpha?
Alpha is a fun, relaxed course which examines the claims of Christianity and is
aimed particularly at anyone who doesn’t attend church or who seeks to ‘brush
up’ their spirituality. At weekly sessions, usually held over a meal, participants
hear and discuss topics such as Is there a God? Why am I here? Where did I
come from? Where am I going? No question is ever considered too simple or too
hostile
thislife | issue 4
13
mylife
stressed
radical shift
I was now at a stage where I was
confident that God was in control
of my life. But I didn’t always call
on him in the stress and busyness
of daily life. There were many times
when I lost perspective and would
try and get through my daily routine
without him - I certainly
wasn’t a ‘model Christian’!
Eventually I would get to the
realisation that I wasn’t going to cope on my own and
would pray for God’s help
and guidance, and
usually things would come
right again.
On 26th March 2011 I was
diagnosed with stage four
pancreatic cancer, following a CT
scan the day before for a minor
stomach niggle. I was physically
really strong at the time. The weekend before, I had been surfing with
It’s not always easy to get to
church, especially as your
children grow up and start
having their own favourite places to worship on a
Sunday. And when you’re not
plugged firmly into a
particular church, there are
times when your faith is
not the number one thing
in your life. It’s like a flame
that gets a bit low. At these
times I found doing another
Alpha course or a marriage
enrichment course based on Johnny, Susie and family
biblical principles was the
ideal way to rekindle that flame and
my son Ollie, diving for oysters and
help bring back things into perspec- even managing to catch some fish,
tive. Once Jesus became my top
so to say it was a shock to get the
priority again, my relationship with
news is an understatement. There
my family and everything else, inare very few survivors of this cancer,
cluding work, would flow positively
so as a family we’ve been dealing
from that. It’s easy to lose track of
with the situation and the radical
that perspective but it’s actually the
shift in our lives ever since. I have
most important thing in life.
started chemotherapy and we’ve
I’ve been involved with a men’s
breakfast group on a fortnightly
basis for nearly 10 years, on and
off…but mainly on! This has been
the most important thing for me in
terms of my faith. It’s a time when
we can be honest and intimate with
each other in a completely confidential setting and can spend time
in a relationship with Jesus whether
praying or studying the Bible or writings around the Bible: the support
all stems from God’s word.
walking on the beach the other day
who asked me how I was doing. I
answered that in some ways the
cancer has been amazing in bringing me perspective on life. He asked
me to sum up that perspective in
one word, I said no - but I can do it
in two! Life for me now is about love
and faith. Everything else is trivial.
not scared
The second thing is that I have
discovered my faith is unwavering.
I’ve never been more acutely aware
that my life is held firmly in the
hands of Jesus. I can’t understand
why this illness has happened to
to leave behind, and this certainly
makes things harder, I’m not scared
at all.
While I accept my future - the facts
and figures for my type of cancer
are dismal - I know that Jesus
performs miracles and I’m praying
that ‘Prayer of Faith’. I firmly believe
that God will perform miraculous
healing through this situation. The miracle may have
nothing to do with me,
it may be that so-andso comes to know God
through this or it may be
beyond my understanding,
or it may be inner healing in
me! I’m not scared of death
because I know I’m going
to be with Jesus. I’m not
scared of the whole process
of what could
happen between now and
then, and I’m leaving it
to the big guy. I trust him
completely.
Why do I believe in God? I
know that Jesus died on the
cross for me. That’s all there
is to it. When you go on
Alpha, you examine things
like the historical evidence
for biblical events, but the
main thing for me is simple
gut feel.
I don’t know how a man could
cope with the pain of what we are
going through without the grace of
God which gives us hope, gives us
strength, gives us comfort and gives
us the courage to fight on.
so much of what we chase in our everyday lives is so unimportant
been overwhelmed with love and
support from friends and family,
which helps hugely.
The cancer has done two things for
me. The first is to bring back
perspective in life again on what’s
really important and what’s trivial.
It’s becoming blatantly obvious
to me that so much of what we
chase in our everyday lives is so
unimportant. I bumped into a friend
me or try to explain it, but I find it
doesn’t matter as I know God has a
plan for my life, this is part of it and
I’m happy with that. Many people
have questioned it and said what’s
the point in loving Jesus if you
are going to get cancer and die or
whatever? I’m saying: don’t question it. I’m completely convinced
God is real and right and I trust
him, whatever happens. While I am
sad because of what I might have
A lot of us know about Jesus but
like me some years ago, have put
him in a box for another day. But
I’m saying, who knows what will
happen tomorrow? If you are putting
off exploring your faith or making a
commitment to God, it’s worth
getting yourself sorted out now.
There might not be another day.
‘The Alpha Course provides a place for people to ask
questions and find answers. I warmly commend it to those
wanting to explore deeper issues of life and faith.’
Thabo Makhoba, Archbishop Of Cape Town
‘Alpha is a non pressured,
and fun, course,
and it shows us how
Christianity can be relevant
and empowering to our lives.’
Bear Grylls, TV Adventurer
Interested in the global reach of Alpha?
Go to http://vimeo.om/20871840 for a 5 minute
video with a cameo appearance
by Prince Charles (what??)
14
thislife | issue 4
mylife
i
Joybelle, from shoplifter to voluntary worker: ‘I’m a new person’
Joybelle September, 59, has
three daughters, seven grandchildren and lives in Grassy
Park. She works as a volunteer
with prisoners in Pollsmoor
Prison, and also helps rehabilitate
ex-offenders. Here she talks of the
impact the Alpha Course made on
her life.
was born in the apartheid years and my parents divorced when I
was three. My mother was a live-in domestic worker in Plumstead.
I lived with her when I was young but when I got to school age,
my brother and I went to live with my mother’s aunt who had 13
children of her own.
There wasn’t enough space for everyone to sleep! My mother also had
another aunt with three school-teacher daughters, and my brother and I
moved between the two families. It seemed that we were always packing
up to go to Auntie Frances or back to Auntie June.
pregnant
Money-wise, my mother provided for us and we never went hungry but
she wasn’t there to comb my hair or tuck me in at night. Living with the
three school-teachers, I had a bed of my own and a good life. All the
daughters and their mother were very creative and could make me outfits
and crochet me socks, but I was always empty inside and looking for a
place to belong.
I was very rebellious. Authority and me didn’t go well together. At a very
young age I rebelled, ran away, got involved with a boyfriend, started
smoking… I got sent away at 15 to a place of safety, then discovered I
was pregnant with twins and was put into a home for unmarried mothers.
I was very naïve, I had only had sex once, and thought that babies are
brought by the doctor! I still didn’t believe I was pregnant when the
Alpha has been attended by 15 million people and is supported
by all major church denominations
‘The Alpha Course is intelligent, biblically based, and incredibly interesting.
I am convinced that when historians look back on the last few years of church history
in the twentieth century they will have to acknowledge that the Alpha Course became a
significant instrument in bringing thoughtful people to a faith in Christ and into the
church. For the inquiring mind, there is nothing better around than the Alpha Course.’
Tony Campolo, Professor of Sociology, Eastern College, Pennsylvania, USA
Alpha is run in 163 countries worldwide
thislife | issue 4
15
mylife
midwife said ‘push’. They told me
one baby lived for three hours only.
I got to give her a name, Rochelle,
and the other twin girl was taken
away without me seeing her face.
I blocked that whole episode out
of my mind and was sent to an
industrial school. I started using
alcohol and dagga. When I was 20,
I gave birth to a little girl I gave to
my mother to look after. Then I had
another girl who I also gave away
to my mother, then another baby
with that same guy who was very
abusive. That baby was two months
premature and died in hospital. So
I’d had had five girls in total. Two
died, two were with my mother and
one was in a foster home. I realise
now that I didn’t help rear them
because I just couldn’t give them
mother love. I gave them presents
at Christmas and on their birthdays,
but I was never there to comb their
hair either, just as it had been for me
when I was young.
and take risks and get caught.
For 15 years I was in and out of
prison. The first time I was afraid of
what prison would be like, but after
that it became my second home.
I never felt guilty because I wasn’t
stealing from an individual or break-
up at Christmas, give them the
goods and go away again. But
slowly I started to feel guilty about
my lifestyle and wanted to change.
I started living with my mother and
helping her with my teenage kids. I
was still abusing drugs and alcohol
but I wasn’t stealing.
In prison in those days it was compulsory to go to church but we used
the opportunity to smokkel illegal
stuff. We also had to do
devotions for half an hour in the
morning and the evening. I refused
to go, and was always reported. The
Christians used to have bibles in
their cells and pray, but I would play
cards in the bathroom or do dagga
instead. I felt the people leading
the bible studies were more corrupt
than me. I didn’t worry about the
God who died on the cross because
all my family members who were
born again treated me the worst, so
how could this God be love?
shoplifting
I was working in factories and
shops, but I never held a job long.
From dagga, I started going onto
mandrax. By this time I was 30. I
needed money to feed my habit and
joined a syndicate of shoplifters. It
became my job. I would say ‘I’m
going to work at my pa se winkel
(my father’s shop).’ We stole all
kinds of things from every type of
shop, but mostly electric
appliances which we resold. We’d
start in Worcester and come right
down into Cape Town or fly up to
Johannesburg, shoplift and sell the
goods to buyers up there. Or we’d
rent a car and drive the goods back
to Cape Town.
Shoplifting became a thrill. If, for
example, I stole liquor, I could buy
a bed and wardrobe with a week’s
takings. We would put on old
ladies’ corsets and loose tops and
stand in front of each other while
we packed things into our corsets
– my friend could pack 16 bottles
of cooking oil into hers! It was a
lekker feeling if the day went well
and you didn’t get caught. But often
by the time my boyfriend had taken
his share of my money and then I’d
had a few drugs, I had nothing left
the next morning. Then I’d have a
desperate craving for drugs again
prison. I was very cross with God.
I said ‘What kind of a God are you?
I’m not stealing and I’m looking after
my kids. Let the rapists and murderers go to prison, not me!’ I knew
about church. One of my aunts was
a born again Christian, and my
other aunt went to the traditional
Moravian church. I was often in and
out of the Baptist church acting in
plays as I grew up. When I started
going wrong, those aunts said I
would never come right, so I said
‘to hell with your Jesus and your
church!’
Then a girl in for fraud invited me
to a bible study. I said ‘I don’t do
church and you’re just doing this to
get parole. I know you convert people and I don’t want to be converted. I already come from a converted
background.’
But I went to the study in order
to get her off my back, thinking if
I did, maybe she wouldn’t bother
me again. In the bible study was
a white woman with a nice haircut
and a coloured woman. The way
they were praising God fascinated
me. They looked so free. The next
week, I went again. I was fascinated
by these two women. The coloured
woman was sitting next to me and
said ‘Did you come here to give
Jesus a chance?’ and I said ‘No’!
Joybelle: ‘I gave God a try’
ing into anyone’s house. I would tell
myself that Woolworths or Pick n
Pay were not going to miss the stuff
I took.
I used to steal things for my kids’
birthdays and Christmas. I’d rock
police
But then I got caught from an old
case. I had always given false
names when I got caught, but
somehow the police found me and
I was sentenced to six years in
On the third week, one of the ladies
I felt drawn to, started to run the
Alpha Course. I signed up for it for
two reasons: I knew I wanted what
they had. And I also needed lots of
credentials to get out of prison – I
had already done leather-making,
fabric making and a barlady course!
Where can I do Alpha near me?
EITHER At one of the churches featured in this
magazine:
Emmanuel Anglican Church, Wynberg
(www.emmanuelcapetown.org)
Launch dinner Saturday 10 September 2011,
course starts Monday 12 September.
Call 021 797 0179 for details
(www.christ-church.org.za)
July or August 2011.
Check www.christ-church.org.za for details,
email alpha@christ-church.org.za
or call 021 797 6332
16 thislife | issue 4
St Philip’s Anglican Church, Kenwyn
(www.stphilipscapetown.org)
Course starts September 2011.
Church of the Holy Spirit, Kirstenhof
(www.chscapetown.org).
Alpha for students and young adults starts
Sunday 7 August at 5.30pm.
Launch evening Sunday 31 July @ 6pm.
Call 021 701 3201 or check out the website
ALTERNATIVELY visit www.alphasa.co.za and
click on Find a Course for details of Alpha courses
running all over the country
mylife
change
Halfway through the course I committed my life to God. I said to
myself, I can’t do this any more.
I’ve tried everything in the book,
I’m tired of prison and I’m going to
give God a try in my life and see if it
works. These two women that I love
so dearly, maybe God will make me
lekker like them!
I was very connected in prison. I
had dagga that my agents got for
me that I used to help me get to
sleep. But I was committing my life
to God so I got rid of it. That night I
had a peaceful sleep even without
the dagga.
I also stopped my lesbian relationship which I had been conducting
mainly to rebel. I started going to
bible study every Wednesday. You
must see the change that took place
in me.
I was happy! A lady prayed through
things with me and prayed for my
hands to be made clean. Then
I went on a Restorative Justice
programme in the prison. That
brought a whole new perspective to
my life and I had to ask forgiveness
from my children and my mother. I
was arrogant, I thought I never hurt
anyone but then I realised I had
hurt people and how my shoplifting affected the shop staff, who
could lose their jobs or their annual
bonuses because of me.
scatter cushions
I didn’t pull away from my friends.
There was a girl serving eight years
for murder. She said ‘If Joybelle can
do this, why can’t I?’ She started
coming to church and gave her life
to God. She had always blocked out
made scatter cushions and table
mats to keep myself busy and earn
a living. The temptation got less and
less. But it still comes up. In the
underworld, one day’s work would
pay my rent! One day recently I
was standing in a shop with R50 to
buy shoes and I thought how easy
would it be to steal them, but I paid
for them.
Hope Prison Ministries ran a support group for ex-offenders but it
wasn’t doing well and they needed
to rethink it. I applied for the job as
assistant to the aftercare co-ordi-
What kind of a God are you?
the murder but after committing her
life to God, she realised she did do
it. It had stemmed from anger at being sexually abused by her brother.
When I finally got out of prison in
2002, every two or three days my
shoplifting friends would call me to
work with them, but I didn’t succumb. And God really provided for
me. He sent people who gave me
money and helped me. I started
looking after my daughter’s baby
and she paid me, then I bought a
sewing machine on account and
nator and got it. Now the aftercare
manager and others work for me!
We don’t get a salary but we get a
little support. We all live on faith as
there aren’t enough funds for the
staff. But God says he won’t make
us beggars. Every month things are
very hard but God has been faithful
and he provides for me through
people. I’m amazed.
shock
I’m happy because I work with
those who come out, I know the
challenges and the rejection they
face. The biggest problem people
have is getting accepted. It’s very
difficult to walk into a church after
coming out of prison and
‘Christians’ still stigmatise
ex-offenders. My view is that these
people need to experience God
soon because they’re going to get
the shock of their life when they go
to heaven!
I felt my change was genuine and
I told everyone I had changed, but
did my family believe me? Eight
years after I gave my life to God,
they said they saw a change! By
then I had seven grandchildren. We
all live together and go to church
together. My eldest daughter, the
twin girl I’d given up for fostering,
came looking for her mother with
the social worker a while back and I
now look after her two children.
new
When I think how God has taken
me out of where I was! You wouldn’t
have wanted to sit next to me. I had
no self worth, no dignity. God has
made me new. I don’t even want to
walk in the street eating or drinking
nowadays! I feel he allowed me to
go through all that to equip me to
work in his field and identify with
other people who are struggling.
In my shoplifting days I had everything. Gold jewellery, every new
perfume that was advertised, good
shoes, butter. But I will never go
back. I am happy. And in a
country where so many youngsters
are on tik, my granddaughters are
so strong that I don’t ever have to
worry where they are!
I encourage people to look to God.
Don’t look around, look to God!
WIN!
A day
six people to tour for up to
th
sample delic e Cape winelands someone elseious wines and let
driv
TOUR to 072 e! Simply sms
802 7022.
(Competition
ends 21 Augu
Prize to be ta
st 2011.
2011. Tour is ken by 30 September
with Southern
Sky Tours
and winner m
ay
another tour in choose
stead,
eg Cape of G
Hope/Kirstenb ood
osch
Gardens)
Joybelle with grandchildren Leon, Cindy, Rubi and Nikah
‘Many claim Alpha has changed their lives and appear genuinely
happier for the experience’ Time Magazine
During 2011, roughly 240 men, women and young offenders will have done an Alpha Course at
Pollsmoor Prison, Cape Town. One survey by a bible college with the Department of Correctional
Services claims that Alpha reduces re-offending rates (estimated to average 65% nationally) down to 8%.
cy
Don’t fan?
a
h
Alp
aries
ound
Try the Burse,
o
C
rse
iage Cou
the Marr Parenting
or the instead
Course 27
(see p s)
for detail
‘Alpha is an unqualified triumph’
The Daily Telegraph, London
Who started the Alpha Course?
Nicky Gumbel, a Cambridge-trained
British advocate who left law for the church
Nicky Gumbel
thislife | issue 4
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31 August
Sue Mellows,
Rev Gordon Crowther,
Q: If Christianity is so great,
why aren’t more people
Christians?
A:
‘Actually, more people ARE Christians! The
largest world faith is growing rapidly. While the
institutional church is declining in the north and
west, communities of Christians are multiplying
in the south and east. In 1949 in China there
were about half a million Christians, but recent
surveys put the number of Christians at 39 to
41 million – an explosion of growth. In our own
continent of Africa, in 1900 there were only 9
million Christians, but by the year 2000, there
were an estimated 380 million. At this rate, there
will be 633 million Christians in Africa by 2025.
But these statistics don’t answer the nub of the
question: if following the way of Jesus Christ is
so great, why doesn’t everybody?
a new dimension of life
Following God demands a positive choice and
personal change. It means more than adding
a church service to the diary and a new social
set. While once the song of your life was “I did
it my way”, now it’s God’s way in everything.
Jesus said that to follow him means taking up
“a cross” daily – and anyone carrying a cross is
headed for crucifixion! While more Christians
died for their faith in the last century than in all
the previous centuries put together, it’s hard to
die to self and live for God. This requires
courageous humility.
Yet millions of people from every conceivable
background, culture and circumstance have
chosen to trust the God that Jesus reveals.
For more and more people, the small and
unlikely path of the crucified Jesus opens to
a new dimension of life. They speak of a peace
that far exceeds human intellect, and of experiencing the powerful goodness and love of God
in even the direst circumstances. They tell of
freedom from shame and fear – even fear of
death. They talk of the joy of God present with
them, and an empowering hope which
enables transformation. The door has been
opened for each of us, and all of us. But it takes
some humility, courage and trusting Jesus to
step through it.’
Rev John Atkinson, member
of Christ Church, Kenilworth
(john@cmj-sa.org)
theology student,
Church of the Holy Spirit
(mellows@telkomsa.net)
(gordon@chscapetown.org)
Q: How can a loving God create
someone like Caster
Semenya, with all her
distressing gender issues?
A:
‘According to the newspapers, Caster
Semenya, the 800m athletics world champion,
was born with a medical condition whereby
both male and female sexual characteristics are
present in her body. This would understandably
be the cause of considerable distress and can
cause confusion for us too as we seek to reconcile this unfortunate phenomenon with a creator
God who is supposed to be loving.
longs to comfort us
To make sense of the situation, let’s look at what
the world and humankind was like in the beginning. God made the world perfect, not as in its
current state. However, when Adam and Eve
chose to rebel against God, their disobedience
had devastating consequences for the human
race. Sin, evil, sickness, decay and death made
their appearance. The destructive consequences of mankind’s rebellion are all too keenly felt to
this day. They would include arbitrary medical
anomalies, such as those experienced by Caster
Semenya.
It is important to emphasise God’s love for
Caster Semenya. The Bible’s recurring theme
is the love of God for humankind. This gives
us complete assurance that God doesn’t love
Caster Semenya - or some other person with
physiological differences - any less than he
loves someone whose appearance is “normal”.
God is not a distant, uncaring being who is
disengaged from human suffering. He feels
our pain himself and longs to comfort us. We
know this because we see how Jesus constantly
displayed compassion to the needy and socially
marginalised, and he wept at the death of a
friend. Jesus and God the Father have the same
character. Jesus declared: “Anyone who has seen
me has seen the Father…I am in the Father and the
Father is in me.”(John 14:9-10)
Fortunately, we have the expectation though
that one day Jesus will restore the beauty and
perfection of creation and there will be “no more
death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation
21:4). It can be our challenge, in the meantime
to extend Jesus’ love and compassion to those
who are suffering, regardless of the cause.’
Q: Don’t my good works count for anything? Surely it’s enough to live a good life?
A:
‘The whole Bible is the story of God’s
actions to have a relationship with us. Everything
you read in the Bible, including the commandments, is aimed at establishing and maintaining
a relationship with God. When we live a good
life without a relationship with God, we miss the
point completely.
Imagine being in love with someone who says
that they choose to live their life in another city
and without communication with you. They
promise to live by the values you hold, but they
prefer not to talk to you about them. In what way
would that be satisfying to you?
Some people think that the Old Testament is
about obeying the law in order to avoid God’s
anger. Yet if you read it, you will soon discover
that relationship always comes first. God called
Abraham to have a relationship with him.
Abraham was called the friend of God. Moses
was given the commandments after God had
said “I will be your God and you shall be my
people.”
nonsense
Obeying the commandments without a
relationship with God makes nonsense of the
commandments. It may make us a bit nicer to
be near, but it does not create the relationship
for which the commandments were originally
intended.
Obeying God is meant to be a measure of our
relationship with him, not an alternative to
getting close to him. The Bible says that one
day we will stand before God and while he may
gauge the sincerity of our love for him by what
we did with our lives, ultimately he will welcome
people because he knows them and they know
him, not because of anything they did.’
Agree or disagree?
Our three writers invite you to email them
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contact Neil Hutchinson on 021 702 3333 or neil@vine.co.za
artymoment
ugh!
a mother’s blog
The drudge, the ordinariness,
How tempting it is to agitate in bumper-to-bumper traffic,
the sludge of everyday life!
or while waiting in a busy supermarket queue when other
Irritations like hurdles stagger
tasks are pressing. But as I learn to wait, by the blessed
the day and delight in tripping me up. Oh, to live perma-
power of the Holy Spirit (believe me this does not come
nently in dawn! There is no cooking there, no haste. I smile
naturally), it’s as if I’m at a still lake while around me races
like a saint, birds trill as if heaven’s on earth. But as that
the madding crowd.
jewelled time slips away into clang of day, so joy slips from
my grasp. Trials dog me like enemy shadows.
All my inclinations are to rush, get uptight when doorbell
How then, to keep joy from fleeing with the dawn? For
it! But somehow, with a steady heart and trusting mind,
surely joy should mark the faith-filled soul? My wrinkled
I deftly handle such pressing things and life becomes a
cloth of life should glow with quiet incandescence.
series of quiet victories. The surrender of my will and the
and phone ring together: supper will burn if you leave
practice of trusting God transmute harassed moments
The answer lies in the most profound and sweetest words
into golden silence. How serious is it really that I lack the
I have come to know. These I had never practised till my
ingredients for that stew I was looking forward to? Should
soul met with Christ; cynicism and hubris did not allow
I not steam whatever vegetables I have, and eat them with
it. As that grand man, Andrew Murray, so painstakingly
olive oil and thanksgiving?
elucidates in his devotional classic Abide in Christ, I am
absolutely to trust and absolutely to surrender.
Surely I say with the psalmist ‘You fill me with joy in Your
presence; You make known to me the path of life’.
For God, I discover, is the ultimate Alchemist, who turns
base metals to gold. Base thoughts, habits, attitudes and
For backwards I might go, too – no angel, me. I can still
indeed moments, sweeten to gold as I do that very trusting
lose it along with the best of them. But forwards I go too
and surrendering, or as some new age modernists would
– and further that way than back! For I am one whom the
have it, let go.
Son sets free. Yebo, yes, I am free indeed!
‘Jo Bloggs’ is a member of Christ Church, Kenilworth and lives in Plumstead
Want to read more of her? Go to www.themastersbard.blogspot.com
this page proudly sponsored by a GivenGain supporter
(www.givengain.com)
pass it on
seniormoment
Icitizen.
feel
useless!
It’s the refrain of many a senior
While some adjust happily to their golden years, others find
they’ve clambered off the hectic treadmill of their younger years into a
vacuum that’s equally challenging. But it need not be so. The older
generation has so much to give. And when this wisdom is tapped into,
both sides benefit, as thislife found out by tracking down crossgenerational relationships happening in a suburb near you
Whether it’s a nailing a sewing technique or grappling with a stressful situation,
Glenda Baker (right) is happy to pass on her experience and wisdom to Gil Marsden
G
il Marsden, 38, is a mother of two, a website designer and
church worship leader. She is married to Gary, professor of
Computer Science at the University of Cape Town.
They live in Bergvliet
i
met Glenda about 6 years ago.
We were jointly facilitating a
bible study group for a while
at the Church of the Holy Spirit in
Kirstenhof and I soon realised she
was the sort of person you could
trust, who was discreet, and who
taught and facilitated the group
really well. About two years ago, I
went on a leadership course and
was advised to find a mentor for a
year. Glenda had left our church by
then but I asked her if she would
consider it because I liked her
theology and her sensible advice
about kids, marriage and life. I was
really pleased that she was
available. Initially we met every
other week at each other’s house
and would spend about 90 minutes
together. Now we meet less
regularly, but the time together is
22
thislife | issue 4
always meaningful.
We often discuss parenting as that’s
where so many of my concerns
are currently. But I’ve also gone to
Glenda with very personal, emotional issues, and she’s allowed me to
pour out my heart. I might want to
react in a certain way and she’s very
good at asking questions that help
me see things differently: “What has
happened that makes you think this
lazy thinking
is different? What does Gary say?
What does God say?” She always
asks a question before she leaps in
with an answer – sometimes I can
almost see her biting her tongue! It’s
a great technique that has helped
me to help others.
When I walk out of a session with
Glenda, it’s a huge help to have
shared a burden and heard a
different perspective on things. She
has a healing ministry and a lot of
godly wisdom and learning, and I
often make notes of what she says.
It’s so great when she confirms what
I think God is telling me – and what
Gary is saying too! I also appreciate
it when she challenges my lazy or
“default” thinking – not to mention
the encouragement of her praying
with and for me.
I am fortunate to be able to speak
pretty freely to my parents – who
live in Zambia – and they are very
responsive and wise. However, I
find it helpful to have a completely
objective person to talk to, who is
removed from the emotion of any
issues and who can independently
help me to assess a situation.
I’m now mentoring a student and
I’m not sure I’m that great at it, but
I’m available to listen. And to pray
too – because while life experience can be so invaluable, human
wisdom is still limited! The student
I mentor is, in turn, mentoring a girl
in her teens because there are so
many things she wished she had
known in her own teens that she
wants to pass on. I think everyone
should be both mentored, and
mentoring! It’s crucial to find someone you respect, then maybe set it
up for a season and if it’s not
working, reassess. In any case, I
think most mentorships work best
for a season – so no-one is
locked in for life!
seniormoment
G
i
lenda Baker, 57, has two daughters and a young
granddaughter. Until recently, she helped run a coffee shop.
She lives in Meadowridge and is married to Neil, a banker
believe quite strongly in helping
from one generation to the next.
It’s biblical: Titus 2 verses 1 to
5 speaks about the value of it.
I’ve always been motivated to pass
things on because I always wished
I had someone to do it for me.
Whether you’re speaking spiritually
or practically, experience helps so
much more than theory.
Years ago I heard someone like
James Dobson on the radio talking about the fact that things have
changed so much since psychology
came on the scene. We’ve stopped
passing things down and started
teaching only what psychologists
teach. However, what I’ve really
learnt is that nothing changes from
one generation to the next. The
younger generation always thinks
the older one doesn’t understand. I
thought no-one understood me, just
as my two daughters thought noone understood them! I can see that
nowadays some things are undeniably different, but the principles and
human nature remain the same. We
respond in similar ways throughout
time.
feeling worthless
Obviously I don’t want to break any
confidences, but one of the things I
tried to help Gil with was to
encourage her when her children
were very young and she was feeling worthless, that her brain was
drying up and she was just clearing
up mess all day.
Dos and Don’ts?
You have to be careful not to put
your own stuff onto someone else.
You can be too emphatic about doing things a particular way but I’ve
learnt there are many ways. Mentoring or ministering to people, as I
prefer to call it, is more a sharing of
what has worked for you, and the
person you are trying to help needs
to take from it just what is good for
them.
What do I get out of it?
It’s like a friendship thing. It doesn’t
only work one way. In the process
I’ve learnt from Gil - for example,
to be careful of materialism. I think
she’s the most unmaterialistic person I know! I value these lessons.
They’re wonderful, such a blessing.
More than anything I think mentoring, whether official or unofficial, is
about checking our values and how
we look at things. In my lifetime I
never heard of anyone in their old
age who wished they had a better
car or a bigger house, but I often
meet people who wished they’d
done their relationships better.
C
harles Parry, 51,
is Director of the Alcohol
and Drug Abuse Research
Unit at the SA Medical
Research Council. He lives
in Pinelands, is married to
Rebecca, a clinical
psychologist, and has two
teenage children
i
In caffeine veritas: Brian Burnett (left) and Charles Parry always kickstart
their mentoring sessions with good coffee
was involved in a legal issue
at work about 18 months ago
and felt I needed support and
prayer to deal appropriately
with it. I was specifically looking for
support from someone experienced
in the corporate sector at senior
level. My church, Christ Church,
Kenilworth, is keen to support people in their lives outside church and
offers a mentorship programme.
This puts younger people in contact
with older people they believe they
will relate to. I already knew Brian
Burnett as a positive and sensitive
individual who enjoys life and has
a wonderful sense of humour, and
was very happy we could be paired
up.
affirmation
We met every four to five weeks in
Brian’s home in Rondebosch. We’d
spend 20 minutes in his kitchen
having some “good” coffee and a
snack, and then we’d go through to
his living room. He would typically
get the ball rolling, and over time
our discussions spread well beyond
the initial work problem to other
areas, such as my role as a husband
and father. He’d keep a few notes
during and after the session so that
he would follow up on one or two
issues at our next meeting. He’d
also pray for me, and sometimes
read out a bible verse if he felt led
to do so. If something pressing
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thislife | issue 4
23
seniormoment
Brian didn’t always agree with
me and would challenge me
when necessary, but discussing issues with him would
normalise things. Much of the
time, rather than giving
advice, he would just listen,
sum up the situation and
reflect it back to me. I felt
hugely affirmed and listened
to at a time when I was carrying a lot of stuff.
Brian would open up about
his life and we would pray
about these issues as well,
though this is perhaps not
typical of most mentoring
relationships. This was great
as I didn’t like feeling it was
only a one-way street! I got to
understand him, which was
important. He’s just starting
retirement and sits on some
boards, helps his sons in
various ways, looks after his
grandchildren, plays golf
regularly and is a really good
role model to me of how to
manage your retirement well.
Even though 90% of the
issues were mine, sometimes
Our meetings are on hold for
now. My particular crisis was
was coming up, particularly
concerning the legal issue, I
would email him and ask for
prayer for that specific day.
averted and I got very busy
and needed the time back but
we haven’t closed the door at
all and may pick it up again.
We’re just on pause!
Mentorship is a great system.
Retirees in particular have a
lot to offer and they can also
benefit by knowing that they
are making a useful contribution. It doesn’t cost anything
and is a particularly helpful
system for men, as they can
find it hard to slow down or to
feel comfortable talking about
things they are dealing with.
B
rian Burnett, 65, is the retired financial director of
a media company. He lives in Rondebosch with his
wife, Pam. They have two sons and three grandchildren
m
entoring is quite
simply a chance
for someone to
share issues with another
person who’s been around the
block before them. I first
experienced it at work 10
years ago when my company introduced it. I learnt a
lot there, including the key
principle that if a mentoring relationship is to flourish,
both parties must be keen to
establish and maintain the
relationship. If meetings are
continuously postponed, you
have to question whether the
relationship is really working!
resist leaping in
When I retired, Jeremy
Clampett of Christ Church,
Kenilworth asked if I’d like
to become involved in the
church’s mentoring
programme. I said yes
because I enjoy working with
people. I’m happy to sit with
a person and listen and give
guidance where appropriate
because it gives me pleasure
to help if I can.
A major point to remember as
a mentor is that you are the
listener. You are tempted to
say “This is what you should
do” and to advise frequently,
but you have to resist that! If
you leap in with advice too
quickly, the “mentee” won’t
have the chance to really open
up and lay out all the issues.
It’s imperative to be wellmatched as individuals. The
matching process, which in
the Christ Church system is
done by trained mentoring coordinators, is key to success.
In my business mentoring, I
saw some relationships break
down simply because of poor
mentor/mentee matching.
Establishing a strong sense of
trust is also crucial. Making it
clear to the mentee that
nothing will go beyond the
four walls of the room is
critical, and to emphasise this
I also open up with things I
want to talk about. You both
need to be patient, too. You
can’t always tell straight away
if the relationship is working
as the issues can take a while
to work through.
thislife | issue 4
Cape Town is…
Lorna Eksteen, St Luke’s Church
… taking the ‘free train’! Senior citizens can
travel free anywhere in the peninsula every
second Tuesday of the month, so when the
weather’s good, my friends and I hop on at the
nearest station and head off to Fish Hoek or
Stellenbosch for the day. In Fish Hoek, we walk
on the beach, then breakfast at one of the coffee shops in the main street. In Stellenbosch I
sometimes visit the Village Museum to look at
its beautiful old furniture, and enjoy a late breakfast at one of its restaurants. I am relaxed and
happiest when I am having these adventures or
out in nature. After 46 years of working in the
clothing industry and at Groote Schuur Hospital,
I want to enjoy my retirement!
Other dos and don’ts?
It’s a good idea to meet
somewhere private and not
too frequently unless there is
an urgent issue, as there is no
quick fix! I make notes after
my meetings with my mentees
so that I can follow up on
specific issues the next time
we meet. I prepare before
each subsequent session by
reading my notes and praying.
During the meeting we have
a cup of coffee, talk about
everything relevant, and pray
together. I don’t believe in
having too much structure.
I haven’t got all the answers
by any means, but at the end
of the day if the mentee can
take something from the
relationship, that’s great. I
believe Charles and I had a
meaningful time and I really
enjoyed meeting with him.
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24
GETTING
OUT
My favourite thing to do in
Ronnie Stubbs,
St Philip’s Church
… watch rugby! I’m a great fan and supporter of the Stormers and you’re more than
likely to find me and my son-in-law Robin at
home matches. We rave when they play well,
are equally disappointed to see them lose, and
there is a great camaraderie to be found with
friends and family in discussing their play. In
truth I’m a great sports fan. I also enjoy cricket
and supporting Robin in his cycle races,
especially the Argus!
Jennifer Southwood,
… walking barefoot on Muizenberg beach. I
love to feel the sun shining from a bright blue
sky and hear the soft sound of the waves. It’s
at times like this that I feel closer to God than
usual. I walk fast and the hard, damp sand
under my feet makes me feel invigorated, refreshed and free. By the time I get back to my
car I am ready to tackle the world - and my busy
life! Sometimes I finish it with the cherry on the
top: tea with friends or family at Knead coffee
shop right opposite the beach.
hotread
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The Ragamuffin Gospel
by Brennan Manning
From R85, www.kalahari.net,
www.exclus1ves.co.za,
Karmal Books (021 713 0267),
Reviewed by Ian Sutherland, engineer
N
either the title nor the cover of this book
enticed me to read it. But once I finally
did open it, the lyrical prose and compelling
message immediately drew me in. It is hard to
remain neutral on this subject matter: God’s
grace towards mankind, especially to people
who think that doubts, weakness or sin have
moved them too far away from him.
Manning describes us all - unbelievers and
believers alike - as ragamuffins thoroughly
undeserving of God’s unbounded kindness,
goodness and love towards us. He calls God’s
grace ‘scandalous’. Scandalous because it
goes so against the grain of our culture of selfimprovement, our belief that we need to earn
our salvation by being ‘good’, our creeping
pride in becoming ‘holier’ than others…
Manning makes his points with some honest
sharing of his personal struggles with sin.
I recommend this book for anyone who would
like to hear afresh, or for the first time, of
God’s amazing grace.
Journey into God’s heart
by Jennifer Rees Larcombe
From R115, Scripture Union (021 689 8334),
Karmal Books (021 713 0267),
www.kalahari.net
Reviewed by Jan Kilpatrick, mother of
four
T
his is an honest, open and deeply personal journey into a closer relationship with
God. The author, Jennifer Rees Larcombe, is
a well-known British speaker and author, and
in this book she shares her life’s story of how
God has played a part in shaping her from a
young girl into a mature older woman.
Her story is one of tragedy and triumph, not
always in that order! It is very honest and very
moving as she shares her great highs and
lows. It’s really a story that we can all relate to.
She is very real about her feelings and doesn’t
gloss over the hard bits with sentimentality.
Living the Christian Year: Time to Inhabit
the Story of God by Bobby Gross
From R134, Karmal Books (021 713 0267),
Scripture Union (021 689 8334)
www.kalahari.net
Reviewed by Mkhuseli Lujabe,
trainee minister
E-read: God by email W
The internet is starting to heave with the number
of daily meditations and prayers you can get sent
to your screen daily free of charge. So what to
choose?
thislife recommends The Bible in One
Year, direct from that life-filled UK church,
Holy Trinity Brompton. Written by Nicky
Gumbel (the energy behind the hugely
successful Alpha Course), this takes a daily
theme, expands on it and offers short prayers
around the topic. Real and relevant. And no
adverts!
Nice touch: Nicky’s wife Pippa adds her little
bit at the end of every day’s email
Sign on at:
http://www.htb.org.uk/one-year-bible/2011
To Save A Life by Jim and Rachel Britts.
From R110, CUM bookshops (DVD also
available), Karmal Books (021 713 0267),
www.kalahari.net and www.exclus1ves.co.za
Reviewed by Nick Cotchobos, schoolboy,
15
I
got this book as a gift and heard that
my friend had read and finished it over
one weekend because he thought it was so
great. It’s about two teenage boys, Jake and
Roger, who were great friends when they were
younger but move apart at high school when
Jake becomes extremely popular, while Roger
is considered an outsider. Jake’s life is going
great until a tragic event happens.
The book is easy to read because it gets you
gripped on the story line very early on and
you can’t wait to see what happens. It made
me realise that by going out of your comfort
zone you can make a huge difference in other
people’s lives. It also covers teen pressures
like drinking and being in the ‘cool’ crowd. It
leaves you with the thought: what’s my life
going to be about?
hat’s it about?
Getting on a spiritual journey! How to
encounter God on a daily basis through scripture,
reflections, prayers and meditation on various
themes. With this book you get to journey with
God on a daily basis, and yet have time for
personal introspection.
What do you like about it?
I’m someone who likes to hear God speaking to
me personally, and so I enjoy being able to relate
to God directly through this daily study.
Anything else to say about it?
Often we rush through the year without perceiving
God’s glory in each and every minute of our lives,
and the lives of those around us. So we sometimes miss the message that God is speaking to
us every second of our lives. This book helps us
not to do that, and to understand what God is
saying to us at different times in our lives.
He Chose the Nails by Max Lucado.
From R126, Karmal Books (021 713 0267),
CUM bookshops, www.kalahari.net,
www.exclus1ves.co.za
Reviewed by Karly Gallant, trainee
accountant
M
ax Lucado is a humorous and downto-earth author who really knows how
to capture his reader. His book is an easy but
meaningful read that takes a closer look at
Jesus’ death. If you search the scene of the
cross, you remember the other two crosses
beside Christ – and that one sinner crucified
next to him repented, and the other did not.
This symbolises the free will that God gives us.
God did so much for us, but he still gives us
a choice. It is up to us to decide whether to
accept his love for us or not.
After reading it I can honestly say that I
am more appreciative of everything I have,
and have achieved. I know that God is with
me through everything and answers all my
prayers. I would recommend this book to all
who feel at a dead end in their faith, as well
as to those seeking spiritual growth.
thislife | issue 4
25
betterlife
W
on the spot…
Caroline Powell
of The Warehouse grapples with
what it means to
hat’s the Warehouse?
It was established in 2003 to serve the six
churches of St John’s Parish, Wynberg, in their
response to poverty and injustice. It has grown into an organisation which serves around 90 churches, reaching out
to some of the most vulnerable in our society. It has tabs
on many of the urgent needs in greater Cape Town.
More details at www.warehouse.org.za
Where’s the Warehouse?
12 Plantation Road, Wetton, 7780
give effectively
Fancy getting involved? There’s room for
you!
Call Caroline on 021 761 1168 if you’re interested
in helping out with food and hygiene packs, or assisting
with a number of different training and support projects.
If you’d like to donate quality second-hand or new items,
please drop them off at The Warehouse Monday to Friday,
8am to 4pm. Please call Caroline if you have an item such
as a bed or computer to establish if they can be used. The
Warehouse can collect large items
m
Happy days: when we give as we’d like to receive, we brighten lives!
ost of us want to uplift the vulnerable in
our city, and giving is one way of making
someone’s life a little better. But how can we make
our giving really meaningful? Here we interrogate
Caroline about Urban Gleaning, a system of
sharing good things with our city’s have-nots
(and it’s all legal!)
Q What is Urban Gleaning?
A ‘The Bible (Leviticus 23 verse
22) says “When you harvest
your crops, leave some aside
for the poor and the stranger
in your land so that they can
glean them and not be in need”
What does this mean for 21st
century city dwellers? Well, I
love to ask “What is the harvest
of your life, and what can you
give away while upholding
someone’s dignity and meeting
their specific need?”
Later, the Bible speaks of “not
shaking your olive trees a
second time”, leaving the
remainder for refugees,
orphans and widows’
Q Is Urban Gleaning just for
the well-off?
A ‘No! I strongly believe we all
have something to give – time,
skills, money, things, even
relationships. For example, I
ask myself “How can I share
my family with others who
don’t have one?” or “How do I
give generously in my relationships?”
Q How does it work practically?
A ‘Instead of us at The
Warehouse making endless
lists of specific needs, we let
people know about the opportunity to respond in broad,
lifestyle ways. There are so
many ways of helping practically. I remember a person
who came to The Warehouse
to pack clothes and saw the
list of needs for a family, which
included a bed. There was no
bed at The Warehouse to give
away, but the following day she
went out to buy a brand new
bed for that family. Her family
also ended up visiting the community. That was a real inspiration to me. My dream is for
people to end up sharing meals
together - it’s a big step but a
very possible one!
Food and hygiene packs
This is an ongoing opportunity to partner with families
who are caring for orphaned and vulnerable children in the
most practical of ways. These families receive food and
hygiene packs on a monthly basis. Please call Caroline on
021 761 1168 for further details
Caroline: ‘I dream of
people sharing a meal
together’
We love to invite people to think
and pray about how they can
be giving from their harvest – to
ask themselves, “What is my
own second shaking?” Maybe
our annual bonus is a modern
version of that second shaking
and we might consider using
it for others? It’s also great to
consider the quality of anything
(whether first or second hand)
you offer’
Q Tips to remember?
A ‘I once heard someone say
the ideal way to give is not to
drop something at the top of
a slide, letting it slide down to
the bottom to whoever finds
it. Rather, to look someone in
the eye and give in a dignified
way, whether it’s giving to The
Warehouse or through a local
church or other organisation. I
have learned that giving
generously always leaves
people with choices.’
Call us: 021 761 1168
Click on us: www.warehouse.org.za
Giving: the guidelines
Caroline says:
‘It often helps to ask yourself the
following questions:
• Would I give this to someone I love?
• How would I feel if I received this?
• How would I feel giving this if I was looking the person in the eye?
• Knowing that people are unlikely to have the
resources to fix things themselves, would I still
give this item? Or can I fix it before passing it on?
Because there is truth in the adage ‘One man’s trash
is another man’s treasure’, we at The Warehouse
always encourage people to give us a call and see
if we know someone an unusual item could be a
blessing to. I love chatting to people who ring to
see if an item can be used. We often find that God
provides fantastic, creative links to get the right stuff
to the right people.’
infomoment
thislife magazine is
published by
St John’s Parish, Wynberg
This parish comprises six Anglican churches in
Cape Town’s southern suburbs (detailed right),
which are varied in tradition and style
but united in ethos
Parish office: St John’s Road, Wynberg
(next to Springfield Convent
and St John’s Church)
Tel: 021 761 9020
Fax: 021 762 5970
Email:stjohns@stjohns.org.za
Website: www.stjohns.org.za
FOODIE MOMENT
St Philip’s Church
Range Road, Kenwyn
021 801 7186
www.stphilipscapetown.org
SUNDAYS 9am (contemp)
38 Raapkraal Road, Kirstenhof
021 701 3201
www.chscapetown.org
SUNDAYS 8am (relaxed contemp),
10am (relaxed contemp)
St John’s Church
St John’s Road, Wynberg
021 797 8968
www.stjohnscapetown.org
SUNDAYS 7.45am (trad),
9.30am (mod/trad blend)
St Luke’s Church
Annandale Road, Diep River
021 712 6690
www.stlukescapetown.org
SUNDAYS 7.30am (trad),
9.30am (mod/trad blend)
WEDNESDAYS 9am
(communion)
Richmond Road, Kenilworth
021 797 6332
www.christ-church.org.za
SUNDAYS 8am (trad),
10am (mod/trad blend),
7pm (contemp)
WEDNESDAYS 10am (trad)
Emmanuel Church
Ottery Road, Wynberg
021 797 0179
www.emmanuelcapetown.org
SUNDAYS 9.30am
(relaxed trad)
who?what?where?
Saturday 3 December 2011
International Food Fair, St. John’s Church,
Wynberg, 4pm to 9pm
Sample delicious offerings from around the world
– Korean, Italian and Indian to name but a few!
Children’s entertainment, jazz band, tea garden,
raffles and much more.
Tickets R50 a book. Call Anne Swana on 021
797 5905 for further information
COURSES and other stuff
(all welcome, churchgoers or not…)
Beyond Divorce
Parenting teens
An interactive workshop of seven weekly evening
sessions designed to foster personal growth in a
safe and supportive environment that will facilitate
your journey of self-discovery and enable you to
find your own solutions. Starts 3rd term 2011
Boundaries Course
Helps us discover where our responsibilities lie,
and where they do not, enabling us to become
more functional, healthy and loving in our relationships. Contact Christ Church, Kenilworth for latest
course dates
Marriage Course
For any parent with children aged between 12 and
18, or anyone wanting to prepare for the teenage years. The course, while based on Christian
principles, is helpful for any parent with or without a Christian faith or church background. Starts
Tuesday 2 August, Christ Church, Kenilworth
Fancy a weekly date with your spouse? Just the
two of you – to talk together, enjoy a delicious
meal and get some input to encourage and challenge you in your relationship? Recommended for
all marriages, blooming or a little parched. Starts
Monday 15 August at Christ Church, Kenilworth
Cost R100 per person
For any info regarding the above courses
contact Sue: 021 797 6332 or
sue@christ-church.org.za
ALPHA COURSES
What is Alpha and what can it do for
you? See our Alpha ‘special’ on pages
12 to 17
Emmanuel Anglican Church, Wynberg
(www.emmanuelcapetown.org)
Launch dinner Saturday 10 September
2011, course starts Monday 12 September.
(www.christ-church.org.za)
Starts July or August 2011.
Check our website for latest details,
email alpha@christ-church.org.za or
call 021 797 6332
St Philip’s Anglican Church, Kenwyn
(www.stphilipscapetown.org)
Course starts September 2011
JOIN A GROUP?
Moms Connect
Connect Group
Calling all mothers…come and chill
with other mothers of babies and
toddlers!
Like the sound of a fortnightly meal and talk
with a group of like-minded people?
Venue? Relaxed @ Christ Church
Timing? Thursdays 9.30 to 11.30am
Want more info? Contact Jill on 072
329 0281 or jjmathew@telkomsa.net
Who’s invited? Anyone with a baby
or toddler: those in the parish and
those who’ve never heard of it
Church of the Holy Spirit, Kirstenhof
(www.chscapetown.org). Alpha for students
and young adults starts Sunday 7 August @
5.30pm. Launch evening Sunday 31 July @
6pm. Call 021 701 3201 or check out the
website
FANCY helping a schoolchild
who is STRUGGLING WITH
SCHOOLWORK?
You can do it at St Peter’s Church,
Mowbray, every Tuesday 3.30 to
5.30pm.
Call/email Heidi on 021 761 1168
or heidi@warehouse.org.za
Whether you’re a churchgoer or not,
there is a place for you. Christ Church’s
connect groups meet across the southern
suburbs of Cape town, often in people’s homes.
For more details about who, when and where, visit
www.christ-church.org.za/connect-groups
or call Jeremy Jobling on 021 797 6332
Discussion Groups
Group 1:18 is running a women’s group on alternate Thursday mornings looking at issues such as ‘Can
the Bible be relied on?’ The personal spiritual journeys
of some local women will also be featured. All welcome.
Excellent coffee and cake served! Contact Kerry
McConnell on 082 466 8529 or kerry@taggroup.co.za.
For men, Group 1:18 offers breakfast in a Rondebosch
coffee shop one Thursday a month (7.15am) to discuss
the issues that challenge men. Contact Stuart
McConnell on stuart@taggroup.co.za or 082 440 1921
C
he
Christ C ck out the
h
Centre – urch Resource
magazin books, dvds, cd
es.
s,
join and Browse for free
or
borrow (R
35/year)
Where?
C
16 Summ hrist Church Ce
n
When? M erly Road, Kenil tre,
worth
ondays to
Fridays 9
to 4.30p
am
m and
by appo Sundays
Contact? intment
The
021 797 resa on
6332
or email:
re
christ-ch source@
urch.org
.za
thislife | issue 4
27
6
shoppinglife
TOP 10
feelgood
7
presents
8
w
2
10
ant to give a gift that
goes on giving?
4
There’s a wealth of fabulous gifts out there
that benefit community upliftment
projects – you just have to know where to look!
We’ve taken the hassle out of it for you and tracked down 10
fabulous gift ideas…
1. Felt pot plant holders – from R207 Made by home-based groups
including GAPA Grandmothers Against Poverty and AIDS in Khayelitsha.
Available @ Montebello Shop, 31 Newlands Avenue, 021 685 6445
9
2. Pencil set - R50 Made by Faerie Art, which employs and teaches
entrepreneurial skills to previously disadvantaged people. Call 083 673 6565 or buy
from Montebello Shop, 31 Newlands Avenue, 021 685 6445
3. Telephone wire salad servers - R140 per spoon Made by Senzokuhle in
Durban, which encourages emerging entrepreneurs. Available at Heartworks
outlets: Old Biscuit Mill, Salt River 021 447 7183, Kloof Street 021 424 8419 or
Cape Quarter 021 418 0772
4. Jams - from R20 Proceeds help mobilise differently-abled children Buy from Chaeli
Campaign, 18 Culm Road, Plumstead, 086 124 2354
1
5. African lady candlestick – from R195 Made by Zizamele, which trains
previously unemployed artists in ceramic creation and business management.
Visit Zizamele Studio, cnr Chasmay and Kommetjie Roads,
Sunnydale or call Toni Burton 084 556 6423 for
stockists closer to you
6. Tin notepads, R60 Made by Matamorfis of
Knysna, which aids job creation and uses largely
recycled materials. Available @ Heartworks
outlets: Old Biscuit Mill, Salt River 021 447 7183,
Kloof Street 021 424 8419 or Cape Quarter 021 418 0772
7. Photo slingbag - R295 Profits raise funds for books in
disadvantaged communities. Call Jo Elkin, 082 491 5243
8. Boxers, R170 From Township Boutique, an
empowering social enterprise @ New Cape Quarter,
De Waterkant, 021 418 0388
5
9 Beaded 4GB computer memory stick, R275
Made by Elolo which employs the women of
Mfuleni Township. Call Laurie Broomberg,
082 898 9206
10. Cook Book, R100 Proceeds support
organic micro-farmers in underprivileged
areas. Available @ The Greenhouse,
31 Newlands Avenue, 021 689 9598
3

WIN - Christ Church Kenilworth

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