Tuesday, December 5, 2017

End of the Year

Since our last letter, Louise and have done the LEAD (Leadership for Evangelism And Disciple-Making) training in eleven additional Dioceses, namely Cape Town, False Bay and Saldana (August 4-6: 16 participants), Arniston/False Bay (August 11-13: 17 participants), Christ the King (August 25-27: 19 participants), Swaziland along with Thokozani (September 1-3: 16 participants), East London/Grahamstown (September 19-20: 23 participants), Polokwane/St Mark the Evangelist (October 2-3: 7 participants), Johannesburg (October 6-7: 21 participants), Lebombo (October 24-29: 50 participants), Kimberley and Kuruman (November 3-4: 18 participants), and in George (December 1-3: 20 participants).

Altogether, 13 Dioceses out of 28 Dioceses in the Province of Southern Africa.

We also attended J-Life Foundations (the second of four modules) Training along with our friend and protégée, Thokozani Hslatswayo, on August 9-10 in False Bay, Cape Town, the Global Leadership Summit on October 18-20, and the J-Life Summit on November 24-25.

We also promoted the LEAD project at a Mother’s Union/Anglican Women’s Fellowship Breakfast in Cape Town on July 15, at a gathering of COTT Students in Cape Town on July 21, at gatherings in Pretoria, Klerksdorp, Kuruman, Kimberley, Welkom respectively from September 4 through 13, at the Provincial Standing Committee Meeting on September 27-30, at the Rondebosch Archdeaconry Meeting on November 16, and the Gugulethu Archdeaconry Meeting on November 22.

Johann attended the GtC Coordinator’s Meeting on November 26-29. Our Director, Trevor Pearce, as well as the Growing the Church Board, said that compared with the meeting last year, this was overwhelmingly positive. 
We received reports from several coordinators about individuals and churches making disciples or teaching Strategy to a friend and/or a group. Swaziland and St Andrew’s, Pimville have made attempts at broadening the training. Many have gone through the 60 Chronological Study on the Life of Christ. Others have started small groups and Bible Studies. We know that our dear friend, protégée, and passionate co-worker, Thokozani Hlatshwayo has been training others in Highveld.

After each training, we send all participants with emails various resources such as a link to Dann Spader’s Videos, a chronological Bible Study method, various disciple-making articles, and other helpful tools. We also try to do long-distance coaching, but, like long-distance relationships, this has its limitations. Louise has created a database of all participants listed under their Diocese in MyAnglican to make further email correspondence easier…however, we were not always able to read the handwriting of some participants, so they are falling through the cracks because we don't have their emails.

In an ideal world, there ought to be at least one solid, sold-out, passionate LEAD Faculty member in each Diocese who will be able to encourage, coach, and hold other participants accountable.

On a personal note, Louise and I are planning to come to the US at the end of March and to stay through April. This visit will be to spend time with our children and grandchildren, to meet two of our grandchildren, Constance and Everett (yet to be born!) for the first time, and to visit as many of our supporters as possible. We are still in need of more support and hope to meet with new partners as well.

Louise's mum, Annie, affectionately known as the Queen, is becoming more frail and Louise spends as much time with her as possible. With our current schedule, we are hardly home, so visits are few and far between, which is a pity. 

Thank you for your love, encouragement, and unfailing support! You are deeply appreciated. Thank you for your partnership in the Gospel...without you, we would not be able to do what we do.

We wish you a blessed Advent and a very Merry Christmas! May our sovereign Lord grant you your hearts desire.

Many blessings.
Johann and Louise

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