Parish of Tugela Rivers

Report on Rooted in Jesus Training Weekend 20-23 September, 2013.

56 Candidates were trained in using the Rooted in Jesus Discipleship Course at Mseni Campsite, near Winterton. I could tell you about how well the weekend worked, about the wonderful representatives from parishes from the Archdeaconry of Uthukela, who volunteered so well for leadership roles all through the weekend, about the local pastors from other churches around Bergville and Winterton who attended, about those who attended from two local NGO organizations, World Vision and Philakahle and the wonderful people who trained us. However I would like to tell you about it by sharing a testimony that has come out of the weekend.

The first recorded service in Winterton was on the Sunday before Christmas in 1913. Alfred Bennett donated the land for All Saints somewhere around 1909 and most of the building was completed by 1912. Bishop Baines dedicated All Saints on 14 June 1914. There has thus been an Anglican presence in Winterton for nearly 100 years. To mart 100 years of continuous worship in the building a celebratory service is to be held on 29 September at 10h00. The Anglican Church will be hosting the combined service which takes place on the fifth Sunday of the month. The congregation of St Patrick’s Bergville will also be joining the celebration.

The Anglican Church is a world-wide communion with the greatest number of members on the African continent. In the 1980s there was a Decade of Evangelism and the Anglican Church in Africa has grown faster than in any other part of the world. For example, the link dioceses of Niassa in the northern part of Mozambique has doubled the number of congregations in the Diocese since 1998.

Last but not least!!! A huge thank you to all of you that sponsored, gave prizes, organized and played in the Annual Parish Golf Day on 18th August. Thank you to Jack and Heather van Rensberg for letting us make use of the Golf Course at no cost. The day was a huge success and everyone who took part really enjoyed the day.. A special thank you to the St. Patrick’s Guild for the way they organized the day and for the catering. Special thanks to Pippa Scott, who without any of the men in her life around, carted all the food and prizes out to Hlalanathi and for her work, together with the other members of the guild, in preparing the lunch. Thanks to Caryn Jackson for being “Mrs Money Bags” and helping organize the prizes. A big, big, big thank you to Jamie Jackson for organizing the players. Thanks so much to all who helped.

ST PATRICK’S CHURCH BERGVILLE
NEWSLETTER FOR END OF JULY, AUGUST, SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER 2013

JULY

1. Parish Council on Tuesday 30th July at the McDonald Hall at 18h30.
Just a reminder to all involved in Parish Council that we have a meeting on Tuesday 30th July in the McDonald Hall in Winterton.

AUGUST

2. Harvest Thanksgiving Child-friendly Service and Baptism on 4th August at 08h30. The service on Sunday 4th at 08h30 will be a Harvest Thanksgiving Child-friendly Service. Please bring your provisions and veggies to the church. These will be distributed to those in need.

3. Annual Golf Day 18th August.
The Annual Golf Day, to raise funds for the Parish Car Fund, will take place on the 18th August at Hlalanathi, starting with a short service on the first tee at 09h30. If you wish to play please contact Jamie Jackson. His number is 082 4972195. We would be grateful if people could donate chocolates, sweets and bottles of wine for prizes. These can be given to John Green or Priscilla Mann.

4. Men’s Conference ‘Wild at Heart‘ by John Eldridge at Em’seni from 23rd to 25th August 2013. The ‘Wild at Heart‘ Conference will take place at Em’seni from 23rd to 25th August. A DVD Series will be the major input for the weekend. John Eldridge’s courses are so over subscribed in the USA that attendees have to be chosen by a lottery system. (Please contact John if you would like a pamphlet) Bishop Tsietsi has asked that all clergy from the Archdeaconry of Uthukela should attend the conference from Friday to Saturday. (The Sunday DVDs will be shown at clergy meetings later in the year.) Some men in our Parish have been asking for a conference of this kind. Now is the opportunity to attend!

5. Johan During to preach on 25th August in the Parish.
Johan During will preach on the theme “The priesthood of all believers” on Sunday 25th August. He will preach at the 08h30 Service in Bergville and then travel to the Service in Winterton at 09h00.

SEPTEMBER

6. Bergville Combined Service on 1st September 2013
The Bergville Combined Service will take place on 1st September at our church, St Patrick’s at 8.30 am. The other congregations in Bergville are asked to join us for worship at 8.30 am

7. Baptism and Confirmation Service on 8th September.
There will be only one service in the Parish on 8th September at 09h00 am in Winterton. There will be baptisms and some children will be confirmed. Bishop Tsietsi will preside at the service.

Child-friendly service in Bergville on 15th September.
The 08.30 Service in Bergville on 15th September will be a child-friendly service.

9. The ‘Rooted in Jesus‘ Course at Em’seni from 20th to 23rd September.
“Rooted in Jesus” is a practical course in discipleship that was originally developed in the Diocese of Kilimanjaro. A pastor was using the ‘Jesus Film‘ to bring people to conversion but needed a discipleship course to follow up so that people’s lives would be transformed.

This course is now being used in many countries in Africa including in our link diocese of Niassa where the Anglican Church has nearly doubled in size from 1998. It is being used in four diocese in the Anglican Church in Southern Africa.

Bishop Rubin has granted permission for a Training Course for ‘Rooted in Jesus‘ for the clergy and lay leaders of the Archdeaconry of Uthukela to be held at Em’seni from 20th to 23rd September.

People who will in time lead groups have been invited from all the parishes in our Archdeaconry. It is hoped that some lay people from our own parish will attend the conference. (The application form is available from John as are the contents of the course)

10. 100th Celebration of the use of the Winterton Church 29th September.
On 29th September there will be one service in the Parish at 10h00 am to celebrate 100 years of worship in All Saints’ Church in Winterton. The other churches in Winterton will join us for the service. A tent will be put up in the grounds to accommodate all the people who will attend the service.

OCTOBER

11. Child-friendly Service on 13th October in Bergville.
The 08h00 Service at on 13th October will be a child-friendly Service.
(Summer time service at 08h00 from beginning of October.)

12. Parish Dinner and Fund Raising Evening at the Bergville Country Club on Friday 18th October @ 18h30

There is to be a Parish Dinner and Fund Raising evening on 18th October @ 18h30 at the Bergville Country Club. There will be a Whisky Tasting by Cathy White (John Green’s sister) for those interested. It is hoped that there will be a display of Persian carpets which will be on sale, for interested persons.

13. One Service in the Parish on 20th October.
There will be only one service in the Parish on Sunday 20th October at 10h00. After the service there will be a bring-and-braai lunch (please bring your own meat and drinks) to celebrate John Green’s 60th and Gill Green’s 58th birthdays! The Central Drakensberg Adult Choir have been invited to the service and to entertain us with a few songs after the service. Clive Staegeman and Patrick will also be present to play the sax and flute and to sing.

As you can see the next three months are really busy months.

Yours sincerely in Christ,

John Green