Van der Westhuizen, Karel Johannes (2011-12)
Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2011.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A congregation that wants to be faithful to a sending God, has to continually remind itself: “we are here now;” congregations need to converse with the unique identity, culture, context and time of where they are at. A Missional culture can only be established within a
congregation if a prophetic sensitivity for God’s calling and sending is present. In this ethnographic account of the Dutch Reformed Church PUK-Kandelaar, the history, context and culture of the congregation is researched and explored. The aim of the study is to indicate where Kandelaar currently finds itself on the missional journey by bringing her unique realities of ministry and context into conversation with a Trinitarian missional ecclesiology. Following an introductory discussion of the research in terms of motivation,
aim and methodology, a basis-theoretical overview of missional ecclesiology is given. Next, the congregational history is narrated, followed by a comprehensive ethnographic description of the congregation in her current context. Finally, an in-depth missional conversation is conducted between the congregation’s ministerial practice and God’s missional calling. The relation between the ministerial realities of Kandelaar as a categorical student congregation and the pursuit of a missional ministry practice is
developed comprehensively, specifically by focusing on discernment as a core issue for missional leaders. The study indicates several unique ministerial realities for which Kandelaar, as a categorical student congregation, has to allow for, and thus provides the leadership of the congregation with a platform for further faithful discernment on the missional journey with the Triune God.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: 'n Gemeente wat hoop om getrou te wees aan die roeping van 'n sturende God het nodig om voortdurend vir hulleself te kan sê: "ons is nou hier." Gemeentes moet in gesprek tree met die unieke "ons", "nou" en "hier" van die gemeentekultuur -en konteks. 'n Missionale
gemeentekultuur kan alleen gevestig word as daa 'n profetiese sensitiwiteit is vir God se roeping en sending. In hierdie etnografiese beskrywing van die NG Gemeente PUK-Kandelaar, is die storie en kultuur van die gemeente nagevors en verken. Die doel van die studie is om aan te toon waar Kandelaar haar tans op die missionale reis bevind, deur haar unieke bedieningswerklikhede -en konteks as kategoriale studentegemeente, in gesprek te bring met 'n trinitariese missionale ekklesiologie. Na afloop van 'n inleidende uiteensetting van die navorsing met betrekking tot motivering, doel en metodologie, volg 'n
basisteoretiese oorsig van 'n trinitariese missionale ekklesiologie. Daarna word die gemeenteverhaal vertel, en volg daar ook 'n omvattende etnografiese beskrywing van die gemeente wat die huidige konteks van die gemeente pertinent laat meespreek. Ten slotte word die missionale gesprek in diepte verder gevoer deur die gemeente se bedieningspraktyk te ondersoek in die lig van God se missionale roeping vir die gemeente. Die verband tussen die bedieningswerklikhede van Kandelaar as kategoriale studentegemeente,
en die strewe na 'n missionale bedieningspraktyk, word hier op omvattende wyse uitgewerk. Daar word onder andere spesifiek gefokus op geloofsonderskeiding as 'n kernbelangrike aangeleentheid vir missionale leiers. Die studie toon aan dat Kandelaar as kategoriale studentegemeente verskeie unieke bedieningswerklikhede het om mee rekening te hou. Sodoende bied die navorsing aan die leierskap van die gemeente 'n wegspringplek
vir verdere geloofsonderskeidende denke op die missionale reis saam met die Vader, Seun en Heilige Gees.
Please refer to this item in SUNScholar by using the following persistent URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/18008
This item appears in the following collections: Masters Degrees (Practical Theology and Missiology)140