Getting started in Pretoria Inner City | emerging South Africa
Getting started in Pretoria Inner City	February 22, 2007
Posted by Cobus in Emerging Church, Journal, Martus, Missional, South Africa.
Well, some of you showed some interest last year when I told about our trip to the inner city of Pretoria, the story continues, some of us started getting involved in projects. But first, some background. We are part of a student congregation of the Dutch Reformed Church called Universiteitsoord (The fact that these pages is only in Afrikaans says something about our denomination and congregation I think). It consists mostly out of students, with a small residential side to it as well. The building seats about 1600 people, and is usually nearly full on a Sunday evening. Maybe not the kind of congregation you would expect to find me in, if you only read some of the stuff I wrote.
By end of last year a group of us started thinking, talking and working on getting the congregation involved with some of the projects running in the inner city of Pretoria. The mission/outreach part of the congregation is called Martus, coming from a group of Greek words (both verb and noun, as well as a third form I think, but I don’t have a dictionary with me right now) of which one possible understanding is witness.
OK, enough background. Things got of the ground last week, when the first couple of students went to one of the Bible clubs held for primary school kids, and this week another person joined us, and we started helping at a second Bible club. Next week some guys are going to look at a hobby-project for boys, teaching them some woodwork etc, and some of the girls are looking at getting involved at a house for prostitutes.
OK, so what. Well, maybe someone would like to hear the story of how we are trying to become missional within this congregation. In a mail Roger sent me this morning he said something that I’ve been thinking a lot: “I’m finding it more common that people with emerging mindsets are working within traditional church structures, which is perhaps why we’re not seeing a more noticeable “emergence” of churches focussed on missional ecclesiology”. Sometimes I still wonder whether Tony Jones wasn’t right that evening, but for now, we are part of standing congregation, and we believe we have a task to turn this big boat to become a little bit more missional the whole time. At least we have the pastors on our side.
OK, last thing. We has twe great meetings this week. The amount of dreams and vision that came out of it was amazing. Yes, I know it still needs to be put into practice, but I loved the energy. These people are in a lot of ways what we call emerging, but still sitting in our congregations.
But any case. Universiteitsoord is hosting Brian McLaren in May! (Thanx Roger, I didn’t even know about it). Let me know if you’re gonna be there. Thursday 3 May
Public Lecture and Q&A The Secret Message of Jesus
NGK Universiteitsoord, Pretoria.
105 Duxbury Ave, Hillcrest, Pretoria
A light finger supper will be served
1.	asjas -
Hi sorry this is going to be in Afrikaans but it has nothing to do with the Martus Mid City outreach this is sort of a personal message/question I have…
Cobus ek het jou stuk gelees oor die Martus Middestad uitreik en dis cool en als al waaroor ek gewonder het, is oor die stuk waar jy sê:”We are part of a student congregation of the Dutch Reformed Church called Universiteitsoord (The fact that these pages is only in Afrikaans says something about our denomination and congregation I think)” Ek weet nie of ek met jou saamstem nie maar dalk is ek verkeerd 🙂 Ek kan jou punt insien oor die hele blog in engels ding, en maak die gesprek vir almal oop maar dit het vir my na ‘n baie negatiewe opmerking geklink toe jy praat oor die feit dat die sinode en universiteitsoord se websites net in Afrikaans is. Ek weet nie of dit negatief is nie, kan ons regtig verwag dat hulle websites in engels moet wees, Botswana se een website was altyd in Tswana en ek het glad nie aanstoot geneem nie aangesien hulle gemeente lede Tswana praat. As ons engelse mense in ons kerk gehad het (ja ek weet van die engelse dienste wat nou gehou word en ek is ‘n voorstaander daarvan) sou ek met jou kon saamstem en as die VGK en die NG kerk eendag herenig dan ook maar vir nou en vir oom Koos wat elke sondag sy Here in Afrikaans aanbid en nog sukkel met die hele rekenaar ding en natuurlik vir Annelie dink jy nie ons kan dit vir hulle makliker maak en hulle laat tuis voel nie.
Reply	2.	cobus -
1: die NG Kerk het reeds Engelse gemeentes. Maartje werk by een.
2: Dit gaan eintlik vir my meer oor die sinode se site as die gemeente s’n.
3: Gaan dit oor waar ons is of waarheen ons wil gaan? As ons fine is daarmee om ‘n Afrikaanse kerk te bly, dan is dit fine, maar as ons glo ons roeping is groter as dit, dan moet ons dit dalk begin prakties maak. ‘n Tweetalige sit is nie so moeilik nie, gaan kyk gerus die Swaziland reformed church s’n, al wat dit vra is ‘n opsie vir Afrikaans of Engels, en alles wat vertaal moet word.
4: En elkgeval het ek nie werklik uitspraak gelewer oor of dit moet verander of nie, ek het bloot gesê dit sê iets van ons denominasie en gemeente. En dit doen. Maar elkeen kan maar self besluit of dit wat daardeur gesê word positief of negatief is.
Reply	3.	cobus -
The church now actually has some English items on the website. On the menu, right hand side, there is an item “English”. Also under “Wie is ons”, there is one english item (don’t know how many English speaking people are going to take the trouble to look under “Wie is ons” for English items:-))
Reply	4.	Magda Kopp -
Van emerging kerke moet julle liefs wegbly hulle is met verkeerde onbybelse dinge besig verwerp die bybel in elk geval glo nie in bekering en belydenis van sone nie. Wees op julle hoede ondersoek die skrifte en vra God om julle oe oop te maak. Baie van die gemeentes in die NG Kerk beweeg al meer na roomskatolieke rituele waar ikone bewonder word, spesiale maniere van asemhaal om die gees te ervaar, (oosters) en die stil word om die stemme te hoor. Pasop Satan is baie hard besig om God se kinders om die bos te lei. Lees gerus die bybel en sien hoe Jesus ons gewaarsku het. In Engels se die bybel: Judgement will start in the House of the Lord. Daar is net een waarheid en dit is Jesus Christus buiten Hom is daar geen ander nie want alle mag in die Hemel en op die aarde is aan Hom gegee. Hy is die Weg, die Waarheid en die Lewe.
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