To My Dear Congregation,
Grace, Peace and Health is my wish for you. May our God continue to bless us in this time of trial but also a time of great opportunity.
Desmond Tutu writes this;
“Dear Child of God, I write these words because we all experience sadness, we all come at times to despair, and we all lose hope that the
suffering in our lives and in the world will ever end. I want to share with you my faith and my understanding that this suffering can be transformed and redeemed. There is no such thing as a totally hopeless case. Our God is an expert at dealing with chaos, with brokenness, with all the worst that we can imagine. God created order out of disorder, cosmos out of chaos, and God can do so always, can do so now–in our personal lives and in our lives as nations, globally. … Indeed, God is transforming the world now–through us–because God loves us.”
What wonderful sentiments that I endorse with everything that I am.
There is so much happening that I want to share with you. I have been preaching on how God calls us and how we can hear the voice of God. I have spent many hours in seeking the way forward for our church in the time we find ourselves in. We have been called upon to re-imagine the way we serve and I have been doing just that.
We are a church in mission. I believe we all have heard the message, ‘Love God and love your neighbour,’ and that is what I intend to do in the few years that I have left in active ministry, serving you and our community in the best way possible.
As you all know, a few years back, I was led to institute an NPO which we have lovingly named, ‘KMO’ [Knysna Methodist Outreach]. We have strived to serve our neighbours through this entity and we have been very successful. Our school, Rainbow of Hope, our feeding of thousands, our involvement in the homeless shelter during lockdown, our support of Hospice. E’Pap, Loeriehof, Vermont to name a few has been well received. It was always the premise that we would expand our ministry when the time was right. That time is now and so let me share with you my vision…
I have always been of the opinion that our ‘jumble room’ could be so much more. I have toyed with the idea of opening a charity type shop for a few years now. This has become a reality and so with the permission of all the role players, past and present, I have secured business premises at The Village previously known as Shepherds Tree. Our shop will be named ‘Granny’s Attic’ and will sell well loved, previously used goods at reasonable prices to the general public. The store will operate from Monday to Saturday 09h00 to 13h00 and will ably be managed by Barbara-Anne de Groot and assisted by us who I hope will volunteer a few hours of time a week. The store is set to open on the 1st March 2021. Please get excited with me about this venture.
The second new thing that is about to happen is that we will in conjunction with the Eden Community and Growing Upwards, we will be starting a Community Garden which is planned to happen in two or three phases. This project will be used to train people to create their own garden spaces to feed and trade that which they have grown. The first phase will begin also at the Village and later expand to our church premises in Hornlee.
Also, about to begin is a project that uses waste materials that are made into yarns and then goodies such as bag, bathmats ect are crocheted and sold. This is a community upliftment program which will operate out of the Hornlee Methodist Church premises. So many exciting things are happening, God is working in our community.
Our ‘Pop Up Singing Kettle Shop’ is now open again where you are able to buy goodies at reasonable prices, from Tuesday to Friday 08h30-12h30. Come and visit us when you have time.
Read these words again from Father Desmond Tutu on community…
“A person with ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed.”
And so, with all the above having been said and done, let me encourage you to get on board, continue to be an integral part of a winning re-imagining team who serves God by loving and caring for each other and this includes our caring for all creation both great and small.
It is my privilege to serve you all.
Love and Hugs,
Rod