Discipleship is relationship

Joey Bonafacio from Manila said that at Church Planting School and it is so true. You just can't disciple those you don't know and spend time with. I picked up a book called "Uncommon Youth Ministry" by Jim Burns at a book sale and just started reading it last week. Wow! It is brilliant and is all about discipleship and building everything on relationship.
This month we are doing 4 Thirsty Thursdays! These are connect opportunities at a north, south, east and west branch of Mac Donalds in our city. Just want to give kids the chance to come and chat with us. Out of this hopefully more intense discipleship relationships can be built. We are seeing such fruit from the small groups our team are running at schools, homes and at Jozi Lights. We are starting to see the next level, where our kids who are being discipled now start to take care of other kids they know. Xtreme Makeover of Me written by Joanne is the tool we use, but it is modelling it that is so key. Had an awesome Facebook post from a young lady who had been in our Delmore Club years ago. She wanted to thank us for being committed to those Wednesday afternoons, for bringing Jesus to them consistently, and she was thrilled that we are still doing it in 2011.
Needed this as there are times when you question the fruit of your labour. Ministry comes at a high price and I had a day two weeks ago when I considered becoming a postman, but a day later I was committed to reaching and discipling children.

Every Nation SA Leaders Summit

What a great week we spent in Cape Town last week. 9 of our Joburg pastors attended and we had great fellowship as we all stayed in a beautiful house on Table Mountain just below the three toilet roll towers. The prayer and worship was fantastic and laid the platform for pastors seeking God to solve issues and to build our movement's unity. There were frank discussions and sometimes raw emotions as people shared their histories and their frustrations. God wove this all together so that people really found each other and were able to honour one another in a way we haven't done before. This was powerful and we have to walk in this as we lead the movement forward. Everyone dedicated themselves and their churches to the vision and values of Every Nation and we ended with a few hours of prayer and prophecy. Pastor Roger got a fantastic endorsement of his leadership and will be ably assisted by various other great men and women of God. I loved seeing this and some of the passion I saw at the two Every Nation World Conferences was definately in the house. Church planting, discipleship and focus on the next generation are key and of course that what makes us tick, so we are in the right place going forward. Obviously the Body of Christ is much bigger than Every Nation, but convinced we are God's idea and can be a blessing to the wider family in every nation of the world.
Joanne and I have a key part to play in getting this out to the children's ministries, and to serving them with our creativity and resources. Carmel Retreat 2012 will be a key gathering of Children's Ministry leaders. We are appreciated by more and more of the pastors as we get to be known.

Middle East missions

Today was missions Sunday at Jozi kidz and we saw kids praying for the middle east. We spent so long making a puzzle for the kids to take home which they can make of the map and stick to their wall and pray over. Believe God will move mightily as a result of these prayers. So many kids from ex Muslim families here! Praise God for our freedom but we willingly bow our knee before Jesus. Let the nations come to Him! Loved sharing the gospel and will do so again in 5 min

Week of kidz at church planting school

We arrived on Sunday afternoon in whiteriver ready for a long week of kids ministry. Was great to see friends from all over the country. Monday saw us intro ourselves to the kids and discovered them to be a cool bunch. Not all easy of course but the potential was great. We looked at identity in Christ. Afternoons were spent watching a movie then outdoor play till 4. Tues we did servant leadership. Wed prophecy. Thurs heart for the nations, and this morning sharing the gospel. We gave them a grow box from week two that we planned and Letty led. Each day they got tools for their quiet times and that was a big hit! Kids got excited about spending time with Jesus. As relationships grew so did the ministry and it was sad to say goodbye. Three kids got baptised in the Holy Spirit, one without any prayer, just during worship! Meal times were great to chat with church planters and there was a great Every Nation vibe! The Bon fire time last night was great too and the kids made good friends and were free to play into the evenings. On tues I also got to share with all the church planters on kiss ministry and had very good feedback. Joanne sold 230 copies of Xtreme Makeover of Me. jesse and Letty did an amazing job with the totz and with the help of Thjile one of our campus leaders. The team all deserve a day off on Monday before the new term starts. The Pardey Kids were also an amazing example and served well . God is so faithful and we know this was an incredible advance for our church family and the Kingdom. so glad we agreed to do it.

Swazi Mission 2

Been a while since I have waffled but must give God the glory for this trip we did last week. 14 of us set off from cold Jozi to a warmer Bulembu, Swaziland. The team was excited and ready for action. We were met by our family, the Nevilles, and quickly found ourselves at Bulembu Babies. Just enjoyed having babies on laps and giving out love to them. They are doing a great job there. Then in the evening we had team time and got ready for the ministry of the week. Having Audrey as designated chef was awesome and we will never again do a mission without this. Meant Joanne and I could be fully focussed on ministry and the team of kids we had to disciple. Tuesday, Wed and Thursday we ran a holiday program in the morning and afternoon, for the two sides of Bulembu children. This was a great format, halving the 160 kids, to make it a little easier to handle. We were able to get our team facilitating small group activities and it was more relational. Was great to see that the kids are growing under the care of the Bulembu Ministries. We ministered on God's heart for them, their identity in Christ, and them having a heart or the world. Ministry was powerful and the worship times really broke things. We went up against religion, desiring to see relationship with Jesus, not just compliance. Really saw chains breaking in the spiritual. Tuesday and Thursday evenings we did movies for the kids, and on Friday for the older teens. This was powerful as we first did a treasure hunt getting prophetic words for teens God had picked out for us to pray for. God really touched lives thru this and stretched our team again to walk in faith. The Wednesday nite we joined the kids and teens at the royal rangers forest camp for a fire nite. This was a drama with a fire display and again some deep ministry. Friday morning we had all the kids join us for a games morning followed by a talent show which was very enjoyed. Our team then went and hiked up Mount Mlembe which is the higest point in Swaziland, where we prayed for this beautiful people.
On Saturday morning we went to look at old neglected buildings over the hill but still in Bulembu property, and then cleaned up and packed out. we had our last meal and headed out for South Africa. I was so proud of our team. They all worked hard and were a pleasure to spend time with. We had good times of prayer and sharing and lots of laughter too.
Having left the Swazi border the pajero ran out of petrol. It has no petrol gadge and used crazy amounts of fuel. We tried sucking petrol out of the avanza and toyota but couldn't get it right. Bulembu had no reserves, so Audrey had to drive all the way down the mountain pass and then back with a 25litre drum. This put us three hours behind schedule but all was fine. Then an hour and a half from home we stopped for take aways and whilst in Steers/Toilet two guys broke into the pajero and stole our lap top, projector, two cases full of Pardey clothes, and two kit bags. We waited for the police so we could get a case number and we are now waiting for insurance to hopefully pay out for the laptop and projector but the clothes not covered. Makes you so angry but we chose to rejoice and to pray that the 3 Bibles stolen in bags would be used to bring these guys to salvation. We finally got back to the church at 9:30pm to parents excited to see their missionaries. On the way home I needed to put another R100 in the pajero and had a great time with Lovemore, the petrol dude, who I think will come to church because of this. So all the hold ups were so I could be there at just the right time.
Slept well and then we were up early on Sunday to report back at Jozi Kidz and to start our three week series on missions! Thanks to all who prayed for us and helped us in any way to do this trip. It was a great time and the Nevilles called us to say how the orphans of Bulembu were so impacted, which is all that really counts. Hope to go back soon to do a Victory Weekend for their teens, and Joanne has some Christmas party and shoe drive planned, so could be two more trips as a family this year.

A club in Vrededorp now a reality

We went 2 hours earlier than the 3:30 start of Jozi Kidz Mobile last tuesday to go and walk the streets and meet boys and girls. Not knowing what reception we would have in vrededorp, we were pleasantly surprised. The prayer had paid off and God was evidently with us. People were warm and it was like a hopeless community were eager for something to change. We handed out balloons and flyers. We even went to the house where we had seen the two little girls on an early Saturday run, that had brought us to the area. We felt that where light comes, darkness has to flee. It was awesome to be in a park again and to see the kids rolling up from all directions. We eventually signed up 24 kids and there were still others looking on from a distance. Joanne started with a game, Letty led praise songs, and then Jesse and I shared on getting foundations right. Then we had small groups to discuss and get to know the kids. All sorts, different ages and cultures. They were very happy to have something in their park. Now tomorrow we return after a week's break and hoping to continue to build with these precious kids.
The men who pray with me each Wednesday were so encouraged and they each have a different part to play in this subburb.

Updating da waffles

Waffling has been a bit slow of late, guess it is hard to know what to share. You know when people say what's news? Well there is always stuff, but do people want to hear me waffling about it? Face Book is at least quick bitesized chunks of me and what I am about. No secret that I am full on for Jesus and that He is the one that most excites me and fulfills me. Like today, was great waking up and spending time with Him, was great worshipping and ministering with Joanne at Hope Street to kids, and great talking about him over candle light when the power went off again. Know that He is leading us each day and praying that we will stay in His will for our lives. Right now in Jozi with kidz. Well now u know I am alive and kicking or waffling...later!