2020 at CPUT

The first day of Campus this year…some of our team ready and excited to meet, help and reach first year students!

Looking back at all the upheaval of this year 2020 has been a good year for us at CPUT. We will be very sad to say goodbye to three of our student ministry leaders that have helped me set up and lead well in my short time leading CPUT. The three are graduating and going into the marketplace in 2021. It has been a wonderful journey with them and we look forward, with great excitement, to see what God has been preparing them for and how He will work through them!

There are three main highlights I would like to share from this season:

Firstly, we have grown! We were still able to carry on after March 2020. Under the hard lockdown we had more time to really grow. When Campus was shut in March many students went back home and our students were dispersed all over the country. Despite everything, the students were reaching and gathering their friends to minister to them. They had peers to care for and serve which makes a huge difference during a time like this.

Secondly, we have supported each other. We really grew as a spiritual family, we enjoyed getting to know each other more deeply in our small groups; not only having the time to really get to know each other but the time to pray for each other’s faith journey and family lives. I see this simplicity in ministry producing greater inner healing and more personal transformation! Unfortunately, some students went through great loss over this time and I believe they were encouraged by the love and care they received from their small group in their darkest times.

Lastly, the Academic year was successful and this was a miracle! The students’ academics is obviously the main purpose for which they are registered at CPUT and one of our big prayers and ministry input for our students is with regards to their academic success. Unlike some of the big institutions in the Western Cape CPUT actually had very little learning till almost May/June when we started to have most of the students learning online due to many logistical issues. It has been such an exhaustingly difficult year for them, navigating online learning, being away from the familiar institution and their peers, being at home with all the demands of family life (in some homes witnessing dysfunctionality) as well as the financial pressures as their parents navigated all that this year brought. One student, in one of our small groups, is graduating at the end of the year and she had to help out with her siblings at home, clean the house, keep her small business running to help pay for her next steps after finishing and all while doing her final year assessments and projects! When we were reflecting on the year together she said she never knew she had the capacity – but she successfully finished and she is able to pay for herself to expand her knowledge through international travel and work in 2021!

I had a picnic with some of the students in Cape Town that were able to come out to celebrate the year with me and I was so encouraged by the hope, excitement and the passion that still characterizes these young people (this is why I love working with them!). Of the seven that could come five of them had a small business and utilized the hard lockdown to begin it or to further it. Three of the seven students furthered their skills doing other online courses in this season too. There were some very insightful reflections at our gathering and I’m sure globally this season will affect how young people see tertiary education in the future!

A few students gathering at Arderne Gardens for an end of year meet up.

To God be the glory! As we look toward 2021 and even though much of the situation has not changed but because of the character of God we are expectant that these hard times are not wasted but that God according to His character will work all things for good. I pray the same for you!

Ministry in the ‘online space’

We have all learned to make the most of online connections and use it to maximize our in person work, participations and connections in this time. On our campuses the response to this move has been varying. Like everyone going through this, there are some benefits and then some very serious drawbacks. We have missed our students so much as the majority of them had to go back home, all across the country. So as you can imagine the internet has become our second lounge! Some students in certain faculties and year groups were recalled to campus in September. We were so grateful to be able to physically gather with some of our students from November.

The gathering of God’s family is powerful; there is definitely a measure of His power and glory that you see and experience when you are together which we missed when churches weren’t allowed to meet! This season was also very stressful because we are always aware that our student turnover is high, so when we spend a year essentially off campus, it has major consequences on the momentum of campus ministry! However, this isn’t the first crisis on campus so we knew that we needed to maximize on the core of our work which is to disciple students. Due to discipleship being our main mode of helping our students grow in Christ we were essentially already reaching and ministering to them individually or in small groups. This meant we didn’t have to reinvent ourselves during this pandemic to connect and reach students we just had to be agile and navigate moving everything we do to ‘Zoom’ and ‘WhatsApp’! Much of what we do to reach, establish students in the Christian faith and raise leaders we have had to adapt but we were essentially still able to continue with our ministry.

In the midst of the challenges we also had great opportunities and one of them was the launch of the ‘School of Governance’ in September. This was a two day intensive training, online, on godly governance with amazing speakers and panelists which enabled those that attended to be trained and rub shoulders and hear the experience of Christian leaders currently leading in the market place and government. I had the privilege of three students I lead on the CPUT campus come to the training joined by a number of students from our other campus ministries within the Western Cape. Following on from this four of our students have opted to put themselves through a mentorship program to specifically prepare themselves for impact in the marketplace!

At the ‘School of Governance’ I had the opportunity to run the “Emerging Leaders” elective over the two days with some inspiring input from great leaders. This track was aimed at helping young leaders understand the weight of governance and give them an opportunity to learn from the highs and lows of those that have been before them.

With God and really by His grace I look forward to the adventures of 2021 and what He has planned for CPUT campus and the campuses in Cape Town! We can see already that 2020 is redefining most things so I covet your prayers like never before as we keep pressing forward to reach the seed of our future generations!

2018 Gratitude

As I reflect on 2018, while it has been a very tough year in ministry, there is still so much to be grateful for. So much so, that as I have been writing up my annual report and pouring over the pictures taken over the year, I see God’s sovereign hand at work! New students have given their lives to Jesus, been baptized and discipled, and we have raised student leaders across all our campuses.  Our Father is always building His Kingdom. He  is always looking after His children, weaving together His rich and glorious story all the time.

This year found us losing four of our campus ministers across our Cape Town Campuses. Currently the CPUT campus ministry is without a campus pastor at its helm. I have stepped in and even though it has been very stretching to take this on, I am slowly finding my feet. It has taken some time to understand the heartbeat and unique challenges and opportunities of this campus, yet in spite of all the hurdles and sifting, we continue to see God’s favour.  I am grateful that the previous campus pastors are available and have helped me so much in this transition.  I managed to  raise money to send some of these student leaders to our annual Every Nation Campus (ENC) Conference in Johannesburg  for a special encounter with God and general encouragement. Out of that opportunity, we now have  two very committed student leaders that I have grown to know and care for over the last 4 months. With their help we managed to run a couple of ‘outreaches’ on campus, as well as a small event in their residence to equip and inspire their fellow students. I am excited to continue building with them, pulling in more of the student leaders to the coal face of the ministry, whilst also raising new leaders in the new year.

Charlotte and Lungile, the two amazing leaders that have served so diligently over this transition

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We have welcomed a new campus minister on Tygeberg Medical Campus, Almero. The campus ministers in the city alongside his congregational pastors have all been involved in his training and preparation to fulfill the mission God has called him to.

A lot hung in the balance this year, yet I am even more convinced that reaching the young people on our University campuses is a ‘GOD IDEA’ and an invaluable investment and a seed of hope into the future. Recently I was so encouraged that two UCT and campus ministry alumni were asked to address students at the UCT graduation this December. These students, who themselves were on the campus over 10 years ago, actively served other students. What is extraordinary is that much of their service on campus, as students, still continues to bear fruit today! They are such great role models for this nation and to young people studying now. I would like to applaud Maanda Tshifularo and Mamello Selamolela for their dedication, hard work and serving hearts that opens the way for so many people! Africa needs so many more noble graduates that are dreaming big as they serve society.

As we prepare to enter 2019, my heart is full of hope that we will be able to bring stability to our campus ministries on the different universities in Cape Town, growing and standing firm in the vision God has given us to reach more students and young leaders in this city with the gospel.

My hope is that as you take stock and reflect on the past year whilst looking forward in anticipation for 2019, that you too will be filled with peace, hope and an assurance of God’s relentless love for you no matter what you are going through or have been through. Paul writes “So we are convinced that every detail of our lives is continually woven together to fit into God’s perfect plan of bringing good into our lives, for we are his lovers who have been called to fulfill his designed purpose. – TPT Romans 8:28.

So, on we go! Thank you for your partnership, faithfulness and generosity. You make  reaching, inspiring and walking with students in pursuit of God possible!

The Harvest of incorruptible seeds

We are now well into the first semester on Campus as we approach the mid-semester break. After mobilizing and going out on our most strategic mission this year, God graced us  with 330 responses across our campuses as first year students were engaged by other students and our community church members. During this time I had the opportunity and privilege of encouraging the community to partner with our campus ministries to reach students at the Every Nation Baxter morning service .

Following a fruitful orientation season, our teams (Campus pastors and student leaders) are now establishing students in the faith across our various campuses. As always with every gain, victory and advance we make for God there are untold losses and setbacks but we continue to press FORWARD, believing that the seeds we have sown are incorruptible and WILL produce a harvest  of righteousness in the lives of young leaders that will meet them in their futures. A new generation of students empowered and equipped with the truth of the gospel is truly the hope of our nation- this is our labour on the campuses that the harvest would be light to the world!

So, wherever life meets us all today, may we choose to keep an eternal perspective, boldly proclaiming Jesus Christ, making much of Him and taking His incorruptible seed into every part of our world knowing,- a harvest will come!

Another opportunity to preach into the vision of seeing disciples of Jesus take the gospel into every part of our world!

 

 

 

Planting Seeds- Changing Destinies

All across the five* campuses where our Every Nation Church ministries are active, we are currently engaged in welcoming in a total of about 15000 first year students beginning their studies. It’s an epic moment in the university calendar, a time marked by a myriad of emotions for these young people and future leaders – from sheer anticipation and excitement of what the future holds, to fear and apprehension. It can be a challenging time to say the least in the hearts and minds of these young people. As a campus ministry with a focus on bringing Jesus, his heart and truths to students, we take very seriously the unique opportunity we have to sow eternal, imperishable seeds into their hearts that will profoundly shape and change the trajectory of their lives and unique career paths and ultimate destinies.

On the cusp of a new year, we covet your support and prayers this February over this pool of students. Please consider partnering with us in prayer that:

• God would awaken the students’ hearts to an enduring desire to encounter Him and ultimately follow and obey Jesus.
• For those students already in the faith, that they would find a firm and nurturing spiritual family with us or other churches on Campus. 
• The Father would send more faithful labourers into this ripe harvest field.
• There would be unity and strategic collaboration between the various Christian ministries active on our campuses to win many to Jesus.
• The hearts and minds of the students would be prepared to apply themselves with all diligence to their fields of study in this academic year.

Indeed 2018 promises to be a full year where we will anticipate the miracles and working of the Holy Spirit on our campuses. Thank you again for your continued support of this mission!

*Cape Town University of Technology (CPUT), Stellenbosch University (SU), Tygerberg Medical Campus, University of Cape Town (UCT)  and the University of the Western Cape (UWC)

Societies on Plaza for Orientation week at UCT, 2018

Sitting at the Every Nation Campus Table with our Campus staff and student leaders

Discipling the Nations

Our slogan for campus ministry is “Change the campus, change the world.” Over the last couple of years, this underlying truth has been brought front and center for so many churches. Being a campus ministry, we have a very high rate of turnover in our students: we invariably have an entirely new group of students (and essentially an entirely new congregation) every 3-4 years!

Through this series, it was amazing to see God open up purpose and significance for the 450 students that sat and listened! This was an incredible series to minster with Kathy Gooch and Jonathan Rens. It was at a similar series more than 15 years ago that I found my own sense of purpose and destiny in God!

Ministering at the Sunday service

In the second week we had an altar call, and it was incredible to see a couple of young people give their lives to God as a result of understanding God’s good news and purpose for every aspect of their lives! We preached for three Sundays and then had a workshop for the final Sunday. Our aim was to take a look at what God intended the church to be  and do by looking at the “Great Commission.”

Matt 28:18-20:

¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

We started by covering split thinking (Dualism) and how this has affected our understanding of the “Great Commission”. We then covered all 7 spheres of society and looked at Biblical principles for the Arts, Entertainment & Sport, Business, The Church, Media & Communication, Education, Family, Government and Health, Science & Technology.

 

Workshop

Workshop

The workshop was in two parts. There was first an exhortation by Jonathan Rens to go and make a difference where God has placed you. There was then a chance for students who wanted to engage further to meet and ask questions of incredible leaders in each sphere. These leaders are on a journey to glorify God as they worship Him through their work and grapple with Biblical principles in their field. About 150 students and graduates signed up for this workshop.

This is what one graduate had to say regarding the series:

“The Discipling Nations series…gave me a better understanding of the sphere I studied and God’s purpose for it. It unpacked for me how God’s character is displayed or glorified in the three spheres I feel called to, which are Business, Media and Ministry.

Personally, it also highlighted the same God-like qualities in me that helped me understand and confirm that God had indeed called me in to these Spheres. The media and communications sphere especially helped me understand that my choice of studying Media and Marketing was not in vain even though I chose it because it was the best option for me at the time.” – Ayanda Mpongwana

Health, Science & Technology group

 

Faith in Action…

Three churches meeting to ask God how we can respond practically to the needs on our campuses.

With the “Revolution” happening on our campuses we are seeing a chance to really press in with what we’re doing, because we know that God brings true change as He changes hearts. There are so many areas on campus demanding responses, and this creates opportunities. When we can practically meet needs, it opens up incredible roads to bring the gospel to young people. It also allows the message to be incarnational as people see believers who have been filled with God’s love act it out by sharing, giving and sacrificing.

Churches are finding that there are so many ways to respond and really be missional and practical in our love for people. We recently met as a group of 3 churches that are affiliated with UCT and CPUT to dream and talk about God’s response to the needs on our campuses. It was incredible to see churches come together, even on a small scale, to think about  how we can work together to practically LOVE students on our campuses.

This initiative is one of so many stories we are hearing after “The Justice Conference” which is so exciting. There have been many churches and individuals doing justice in Cape Town and South Africa but bringing the stories together begins to build a movement that draws in other churches, organisations and individuals, and then they can more easily see ways in which they can do acts of justice in their communities.  Many churches met again recently to look at the future of Biblical Justice in our city and nation through the support of the “The Justice Conference” movement.

Asking if the Justice Conference will fuel and give way to acts of righteousness in our communities by believers.

The First ‘Justice Conference’, South Africa

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Our real kick off for the year was the Justice Conference! This was an absolutely wonderful way to begin the year in light of all that has ensued in our nation over the past months. It was just so timely. The students who came to the conference were so excited by the content and the fact that all the issues facing South Africa were being looked at head-on. It was well attended and diverse making the learning challenging, very emotional but most effective, everyone left the conference stirred.

My highlights were seeing this conference come together in this incredible weekend, and speaking to friends and students about what they were learning. It was an answer to prayer to see justice accessible for individuals and institutions, which was so helpful, as people’s most frequent question is, “What does this mean for me?” All in all, it was an awakening, relevant, and rewarding weekend with much work to be done in South Africa!

 

Leading after #FeesMustFall 2016

Photo of the protests courtesy of the Duke Chronicle

In the Western Cape, the university campuses where we have our campus ministries started very late this year (mid March), except for the University of Stellenbosch. This is some of the aftermath of the Fees Must Fall protests; deferred exams, lack of student housing for the new year and delayed employment for those who were meant to be graduating.

As the dust settles and we look ahead to our future – and the prospect of more unrest – we sense the need to both strengthen leaders and raise up more leaders as we move forward. We are aware as campus ministries that we are always only 1 year away from extinction because of the fast student turn-over. We witnessed last year that God’s presence, and specifically His presence through Christians, makes such a difference during times of deep turmoil. The mediation, the peaceful witnessing, the prayer, and the counseling carried out by many Christians across the body of Christ had such an incredible impact on the situation.

Photo of UCT’s Jammie Plaza courtesy of Stay Centred

This year, we are looking to strengthen our leadership development across all of our campuses. For us this means being more effective in equipping our student leaders both for their own growth, and to improve their ability to disciple other students. It also means more effective equipping of Christian students who are entering student governance, and framing the issues of the day with a Biblical perspective so that they can be salt and light on the campuses. There has also been a greater interest among the Christian university staff to engage and explore their role in campus life.

Through every adversity and difficult situation, we move forward with the knowledge that God has His hand on His people, and that we carry His presence within us.

New name – same people, passion and purpose…

His People Church in Southern Africa officially changed their name from His People to Every Nation, effective from the beginning of 2017. We wanted to adopt the name of the apostolic movement that His People Church belongs to. Many of the students were still on break at the time of all the congregational commemorations, so we are yet to commemorate the change with our students. We will still do so at the Every Nation Campus Conference in September this year!