Ubuntu & Nabors

Time for everyone to register for UBUNTU 2013.

 

FYI, our regional staff team recently had an addition to the family. The Nabors from Ameria are now serving in Durban for 2013. Read about them at their blog

Bafana

Flashmob at UKZN

So many of my friends and collegues have been asking me for the flashmob video that took place on campus last year. Its been a while since its been posted on youtube but here goes





 



Thumbs up

A riveting clip posted on Youtube by my favourite bank which voices out the opinions of many young South African who do not have a platform to express how and what they are feeling to an international community. This made head news for good and wrong reasons, with our not so confident government seeing it as an attack to it politically.

Working in a team

4 ladies and 1 guy, which collectively made my internship team of 6 including myself. My team is made of recent graduates, with 3 of them leaving campus the same year that I did – that is Thandekile Hlongwane (Hammersdale), Slindile Nhleko (Tongaat) and  Thandeka Zulu (Umlazi). All these ladies had been involved with campus ministry before I got involved with Campus Crusade for Christ on my campus. They all have amazing testimonies of how they came to know the Lord and further grew in their spiritual maturity and dependence on Him through other ministries on campus such as His People Student Ministry and Student Christian Fellowship (SCF). Likewise with Anele Hlongwane (Hammersdale) who from his first year came to know the Lord through a summer project that had come to our campus and since then his burning desire has been to reach other students with the Gospel, fueling his decision to work as a full time missionary leading the campus ministry of Kwa-Zulu Natal which in itself is epic. Lastly Noscelo Duma (Pietermaritzburg) has a somewhat dissimilar record, having come from a background of high school ministry with iThembalethu in Durban, she over those years discipling young primary and high school girls felt a great need to reach female university students and recognised Campus Crusade for Christ as a vehicle to do so.

Slindile Nhleko

High School Ministry

For some Tuesdays, my day would include catching the 10 or 11 am Life Orientation (Life Skills) class for grade 8’s in J. G. Zuma High School in Ntuzuma (a township North of the Durban Metropolis). Ntuzuma in itself has a rich background for me ever since I began living in KwaZulu-Natal doing my studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. During the week, the Smart Choices team would go regularly to different school to teach a curriculum to two classes or more in leading a smart and healthy lifestyle. This curriculum encompassed a variety of units/topics importantly those which would educate the teenagers on how to make smart choices regarding several concerns that they unquestionably face.

No. 1 - Her name is Sandra

So my internship has come to an end and there are so many stories to be told, some great, some amazing, some 'so like God', some depressing, some encouraging, some intimidating, some humbling. So what I have decided to do is for the next couple of days I am going to share some of my highlights in ministry and what better way to start this off with letting you in on a little secret our students who were at 'Not A Fan' camp found quite intriguing.

Meet Sandra Madida (the young lady in the middle with a purple weave). She is quite the extrovert hence purple weave. She is a first year student from Howard Campus studying Design and Fine Arts (she later got a transfer to Johannesburg, WITS in the middle of her study year.). She has a flamboyant personality that seems to have a magnetic attraction to everyone. And yes, she is related to me, actually my younger sister and there are so many similarities in us that its creepy. 

Left to right: Noscelo Duma, Sandra Madida, Ayabulela Soboyi

We grew up together, not going to church and not having a relationship with the Lord but when I came to Durban thats when I accepted Christ as my Lord and Saviour when the Gospel was shared with me but for her, that only happened later. She has never been interested in knowing God, the bible, her spiritual identity but that's until she was met by one of the interns on campus and invited her to come to camp (big co-incidence with her related to me and all). I was really shocked and in my trying to get her plugged into our campus ministry - epic fail so you could imagine my surprise. I think what urged her more is when she broke up with her boyfriend who left her in tatters and meeting one of the interns wouldn't have come at a better time for her. You could imagine my excitement when she called me up and was like she is coming to camp and that no good for nothing bugger was out of her life. 

So as camp went on by super intervention - what stood smack in front of the students faces was the call and to an extent, the challenge to rise up as disciples and identify ourselves as completely devoted followers of Christ. This message hit hard for many of our students with some having to look in their mirrors and their hearts and have a conversation with the Lord on where they are in this picture. Are they yielding to his every motion or is self still sitting on throne. For Sandra I am far than sold that she had an encounter, much like most of our students who had an encounter with the Holy Spirit not judging nor condemning them but showing them the path that leads to life. For some, including Sandra it was the first time the Gospel was heard and testimonies of such made that evident. For my sister, she was able to identify what really mattered the most which is not sitting in perfect rows in church but is intentionally building relationships centered in Christ (not that ridiculous boyfriend of hers), relationships reaching to represent the perfect love of Christ. She and our students loved and had an awesome experience at camp and we PRAISE GOD for that! Sandra made so many friends at camp and I enjoyed having my little sister there and telling her story is so so so amazing - I think its mostly amazing because its not just HER STORY. It resonates with other students!

Thats the story of my Sandra - she is still going strong. Though she is in Johannesburg now, she is plugged into an awesome ministry there on her campus and part of a womens' bible study. This is one of the greatest highlights for me this year. Not only introducing Sandra at camp but having the students who recently came to the Lord most of which are discipled, getting plugged in fellowship with like-minded peeps, looking towards learning more about God and wanting to experience him personally in their lives. It never ceases to amaze me what camps can do in ministry...its like all the 3-5 months working on campus is put together in 2 days and we mitigate all ministry on campus. For the students I have been discipling this year, having seen their spiritual growth and them slowly GETTING IT is worth all the Sandra's and dresses!

DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this post are to be taken more serious than not because they are factual (except for Sandra). As for the camp and the radical experience students had, thats so like God! This by all means does not reflect on the position nor direction of my manhood (Barret has discipled me quite well). For all the guys that are going to read this with a shocked look of: 'How could you...' - well firstly you will get over it as soon as it hits you how awesome this weekend was for me and the students and FYI I killed the wig and personation so don't be a hater but be a worshipper of the Lord Jesus Christ (hahahhaaha). This is all for ministry

Bafana

Friends in Soweto

So took the some of the team, Thabani and Mxo to Johannesburg Soweto for my graduation luncheon which was quite a thrill for them and for me!

Gents on ties...Ladies on high heels...2012 Banquet...awesomeness

An evening to celebrate what the Lord has done on Campus over the years to expand His Kingdom at UKZN. Mainly we were gathered to honor the graduating students who have so faithfully and diligently served the Lord under the ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC) both at Westville and Howard college campuses of UKZN. Also to commission them to continue Making disciples wherever they are. We also had to show our appreciation as CCC staff to the current committee members who selflessly served God as they pass on the baton to the next leadership. As important, we wanted to say farewell and blessings to the interns who so gladly dedicated the year of their lives to serve God through CCC. Though some of which are joining us for yet another year (or More - Praise the Lord). Not forgeting our Ministry Partners who give monthly financially and pray for this ministry to bear Fruits that will last. We salute all Of these Wonderful People. We are Sure the Heavens are with us in that. Thanks for making it a Great evening to remember :-) Thank you to our photographer Catherine Slabbert.This was the first banquet I have ever been to, and certainly for some students as well and I feel it was such a blessing. Its not just the intern team that had to mend and bend to make this a success but we had 3 cooks: Cheryl Price, Mandy Slabbert and Nompumelelo Mthembu who whip together something so amazingly delicious - students couldn't get enough. 

Ubuntu Promo

Getting students excited about Ubuntu is excited because of knowing of the great teachings that come with, valuable relationships built and the amazing fellowship that comes along with it. Cannot help but to be excited by it!

Get following on twitter: https://twitter.com/ubuntu2013

Ubuntu Promo

This weekend been working on some of the promo pictures for the 2013 Ubuntu Student Conference and its so exciting doing those on photoshop

getting following on twitter: https://twitter.com/ubuntu2013 or hash

Bafana

Flash mob

When the bible speaks about 'One Body, Many Parts' in second book written to the Corinthians by Paul I couldn't have used a better reference to what flashmob has turned out to be. Meet Josheldon Govender, his a final year student who has been involved with ministry on campus for over a year now. Nearly 7 months ago I heard this radical idea he had to have a massive flashmob presentation on campus! I imagined you need like 60 people for that and I was clueless to where we would get that group but he really was adamanant to get it and see it through. What it would form out to be would be a creative evangelistic outreach on campus during one of the forum or prayer periods. Over the past months I have come to hear and work with Josh and he is amazingly gifted in dance. Undoubtedly, believing this gift is from God he uses it in his ministry at his church were he co-leads youth ministry but what I seem to get from him is his so amazingly inlove with hip hop dance specifically that he wants to see some of the kids he works with in his church use it to artistically express themselves. 

After putting together the moves and the beat for the presentation the hassle was now getting students to work with and this was a huge hassle for us because students on our campus weren't enough to make this a flashmob but he was quite determined. Prayer meetings were very encouraging and  I was so stoked that when the day did come for the flashmob there was so many students that pitched up and I was like in my head, where on earth do all these peeps come from. Once again knowing that Christ's body is a unit made out of many parts we really wanted to have some student Christian organizations actively involved in this production and surely enough His People Westville came through with students and tons of resources to make this evangelistic outreach what it came out to be.

Josh and Siya leading the first few seconds of the dance track

Some ladies from Cru and HP who were about of this outreach

Many came out to see

Mary-Jean speaks about spiritual breating

Formal Banquet

What's getting me excited this week is the upcoming formal banquet we are currently organizing for our final year students who have served in ministry for the past couple of years. This is a great way for us to honor and bless them as the continue serving there Lord in places where I personally believe God will be placing them to make known His Kingdom. This is a first for me and I know the students are going to appreciate this. Please join us in prayer for the logistics

More information will follow on that!

Ubuntu Coming Soon.jpg

 

 Brace yourselves...this is going to be epic. Ubuntu Student Conference 2013 hosted by Campus Crusade for Christ. This is going to be epic. I know that our students are going to have an awesome great time! The first time I ever attended a christian conference was with Campus Crusade for Christ and its quite odd how I came about to go to Pretoria for that. It was a Friday afternoon and I had just come back from biology practical when I pumped into one of our campus interns and asked me to go to Pretoria with him in the next 2 hours - to Ubuntu. I remember getting there I knew no one, the sang funny worship songs I didn't know with guitar and drums (that was Hillsong worship songs), it was cold and I regretted why I was there after driving for over 7 hours with 3 people I hardly know ... I didn't know at all. Being there I learnt the importance of the Gospel, sharing the Gospel, living the Gospel in a practical way. I began to learn that Christ didn't come to earth to perform miracles but He came to give us LIFE and this LIFE is to be shared with everyone! It was incredible because I learnt that God wants to change the world . . .  and His plan to do so is with me. He wants to use me to change the world

I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

Romans 1:16

Ubuntu 2010

Really...EVERYTHING

Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men." So they pulled their boats up on shore, left EVERYTHING and followed Him.

Luke 5

September/October Ministry Newsletter

Bafana

Staff Meetings

The theme of our staff meetings for the next and coming weeks are on the Harmony of the Gospel - this is to study the 4 Gospel in sequence of the evens which took place aligned by their writer. Staff meeting Monday mornings are always exciting and fun as its time to reconnect with the team serving in Durban, to pray for them and their ministry, to eat cake and drink coffee! Gary has made bible study to be challenging in a way that helps me understand how to lead one more than anything. He doesn't lead it, he guides it - his great in guiding conversations when we all sit together. Cheryl is just the same - today we were looking at how Matthew showed a characteristic of 'radical abandonment' when called by Jesus to follow Him after Jesus had picked up some few disciples, he now adding to the list of the 12 we know of today.

In the previous weeks we have started off from 'Not A Fan' as a bible study topic and that has really set the course of direction as we learn to distinguish between being a FAN or a FOLLOWER coupled with recognizing what a true disciple in Christ looks like with central themes such as Luke 9:23, the call to discipleship in Mark 1. Basically the focus is radical abandonment...fun hey??? Being a true follower is quite a challenge and I still haven't really all that well cleared it out in my mind but by His grace I'm learning.Bafana

Passion World Tour

 

Louie Giglio is the senior pastor of Passion City Church in Atlanta, Georgia. The first time I came to know of him is when at my second Campus Crusade for Christ Student Camp in 2010 the interns who were serving with our ministry back then: Barrett, Dan, Alyssa, Julie, Katie, Franchesca, Anele played one of his well observed sermon called 'Indescribable'. Watching it at all times takes me back to how small I am and how GREAT God is. I really cant and wont even try to make justice and explain what he talks about but you need to head to your nearest CUM books and look for that DVD. 

GDOP

Station 2

Station 3

 Today we took the time off from our schedule to pray for the nations where the Gospel is being proclaimed. Africa, Asia, Europe, America - it strikes me how there are so many labourers wide spread which are doing the Lords work in evangelism and discipleship. There is still a shortage of labourers as one country puts in their prayer request - 'Pray the Lord may raise up for labourers to reach our community'. There is still a great call for missions work.

Bafana

Not sure what the title should be

I'm not sure what the title should be. I actually wrote the body before the title.

Coming from camp one can feel uhmped up, revived, restored, rejuvenated, replenished, super excited. Certainly that was the atmosphere I got from the students after the 'Not A Fan' camp had been completed but for them to struggle in distinguishing themselves as 'Not A Fan' still continues...this was just the beginning.

This week I have been feeling oftenly fatigued and seriously exhausted. I'm quite glad that this week students are off campus so that gives me time to take a deep breathe and reflect (ofcourse when I say reflect I mean sleep). The last couple of weeks have been not extremely work loaded but I kind of figured I have a serious problem when it comes to working. I never rest and that's sweating me now. I think its dawning on me just recently on how ministry is personal. Majorly personal and for me to see God through it is pivotal but has not manifested yet. We often turn our television sets on to see talk show host speaking to guests about their struggles, their friendships, their families, their childhood encounters but that's just it, we just watch them - we do not necessarily connect with them. We might connect with their stories but we tend to feel like the onus is not on us to see them through it i.o.w when you go to sleep at night you do not pause for a second and try to put yourself in their shoes - maybe you say a prayer or two: 'God be with that lady who was on Oprah, please restore her family and help her through her difficulty. Amen'. If you are a prayer warrior you may say another the following day. Its not in your face! As I said this earlier on, ministry is personal. When you speak to students you figure that this is personal. Personal because it challenges your faith in as much as its 'their problem' - but that's the thing, I feel the burden that its not their problem only. I've put myself in the picture by virtue of my role and. responsibility. That's epic. I love that! I have no unconscious regrets about it. Hearing peoples stories is lovely, its awesome but they not just stories which have a beginning and fade on to happily ever after - they are stories of struggle, burden, war, destruction, they are stories that have one thing in common - that our world is broken, we are broken and are in need of someone/something that we can cling to with the hope (Christians call it FAITH) that we could be restored. But its personal - it stops being about twinkle twinkle little star but 'God help me in this!' A prayer is said a little more intentionally. For me, it doesn't end when I switch the tv screen off but I'm reminded when I make a phone call for an appointment, when I see a facebook status that's put in ambiguity with subtle reference to their struggles with God, when their name is mentioned in a conversation, the mind automatically relays the previous conversation. Ministry is personal. How do you have faith that can move your mountain. and you still have to share your faith with him A, him B, him C, them D? You turned water into wine! Miracle. You healed the leper! Miracle. You fed 5000 with a couple of loaves! Miracle. You woke the dead! That's a miracle. You woke yourself from the dead. That's not short of being a miracle. You are a God of miracles. Its a miracle I've got people who surround me and show genuine interest. Its a miracle you've turned my heart to flesh, slowly tenderizing it. Its a miracle I'm thankful of where you put me now! You are a God of miracles, nothing superficial, something realistic.

There is so much that's in my personal prayer list currently and I'm waiting on God for but His a God of miracles. Being with students, having lunch with students, listening to students, teaching students, building relationships with students is no game ball, its real!!!
Bafana
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