Newsletter #41

Dear Southcity

To the ekklesia, the 'called-out' ones, my brothers and sisters in Christ, today I write giving thanks and as one making two appeals.

Firstly, we thank God for his continued love for us which is always at work, always pursuing us, always drawing us toward him. His righteousness which he has given to us through his Son, Jesus Christ, now our righteousness. How even the angels long to share in the intimacy we get to share in with our Father in heaven. What a joy, what a privilege!

My first appeal is more to inform. As we are all aware, the economic environment is a difficult one at present. But we thank God that his Kingdom is not bound by earthly situations. One of Southcity's incredibly generous givers, a business, has found itself in a position, where for its future, it has to reduce its financial giving to the work of Southcity Church by R37 000 a month. As you can imagine, that is a generous portion which we are forever grateful for to get us to this point in our work. As a people who long to see God's Kingdom come on earth, we will always cut our suit to fit the cloth, however, my appeal is that as a community of faith, we again come before our Father and provider and ask if there is any part we can play in order that the breadth and depth of work into our city and the regions beyond can continue to press forward rather than shrink back.

The second appeal is this: The church that gathers in Mzamba have secured a piece of land, but have no means of paying for it. We believe this is one of the faith steps God was preparing us for when he highlighted Jeremiah's faith step to us a few weeks ago. In Jeremiah 32, God speaks over Israel and promises that homes, fields, and vineyards will again be bought in the land and despite the Babylonian invasion, Jeremiah was to purchase a field, which he does in faith. Today, in spite of the economic invasion which is our reality, we believe God is encouraging us to take a faith step and purchase 'a field' in Mzamba in order for God's kingdom to continue to advance and his relentless, pursuing love, to be made all the more visible and known in the Mzamba community. Church, I am appealing to you to see beyond the current Babylonian invasion, the current economic environment, and in faith to sow into the Kingdom for God's glory and grace. On the 30th of September, we will be taking up an offering, trusting that we will be able to raise upward of R40 000 in order to buy that field. My appeal is for you to humbly approach our Father in heaven and ask how you may give toward this.

Thank you for hearing my appeals and for giving me the privilege of leading us all into that which God has for us to enjoy and do.

Much love

Rich

Newsletter #40

Dear Southcity

I am so grateful to God for how he has taken so many of you by the hand and walking you on an incredible journey of love in his house, and I am equally grateful that he uses community activity to minister to us, like he did this past Sunday. Thank you to all of you sending in testimonies of how God touched you, healed you, encouraged you and urged you on. And there is already a testimony of a young man who was in our meeting for the first time who submitted his life to the Lordship of Jesus. Truly we have an incredible Father.

On Sunday, a young man has asked to be baptized, and we love to be obedient to Christ, so if there is any one of you who would also like to be baptized or you know of anyone who would like to be, please call in to the office so we can organise it for the weekend.

This is just a short note to ask you to please pray for the elders and their wives. We are going away today for a few days and trusting God to encourage, enlarge, and envision us in order that we may steward and lead this incredible community well.

Much love friends
Rich

Newsletter #39

Dear Southcity

I am not sure if you can sense it, but something has shifted in the atmosphere over us. The Spirit of God is working and moving and there is a very real sense of the Kingdom of God at hand. I cant quite put my finger on it, but I know that faith and courage have been sowed into our community; a faith and courage that looks heavenward for our provision, our protection, and our privilege. I encourage you to keep your eyes upon the author and perfecter of our faith and to live, and move and have your being in him.

On the back of our leaders time two weeks ago, Thandi was moved to write, and I cant help but share what she penned:

The Church

We are a people called to a superior reality

Gravity cannot keep us down

Even that law is subject to our Lord

The laws of this earth no longer apply

For our identity is found in The One who died

And was raised up, three days later

The One who holds the keys of life and death

The One and only creator of all we see before us

All that ever was and all that ever will be

He is our identity

We are His becoming bride

His bride becoming pure and lovely

Without wrinkle, blemish or stain

Washed in His blood and under His reign

Subjects in His kingdom

But sons and daughters in His house

Empowered with His spirit

In order to bring glory to His name

A people surrendered to His story

Agendas laid down, He alone wears the crown

At the sound of His voice all else fades

we run to obey

To cultivate this kingdom culture

To feed the hungry

Clothe the naked

Heal the sick

To prefer one another, to love our sisters and brothers

As Christ loves the church

The church.

That's us.

The body of believers saved by grace, moved by faith,

with Christ as our head, identity in Him,

surrendered to His story, overflowing with His love,

clothed with the power of the gospel,

lives laid down to do His will.

The church.

That He loves.

That He saved.

That He gave everything for.

We look forward to continuing our series this weekend as we uncover the Kingdom of God breaking into the State of the Nation. Thank you Southcity for rising to the opportunity to care for the orphans of the Sinekhono project. 60 people have committed to financially supporting the monthly feeding of the children and a total of 63 are praying for the children. We will have more prayer and sponsorship booklets available for anyone who would still like to pray for and or sponsor a child. For further info please contact Mark (0728439611) or Olivia Russell (0837351197).

Much love friends.

Rich