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Following Jesus to be lead pastor at Valley Vineyard

Just over 3 months ago Gill and I responded to a call from the leaders at Valley to come and help in a process of evaluation and direction in terms of the where the church was at. There was a serious struggle on a few fronts, not least in regard to attendance and finances. That process came to an end in mid August when the leadership said they were ready to make decisions for the way forward. Trevor (the existing team leader) and the elders wrote me a letter of invitation or call to become the new team leader, and Trevor would be re-positioned as the associate pastor with a focus on ministries going out from Valley, particularly Emthonjeni HIV/AIDS project south of Johannesburg (which needs more of his time because of its recent growth with orphaned and vulnerable children taking up residence in house built by Habitat for Humanity).

Gill and I feel right about this decision before God. I believe God wants me to give leadership to Valley Vineyard for the remaining season of my paid-ministry life. I am keenly aware that I am entering the last part of my full-time working life as a senior pastor of a church. I know that I am now entering the peak of my experience, gifting, calling and ministry, so I am taking this appointment very seriously under God, as his precious gift entrusted to me for the years ahead. This is going to be a joy to walk this journey with God and the followers of Jesus at Valley Vineyard. I am asking God for at least 15 to 20 years of productive leadership and ministry with health and strength in my body to do this work for God’s glory and honor. Gill is equally excited at this opportunity, to stand side by side with me and do this for Jesus. Continue reading Following Jesus to be lead pastor at Valley Vineyard

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Following Jesus @ Valley Vineyard

I’m really excited about next week Sunday, 1 July 2012.  Why? I begin preaching at Valley Vineyard, after fulfilling all my prior commitments to Sunday preaching at other churches.

Since my last blog explaining the important (and rather dramatic) shifts that have taken place in Gill and my life, here’s a brief update. In following Jesus to Valley Vineyard I’ve engaged with the leadership and staff and some members over the past two to three weeks, in response to the invitation to give leadership to a process for 2 to 3 months – in order to make firm decisions as to the way forward for Valley Vineyard, for Gill and I, and for our colleague (the current team leader). We are presently making final decisions as to budget cuts, among other things… and implementing them. So it’s all happening! Pray for us!!

But my purpose in communicating is to say I’m soooo looking forward to getting into the flow of preaching at Valley Vineyard. Sunday 1 July will be my first opportunity to give perspective and initial direction in a “family talk” to the church. Then Gill and I have a 10 day family holiday. And then I begin a series of teachings on Sunday 15 July, which will run for 9 consecutive Sundays, called “Restoration and Renewal”, based in the book of Isaiah. I cannot tell you how much I’ve missed – over the past four years – preaching and teaching sunday by sunday, pastoring and building up a community of faith through the regular exposition of God’s Word. The Word of God has a power of its own. When faithfully proclaimed under the anointing of the Spirit it penetrates and cuts like a two-edged sword, exposing all sorts of stuff, and working God’s sure progressive transformation on the inside. Continue reading Following Jesus @ Valley Vineyard

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Following Jesus to Valley Vineyard

This is a brief note to inform all our friends about new shifts and changes in our lives.

Just over four years ago I handed the leadership of Valley Vineyard to a younger leader, in order to base myself full time in our community (on the farm where Gill and I live). It was partly in response to the need to give vision, leadership and direction towards growth in our community. However, after a process of discussion in our community over the past four years, there was no consensus as to the key issues – including the way forward for the community. So I decided that I needed to lay down my leadership in the community.

This, among other things, led to a process of unbundling our community commitments, and legal, financial and other structures. The purpose was to free one another to make decisions for our lives without dependencies or vested interests. At the beginning of this year Gill and I felt under God – with the blessing of the community – that we should make ourselves available for a calling to pastor or plant a church once again. Continue reading Following Jesus to Valley Vineyard

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Prayer for Valley Church Family Camp

My beautiful wife and I are going back to the Western Cape on Friday to do a family camp for Valley Church in Hout Bay. The pastor, Grant Baston, has invited me to teach on receiving healing in terms of psycho-emotional healing of past hurts, deliverance from addictions and powers, physical and relational healing. He says over 100 people have registered for the camp.

We are SO looking forward to the awesome privilege of teaching God’s Word and ministering to his people. Please pray with us for God’s kingdom to break through with real power to heal the sick; and in the process to equip Christ-followers to be instruments of Jesus’ healing ministry. The camp is from Friday to Sunday lunch, then I speak at the youth service on the Sunday evening in Hout Bay. Thanks for your prayers!

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Report on Cape Town Ministry Trip

Gill and I returned home on Sunday night tired but filled with gratitude to God for the great time of ministry in Christian Life Camps Bay, Cape Town. I must confess: I did not take photos of the church and/or leadership meetings, or even the Saturday quiet retreat! I just took pics of beautiful Camps Bay itself! Forgive my carnality! Camps Bay with Lions Head mountain

On the first Sunday (15 April), and during the week, I taught on the call for every follower of Jesus to minister healing to others in the name of Jesus – what we call “equipping the saints.” This included me teaching the practical 5 step model of healing ministry. All those who came to this session practiced it with excitement and good feedback. For many, if not most in the congregation, it was a first to lay hands on people, and to see God work through them in ministering some measure of healing to others. Hopefully some will become really “hooked” on the joy and adventure of doing this Kingdom stuff … laying hands on anything that moves, speaking God’s words of healing by the power of the Holy Spirit!A room with a view!

This past Sunday morning (22 April) was a blast! I spoke on receiving healing in one or more of the six dimensions of human personality: spiritual healing, psycho-emotional healing from past hurts and bad memories, healing from demonizations, physical healing, relational healing, and healing of death and dying.  Many people responded all over the congregation in both the 0800 and 0930 morning services. All we could do was general ministry to those who responded, with everyone else standing up and laying hands on them to impart God’s healing presence. It was really wonderful. There is NOTHING like the quiet moving of the Spirit, the pregnant presence of God that fills the atmosphere, with people crying softly, others trembling, and many being touched and freed up in all sorts of ways. There is NO substitute for God’s manifest presence. It cannot be engineered, manufactured, hyped, or pretended, just invited. My beautiful wife on the rocks (don't tell her I said this, she doesn't read my blog!)

Continue reading Report on Cape Town Ministry Trip

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Brief Report on Pakistan Conference

Although Zander and I did not go to Lahore, Pakistan, the pastor who organized the conference, etc, sent a brief report:

“It was very nice experience to serve the Lord with fellowship of brother Odd Ivar. He is very humble and simple man of God. Here all the pastors and church leaders missed you very much. We are praying that may God make possible your visit next time. Thanks God all the meetings done well. In conference there 200 pastors and church leaders came to attend the conference. All the pastors and church leaders learnt new things about God’s kingdom as bro. Odd Ivar taught from your book Doing Healing. So it was very inspiring and blessing. In our Evangelistic meetings and Sunday service in every meeting there were about 700 people came to hear the Word of God and in these evangelistic meetings all together more than 2500 people heard the voice of God. Many received Jesus Christ in their lives as their Saviour Lord and sick are healed through the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Odd Ivar, an elder from a Vineyard church in Larvik, Norway, got his visa and spontaneously had to do all the teaching! He sent me a brief report: “The two evangelistic meetings were good I think, a lot of people wanted prayers. And in the last meeting many of them opened their eyes, lifted their head, and started to pray for the one next to them standing with the hand in the air. The pastor went around in the congregation and motivated the people he knew to start praying for the others. I remember especially an alcoholic bent down by the burdens in life, showing us the official permit letter to trade with alcohol. We prayed for him, and he tore the letter. Next day he came with his child and wife, all beaming with joy. The theme was to step into Kingdom reality instead of our own wiew on what is possible, and practical steps to help us open up for it. People seemed very receptive. The pastor will continue to teach about this, and practically how to pray for each other.”

Thanks for those of you who prayed so much for the conference.

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Ministry trip to Cape Town, 14 – 22 April 2012

Gill and I travel to beautiful Cape Town on Saturday 14 April to minister in Christian Life Church in Camps Bay. It’s one of most beautiful places in the Cape, and on the planet! I will tell them this: when we all die we’re going to Camps Bay to be with them because that is the Kingdom of God, heaven on earth!! When they die they’re going nowhere – they’re staying right where they are!!

Anyway, the church has invited me to teach the sunday services for 15 and 22 April – and other meetings during the week – on healing. We will focus on equipping ordinary Christians to minister healing in the name of Jesus by the compassionate power of the Holy Spirit. We will also meet with their leadership team and staff to further enable healing ministry in their congregation.

I’ve also been invited to teach on Sunday night (15th) on Praying the Psalms, at Grapevine Christian Fellowship in Durbanville. And I will be meeting with a Vineyard church leadership team for some consultation during the week. As if this is not enough, Gill and I have been invited to lead a quiet day of retreat, prayer and meditation in Hout Bay from 0930 – 1600 on Saturday 21 April. The New Life Vineyard in Pinelands is organizing this retreat. We return home Sunday afternoon 22 April.

So, after the disappointment of our trip to Pakistan being cancelled due to no visas being issued, we are SO looking forward to this time of ministry. Please will you pray for us that God’s power will advance the Kingdom in the lives of people and churches, for God’s glory! Thanks so much!

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Story of the Pakistan Visa!

Late yesterday afternoon (Thursday 29 March 2012), after a long wait and “assertive” discussion with a consulate representative at the Embassy, I went home without a visa. Islamabad (capital of Pakistan) had not sent through approval to Pretoria Pakistan Embassy for our visa, despite our visa application being in the Embassy for four weeks ago, and despite the inviting pastor, Sarwar Masih in Lahore, going to their Ministry of Interior with letters and copies of passports, etc. It’s rather disappointing.

We were scheduled to fly today (Friday 30 May), but have now cancelled the ministry trip, despite Sarwar Masih having done posters and organised the whole pastor’s conference, etc. Our friend and Vineyard colleague from Norway, Odd-Ivar, who planned to join us as part of the team, will arrive in Lahore on tomorrow and will participate in the conference.

I found the Pakistan Embassy a shambles of disorganization and rudeness. I had been personally three times to the Embassy and made well over ten phone calls over four weeks. Yesterday they said my passport was locked in the office of the commissioner who had left the Embassy early and no one had keys to go in and get the passport. I waited for over an hour and talked to no fewer than three people, and then made a phone call to a Pakistan official, before a senior consular official came.

He explained that Islamabad had not yet sent a reply, so the visa was not approved in time for our trip – after having our passports and application for four weeks – have you ever heard of such a thing? I expressed my strong disagreement and dissatisfaction with their process, then simply insisted in getting our passports and begin our hour and half drive home – two hours in traffic! Anyway, after further insistence on my part they managed to get our passports and I came home.

Thanks for the prayers. I am relieved its all over, but sad that my son and I will miss our ministry trip to Pakistan. And I’m sorry for Sarwar and the pastors there, but I feel relief. God’s in charge and I believe he will work this for our good. Part of the good is that I have some uninterrupted time this coming week – when I was supposed to be in Pakistan – to work on my book “Doing Spirituality – Introducing Christian Spirituality as Discipleship to Jesus and his Kingdom”. I plan to write fourteen chapters and right now I am at the end of chapter six. I’m excited to have a week to write, it’s like heaven for me!! I always think of the athlete in the movie Chariots of Fire who, when he ran, put his head back and “felt the pleasure of God”. When have uninterrupted time to write I put my head down and I feel the pleasure of God – it’s one of the things I was made for!

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Pakistan Ministry Trip and Visa

Hello friends! This Friday morning (30 March 2012) my son and I are scheduled to fly to Lahore, Pakistan to do a pastor’s training conference and some church meetings, returning on 8 April. The snag is our visa has not yet been approved!! I submitted it over three weeks ago and there has been a hold up! So please pray as we try to get permission from the Ministry of Interior in Pakistan. We need to hear by Thursday or else we will have to call it off. Thanks so much and God bless!

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Report on Pastor’s & Leader’s Prayer Retreat

I was privileged to lead a pastors and leaders retreat from 25 to 27 January, 2012. My Vineyard colleagues in the NECSA region asked me to lead the retreat on “Entering the New Year – Praying the Psalms”. What an honor for me to do that! We had 32 people in attendance. See the photos of some of the heavy dudes who came!

I gave 5 meditation inputs with handouts for personal reflection, journalling and prayer. I dealt with issues like how we enter and plan the new year, how to deal with busyness and “the tyranny of the urgent”, and above all, how to make prayer a practical priority to keep our own hearts soft and fragrant as a garden for the Lord. We are first and foremost personal followers of Jesus, working on our own spiritual formation, as leaders of God’s people. Then our primary task as spiritual leaders is the spiritual formation of our people – by inducting and guiding them in the basic practices required for spiritual growth and health. That was the overall focus of the retreat.

We kept silence for the morning and afternoon sessions to best engage in our meditation times, and then the late afternoons and evenings were for relaxation, interaction, sharing and fun! The feedback from those who attended was good – God evidently met with many in meaningful and significant ways!

I am happy to post a disk of the 5 talks (in MP3 format) with the notes and meditation sheets, so that you can set aside time and do the retreat yourself where you are. The talks and notes are self-explanatory; they will guide you through the retreat step by step. All I ask is for you to pay my costs (the disk and postage, etc) by electronic transfer or direct bank deposit. If you email me I will give you all the details.