Presbevents 26

Wednesday 03 March 2010
Theo and Brenda Groenevelt (Pretoria): I did a BA(Teologie) at TUKS in 1988- 1990 (who would have thought at the time that Tuks would become our place of study for the UPCSA?) Then I went to Rhodes to do a BD where I discovered the OT through Robin Wakely, a mentor in Glen Craig and a life-partner in Brenda. Brenda and I married in 1993 and I started probation at Trinity Grahamstown in the same year. We ran Matthews House Men's Hostel at Rhodes (sharing many interesting experiences with Rodney Brits and Mario van Zyl who were also Ministry Students and House Wardens) and was ordained as Assistant Minister to Glen Craig in 1995.
We served for another two years and were called to Emmanuel congregation in Pretoria in 1997.
God has been gracious to us. We enjoy serving a warm caring congregation and our son Caleb was born in 2000. I still try to do some cycling and enjoy playing with computer stuff on the side. We still have close contact with Glen and Jeanette and when we went on long leave last year, they came up and house-sat and did preaching and pastoral care at Emmanuel congregation and our newly planted Grace congregation.
I share William's trepidation at recording broadcasts - we recorded our broadcast this past Sunday and it will be broadcast on Easter Sunday - Please pray that God would use the broadcast and tell folk who are going on holiday over the Easter weekend that they can listen to an Easter service on SAFM if they can't find one to attend.
Doug and Avril Muller (New York): Last year Avril and Douglas were married 50 years, but did not celebrate their anniversary because their son Alan, had his wedding close to the date of their anniversary and they did not want to detract from that. They have waited for an opportune moment to celebrate which has now come.
They will set sail from New York on March 6th on a Norwegian liner visiting among other places, Bermuda and will be away for a week, four of the days being at sea.
They are presently experiencing one of the most severe winters in recent years, on the East Coast of the USA , close to New York City. A snow storm which lasted two days dropped an unusually heavy snowfall which has been slowly evaporating over the past week. The congregation they serve in Rahway, New Jersey is 74 in number having been 1000 in its heyday in the 60’s. It has become diverse in the past 8 years and has the reputation of being a congregation which cares beyond itself. In fact, few as the membership may be, one of the projects supported is Esther Ministries in Kwa Zulu/Natal. Douglas plans to retire in the next 12-15 months and return to South Africa. Avril is busy with the project in Umkomaas, Kwa Zulu/Natal and having been in the USA since early December, will return to South Africa on March 16th, to continue the project (running a hotel and developing a puppet theatre) until Douglas joins her. Greetings to all who remember us also to those who don’t know us.
Duncan and Celia Murray (Scotland): Today I enjoyed a creative day in the ministry – I wrote some words to an old hymn. In my youth in Bible Class with such  teachers as Dave Bothma and Douglas Birtill we used to sing the hymn, “Yield not to temptation” (I wonder if they would remember those days?). Well, I found that it still  exists in CH3 and used it last Sunday being the first Sunday in Lent. My congregations enjoying singing because they too knew it from their youth. I mentioned that it might a thought to write a different set of words for it – seeing that so many know the tune. Well, today, in between organizing the coming weekend services, doing some pastoral visits and conducting a Board meeting, I started writing some verses with a chorus to the tune: Fortitude (CH3 482). So here is the result:
Shine, shine God our Father
Shine, shine God our Father, light come from above.
So filled with your wisdom, peace, glory and love.
Let us always desire to follow your ways,
Come into your kingdom at the end of our days.
Pray our Father to bless us,
Send forth Jesus to save us,
Send the Spirit to guide us,
Bring his people back home.
Come, come O Lord Jesus, our Saviour and King
Help us to follow your ways in everything.
We follow you daily and take up our cross,
Through obedience growing, never suffering loss.
Pray our Father to bless us,
Send forth Jesus to save us,
Send the Spirit to guide us,
Bring his people back home.
Move, move Holy Spirit, God’s water of life,
Flow from within us, overcoming our strife.
Make us to be faithful, help people to know
Our Father’s great promise, life abundant bestow.
Pray our Father to bless us
Send forth Jesus to save us,
Send the Spirit to guide us,
Bring his people back home.
Words: Duncan Murray (b 1944)
Tune: Fortitude and refrain CH3 482
Written 23rd February 2010
Theme: Prayer.
I must say, too, that I frequently use hymns written by Bob Samson – and did so last Sunday too. There are 95 such gems in his collection.
There are others, too, who have produced such works. It might be an idea to put them all together as part of our Presbyterian heritage – as long as someone else does the editing!
Ndumiso Khalipa was ordained as a minister within the UPCSA and appointed to the Garden Route Presbyterian Church last Saturday.
Steve De Gruchy (Pietermaritzburg): of the United Congregational Church has died in a tubing accident in the Mooi River on Sunday 21 February 2010. His funeral was in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday 27th February at the Anglican Cathedral.
Steve was the head of the School of Theology at the University of Kwa Zulu-Natal’s, Pietermaritzburg campus and well known to many Presbyterians.
Do please keep Steve’s wife, Marion, the 3 children as well as his parents, John and Isabelle in your thoughts and prayers
(A very fine eulogy on Steve has been prepared by Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kwazulu-Natal. If you would like a copy of it please email me and I shall send it to you. Doug)
Gavin and Jocelyn Vaaltyn (Bridgetown): Bridgetown Presbyterian Church will be celebrating 50 years of existence later this year. Details will follow in due course.
More light will be shed presently as to what and when celebrations will be starting.
Ndumiso Khalipa (Central Cape): Ndumiso was ordained to the Ministry by the Central Cape Presbytery last Saturday, 27th February 2010.
Michael Craig (Kokstad): The Presbyterian flag is flying high in Kokstad these days.
We are being really blessed. I have been at St Columba's since December 2003 and the first few years were real slog but now we are experiencing the fruit of our labours!
Many thanks to all contributors. I recall that when Francis Horner used to edit the “Presbyterian Leader”, as each issue came out he muttered to himself: “the next one has GOT to be better”. So may it be.
God bless you all,
Doug