FEATURES

Rescue from Madness

When Your World Turns Against You

I Will Give You Rest

You Don’t Have to Understand God

Louie Giglio Get Real About Battling

Depression and Anxiety

Better to be Known than Famous

The Power of Expectation

A Different Harvest

REGULARS

Isolation

Angus Buchan

The Passion Code:Up

Man Power Devotional

Community Talk

Uviwe Child & Youth Services

Khulusande Sport Development

MAY 2020

Contact Us

Email: admin@thebayfriendshipclub.co.za

Cell: 072 680 5492

website: www.thebayriendshipclub.co.za

www.facebook.com/thebayfriendshipclub

hug them and be close to them. Jill and I have both, at

simply there is no where to rush off too. Jeremiah 33:3.

It is also a tremendously challenging time, especially if

you love people, like I do, and are not able to see them,

hug them and be close to them. Jill and I have both, at

this point in time, tested positive with the corona virus.

We are in self isolation, last week we were re-tested and

were hoping to be tested negative - but no. The second

test came back still positive but we use this precious time

together, Jill and I, for when the lock down is lifted the

work begins.

In this time, we really need to stand on God’s Holy Word

and not to embark on some sort of a witch-hunt to find

out why we still have it, and others are now tested

negative and are clear.

The house of the Chief Priest, Caiaphas, in the old city of

Jerusalem, has a deep dark hole in the basement. It is

where they say our beloved Master Jesus was kept after

He’d been arrested in the garden of Gethsemane, that

fateful night before His crucifixion. He was totally isolated,

on his own.

If anyone knows how you are feeling at this very moment

my dear friend Jesus does, so call out to Him, talk to him,

cry to him for He Truly does understand where you and I

are at right now. The isolation will surely pass and then

the greatest opportunity in the Christian’s life will open up

- indeed the harvest is white and the workers are few.

John 4 : 35

It is harvest time! Sharpen the scythe.

God Bless

Angus and Jill Buchan

Shared with Permission Shalom Ministries

In the book of Leviticus chapter 13, we read about the

identification of the disease Leprosy. And how the person

who has contracted this hellish disease has to be isolated

for seven days, then brought for reevaluation by the

Priests.

At the moment people are in ‘lock-down‘, globally - a first-

ever in the history of mankind. There are many questions

going around as we are all in isolation, to some degree or

another.

My dear wife Jill and Her siblings were born in the very

northern part of Zambia. Her mother and Father ran a

leprosy colony, so from a very early age she knew what

isolation was all about.

People are asking, “Is this the beginning of the end? Is

the Lord Jesus about to enter the world on the clouds,

riding a beautiful white stallion, as the Commander of the

armies of God?“

How close are we to the final day of judgement? Well, no

one on earth knows the day or the hour of God’s return.

Not even Jesus Himself, only our Heavenly Father knows

the time and the day. Matthew 24:36

There are many pros and cons to this isolation period that

the world is busy going through. And because everything

has almost ground to a total halt, people finding they have

much more time on their hands, but it is vital we remain

full of faith, knowing that “all things work together…”

Romans 8:28

We have the opportunity to spend much more time each

morning with Jesus, in prayer and Bible reading and in

meditation without having to rush off somewhere. Quite

simply there is no where to rush off too. Jeremiah 33:3.

It is also a tremendously challenging time, especially if

you love people, like I do, and are not able to see them,

THE PASSION CODE: UP

MAN DEVOTIONAL

“During His intense struggle on the Cross, our

Lord spoke seven times as He hung suspended

between heaven and earth. The strangest of these

cries was,

My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? —

Matthew 27:46

He knew well what it was to be forsaken. In

Galilee, He was forsaken by His family. They

distanced themselves from Him, and we read that

He had no honor “in his own house” (Matthew

13:57). In Gethsemane, He was forsaken by His

friends when they ran away after He was taken by

the mob (Mark 14:50). And at the end of the

journey, at Golgotha, while bearing our sins, He

was forsaken for a time by His Father so that we

might never be forsaken.

Perhaps there is no more haunting word in our

entire English language than the word forsaken.

Many today know this reality. There are those who

one day stood at a wedding altar, hearing the love

of their life promise to “never leave or forsake”

them. But they lied and left the gnawing pain of

being forsaken. Countless children, abandoned by

their fathers and/or mothers, also know the

meaning of this cruel word.

Jesus truly knew its meaning. But He didn’t give

up. He reached up! This is a help and a hope for

any of us who have been forsaken. He

understands.

Don’t give up. Reach up.

CODE WORD: UP

So many times, when difficulties or heartbreak

come knocking on our doors, we look at the

swirling circumstances around us, or worse, focus

all our attention on them. But look up. Be

reminded that Jesus sees even the smallest

sparrow that falls to the ground — and He cares

so much more for you.

PASSION PROCLAMATION

When my father and my mother forsake me, then

the Lord will take care of me. — PSALM 27:10

Lord, I am so grateful that there is no fear of You

ever forsaking me. I stand on Your promise that

You will never leave or forsake me… never. In

Jesus’ name, amen.

Excerpted from The Passion Code by O. S. Hawkins.

First, there’s the blistering pace of

life.

I texted friends an announcement

that was really important to me; they

replied with little thumbs-up emojis. I

think to myself, That’s it—you can’t

even answer a text with a text?

Email felt so efficient when it

replaced the letter; texting seemed

like rocket fuel when it came along.

But it didn’t make our lives more

spacious; we simply had to keep up.

Now we’re living at the speed of the

swipe and the “like,” moving so fast

through our days that typing a single

sentence feels cumbersome.

Everyone I talk to says they feel

busier than ever. My musician

friends aren’t playing much anymore;

my gardening friends don’t have time

to plant; I currently have eight books

I’ve started to read, and I haven’t

made it past the first chapter in any

of them.

We’ve been sucked into a pace of

life nobody’s enjoying. Then there’s

the deluge of media coming at us in

a sort of mesmerizing digital spell.

We’re spending three hours a day

using apps on our phones, ten hours

viewing media, consuming enough

information each week to crash a

laptop (!).1 We talk about

unplugging, but we’re enchanted—

by the endless social media circus of

love and hatred, the vapid, alarming,

sensational, and unforgivable. We’re

snagged by every new notification.

And while we’ve always had our

individual struggles and heartbreaks

you aware of what it is? How would

you score your soul these days:

Are you happy most of the time?

How often do you feel lighthearted?

Are you excited about your future?

Do you feel deeply loved?

When was the last time you felt

carefree?

I know, it’s not even fair to ask. Our

souls are bleary, seared, smeared.

Still able to love, yes; still able to

hope and dream. But at the end of

any given day, most people come

home in a state of exhaustion. Numb

on our good days, fried more often

than we admit. “I feel all thin, sort of

stretched,” as Bilbo Baggins said,

“like butter that has been scraped

over too much bread.”

The world has gone completely mad,

and it’s trying to take our souls with it.

Now, if we had more of God, that

would really help. We could draw

upon His love and strength, His

wisdom and resilience. After all, God

is the fountain of life (Psalm 36:9). If

we had more of His lavish life

bubbling up in us, it would be a

rescue in this soul-scorching hour.

But this frantic, volatile world

constantly wilts the soul, dries it out

like a raisin, making it almost

impossible to receive the life God is

pouring forth.

That’s called a double bind.

I tried to find more of God, knowing if

I only had a greater measure of His

life in me, I’d be able to navigate this

rough terrain. I was practicing the

usual stuff — prayer, worship,

scripture, sacrament. But still I felt… I

to deal with, now we have the

tragedies of the entire world

delivered to us hourly on our mobile

devices.

This is all very hard on the soul.

Traumatizing, in fact. Exposure to

traumatic events can traumatize us,

and we’re getting lots of it in our

feed.2 It’s like we’ve been swept into

the gravitational field of a digital

black hole that is sucking our lives

from us.

So there’s all that. But everybody’s

talking about that. What got my

attention was what was happening to

me as a person.

I found myself flinching when a friend

texted and asked for some time. I

didn’t want to open email for fear of

the demands I’d find there. I had a

shorter and shorter fuse in traffic. I

felt numb to tragic news reports. It

made me wonder — am I becoming

a less-loving person? I had little

capacity for relationships and the

things that bring me life — a walk in

the woods, dinner with friends, a cold

plunge in a mountain lake. When I

did steal a moment for something

life-giving, I was so distracted I

couldn’t enjoy it.

Then I realized — it wasn’t a failure

of love or compassion. These were

symptoms of a soul pushed too hard,

strung out, haggard, fried. My soul

just can’t do life at the speed of

smartphones. But I was asking it to;

everybody’s asking theirs to.

I’m guessing you’ve experienced

something similar. It’s likely why

you’ve picked up this book — your

soul is looking for something. Are

There’s a madness to our moment,

and we need to name it for the

lunacy it is. Because it’s taking our

lives hostage.

Article by John Eldredge

don’t know… shallow somehow.

Sipping God with teaspoons, not

drinking great gulps; wading, not

swimming. My soul felt like a shallow

rain puddle. But I know the soul isn’t

a shallow puddle at all; it’s deep and

vast, capable of symphonies and

heroic courage. I wanted to be living

from those deep places, but I felt

trapped in the shoals.

It’s no coincidence that one of the

most important books on our world,

and what technology is doing to us,

is called The Shallows: What the

Internet Is Doing to Our Brains.

We’re losing our ability to focus and

pay attention longer than a few

moments. We live at the depth of the

text, the swipe, the “like.”4 This isn’t

just an intellectual problem; it’s a

spiritual crisis. It’s pretty hard to hear

“deep calling unto deep”5 when

we’re forced into the shallows of our

own hearts and souls by this frenetic

world.

Jesus heard even my surface

prayers; He came to my rescue and

began to lead me into a number of

helps and practices, what I would

call graces. Simple things, like a One

Minute Pause, that were accessible

and surprising in their power to

restore. Learning “benevolent

detachment” — the ability to let

things go. Allowing for some

transition in my day, instead of just

blasting from one thing to the next.

crave as human beings, living waters

welling up from deep within. And then

— we’ll get our lives back!

But the process needs to be

accessible and sustainable. We’ve all

tried exercise, diets, Bible study

programs that began with vim and

verve but over time got shoved to the

side, lost in the chaos. I have a gym

membership; I rarely use it. There are

those books I haven’t finished, loads

of podcasts too. Rest assured — the

graces I am offering here are within

reach of a normal life. I think you’ll

find them simple, sustainable, and

refreshing.

God wants to strengthen and renew

your soul; Jesus longs to more of

Himself. Come, you weary and heavy

laden. “Are you tired? Worn out?

Burned out on religion? Come to me.

Get away with me and you’ll recover

your life … and you’ll learn to live

freely and lightly” (Matthew 11:28-

30 The Message).

You can get your life back; you can

live freely and lightly. The world may

be harsh, but God is gentle; He

knows what your life is like. What we

need to do is put ourselves in places

that allow us to receive His help.

Excerpted with permission from Get Your Life

Back: Everyday Practices for a World Gone

Mad by John Eldredge.

.

Drinking in the beauty God was

providing in quiet moments. My soul

began to recover, feel better, do

better — however you want to

describe it. I began to enjoy my life

with God so much more; I was finally

experiencing the “more” of Him I’d

been wanting so much. I began to

get my life back.

Then I connected the dots….

God wants to come to us and restore

our lives. He really does. But if our

soul is not well, it’s almost impossible

to receive Him. Dry, scorched ground

can’t absorb the very rain it needs.

As C. S. Lewis explained in

the Problem of Pain, “The soul is but

a hollow which God fills.”6 In place

of hollow I like the word vessel,

something beautiful and artistic. Our

souls are exquisite vessels created

by God for Him to saturate. I picture

the round, curved basin at the top of

an elegant fountain, with water

spilling down all sides, running over

with unceasing life. Wasn’t that the

promise? “As Scripture has said,

rivers of living water will flow from

within them” (John 7:38).

And so it follows that if we can

receive help for restoring and

renewing our weary, besieged souls,

we’ll enjoy the fruits (which are many

and wonderful) of happy souls and

also be able to receive more of God

(which is even more wonderful). We’ll

find the vibrancy and resiliency we

fervently only hours before,

“Everyone else may stumble in

their faith because of you, but I will

not!” I hope Peter was hungry,

because he ate those words.

Everyone turned against

Jesus. Though the kiss was planted

by Judas, the betrayal was committed

by all.

Every person took a step, but no one

took a stand. As Jesus left the

garden, He walked alone. The world

had turned against Him.

He was betrayed.

Betray. The word is an eighth of an

inch above betroth in the

dictionary, but a world from betroth in

life. It’s a weapon found only in the

hands of one you love. Your enemy

has no such tool, for only a friend can

betray. Betrayal is mutiny. It’s a

violation of a trust, an inside job.

Would that it were a stranger. Would

that it were a random attack.

Would that you were a victim of

circumstances. But you aren’t. You

are a victim of a friend.

A sandpaper kiss is placed on your

cheek. A promise is made with

fingers crossed. You look to your

friends, and your friends don’t look

back. You look to the system for

justice – the system looks to you as a

scapegoat.

You are betrayed. Bitten with a

snake’s kiss. It’s more than rejection.

Rejection opens a wound; betrayal

pours the salt. It’s more than

Get up, we must go. Look,

here comes the man who

has turned against Me.

an amputated ear didn’t sway them.

They suffered from mob blindness.

They blocked each other’s vision of

Jesus.

The disciples did. “All of Jesus’

followers left Him and ran away.”

Matthew must have written those

words slowly. He was in that group.

All the disciples were. Jesus told

them they would scamper. They

vowed they wouldn’t. But they did.

When the choice came between

their skin and their friend,

they chose to run. Oh, they stood

for a while. Peter even pulled his

sword, went for the neck, and got a

lobe. But their courage was as

fleeting as their feet. When they saw

Jesus was going down, they got out.

The religious leaders did. Not

surprising. Disappointing, though.

They were the spiritual leaders of

the nation. Men entrusted with the

dispensing of goodness. Role

models for the children. The pastors

and Bible teachers of the

community.

“The leading priests and the whole

Jewish council tried to find

something false against Jesus so

they could kill Him.” Paint that

passage black with injustice. Paint

the arrest green with jealousy. Paint

that scene red with innocent blood.

And paint Peter in a corner.

For that’s where he is. No place to

go. Caught in his own mistake.

Peter did exactly what he had said

he wouldn’t do. He had promised

The words were spoken to Judas.

But they could have been spoken to

anyone. They could have been

spoken to John, to Peter, to James.

They could have been spoken to

Thomas, to Andrew, to Nathanael.

They could have been spoken to the

Roman soldiers, to the Jewish

leaders. They could have been

spoken to Pilate, to Herod, to

Caiaphas. They could have been

spoken to every person who praised

Him last Sunday but abandoned Him

tonight.

Everyone turned against Jesus that

night. Everyone.

Judas did. What was your motive,

Judas? Why did you do it? Were

you trying to call His hand? Did you

want the money? Were you seeking

some attention?

And why, dear Judas, why did it

have to be a kiss? You could

have pointed. You could have just

called His name. But you put your

lips to His cheek and kissed. A

snake kills with his mouth.

The people did. The crowd turned on

Jesus. We wonder who was in the

crowd. Who were the bystanders?

Matthew just says they were

people. Regular folks like you and

me with bills to pay and kids to raise

and jobs to do. Individually they

never would have turned on Jesus,

but collectively they wanted to kill

Him.

Even the instantaneous healing of

understand and release your foe from

your hatred, then the prisoner is

released, and that prisoner is you.

Perhaps you don’t like that idea.

Perhaps the thought of forgiveness

is unrealistic. Perhaps the idea of

trying to understand the Judases in

our world is simply too gracious.

My response to you then is a

question. What do you suggest? Will

harboring the anger solve the

problem? Will getting even remove

the hurt? Does hatred do any good?

Again, I’m not minimizing your hurt or

justifying their actions. But I am

saying that justice won’t come this

side of eternity. And demanding that

your enemy get his or her share of

pain will, in the process, be most

painful to you.

May I gently but firmly remind you of

something you know but may

have forgotten?

Life is not fair.

That’s not pessimism; it’s fact. That’s

not a complaint; it’s just the

way things are. I don’t like it. Neither

do you. We want life to be fair. Ever

since the kid down the block got a

bike and we didn’t, we’ve been saying

the same thing, “That’s not fair.” But

at some point someone needs to say

to us, “Who ever told you life

was going to be fair?” God didn’t. He

didn’t say, “If you have many kinds of

troubles”… He said, “When you have

many kinds of troubles…”

Troubles are part of the

package. Betrayals are part of our

troubles. Don’t be surprised when

betrayals come. Don’t look for

fairness here — look instead where

Jesus looked.

Jesus looked to the future. Read His

words: “In the future you will see the

Son of Man coming.”

While going through hell, Jesus kept

His eyes on Heaven.

While surrounded by enemies He

kept His mind on His Father.

While abandoned on earth, He kept

His heart on home. “In the future you

will see the Son of Man sitting at the

right hand of God, the Powerful One,

and coming on clouds in the sky.”

“My kingdom does not belong to this

world,” Jesus told Pilate. “My

It’s even more unfair when you

consider the betrayal was Judas’s

idea. The religious leaders didn’t

seek him; Judas sought them.

“What will you pay me for giving

Jesus to you?” he asked. The

betrayal would have been more

palatable had Judas been

propositioned by the leaders, but he

wasn’t. He propositioned them.

And Judas’s method… again, why

did it have to be a kiss? And why did

he have to call Him

“Teacher”? That’s a title of respect.

The incongruity of his words, deeds,

and actions – I wouldn’t have called

Judas “friend.” But that is exactly

what Jesus called him. Why? Jesus

could see something we can’t. Let

me explain.

There was once a person in our

world who brought Denalyn and me

a lot of stress. She would call in the

middle of the night. She was

demanding and ruthless. She

screamed at us in public. When she

wanted something, she wanted it

immediately, and she wanted it

exclusively from us. But we never

asked her to leave us alone. We

never told her to bug someone else.

We never tried to get even. After all,

she was only a few months old.

It was easy for us to forgive our

infant daughter’s behavior because

we knew she didn’t know better.

Now, there is a world of difference

between an innocent child and a

deliberate Judas. But there is still a

point to my story, and it is this: the

way to handle a person’s behavior is

to understand the cause of it.

One way to deal with a person’s

peculiarities is to try to understand

why he or she is peculiar.

Jesus knew Judas had been

seduced by a powerful foe. He was

aware of the wiles of Satan’s

whispers (He had just heard them

Himself). He knew how hard it was

for Judas to do what was right. He

didn’t justify what Judas did.

He didn’t minimize the deed. Nor did

He release Judas from his choice.

But He did look eye to eye with His

betrayer and try to understand.

As long as you hate your enemy, a

jail door is closed and a prisoner

is taken. But when you try to

loneliness. Loneliness leaves you in

the cold, betrayal closes the

door. It’s more than mockery.

Mockery plunges the knife; betrayal

twists it. It’s more than an insult. An

insult attacks your pride; betrayal

breaks your heart.

As I search for betrayal’s synonyms,

I keep seeing betrayal’s victims.

That unsigned letter in yesterday’s

mail, “My husband just told me he

had an affair two years ago,” she

wrote. “I feel so alone.”

The phone call at home from

the elderly woman whose drug-

addicted son had taken her money.

My friend in the Midwest who moved

his family to take the promised job

that never materialized. The single

mother whose ex-husband brings his

new girlfriend to her house when he

comes to get the kids for the

weekend. The seven-year-old

girl infected with HIV. “I’m mad at my

mother,” were her words.

Betrayal… when your world turns

against you.

Betrayal… where there is

opportunity for love, there is

opportunity for hurt.

When betrayal comes, what do you

do? Get out? Get angry? Get

even? You have to deal with it some

way. Let’s see how Jesus dealt with

it.

Begin by noticing how Jesus saw

Judas. “Jesus answered, ‘Friend, do

what you came to do.’”

Of all the names I would have

chosen for Judas, it would not have

been “friend.” What Judas did to

Jesus was grossly unfair. There is

no indication that Jesus ever

mistreated Judas.

There is no clue that Judas was ever

left out or neglected. When, during

the Last Supper, Jesus told the

disciples that his betrayer sat at the

table, they didn’t turn to one another

and whisper, “It’s Judas. Jesus told

us he would do this.”

They didn’t whisper it because Jesus

never said it. He had known it.

He had known what Judas would do,

but He treated the betrayer as if he

were faithful.

When all of earth turns against you,

all of heaven turns toward you.

To keep your balance in a crooked

world, look at the mountains. Think of

Home.

Excerpted from And the Angels Were Silent by

Max Lucado.

By the way, His friends are your

friends. The Father’s loyalty to

Jesus is the Father’s loyalty to you.

When you feel betrayed, remember

that. When you see the torches and

feel the betrayer’s kiss, remember

His words: “I will never leave you; I

will never abandon you.”

we who have believed do enter that

rest . . . ”

So how do we get to the place we’re

we are believing right and

experiencing the true rest that God

invites us to? First, we have to

understand a little chemistry.

There are two chemicals in our brain

that cause feelings of pleasure and

rest: dopamine and serotonin. The

real source—the original source—of

these chemicals is not the drugs that

most people use in today’s world to

release them at an enhanced level.

The real source of our dopamine

and serotonin is the presence of

God.

It all started in the garden of Eden.

When Adam and Eve sinned (they

stopped believing what God said),

they became separated from God.

And as soon as they became

separated from God, they became

separated from the chemistry that

creates the joy, peace & rest that

they were created to live in.

Just like oxygen, we NEED the

I’ve been thinking about a word so

many people need: REST. God saw

the UNREST in the world 2000

years ago, and He sent Jesus. He

saw the UNREST in people’s souls,

so He sent Jesus. He saw the

UNREST in people’s families and

relationships, so He sent Jesus.

Jesus said, Come to Me all who are

weary and heavy burdened, and I

will give you REST—Matthew 11:28.

Unfortunately, people are

experiencing more STRESS than

REST.

He went on to say that REST starts

in our SOUL. “ . . . Let me teach you,

because I am humble and gentle at

heart, and you will find rest for your

souls.”—Matthew 11:29.

The problem is most of us read this

verse like a greeting card, as if it’s

an invitation to retirement. But that is

NOT the case! What this is really

about is our souls are tired, deep

down we are mentally burned out,

emotionally drained. And God wants

our souls to have rest, real rest.

If you’re like me, you’ve failed at

times, struggled at times. And it’s

easy to get tired from the

struggle. Here’s the thing . . “work”

is not what makes us tired. One

person can go to work every day

and feel invigorated, inspired, full of

passion.

And at the same time another

person can go to the same job, on

the same day, and feel utterly

fatigued and burned out. What’s the

difference? The difference is not the

physical work they perform, the

difference is what they believe. What

determines whether we are going to

have REST or STRESS is not the

time of year it is, not our jobs, not

our families . . . it’s what we believe.

It’s how we think.

Spiritual warfare is not the battle to

defeat the enemy. The devil is

already defeated. Spiritual warfare is

resisting the thoughts that try to tell

us we have to still work and fight in

order TO defeat the enemy. That’s

what wears us out and wears us

down and we become fatigued and

stressed. When we believe in the

finished work of the cross, we begin

to find rest. Hebrews 4:3 says: “For

we who have believed do enter that

kingdom is from another place.”

Jesus took a long look into the

homeland. Long enough to count

His friends. “I could ask my Father

and He would give me… twelve

armies of angels.” And seeing them

up there gave Him strength down

here.

God to keep His promise. He said

He’s watching over His word to

perform it. He’s not watching over

your works or your behavior, He is

watching over His WORD. Stop

reminding Him of your behavior, and

start reminding Him of His promises.

You’re not the performer. He’s

the performer. We simply get to come

to the show. We get to “Stand and

see the salvation of our God!”

(Exodus 14:13) We get to have front

row seats and receive ALL of God’s

great promises.

When you believe these three things,

joy and peace will flow in your life like

a river.

Rest in these amazing truths!

Shared via Gregory Dickow Ministries

bring us into a continual place of

rest?

1. Believe it is finished (John

19:30)

Jesus did it all! When Jesus shed

His blood and breathed His last, the

price was paid! He paid for your sin,

sickness and the curse of the law.

You don’t have to live with the hand

you were dealt. You are redeemed!

2. Believe God is your source

(Philippians 4:19)

When you know God is your source,

you are at peace. When Adam Eve

knew God was their source, they

still worked and tended to creation,

but they didn’t work to have peace.

They just had peace because they

knew God was their source

3. Believe He is watching over His

Word to perform it (Jeremiah

1:12)

We don’t have to perform to get

presence of God in order to release

the right chemicals (dopamine +

serotonin) that make us feel love,

happiness and ultimate peace. We

need to “get high” . . . on God.

As cheesy as that sounds, that is

what we were created for. And His

presence is the key.

Psalm 16:11 — “In Your presence

there is fullness of Joy, at your right

hand are pleasures forevermore.”

And you are IN His presence NOW

by the blood of Jesus. Hebrews

10:19 says we have access to the

holiest place, through the blood of

Jesus.

Once we realize that we are in His

presence without striving, without

effort and without fear, joy comes.

And if we who believe, do enter into

that rest, what are the things we

should continue to believe that will

When we don’t understand something

about God, some people are tempted

to discredit him completely. My friend

Andy Stanley said, “You don’t have to

understand everything to believe in

something.” In John 9, Jesus met a

man who was born blind and forced to

beg just to get by. Jesus’ disciples

wanted to know whose fault it was that

the man was blind: Was it his fault? Or

his parents?

For some reason, it’s human nature to

place blame. For example, if someone

gets cancer, some Christian Atheists

might wonder, What do you think they

did to deserve cancer? If someone’s

wife walks out, insensitive

churchgoers might think, If he had

been a better spiritual leader, his wife

wouldn’t have done that. If a teenager

is rebellious, hardened onlookers

might privately reflect, If that kid’s

parents had been more involved, this

never would have happened.

People like to place blame.

When the disciples wondered who to

blame, to their surprise Jesus

answered,

Neither this man nor his parents

sinned… but this happened so that the

work of God might be displayed in his

life. — John 9:3

This man had spent years enduring

the hardships of a life without sight,

and Jesus basically said that God

would be glorified through this tragedy.

God can have a purpose in our pain.

Just because God can use what

happens doesn’t mean he causes

everything. God does cause some

pain (Heb. 12:7 – 11 talks about God

“disciplining” his children), but much

pain — especially that caused by the

sins of other people — is not caused

.

by God. He may allow it, but he

doesn’t cause it. That’s an important

distinction. Recognizing this fact

might still leave us angry with him

(and I’m guessing he probably

understands when it’s a person in

pain).

We learn to overcome this anger as

we get to know God. And as we do,

we learn how to trust that he is still

good, loving, and wise in everything

he does, even if we don’t know why

things happen.

Purpose in Our Pain

Even though many things in life will

always hurt and be unexplainable,

God occasionally (perhaps often)

shines purposeful light into our

darkness. If you’re hurting right now,

that might be difficult to believe. You

might be in a place similar to where

Michael and Andrea were when they

lost their newborn child.

Andrea begged me not to tell her

that her baby died for a reason. In

the moment, her objection to being

given a reason was understandable,

completely justified. But after a

season of grieving, many find

comfort in knowing that God can use

even tragedies to bring about good.

In fact, Ephesians 1:11 makes a

bold statement:

[God] works out everything in

conformity with the purpose of His

will.

This is precisely what God did in the

story of the man who was born blind.

When Jesus saw him, He spit on the

ground, made some mud with the

saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.

That doesn’t make sense to our

limited minds, and the man’s lifetime

of blindness up to that point certainly

wasn’t fair. But after washing in the

Pool of Siloam, that man went home

seeing.

This is the place where the story

should reach its climactic ending.

“Woo hoo! The blind guy can see

now. Let’s throw him a party. We’ll

eat cake and ice cream.” And there

was great rejoicing.

But that’s not what happened. Jesus

had performed an incredible miracle,

but the Pharisees (religious leaders)

wouldn’t buy it because Jesus had

done it on the Sabbath.

Pharisees know: you can’t work on

the Sabbath. And everybody knows:

healing is work. Because they didn’t

understand, they refused to believe.

After a great commotion, the

Pharisees subpoenaed the

previously blind guy to ask him some

more questions. With blunt honesty

and clear sight, he said,

Whether [Jesus] is a sinner or not, I

don’t know. One thing I do know. I

was blind but now I see! — John

9:24-25

In other words, “Look guys, there are

many things I don’t claim to

understand. But one thing is

undeniably true: I was blind and now

I see!” As a struggling Christian

Atheist, I have my doubts and

questions about God, but I’m

thankful that just like the blind guy

who was healed, I don’t have to

understand everything to believe

something.

If you’re grieving, I pray that one day

in the future, God will show you

some purpose and meaning for your

pain.

By Craig Groeschel

Life out of Death

On Christmas Eve in 2004,

David Fox was admitted to the

hospital. David was thirty-four

and married, the father of one

son.

Even as David’s health declined,

hundreds of faithful Christians

prayed for him, believing God for

his full recovery. Certainly God

would heal this passionate

worship leader, godly father,

faithful husband, and friend. We

were all convinced David would

come home.

On January 14, 2005, David

died.

David wasn’t just some guy at

my church. He was my wife’s

only brother. Losing him was

very personal to our family.

To say that we questioned God

would be a massive

understatement.

Why would God allow this? Why

would God take someone so

young? Why didn’t God answer

our prayers? What did any of us

do to deserve this? Where is

God in our pain and loss?

were all speechless. To this day,

uncle Blue is a different person.

His story is just one of many

lives impacted by God for good

— through David’s death.

Even though we grieved deeply

and didn’t understand, God did

something beautiful in our pain.

God took our worst nightmare

and somehow brought spiritual

life out of a tragic death.

Even in the middle of our pain,

or, perhaps more accurate,

especially in the middle of our

pain, God is good. If you are

hurting and can’t see His

goodness now, I pray you will

one day soon.

Excerpted from Christian Atheist by Craig

Groeschel.

We grieved deeply, as you’d

expect. The time at the funeral

home was kind of a blur. I

remember unlimited hugs from

loved ones and unstoppable

tears.

I’ll never forget when David’s

dad and my father-in-law, Sam,

said to me, “Your children are

never supposed to go before

you.” Losing his son brought

this strong man to his knees. I

prayed that I would never know

the pain of losing a child.

At David’s funeral, in the midst

of our significant loss, we all

tried to celebrate the good

things from David’s life. At the

end of the service, I invited

people in the crowd to meet the

same Jesus who had changed

David several years before.

We have an uncle we call uncle

Blue. For years we had been

praying that uncle Blue would

meet Christ. The more we

asked God to reveal himself to

our uncle, the farther he

seemed to move away from

God. When uncle Blue accepted

Christ at David’s funeral, we

If a church member wants to talk to

Passion City Church pastor Louie

Giglio about anxiety or depression,

Giglio isn't just a sympathetic

listener. He speaks from experience.

The author and founder of the

Passion Movement, which brings

together young adults looking to

grow and strengthen their faith, went

through a debilitating struggle that

began several years ago.

“I literally woke up in a panic thinking

I was going to die at 2 o'clock in the

morning,” Giglio tells

Guideposts.org. That moment sent

him on a months-long downward

spiral into depression, fear, and

darkness.

“Spiritually I was out of whack,”

Giglio recalls. “Mentally, for sure, I

probably had something close to a

nervous breakdown. I didn't leave

the house most days for a long, long

time. I had to seek medical help. I

sought spiritual help. I cried out to

God. It was a very, very dark season

of life.”

Giglio’s been open about his mental

health journey, most recently in his

book, The Comeback, but in his

book, Goliath Must Fall, the pastor

sought to use his own struggles to

help others and bust some

misconceptions about anxiety and

depression in the church.

“I keep wanting to unpack that

because so many people are

struggling with it,” he explains. “I'm a

pastor and there are people in our

church here and in others that I run

into almost every day who are

frozen with anxiety. I'm talking about

struggled with anger or struggled

with fear, anxiety, or depression. A

lot of people have been around the

block dozens of times trying to

makes changes, but yet the giant is

still there.

The beauty in the book is that we're

not David in the story of David and

Goliath. From our perspective, Jesus

is the giant slayer in the story. Jesus

is David in the story of David and

Goliath and He takes down the

giants on our behalf and so we just

learn to walk in what He's already

done for us.”

To really face your giants, Giglio

says you have to dig deep into

what’s causing you pain, fear, or

anxiety.

“Anxiety isn't a thing. It's the

symptom of a thing and so we have

to go a little deeper and ask a

question, ‘What is making me

anxious?’” he explains. “I gave too

much credit just to anxiety. What was

happening was something or

someone was making me anxious

and so I try to help and encourage

people to go one step further, to go

beneath the surface to ask, ‘What is

it that I'm afraid of? Who is it that I'm

afraid of? What was said that I wish I

could now mange the way it was

said?’ I was trying to manage every

outcome and I was trying to watch

over my shoulder all the time.”

The book outlines steps for preparing

for the big battles in your own life,

even the invisible ones. Giglio says

plenty of people aren’t struggling with

depression and anxiety like he was,

but they might be unknowingly

fighting a trickier problem.

middle school kids and nine year

olds and business professionals and

CEOs and moms. It's not just one

slice of life.”

For Giglio, learning to manage his

anxiety is still an ongoing lesson in

faith, trust, and acceptance.

“You have to start over again and I

needed to start all over again, my

brain needed to start all over again,

my nervous system had to reboot

again and all that took time,” Giglio

says. “Almost six months time, but

when you go through something like

that it marks you. I don't struggle

every day with anxiety, but I am

marked by what I went through and

it's still relevant to me every single

day.

His book doesn't offer a quick fix.

"I'm not telling people , ‘Just do this

simple little spiritual formula and

poof, you're going to forget about all

your troubles.’ If you've been through

the fire of divorce or the fire of

addiction or the fire of anger or the

fire of great loss or abuse, you're

going to be marked by that, but what

I'm trying to encourage people in is

that doesn't have to define you and it

doesn't have to define your outlook

on life.”

Goliath Must Fall takes lessons from

one of the most well-known stories in

the Bible and applies them to every-

day life, but first, he re-teaches the

story of David and Goliath.

“The problem is that most of us know

that in and of our own strength, we

can't defeat these giants that are in

our lives,” Giglio says. “Ask anyone

who's struggled with rejection or

The Passion City Church pastor is all about fighting the

giants in your own life.

“One of the giants we talked about in

the book is the giant of comfort and I

think for a normal person floating

through life, they're like, ‘Comfort's a

good thing. I'm trying to make my life

as comfortable as I can,’ but for

believers who think that there's

something greater than this present

has had a comfortable life.”

Article by Jessica Toomer.

life, comfort isn't always the best

thing,” Giglio explains.

“We're looking to make our lives

count. We're looking to make a

difference in the world. We're looking

to serve and help people and no one

who's ever done that in the world

Well … I’ve got good news. There

IS something in REAL But

whoever loves God is known by

God. — 1 Corinthians 8:3

We try to be famous when we

should long to be known. We strive

to prove we know best when we

should be seeking to be known by

the One who knows all.

We endeavor to make our names

known when our only goal should

be that we are fully known by Him.

To put it plainly, it is far better to be

known than it is to be famous.

We have established that we were

created to pursue, possess, and

even channel fame, but we have

so frequently misallocated where

that accumulated fame is to reside.

There is an ever-present clash of

ideals between what it means to be

famous and what it means to be

known. If we are to have any

success in our pursuit of His fame,

it will require that we reorient

ourselves toward His design. He

desires that we be fully known by

and hidden in Him. He desires that

we pursue knowledge of His face

and a dedication to His fame.

These two objectives go hand in

hand and cannot be effectively

achieved apart from each other.

This reorientation toward a focus

on being truly known by Him

begins with a commitment to

vulnerability before Him. He wants

to give us a great name and help

us earn a reputation throughout the

weakness. He is not looking for

perfection, but He does desire full

surrender. He longs to know us in

full.

If we are to be used by Him in a

way that proclaims His fame, we

must set our hearts not on fame

but on being known by the

Famous One. We must lay down

our reputation in exchange for His

and trust that He will build for us a

reputation capable of carrying His

fame. It is better to be known

than to be famous.

Where Am I Known?

Where am I known? Another way

to ask it is, Where does my fame

reside?

It is a critical question to answer

honestly, because if I am best

known by the Famous One, I will

be most motivated by the things

that proclaim His name. On the

other hand, if I am best known by

those around me, I will be most

motivated by the things that

preserve my fame in their eyes.

As with so many areas of life, this

is ultimately a matter of the heart.

It is a question of where we are

laying up treasure and what truly

drives us. It is a choice, because

we can only serve one master

(Matthew 6:24).

It requires an understanding that

we cannot effectively amplify His

fame unless we are fully hidden in

Him. Conversely, we cannot be

hidden in Him unless His fame is

If someone told you they could give you something that would provide a way out of EVERY

situation, EVERY challenge, solve EVERY problem and defeat ALL your enemies, what would you

say? Would you think “No way! That sounds too good to be true!”

If we are going to walk in the

fame for which we were

created, it will require that we

learn to distinguish between

His fame and the fame of

this world. - Unknown

*

land, but it requires a life that is

fully given over to Him. It does not

require a perfect life — far from it!

In fact, it is clear He has

repeatedly chosen for His work

those who have abandoned

pretense in favor of an embrace

of their own weakness.

He is looking for those who would

seek genuine, transparent

relationship with Him — those

who would lay down their own

reputations in favor of His. In

other words, He is looking for

those who desire to be known in

every way — failures and all.

This idea has become easier for

me to grasp since becoming a

father. When one of our children

says something like “You are the

best dad in the world,” it

absolutely melts my heart. It is

the best affirmation they can give,

and the weight of its value is

increased by the fact that our

relationship is genuine. My kids

know all too well that I am not

perfect, and they know I am

aware of their imperfections as

well. This mutual and genuine

relationship makes an expression

of great love all the more

meaningful because it flows from

a place of intimate knowledge of

my shortcomings. It is truly

unconditional.

I suggest it is not all that different

for our heavenly Father. He wants

to know every part of us and to

express His unconditional love for

us even while fully aware of our

our highest goal.

There is a sobering two-edged

component to this concept. So far,

we have focused mostly on the

exhilarating possibilities that exist if

we dedicate ourselves to God’s

fame and to being known by Him.

But it is equally true that if we

choose to devote ourselves to our

own fame and our own reputation,

those lesser desires will enslave us

(Galatians 4:9). If we become

more concerned with whom God is

We obtain and amplify that fame

when we are fully known by Him.

It is better to be known than to be

famous.

Excerpted from My Fame, His Fame by

Thann Bennett.

is using—and whether or not it is

us—than we are with the simple

desire that He move, we fall into

this trap.

Where are you known? Where

does your fame reside? Are you

fully known by and hidden in

Him?

When God moves through

another, are you willing to fall in

behind them?

Yes, we were made for fame —

His fame.

I have an important question to ask

you, today: What do you see?

One of my favorite stories in the

Bible comes out of Acts 3. A lame

man was begging on the street,

and Peter and John walk by. Verse

5 says the man “looked up,

expecting to get something from

them.”

Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I

do not have, but what I do have I

give you: In the name of Jesus

Christ of Nazareth, rise up and

walk.” And he took him by the right

hand and lifted him up, and

immediately his feet and ankle

bones received strength. So

he, leaping up, stood and walked

and entered the temple with

them—walking, leaping, and

praising God. (Acts 3:6-8)

What I love about this story is the

fact that the man was looking

is damaged? What is missing?

I want to challenge you today.

Don’t settle for the way things are!

God is ready to bring total

transformation, complete healing,

and extreme deliverance. His

mercy and grace are readily

available to help us in our time of

need (Hebrews 4:16). And your

miracle, your transformation is

contingent on one thing: what you

see. Here are three things to see

that will bring every breakthrough

in every area of your life:

See problems as possibilities.

During WWII, one of the great

generals, General Creighton

Abrams, and his men were

surrounded by the enemy on every

side. Upon realizing they were

surrounded, Abrams looked at his

men and said, “Gentlemen, we are

now in a position to attack the

up, expecting to receive

something. And although he was

expecting to receive money, he

received something much more

powerful. This is how we need to

live.

We need to look up, every day,

expecting to receive something

from God.

You might have a need in your life,

maybe something is broken, or an

area of your life is diseased,

dysfunctional. Jesus is ready to

heal it. He is ready to fix it. He is

ready to provide. Jesus will take

anybody in any condition, just like

this lame man in Acts 3. Whatever

you bring to Jesus, He heals. But it

starts with us looking up and

expecting to receive something

from Him!

What are you struggling with

today? What is out of order? What

which are unseen. (2 Corinthians

4:18)

What is seen: your sickness, your

unsaved loved ones, or a bad

financial situation. (Temporary)

What is not seen: the fulfillment of

God’s promise. (Eternal)

So here’s what you need to do.

Subject the thing that is

subject to change (YOUR

PRESENT CONDITION) to the

thing that is not subject to

change (GOD’S PROMISES). It

will change.

Believe it. See it.

Shared via Gregory Dickow Ministries.

See it.

This is how God looks at people.

God sees people based on what

they believe, not what they do.

And when we follow this example,

seeing every person in our lives

as someone to enjoy rather than

some to fix, we are going to

experience boundless joy,

limitless freedom, and

undisturbed peace.

See your present condition

through the eyes of faith.

For we walk by faith and not by

sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7)

No matter what your present

condition looks like, believe this: it

is subject to change!

While we do not look at the things

which are seen, but at the things

enemy from every direction.”

This is seeing things from God’s

perspective. This is seeing a

problem as a possibility. If a

military general can see life this

way, how much more should we—

children of God—see life this way?

See people not as problems to

solve, but people to enjoy.

In Philippians 1:3, Paul writes to

the church of Philippi, “I thank my

God upon every remembrance of

you.” I love this verse because the

church of Philippi wasn’t perfect.

It’s safe to assume that they did

some things that weren’t worth

“thanking God for”. Yet, Paul

brilliantly demonstrates how we

should see people — not as

problems to solve, but people to

enjoy.

The biblical concept of “harvest”

seems to have fundamentally shifted

in the minds of many contemporary

disciples. Once it had an

evangelistic connotation of

incarnational selflessness emulating

the example of the Master who

became nothing and gave all for the

sake of the lost one (Lk 15; Phil 2:1-

11). The harvest was the selfless

mission of redemption, designed to

run hard after those who were far

from Christ and His church.

We now live in an ecclesiastical era

where, it seems, that the biblical

concept of “harvest” has shifted from

a self-sacrificing all-consuming

priority to, at best, a hopeful and

somewhat theoretical byproduct of

that mission. For many, the terms of

“harvest” and “growing churches”

have become synonymous ideas.

But as evangelism rates decline,

many are quick to assign blame in

numerous external directions; but

few seem to be asking a more

introspective question.

The primary question that consumes

our attention is whether or not the

church is growing. Implicit in our

theory of growing churches is an

assumption that increasing the

bodies exposed to our preaching

ministry parallels to an increasing

Kingdom harvest. But why does the

“harvest” seem to be little more than

a greater share of the Christian

market? Does a realignment of the

saints, whether in a new church

plant, or in a newfound dynamism in

an existing assembly have any

correlation to the harvest mission of

Jesus? Therein rests the difficulty

with the new harvest—we are

shuffling believers from one location

to another and not really working in

the harvest fields at all.

transformation, Jesus directed His

disciples’ attention outward to the

ripe fields of lostness that

surrounded them. The shepherdless

sheep needed to know that the

Gospel meant good news for them

too.

This was to be the assignment of

church and the instructed prayer of

the disciple. Jesus’ harvest intention

was never the minority percentage

that was most ecclesiastically pre-

disposed to easily transfer from

inferior to superior sacred brands.

The reassembly of the saints is far

too small a task for the true Messiah.

Instead, He commissions, supplies,

and empowers any disciple with His

own presence in the Gospel

assignment of redeeming the

harvest.

The ninety-nine sheep safe in the

fold were not the sole objects of the

rescuing shepherd. His mission also

included the lost one, and it

demanded heroic effort. The good

shepherd knew his assignment.

Neglecting the one lost in favor of the

safe ones could never be the calling

of a good shepherd.

So, we must acknowledge that this

work of harvesting is far more difficult

than simply appealing to the tastes of

the evangelically predisposed.

Harvesting requires intentional

investment with those who, often on

the surface, have no interest in the

good news of Jesus, or at least in the

cultural assumptions they have about

Him and His church.

Mere consumeristic appeals are

unlikely to lure them into our

gatherings. Real relationships are

required. Sacrificial investment. Hard

conversations. Perseverance in the

We are acquainted with the

messaging required to attract the

easy harvest. It, too, is a simple

recipe to memorize and reproduce.

First, you must create a spirit of

dissatisfaction with the loathsome

assemblies that the already-

harvested presently attend. You’re

more relevant, more gospel-

centered, more caring. Persuade

them that what you offer is better,

however you (or they) define that

term. They need to be rescued and

you are their long-awaited rescuer.

Next, you work to feed and the

evangelically predisposed with

whatever the tastes of the changing

market demands. With great

conviction offer them bottomless and

unfathomable expositions, or simply

toss out fluffy Oprah-esque

platitudes – the local market

preferences determine the approach.

Finally, you produce. You, and the

leaders around you must deliver a

product that is in every way excellent

(or at least several degrees better

than your neighboring competitors.)

Market share is at stake.

And we get exactly the prize that we

have been aiming for – the already

believing, pre-harvested resting

comfortably in our waiting pews.

After all, they pay the rent.

But what about the original

understanding of ‘harvest’?

The context of Jesus’ introduction of

the idea of ‘the harvest’ (John 4:35)

stemmed from a gracious, yet

thoroughly truthful interaction with a

lost and broken woman from

Samaria. In the aftermath of that

exchange and the subsequent

evidence of her personal

Harvesting requires intentional investment

with those who, often on the surface, have

no interest in the good news of Jesus, or at

least in the cultural assumptions they have

about Him and His church.

face of continual resistance.

Passionate prayer. Gospel appeal.

These practices—among others—

are the normative work of true

harvesters. This is what Jesus’

people do.

And, those truly making a difference

in the harvest are often found in the

most unlikely places. Some are

pastors and ministry leaders—many

are not. They might have gifts that

put them in the public spotlight, but

prioritized. And, in so doing, they are

the true heroes we should be

celebrating.

Article by Jeff Christopherson.

put them in the public spotlight, but

many do not. In fact, harvesting gifts

do not always equate to positional

leadership in the church in North

America (which might tell us

something about the missionary

priority of the average church).

Regardless of where they are found,

those laboring in menial work of the

harvest are in the center of Jesus’

kingdom agenda. They are following

their Master in the practices He.

Reconnecting with God by Christopher Scott

– R79

The day to day guide to finding God and sharing His

grace through prayer and faith.

Take a journey and walk with God as you rediscover your

faith and joy of sharing God’s love.

To order visit our website or contact the author.

Email: iqcycles@gmail.com

Cell: 083 266 8120

OUR 100 YEAR HISTORY

Uviwe Child & Youth Services (formerly known as PE Childline) is a registered child protection organisation in the vibrant

city of Port Elizabeth. The organisation is registered with the NPO Directorate; registration number 003-620 NPO. We

partner with local communities in the Northern Areas, to implement integrated education and social support programmes.

Our programmes focus on at risk & vulnerable children & youth from Schauderville and Gelvandale, as we concentrate on

the depth rather than breadth of our impact.

Over the past 100 years, what began as a specialist organisation to protect the rights of abused children has grown into a

sustainable social agency in our city. We respect that those closest to the problem knows best to create the solution and

therefore use the strengths of each family to facilitate change. At the core of all decisions we make, we have the “child’s

best interest” at heart. UVIWE believes that we need to listen and hear the untold or silent stories of many “at risk” children

and youth in our communities. We believe in putting young futures first!

The aim of all our programmes are to provide children during different development phases with love, food (nutrition),

safety (protection) and stimulation (education support) to reach their full potential.

Our programmes equip teens with the necessary skills for life’s journey and enable them to become economically

THEORY OF CHANGE

Uviwe Child & Youth Services is a community partner who recognises the ability of children and youth from underprivileged

communities to be active change agents. PUTTING YOUNG FUTURES FIRST – we facilitate a young child’s journey of

schooling, personal development, active citizenship and help youth to identify alternative opportunities. Opportunities that

will break the cycle of poverty and unemployment in the Northern Areas of Port Elizabeth.

IMPACT

To unlock the potential of “at risk” children and youth to become active participants in shaping a bright new future for

themselves. A future free from poverty, violence and exploitation.

OUTCOME

Our programmes aim to achieve the following outcomes, in partnership with other community agents:

HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT MODEL – FROM “CRADLE TO CAREER”

UVIWE’s youth programmes focus on the development of children and youth through 3 main interventions:

ACADEMIC / STIMULATION SPORT DEVELOPMENT LIFE SKILLS /INDEPENDENT LIVINGSCHOOL PERFORMANCE Karate/ self-defense /soccer team Health, sex & lifestyle education

Access to quality

Early Childhood

Development

Improved school

performance

(Grade 4-7)

Safe children, free

from violence

Confident, skilled

and resilient youth

Involved,

supportive parents

Effective child

protection system

in communities

UVIWE’s YOUTH Volunteer Programme is a

structured volunteer programme to create a

pathway to formal employment. This

programme helps youth to retain

employment, once obtained.

Youth Independent Living Programme (ZILP)

– 8 week job readiness & skills programme for

unemployed youth, Youth Club (Club Edge) –

dialogue, facilitating change, gender-based

violence programmes

Afterschool programme – education &

homework support, drama, art & music

therapy classes and Backpackers Life Skills

programme – to equip teens for the journey

of life

ECD programmes – to give kids an “equal

start at life”, to ensure children between the

age 2-5 are well nourished, immunized and

receive quality early childhood development

to help them succeed at life.

ECD

A strong education foundation for life

AFTERSCHOOL

Grade 4-7

YOUTH INDEPENDENT LIVING PROGRAMME

YOUTH VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME

ACTIVITIES

Uviwe Child & Youth Services’ activities and support programmes run over a broad spectrum. Activities start from as early as providing

access to early childhood development, providing primary school education support and skills development for unemployed youth. Positive

Parenting programmes are included to increase parent involvement in their children’s development and creating a nurturing home

environment for children. chnt and creating a nurturing home environment for children.

WAYS TO GET INVOLVE

Below is a list of activities through which you can be part of a team who makes a difference!

difference!

Uviwe has valid certificates to proof our

compliance with:

NPO Act: 003-620 NPO

SARS: PBO with section 18A status

SED: >75% Black beneficiaries

BEE: Level 4

• Donations In Kind (Goods)• Volunteer Your Time / Skill• Run A Fundraising Event• Donation - Access Sed & Bee Scorecard Points• Be Part Of Our Fund Development Team• Join Our Annual Giving Campaign

Director: Anna-Louise Olivier (director@uviwe.co.za)

Tel number: 041 453 0441/2/5 or Cell: 082 924 8941

Address: c/o Jan Hofmeyer & Nicholas Street, Schauderville, PORT ELIZABETH.

Our FB page is where you can see what we do, who we are and where you can get in touch with us.

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/UviweChildYouthServices

WEBSITE: http://www.uviwe.co.za

BANK DETAILS

Account Name: Uviwe Child & Youth Services

Bank: First National Bank

Account Number 621 4998 0981 (Savings)

Branch Code: Greenacres 629

Account Type: Business/Cheque

INTRODUCTION

Thoba Sports Consulting (Pty) Ltd (TSC) is a sports management company based in the Eastern Cape. TSC is the

holding company for ACT Elite Training Academy, Khulasande Sports Development (a non-profit organisation) as

well as TSC Sports Leadership and renders a variety of dedicated sports services including but not limited to:

• Sports Project Management

• Event Management

• Sports Management Consulting

• Sports, Corporate Clothing & Gifts Distribution

• Sports Coaching Services to schools and children in the Eastern Cape. • Sports Education and Training

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

• TSC Sports Leadership Programme

Thoba Sports Consulting holds the IP for the TSC Sports Leadership Programme currently being rolled out at

Hlumani High School, in Komga, Eastern Cape. The sports leadership programme is a education and training

vehicle used to empower the youth of Komga by putting through an informal sports management and sports

coaching skills development programme. The qualifying youth are then employed by TSC to manage Hlumani High

School’s sports and recreation programme as coaches and administrators. Through the programme, Hlumani High

School has received sports training equipment, sports kits and field maintenance equipment to ensure that the fields

are well maintained and in playable condition throughout the year.

• Khulasande Active Kids Programme

Khulasande Sports Development (KSD) is a registered Non-Profit organisation (registration number: 188-294

NPO; we are currently awaiting our tax exemption / PBO certificate from SARS which should be available in two

weeks). We specialise in the implementation of sports development programmes in the previously disadvantaged

and rural communities of the Eastern Cape, South Africa. We currently run programmes in the Makana Municipality -

Grahamstown, Riebeek East & Alicedale and Nelson Mandela Bay - Motherwell, Walmer Township and the Northern

Areas as well as in Cacadu – Kirkwood, Addo areas of the Eastern Cape.

Our Programmes:

We have been running the KSD ACTIVE KIDS Programme in the above-mentioned areas, impacting 5 schools (4

primary schools and 1 high school in NMB & Cacadu) and 5 schools (2 primary schools, 1 high school and 2

combined schools) in the Makana areas with an average of 4800 direct beneficiaries per annum. The programme

comprises of monthly coaching clinics in seasonal sports codes (athletics in summer; soccer, netball and rugby in

winter) as well as periodic sports festivals where we bring all our beneficiary schools together to participate in a day

of celebrating the ability to participate in sports activities. Our sports festivals have an average of 300 participants at

a time and include community athletics competitions as well winter sports festivals.

Continue…

Positive Spin-offs:

Through the programme we were able to employ 15 young people (either currently completing their studies or

those who’ve just completed their studies and are looking for permanent employment) in 2018 who helped with

the management of our programme and served as Youth Coaches and mentors for the young people we

encounter through our programmes. This number is set to increase to 22 this year. We also make use 4 local

small businesses (2 catering companies and 2 transport companies) who assist us by providing meals for the

young people during our coaching clinics and sports festivals as well as transportation services where necessary.

Our beneficiaries have been exposed to provincial athletics competitions under the auspices of Eastern Province

Athletics. Through these competitions, 7 athletes (aged 12 to 15) we selected to represent Eastern Province

Athletics at the ACNW Interprovincial Championships in Potchefstroom at the end of November last year. One of

the beneficiaries came back home with a silver medal and another was offered a full bursary to complete his high

school studies at Monument High School in Rooderpoort in Gauteng – these are just some of our success stories

through the programme. This year, we’ve had 3 beneficiaries win medals at the Eastern Province Athletics

Championships, two of which have been selected to represent the province at the Athletics South Africa National

Junior Championships in Paarl. All our beneficiaries are 100% black and come from poor communities where

such opportunities do not exist to due lack of resources and sometimes lack of willingness and interest from

school teachers.

Partners / Sponsors:

Grassroots Youth Development (GYD):

We are funded by Grassroots Youth Development (GYD), which is a Corporate Social Investment Programme

emanating from three wind farms located in the Eastern Cape, namely the Grassridge 60 MW wind farm in

Nelson Mandela Bay, the Waainek 24MW wind farm in the Makana Municipality and the Chaba 21 MW wind farm

in the Great Kei Municipality. The GYD initiative is a Socio Economic Development (SED) and an Enterprise

Development (ED) program aimed at creating socio-economic opportunities for youth that reside within 50

kilometres of each wind farm. The GYP program has been designed to focus specifically on the development and

implementation of projects in the field of education, sport and arts & culture.”

ACT Elite Training Academy (AETA):

AETA is a high performance athletics coaching academy based in Port Elizabeth. Talented athletes are identified

through our monthly coaching clinics and are then adopted by AETA who provides professional coaching services

to the athletes at no cost.

Radio Kingfisher:

Radio Kingfisher is Khulasande Sports Development’s media sponsor. Through the sponsorship, a radio

advertisement on KSD was created and is aired 30 times per month. Opportunities to be interviewed on live radio

are given to KSD and its partners twice a month on popular programmes to discuss the programmes and partner

involvements.

Conclusion:

To sustain our programmes and create permanent opportunities for the youth, we need to secure more partners

for KSD. We would love the opportunity to submit a formal proposal / funding application through your

organisation, which will allow us to adopt more schools in the region to benefit from our programmes. Would you

kindly give further information on the funding application process?

ACT ELITE TRAINING ACADEMY (Athletics Academy)

ACT Elite Training Academy is an elite athletics academy with its operations based at Linkside High School in Mill

Park. Our main aim is assisting athletes who wish to represent Eastern Province Athletics or Eastern Cape

Schools at national level as well as South Africa at international level.

As an academy, we subscribe to the model of Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD), which is a multi-stage

training, competition and recovery pathway guiding an individual's experience in sport and physical activity and as

such.

We specialise in coaching sprints, hurdles, jumps (LJ & TJ) as well as middle distance and have a team of 6

coaches that mentor and guide our athletes. We coach athletes from as young as 7 years old, with our oldest

athlete being the SA Masters Champion – Lizelle Vermaak at age 44.

Continue..

Our seniors (high school group) train 5 days a week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday) at

Linkside High School at 15:00 during the week and 08:30 on Saturday. Our primary school athletes train 2 – 3

times a week. Our honours list / provincial athletes for the 2018 / 2019 athletics season is as follows:

Mia Vermaak – U/12 Long Jump (Bronze Medal); 150mH (4th place)

Amber- Lee Elliott – U/15 100m

Alec van den Berg – U/15 200m

Clarise Moolman – U/17 400m

Tanielle Moolman – U/17 400mH 98th place at nationals)

Luke Vieira – U/17 400m (8th place at nationals)

Marrelie van der Merwe – U/19 Long Jump (5th place at nationals)

Robyn Munro – U/19 Triple Jump

Casper Lötter – Senior Men 100m & 200m

Cayla Seddon – Senior Women 200m

Siyabonga Grootboom – Senior Men Long Jump and Triple Jump (8th place at nationals)

David de Villiers – Senior Men 400m

Lizelle Vermaak – SA Masters 80mH, 100m and 200m Champion

We are actively involved in social media where you can find links to our organisations:

Facebook:

Thoba Sports Consulting

Khulasande Sports Development

ACT Elite Training Academy

Athletics Coach T

Instagram:

Khulasande Sports Development

ACT Elite Training Academy

Athletics Coach T

.

Published by The Bay Friendship Club Christian Networking Group

© 2020 The Bay Friendship Club

Christian Networking Group

Established in 2013

To advertise:

admin@thebayfriendshipclub.co.za

Visit our website:

www.thebayfriendshipclub.co.za

*Disclaimer Policy.

The Bay Friendship Club will not be held liable for services

render by suppliers to customers.