CHRISTCHURCH BLAIRGOWRIE
BREAD OF LIFE MINISTRY 2011
“Bread of Life” has been running for almost a year and a half and we have seen God at work in various areas over the past year. How wonderful it is to see familiar faces week after week: some regulars have been coming since our very first meeting and it is a joy to chat with them regularly. Some folk have had to endure terrible circumstances, some have had an improvement in circumstance, and some have come to a better understanding of God’s love for them.
We could tell you so many stories which would alternately break or lift your heart, but they are not our stories to tell. To put it one way, one elderly man, who left Johannesburg to try and find a better life, but came back after a very bad experience, said to me today: “Every day I pray that God will give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference”. What a humbling reminder of the way we should be living.
We have found our numbers fluctuating a lot this year, up to 60 at one point, then inexplicably down to under 25. Most Thursdays we average between 30 and 35. Thanks to exposure through the Blairgowrie Community Association and two articles in the Randburg Sun, we have been able to increase the size of our volunteer base, and have roughly 10 people from the local community who help us by cooking or serving on a regular basis. Together with our church stalwarts, we are able to work on an efficient roster basis that does not overload anyone – very important in this type of work.
Also thanks to the same exposure, as well as generous members of our own congregation, we receive regular donations of both food and money, which in effect means that the ministry is almost fully funded by donations, alleviating some of the pressure on our church coffers. Two people who have become very special parts of our team this past year are Peter, who interprets the message with God-given wisdom, and Shadrack, who is our reliable and constant helper on Thursdays. Those who know these two men will know what a blessing they are to us.
We ran a very successful “beanie drive” during winter and involved not only our own congregation, but also a group of ladies in a retirement village in Hermanus! We received so many beanies and scarves that we were able to give Kyle and Marion enough to take to Namibia with them as well.
Our biggest challenge this year has been in providing clothes. We have not received a lot in and, unfortunately, not all of what we do receive is usable in our situation. The clothing needs are so very specific: men’s shoes, trousers sizes 28 to 32, and tshirts. We have many ideas for growing this ministry, but are trusting God and our church council for the timing and implementation.
In conclusion, thank you so much to all our volunteers – for your help, your support and your friendship. Thank you too to the CCB staff team who are always ready to help in any way – Gill, Jayne and Themba, and to Dave for so faithfully bringing the message to searching souls every week.