Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all you lovely mums out there.

What a joy it was to enter our Gathering building this morning and see this Mother's Day greeting put up by out Homework Club kids on Friday.

Ten Historical Facts About Jesus

Easter is almost upon us, which means it's time once again to consider the person of Jesus...

Now, whether you believe in the New Testament person of Jesus is immaterial, there is more than enough evidence outside of the Bible to confirm his physical existence, his death and his resurrection.

The fact is that Jesus is not only documented in the eye-witness testimony of the gospels and Acts but He is mentioned as a historical person by over 50 non-Christian sources within 150 years of His life. 

So here are ten historical facts about Jesus, from non-Christian, non-Biblical sources, which I have borrowed from the websites of far more learned fellows than I...

72 Boxes Of Blessings

What a joy and a blessing it was to get a call from my dear friend Shaddie asking if we would like a pallet load of peanut pastes.

It's been a long time since The Gathering was able to bless our Soup Kitchen regulars and others with these amazing & delicious packets of goodness, so Soup Kitchen this coming week will be excellent! And I'm sure that it will be busier than normal as word spreads that we have these pastes.

Happy Place

It's Thursday, so I'm in my happy place as I make the soup for The Gathering's weekly Soup Kitchen this evening.

I also got to test out the new barber's chair we bought so that Remi no longer needs to bend down to do his haircutting. The poor lad is serving his heart out giving amazing haircuts to our Soup Kitchen regulars, but all the while doing his back in because we didn't have a proper chair.

How Big Is Your Church?

Well, there is a question that frustrates and annoys me in equal measure, and yet it remains the most persistent question we get asked by Christians when they learn that we are pastors leading a local church.

The Gathering International

Today is a day of good news!

The Gathering International is now registered as a Non Profit Organisation (NPO) with the Department of Social Development (DSD), as a Community Development project.

Greatest Joy

A few years ago I had the joy of chatting about our ministry with a dear friend, who asked me the best question anyone has ever asked of my/our ministry.  He simply asked "What is your greatest joy in ministry?"

My reply was almost instantaneous, and remains the same today.

Quite simply, my greatest joy in ministry is raising others up and releasing them to minister in the Kingdom.

Fuad

Last night's Soup Kitchen was as chilled as ever, especially as Remi was once again with us offering free haircuts to those that wanted one.

The evening was also brightened up by the visit of Fuad!

We've not seen Fuad for quite a while, so it was great to catch up with him again, and it was a joy to be able to bless him with a haircut as well as soup.

Dogs Of The Gathering

Whilst we were away over Christmas we got to spend a very happy hour with some good friends, chatting about life and having a laugh. I was struck by their new dog, a rescue from the local animal shelter. She's called Rosie and apparently has bitten everyone who has attempted to stroke her, including the local policeman.

Hub Of Blessing

Khayelitsha Boxing Academy

Having recently moved to Strictly Fighters Inc boxing gym, I've had the joy of getting to know some of the team running it, and it's been great to hear about their involvement with Khayelitsha Boxing Academy, a local NPO doing some great work in helping youngsters off the streets and distracting them from the life the street can offer. 

Quality Leadership

Last night we took time out to enjoy each other's company and to thank our leadership team for serving so faithfully this year.

It is a joy and a privilege to lead The Gathering with this remarkable group of people, and I love how in the Kingdom of God such a diverse bunch can come together in spirit, heart & truth to build something truly amazing for the glory of God's name.

The Man From DSD

Today feels like a day of breakthrough and blessing.

We finally got our meeting with the man from the Dept of Social Development (DSD) and to cut a long story short, he now works for The Gathering in a consultancy capacity. This is a huge blessing.

Thank you LORD!

X Is The Unkown Quantity

Today was one of those days where you just want to grab the person who has shed some light on a situation, and never let them go.

Many of you know of our ongoing saga in our efforts to get The Gathering registered with SARS (SA's tax collector) as tax compliant and exempt as a charity.

Accept The Invitation Of The Master

Church is such a good place to be, and all the more so when the Holy spirit is on the move, to the point where the opening, the worship and the word are so intimately interwoven, despite having been prepared by three separate people with no liaison between them.

Thursdays At The Gathering

Thursdays are Soup Kitchen days at The Gathering, and so today, alongside making 100 litres of soup, I've also finally gotten around to creating a dedicated home for our yogurt pot donations, and then sorted them all out into correct stacks with matching lids, which is a tedious and time consuming task!

Lavalier Mics

Recently The Gathering purchased some basic lavalier microphones to see how they might perform in recording the opening of our Gatherings & our Sunday sermons, and we were impressed by the results.

Too Cramped

The Gathering's Soup Kitchen continues to do some sterling work in terms of serving the neediest and most vulnerable in the community, but also building bridges with folk who need that little bit more in terms of support & care, and it's a real privilege to be able to serve through the church.

In The Dunes On The Cape

We've been feeling a bit battered of late, what with my surgery, Joel preparing to leave and then going off to Blighty, and continuing to support Eli as much as possible as he continues to spread his wings and fly.

Whilst we love what we do, and wouldn't change it for the world, the responsibilities we carry on behalf of The Gathering can become tiring, so sometimes it's just good essential to escape together. 

No Greater Joy

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
3 John 1:4

As a Christian, husband, father, pastor & chaplain, I don't think there is a greater joy as a parent than standing in the same room as your child in the presence of God, worshipping Him in spirit & truth together.