Pastoral Letter – March 2023
Fish Hoek Methodist Church
“The news that Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem
swept through the city…” – John 12:12
In a profound way, we are also on our own journey towards Jerusalem. Lent marks our spiritual preparation for the overwhelming message of the Cross and the incredible joy of the Resurrection. Of course, we are not there yet, but we keep moving towards our goal and during this season, I urge us to keep our eyes fix on Jesus.
Our current preaching series has been designed to assist us on this Path to Spiritual Growth. It is our prayer that each of the Spiritual Disciplines will challenge us out of our complacency and inspire us to follow Christ on a deeper level. Our recent topics have covered the following themes: Prayer, Fasting, Study & Meditation, Service and Simplicity.
The remaining two themes, on Worship and Guidance, will lead us into Palm Sunday (2nd April) and then into Holy Week. It is our plan to celebrate Holy Week from the 3-7 April, with nightly services at 6pm from Monday to Thursday. We look forward to hearing from our Circuit Ministers, as we prepare for our Easter experience.
Thank you once again for the incredible support we are receiving from each member of the church community. This reflects in every aspect of our church life; from the small groups, children/youth groups and into every other ministry department in our church. This also includes the Sunday services, where we continue with our 2 morning services, as well as our large online church community and our online Bible Studies.
Over the last few months, we have also been blessed in many financial ways and we convey our sincere gratitude to the entire community – your generosity is humbling. We note that many people give faithfully to the ministry of our church and there are also numerous anonymous givers – you all add to the blessings we receive, so thank you all once again.
Our call to GO – GATHER – GROW remains our driving purpose and we thank you for joining us in fulfilling this great task. Jesus knew the reason for his ministry was always to ‘seek and save the lost’ (Luke 19:10) and so the “WHY” of our ministry should always stem from his call to us.
If you would like to get more involved in the life of the church, please don’t hesitate to contact one of our leaders or the church office. Serving in the community is a great way to meet people and to fulfilling Christ’s calling on your life.
Pastoral Care ministry – our care ministry is constantly growing, and we are always seeking to help people feel loved and cared for. This task is massive and although we have many faithful volunteers, we are always in need of people who are willing to love others in a practical way. We could always do with more people willing to visit those who are ill, those in retirement homes, the frail and those in hospital. Please contact Louise Elliot if you feel a call to help.
As a family, we continue to appreciate your love and support. Just like every other family, we have our highs and lows. We have also experienced a lot of joy lately, but also a fair amount of disappointment and struggle. I am reminded that families in ministry, are not exempt from times of testing, which is why we value your prayers and care. It is a privilege for us to be part of the Fish Hoek Methodist Community and to share the Christian journey with you all.
Delme will be taking his Sabbatical in a few months’ time – at the moment, it looks likely that this will take place from the 18th of May 2023. The Society Stewards, Circuit Ministers and Local Preachers will be planning adequate ministerial cover for the time that Delme is away. We are grateful for the active participation of the body of Christ, especially during these occasions.
As we come closer to Easter, may Christ make himself known to each one of us. Here is a prayer to help us on this journey:
“Dear Lord, show me your kindness and your gentleness, you who are meek and humble of heart. So often I say to myself, ‘The Lord loves me,’ but very often this truth does not enter into the centre of my heart. Let these weeks (before Easter) become an opportunity for me to let go of all my resistances to your love and an occasion for you to call me closer to you.” – Henri Nouwen
Living in Grace
Delme and Kim