West View e-Letter

Dear West View Family As we slowly but surely transition from summer to winter; we are reminded that life (Just like every shifting season) is similarly filled with transitions and changes. Whichever season you may be coming out of or moving into at this point in your journey with Christ, we pray that the warmth, breadth and depth of God’s love and grace will provide you with the re – assurance of God’s presence every step of the way. Change can be daunting, confusing and chaotic, which is why all of us admit and acknowledge the need for companions to challenge and comfort us along the way. People who join us in our struggles, successes and specific seasons remind us that we are not the first nor the last traveler on God’s path to perfect peace.
However, our biggest struggle is not always necessarily with the external changes that we encounter, but rather the internal changes that God’s grace produces within us. We wrestle with questions, such as: What does God want me to let go of, and what do I need to cling to? How do I know that I’m in – step with God’s plan and purpose for my life? When life seems chaotic and confusing, what can I do to cling to the joy and peace that I first experienced in Christ? For this reason, West View is not only a place where life – change happens; but instead it is a family of people who have known God’s transformation and who then minister to and encourage others who are going through a similar process. May you allow the people of West View to be there for you in your times of distress, discouragement and disappointments. Here’s a look at the most noteworthy events and news coming up at West View:

UPCOMING SERMON SERIES : ‘CONTEXT – PUTTING SCRIPTURE IN ITS PLACE’

Everything and everyone has a place. In other words, we are all from somewhere. The same is true of the Bible; it comes from particular people and places. The poems and stories, the letters and the laws – They are all shaped by the land, the people, and the events that produce them. The Bible doesn’t have a context, rather, the Bible has many contexts. This means that fresh views, perspectives and interpretations are often missed when Scriptures are taken out of context.
In  our upcoming sermon series, entitled ‘Context’, we would like to invite you to look at verses in the Bible that you may know by heart; but may not know the people, places, and times that give them meaning. As we delve into these well-known passages of Scripture, we will unveil thought – provoking, challenging and enlightening interpretations that are often missed when these Scriptures are removed from their original setting.
This exciting and engaging sermon series starts on Sunday, the 19^th of May 2024, and it runs for six weeks in total. We would like to encourage everyone to bring a friend along to experience these life – transforming sermons and services at West View.

REV. DAMIAN O’GRADY ASSUMES PASTORAL OVERSIGHT OF LYTTELTON METHODIST CHURCH One of the transitions that will take place at the beginning of May is that Rev. O’Grady will assume the role and responsibility of being the minister at Lyttelton Methodist Church. It needs to be noted that this is simply a temporary arrangement and stop – gap in order to assist Lyttelton Methodist Church for the foreseeable future, especially as they discern who God might be calling to be their next minister. Also of importance, is that Rev. O’Grady will still be heavily involved in working and ministering at West View whilst he provides pastoral leadership to the Lyttelton congregation. We would appreciate your prayers for both the West View and Lyttelton congregations, the leadership teams of both churches, as well as the staff members. Though the future might be uncertain and unclear at this stage, we trust that God goes before us and that God’s sustenance will strengthen us and see us through.

MAY IS ‘STEWARDSHIP AND GENEROSITY MONTH’ AT WEST VIEW! West View has a yearly practice and habit of dedicating the entire month of May to a renewed focus on stewarding what God has given to us and being generous with what we have. Throughout May month, we would like to challenge each and every person who forms part of the West View family and community to be more faithful in using what God has entrusted to them. However, it is also our intention to invite you to give more generously and openly to God’s work within and through our church. Therefore, we have set A TARGET OF R500 000 in total through giving, tithes and offerings for May. Will you help us rise to the challenge and meet our envisaged target? Your support and ongoing contributions would be deeply appreciated; and it would enable West View to continue to be a community through which life – change happens! Should you wish to make a financial contribution to the work and ministry that happens at West View, please use the following banking details to contribute via EFT: West View Methodist Church Account Number: 620 343 07670 Reference: Your name and surname .

AN UPDATE ON WEST VIEW’S FINANCES FOR MARCH 2024 Please receive the latest financial update for West View for the month of March 2024: The total giving for March was R442 859.24, which was R2 859.24  ABOVE budget for the month. This is where our overall finances currently stand at the end of March 2024: So far, we have received a total of R1 210 749.09 in pledges, offerings and tithes. This leaves us with a total shortfall of R109 250.91 for the year to date. The financial figures for March should give us more than sufficient reason to thank and praise God for the provision that we have experienced. Seeing as this is the first month in the last two years that we have exceeded our budget; we remain optimistic and hopeful that this trend will continue into the future. Once again, we would like to express our sincere and immense gratitude to each and every member of West View who entrusts the faithful and fruitful use of their financial resources to West View’s leadership. Let us pray for wise and frugal stewardship of our finances by those who are expected to use it for the extension and expansion of God’s Kingdom through our church.

NEW SERIES FOR ROOTED YOUTH! As followers of Jesus, we have been called by God to become like Him and make a difference in His name. So, how do we do that? When the problems of this world are so big and the challenges we face so overwhelming, where do we start? We trust God. We start small. And we do what we can. And that’s exactly what this series is all about. Learning how we can develop right relationships with God and others, build lives marked by holiness, and become people who bring justice everywhere we go. All teenagers are invited to join for the 3 – week ‘Difference Makers’ series at Rooted Youth, every Sunday at 10h00 in the Rooted Hall. Invite a friend and be part of God’s Kingdom revolution!

THE MARRIAGE COURSE AT WEST VIEW All marriages need to be worked on to be happy marriages. Whether you’ve been married for six months or forty years, in a good place or struggling, we have a course for you. From the 2nd of May to the 13th of June, we’ll be hosting a seven-week Marriage Course every Thursday evening from 19h00 to 21h00.  Based on Christian principles, this course is designed to help couples strengthen their relationship, build strong foundations, learn to communicate and resolve differences. Couples will also have opportunities to have private discussions on the topics presented. For more information about the course, you can contact Nick Snyman. To sign up, please get in touch with Lesley via email at reception@westview.org.za.

‘SERVE SATURDAYS’: SOUP KITCHEN Our third ‘Serve Saturday’ for the year will take place on Saturday, the 11th of May 2024, as we continue to commit ourselves to feeding and caring for the poor in the immediate vicinity surrounding West View Methodist Church. We would like to invite the entire West View community to come and be a part of making a visible difference within our community. We will meet at West View Methodist at 07h30 on the 11th of May, before heading to various locations to set up our soup stations. Should you be interested in attending the outreach or providing soup for the day; please RSVP to our youth pastor (Elvis Mliswa) via email at youthpastor@westview.org.za.   Should you wish to assist, here are the instructions and ingredients for the soup: Please note that there should be no beef or pork in the soup that is prepared, however, you are more than welcome to add chicken into your soup. We also request that the soups’ quantity be in the form of a 2 litre ice – cream container. Here is an idea of the ingredients to be included in the soup: 30 ml of oil, 1 onion (Chopped), 2 garlic cloves (Crushed), 2 stalk celeries (Chopped), 2 carrots (Cubed), 250 ml butternut (1 cm cubes), 1 large potato (Peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes), 1.25 litres of chicken stock or vegetable stock, 160 ml chopped peeled tomatoes, 60 ml of fresh mixed herbs such as flat leaf parsley, basil and thyme (Chopped), salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, 250 ml broccoli florets and 250 ml of green beans (Sliced).Heat the oil and fry the onion until it is soft and transparent. Add the garlic, celery, carrots, butternut and potatoes. Fry for slightly more than 2 minutes. Add the stock and tomatoes and let it simmer over low heat for 30 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Add the broccoli florets and green beans, and cook it for 5 minutes. Add the mixed herbs and seasoning to taste.

‘SERVE SATURDAYS’: OUTREACH TO WIERDABRUG SAPS Our ‘Serve Saturday’ ministry is growing! In addition to setting up various soup kitchens throughout the Wierda Park area, we will also be getting involved in assisting some of the institutions within our community. Wierdabrug Police Station has requested the wider community to assist them with any cleaning materials. The list of needs include: Brooms, mops, buckets, gloves, cloths, pine gel, bleach, dishwashing liquid, polish stripper, furniture polish, drain cleaner, Handy Andy, and air freshener. Should you want to donate any of these items, please deliver and drop them off at the church office. Alternatively, should you wish to make a financial donation which allows the church to buy any necessary items, please EFT your contribution into the West View account with the reference ‘SAPS Donation’ (FNB Account Number: 620 343 07670). We will be delivering these items to the Wierdabrug Police Station on Saturday morning, the 11th of May 2024.

BAPTISM CLASS AND SERVICE Baptism marks an important moment of receiving God’s grace and of being claimed as God’s own. We also remember that baptism is a communal moment, when the church promises to care for and be present to those who are being received into God’s family. At West View, we believe that baptism is a sacred moment that symbolizes and communicates God’s ability to save, sanctify and sustain us in our ongoing journey with Christ. We baptize both infants and adults, so should you like to be baptized or have your child baptized, we would like to invite you to our next Baptism Class. The purpose of the class is to educate and inform those going through the process of baptism about its meaning and significance.  The class will take place on Saturday, the 11th of May 2024, at 11h00 in the Infant Chapel. The next baptism service will take place Sunday, the 19th of May 2024.

AN OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AT WEST VIEW Do you have a head for numbers? Is finance you forte? Are you looking for a way to serve the Lord here at West View? If so, we could have just the avenue of service for you! The finance team are looking for a few new volunteers to assist with money (cash) counting. Your time commitment would be for a few hours once or twice a month and you will be given any training necessary. If this is something you would like to get involved in, or for more information, please contact Avril by email on avril@westview.org.za.

HOME AND BIBLE STUDY GROUPS Our motto at West View is that this is a community and congregation ‘Where life change happens’. And yet, we know that this life change only takes place through relationships that facilitate a loving accountability, responsibility and call to grow in ways that are both comforting and challenging. Staying true to our Methodist ethos and tradition, we believe that small groups (Otherwise known as home or Bible study groups) are the perfect environment for transformation to take place. We have both in – person and online groups available. We would like to make the call to as many people as possible to get plugged into a group where you are challenged to study Scripture, pray for others and be prayed for, and exercise mutual care. Therefore, should you be interested in joining or leading a Bible study group, please contact Lesley at reception@westview.org.za.

IMPORTANT DATES TO DIARISE:
New series for Rooted Youth: Starts this Sunday, the 28^th of April
Stewardship and Generosity Month: The entire month of May
Rev. O’Grady becomes minister at Lyttelton Methodist Church: From the 1^st of May
The Marriage Course: Starts on Thursday, the 2^nd of May, at 19h00
Serve Saturday Outreach: Saturday, the 11^th of May, at 07h30
Baptism Class: Saturday, the 11^th of May, at 11h00
Baptism service: Sunday, the 19^th of May
‘Context’ sermon series: Starts on Sunday, the 19^th of May
 
Your Servant for Christ’ sake,
Siphiwe

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