Ministry Update: Reformed Community Church (Belville South, South Africa) (March 2024)

Dearly beloved,

The night when Jesus was betrayed, after eating the Last Supper with his disciples and telling them that he will leave them and that they will fall away because of him (Matthew 26:31), their hearts were rightfully troubled. “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me” (John 14:1).

Beloved, Jesus understands the trouble that is in our hearts. After this night the disciples will be faced with their worst nightmare! The one thing that they could have never imagined and did not accept would happen was just moments away from happening. Throughout these three years with Jesus they have been in dangerous situations, but Jesus always had a way out of it.

This is the Christ, the Son of the living God saying to his disciples: “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” And if your heart is troubled, beloved, and you are standing in the face of things that you don’t even know how you will get through, I want you to grab hold of Jesus words to his disciples: “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.”

Let the truth of these words wash over you, beloved. Believe in God! Believe in his infinite wisdom and wise providence that led you where you are, and that he will work it out for your good. Believe that our LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love (Psalm 103:8). Believe that God is on the throne, ruling amid the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, so that none can stay his hand. Believe in his absolute sovereignty over every circumstance in your life. Believe in his unfailing love and his unchanging faithfulness towards you. Believe that our God is for us and that nothing shall separate us from his love for us.

Believe also in me, Jesus says. Believe that he lived a sinless life and laid his life down in order to save you. Believe that on the third day he rose again for your justification and now live forever to make intercession for all those who come to God through him (Hebrews 7:25). Believe that he is with you to the end of the age and that he will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5). Believe in Jesus, beloved. Believe that he is a high priest who is able to sympathise with your weaknesses and because of his blood you can with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that you may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16). Believe that you have been chosen before the foundation of the world that you should be holy and blameless before him and in love he has predestined you to be adopted as sons through Jesus Christ.

Beloved these are all promises to us who are the redeemed! Throw yourself on the promises of God. Make it your bed and rest there!

I am thankful to the Lord for a wife who has been my strength through my weakest moments. It is not good for man to be alone! She’s been my sanity and at times my greatest exhortation to “be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13). I praise God for a mature and God-fearing wife.

Our family is doing fine. We continue to trust God for the salvation of our kids. Noah is doing very well at his new school. By God’s grace, he will be turning six years old in May.

He loves soccer and recently their school had a soccer day. We got a little late to the indoor soccer field and his grade (R) had already finished their game. Thankfully, the teachers allowed him to play with the Grade 1s. It was not long and “Laduuuma!” he scored a goal! Of course, I was the most excited dad on the side of the field.

The school also gave them the privilege to visit the fire station where he got the opportunity to handle a fire hose. He was very excited when he came home. So I asked him whether he would like to become a fire fighter one day. His reply was very dry: “Daddy, I told you I want to become a pastor like you one day. Don’t you remember?” Aaaah! May the Lord answer this childlike desire.

My heart is filled with praise to our Lord who has answered what seemed to be my greatest petition for the past two years.

January 2024 at our AGM we voted in my most trusted fellow labourer in Christ to the office of elder. As a local church we have seen this man grow in grace and wisdom and love for this church in undeniable ways over the past six years. It is not a surprise that he got a 100% vote of confidence from the church. I praise God for his grace in giving such a gift to our church.

Please rejoice with us and continue to pray for our brother and now fellow pastor, Thato Mohapi.

To God be the glory, great things he has done!

For those who have been praying for us through the years, you would know that every year we dedicate the month of February as the month where the members of our church is engaged in sharing the gospel one-on-one and by open air preaching in the streets of our community, Bellville South. You would also have noticed that I always say that this year was the best. That’s just how it feels each year.

We always engage with new people and have new experiences and new challenges each year. It’s even better because for the past couple of years we have had new church members joining us as we go into some of the dark corners of our neighbourhood. It’s an invigorating period of discipleship for them as they witness our church’s heart for the community and learn how to share the gospel with strangers.

We targeted the areas where most of the shootings happened. The Lord allowed us to share the gospel with most of the drug dealers and gave me an opportunity to share the gospel with one of the main instigators who sent one of his men to call us to come pray with him.

This is the guy who is responsible for most of the unrest in our community. He looked tired and weak. Not as strong as he seemed the last time I saw him. He seemed to really want to hear what I had to say. I praise God for extending such grace to this ruthless killer. Please pray that the Lord would save him.

Our beloved brother, Theo, whom most of you would know has done an excellent job leading our church’s evangelistic ministry. I have attached his report as well for further information on our month of corporate evangelism.

Usually after our month of corporate evangelism our community would experience a few weeks of peace without any shootings and killings. This year was a discouraging first for us. At one of the hotspots where we have been preaching and sharing the gospel on the streets for the whole week without any incident. That Friday, about 30 minutes after we left the area, someone was shot in the face three times. The week after that in another hotspot that we shared the gospel without any incident, when we left the area the same day the shootings started and a young girl was wounded in her arm and hip by stray bullets.

After our month was over, just the following week, another man was shot and killed by a man that we shared the gospel with just the week before. This is very discouraging, and even more reason why we need to persevere in preaching the gospel in these dark places.

Despite the many challenges that we face as a local church, the Lord continues to grow our church deeper and wider.

The Lord has blessed the pulpit preaching. I have been so encouraged to hear of conversions of those who have been visiting over long periods of time and whom have applied for membership.

We are just about to finish our membership classes and we already have another group who is waiting to begin. The Lord is adding and growing us wider.

Last year and this year I have been more encouraged by members who messaged me about how the preaching has challenged them and helped them in very personal ways. As many pastors would know, this is not a norm and I don’t think it should be. May the Lord continue to work humility in us.

Thato has been teaching through the 1689 Confession during our Sunday evening gathering and it has just been an absolute blessing. This is a very interactive teaching time where members get to interrupt the teacher and ask questions. It has been such a joy to hear the type of questions that are asked and to have other members answer pointing to texts that are not even in the side notes of the Confession. God is definitely growing us deeper.

We have finally revived our youth ministry after almost three years. Here’s what Ravern Heyens, one of the youth leaders, has to say:

Please continue to pray for this program that the Lord might use it as a means to aid parents in the discipling of their kids.

Our kids’ outreach program continues to grow. We started with around twenty 20 boys last year. We currently have 43 boys and 21 girls. It is amazing to see the change in the behaviour of these kids in just over a year. It has also been encouraging to see some of the kids in church on a Sunday morning.

Please continue to pray for this program that the Lord would provide the resources for us to add more kid’s workers and would raise up the right persons for this ministry.

The pastors’ conference organised by Newcastle Baptist Church last month was a true blessing that brought me so much joy that I couldn’t help but dance.

This was the third conference since we started in 2022. It’s an annual conference over two days specifically geared towards Zionists and Pentecostal pastors and bishops. At our yearly conference, we have pastors with church memberships anywhere from 50 to over 1,000 members.

At this year’s conference, we had a meeting with one of the bishops of one of the biggest Zionist denominations in our country. He asked us if we could do training for all their leaders—between 5,000 and 12,000 pastors!

Furthermore, we had a conversation with a man who has attended every conference since 2022. He mentioned that he’s no longer serving as a pastor. He claims that his heart was deeply convicted at the first conference he attended. At the second conference the Lord saved him and he made the decision to leave his role as a pastor. Currently, his main focus is on developing spiritually and seeking guidance from the Lord.

God is using this conference in ways that blows our minds. Thanks to Imprint and HeartCry for making this possible.

Please continue to pray for this work and for wisdom and humility.

It was a huge joy and tremendous privilege to be invited to preach at the annual missions conference hosted by Brackenhurst Baptist Church. This year’s World Outreach Celebration was focused on local church planting and revitalisation.

The conference started the Thursday and ended on the Lord’s Day. The Lord blessed us with excellent exposition from God’s word with several trusted pastors and I had the privileged to encourage God’s people on the Lord’s Day, which is my comfort place.

My wife, along with a group of sisters from our church, decided to take some of our kids on a train ride to Fishhoek Beach. This was the first time that some of these kids had ever been on a train, making it an incredibly special experience for them. The experience was made even more enjoyable as they sang hymns with the kids and fully enjoyed themselves on the ride. It goes without saying that Noah’s voice was the loudest, as he fervently sang, “Praise the Lord, praise the Lord. Let the earth hear his voice. Praise the Lord, praise the Lord. Let the people rejoice!”

Thanks for taking the time to prayerfully read through this newsletter.

We continue to be amazed at the Lord’s provision of us through your prayers and support.

Mario F. Maneville

Pastor-teacher
Reformed Community Church
Belville South