EXPLORE ST STEPHENS ANGLICAN CHURCH

The caring ("Siyakhathala") Church of Jesus Christ in the 21st Century

PREAMBLE

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him may have an everlasting life.” God so loved the world, NOT the church, and therefore sent Jesus to the world and NOT to the church. St Stephen’s Parish is of the view that this is the right time to give the church of Jesus Christ back to the community. St Stephen’s seeks to incarnate and move into the community of New Brighton. Like Jesus, the Living Word (John 1:1-14), St Stephen’s wants to become flesh (real and tangible) and dwell in the community of New Brighton.

INTRODUCTION

In order for St Stephen’s to be true and genuine in responding to the real and experienced social challenges of the community of New Brighton in the 21st Century, this Parish decided to embark on a survey within the New Brighton community. The aim was to understand how St Stephen’s is perceived by her members and the community. It was also to try and find out the challenges in this millennium which the community faces. Subsequently, the Parish would then have to position itself in relation to the role it can play in trying to address or to respond to such challenges. The survey was also meant to inform the Parish about the branding, vision, mission and values that will guide St Stephen’s in her endeavour to be the church of Jesus Christ in the 21st Century. This whole exercise was rooted in the Bible whereby texts such as Psalm 24:1, Matthew 25:42 and Acts 2:42-47 were the corner stones of this exercise.

Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof, the world and all who dwell therein”. The Psalmist here is saying that, everything that is, is the Lord’s. This implies that, the Lord cares and looks after all that belongs to the Lord, and therefore, whoever is called by the name of the Lord is to be the custodian and steward of all creation, including humanity and its needs. By creation and redemption, humanity and all that has been created are a peculiar portion of the Lord.

On the other hand, in Matthew in 25:42-46, Jesus is challenging the present church to be His feet, hands, ears, eyes and mouth to the community. He says’ “When I was hungry you did not feed me, when I was thirsty, you did not give me some water to drink, when I was a stranger among you, you did not invite me, when I was naked, you did not clothe me, when I was sick and in prison, you did not visit me…”

Lastly, in Acts 2:42-47, we find ten features of a renewed church, a church that is ready to tacklechallenges such as those of the 21st Century. This text speaks of a church that is rooted in the Scriptures, a church that enjoys having fellowship among the believers, breaks bread during Holy Communion and prays earnestly and together. Such a church experiences miraculous wonders of God and stays united. This text continues to tell us that, members of such a church share everything, even material things according to each one’s needs. This is a church that worships regularly, leaves the building of worship and goes to the community to render Godly service. The text ends in verse 47 with the assurance that such a church grows in numbers.

This is what triggered St Stephen’s to engage in this exercise, an exercise that will enable the Parish to respond to the needs of the community of New Brighton as we move away from a church-centric church, to a community-centric church.

ABOUT

Siyakhathala

VISION

St Stephen’s Parish, is a Holy Spirit-led Church striving to provide a unique community response to 21st Century social challenges.

MISSION

TheMission of St Stephen’s Parish is to:

. Design an outreach development programme intended for church leaders, volunteers and active community members

. Design social, sustainable programmes for the youth, women and elderly congregants

. Forge relationships with other relevant stakeholders in Government, business and community Non-Governmental Organisations, Non-Profit Organisations and community leaders of different sectors

. Establish a church community forum to measure progress, influence policies and other necessary needs (Information-sharing sessions)

. Establish an internal church member database of professionals in various specialist fields for assistance when needed

. Design and adhere to the church year plan for purposes of addressing 21st Century social challenges

VALUES

. Preparedness to serve and share: 2 Corinthians 4:5; “For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake”.

. Compassion, love, mutual and social support: Mark 6:34;“And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things”.

. Ownership and accountability: Romans 14:12;“So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God”.

. Volunteerism: 1 John 3:18; “Little children, let us not love in word or talk, but in deed and in truth”.

. Ethics and integrity at all church levels: 1 Peter 1: 15-16;“But as He who called you is Holy, you also be Holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be Holy, for I am Holy”.

NEWS & RESOURCES

Read On

Organisations of the parish

A description of various organisations in our church from our Rector, Archdeacon L.Ngesi, to our Reverend A.Ngodwane followed by our : Lay Ministers, Mothers Union, St Bernard Mizeki, St Mary Magdelene, Anglican Women Fellowship, Anglican Youth Fellowship, our Servers, the Choir and last but not least our Juniors St Agnes.

Portfolios of the parish

This is a team that plays an essential part of the structure of our church and have a vital role in acting on behalf of the portfolios they represent. They give views, on behalf of the community, church, on planning applications and other proposals that affect the Parish.

The Portfolios are as follows :

Worship
Evangelism
Pastoral Care
Education
Outreach
Environment
Health
Gender
IT

Activites

Church is not an event you go to, it is a family you belong to. In no other way can the believer become as fully involved with God's work, especially the work of world evangelism, as in intercessory prayer. The Church is a collection of like-minded people who have made the decision to follow Christ. They come together to both give and receive support and encouragement from each other.

This section is where we will display our church's. activities.

Baptismal

This is your Resources Section. It’s a great place to update your visitors about industry news, or publish relevant announcements about your forum. Informational articles can be a great way to position yourself as an authority in your field, and keep your visitors engaged. You can also use this space to share relevant tips and offer links to external resources.

News / Iindaba

St Stephens Anglican Parish newsletter/ iindaba merely focuses on teaching our people, our congregation and our followers about our church, the history and background of our church, the church's mission and vision, activities and what it is that we do as a congregation at large.