NG Kerk in Oos-Kaapland

Hieronder volg ‘n berig soos wat die buitewêreld vanoggend deur die elektroniese kommunikasie van die Bond van Gereformeerde Kerke gehoor het dat die Suid-Afrikaanse kerke in ‘n verklaring onder andere vir President Mbeki vra om meer as “stille diplomasie” te doen in die Zimbabwe krisis (sien hierdie verklaring aangeheg). Ons het ook vanoggend verneem van Saterdag se staatshoofde-beraad in Zambië, waarheen die SA-president, na wat berig word ook sal gaan, om die dreigende krisis in ons buurland te bespreek.

Ons dink (en bid vir) in besonder in hierdie tyd aan ons (oorblywende) broers en susters van NG Kerk in Zimbabwe (‘n ring van die Noordelike Sinode), maar veral ook ons broers en susters van ons vennootskap-kerke (die Reformed Church in Zimbabwe – Morgenster en omgewing, asook die CCAP in Harare en Bulawayo) wat midde-in hierdie oplaaiende spanning en onsekerheid moet lewe.

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Mugabe can save himself by stepping down, says Tutu

Johannesburg, 9 April (ENI)--South African churches have urged President Thabo Mbeki to work vigorously to get Zimbabwe to release full election results without delay, while Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu says Robert Mugabe can still redeem himself by stepping down as president.

"The delayed release of the results creates unnecessary tension and insecurity for millions of voters and may undermine their faith in democratic processes," the South African Council of Churches said in a statement released on 8 April.

"The slow and seemingly stage-managed release of Zimbabwe's election results raises concerns," it stated. "The long delay in the announcement of the results of the presidential vote is disturbing and may compromise the entire electoral process. Accordingly, we urge the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to release these results now."

Zimbabweans voted on 29 March in presidential, parliamentary and local elections. The opposition parties gained a majority in the parliament, but results in the presidential election had still not been released when the church council made its statement.

"We urge the South African government to work vigorously to promote the timely publication of election results and to prevent any violence or crisis from emerging in the wake of this historic election," the South African church group stated

"Given the mandate conferred on the South African government by the SADC [Southern African Development Community] Peace and Security Council, we believe it is time for President Mbeki to move beyond his policy of 'quiet diplomacy' in Zimbabwe," said the church council, which represents Protestant, Orthodox and Roman Catholic Christian groups.

The SACC noted that it had been unable to gain accreditation to monitor the 29 March elections, in which President Mugabe who has led Zimbabwe since independence in 1980, faced a challenge from Morgan Tsvangirai, leader of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change party.

"The people have spoken," the South African church grouping noted. "Democratic elections are the right of citizens and the mechanism by which they express their ambitions, wishes and aspirations," it said. "It is therefore vital that the will of the people be respected. Failure to do so may cause people to lose faith in the ballot as a means of determining the popular will. Everything possible must be done to ensure that democratic processes are credible, legitimate and acceptable to the voters."

In San Francisco on 8 April. Tutu, the former Anglican archbishop of Cape Town, urged the 84-year-old Mugabe to accept that he lost the presidential election in Zimbabwe.

"They are tipping over the precipice," Tutu told journalists. "Violence is very much in the air." The cleric who came to the fore during the struggle against apartheid in South Africa said, "I would have hoped there would be a great deal more pressure, not just from South Africa but from the international community." He continued, "On the whole, African leadership has not done themselves proud on this one."

The Geneva-based World Council of Churches, which told the United Nations it would monitor the elections through its member churches in Africa, had not yet made a statement by 9 April.

In Cape Town, the Rev Kenneth Meshoe, the leader of the African Christian Democratic Party, an opposition group in the South African parliament, said in a statement on 9 April, "Are our African leaders bewitched or under Robert Mugabe's spell? Why are they remaining silent while Zimbabwe is being pushed towards potential violence, bloodshed and a humanitarian crisis? African leaders with their indifference and 'don't care' attitude have not only disappointed the people of this continent but many throughout the world who thought that their talk about democracy was more than lip service."

The secretary general of Catholic aid group Caritas Internationalis, Lesley Anne Knight, said on 9 April, "Failure to release the election results without any compelling reason is not justifiable. It is simply leading to the suspicion that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is being manipulated to produce results against the verdict of the people."

The Christian Council from the South African province of KwaZulu Natal called for intervention in the Zimbabwean situation by the South African government and leaders of SADC countries to ensure that the presidential election results are released without further delay, and that the results are honoured.

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Elza Meyer van Moreletapark hou Pinkster in Queenstown

Ds Peet Grobbelaar van Queenstown bring die volgende onder ons aandag:

Ds Elza Meyer van Moreletpark gemeente bied 'n vervroegde Pinksterreeks by die N G Gemeente Queenstown aan. Dit begin Sondagoggend 20 April om 09:00 te Robinsonweg 38, Queenstown en is elke aand van Sondagaand tot Woensdagaand om 18:00. Dit beloof of 'n lewensveranderende ervaring te wees.

Vir navrae kontak ons kerkkantoor by 045 0831891.

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Goeie Nuus SA

Ds Paul Odendaal van Adelaide se hierdie goeie nuus-webblad oor Suid-Afrika beteken vir hom baie en help hom perspektief behou: www.sagoodnews.co.za. Jy kan inteken op ‘n weeklikse Goeie Nuus e-pos - besoek http://www.sagoodnews.co.za/newsletter/index.html. Verbasend hoeveel besondere goed in SA gebeur.

Natuurlik is daar nie net goeie nuus nie - dit sou naïef wees. Maar daar is ook nie net slegte nuus nie...

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‘n Doktorsgraad in Christelike Studies vir Ronell Bezuidenhout

Ronell Bezuidenhout wat in die gemeentes Somerstrand en Kensington in ons sinode gedien het, ontvang met die NMMU April -gradeplegtigheid haar doktorsgraad in Christelike Studies. Die titel van haar tesis is: Re-imagining life: A study of "public theology" in the work of Linell Cady, Denise Ackermann, and Etienne de Villiers.

In hierdie studie verdedig sy die positiewe rol van ons Christelike geloof in die publieke lewe. Teenoor fundamentalisme wat gevaarlike politieke ideologieë kan ondersteun en teenoor die idee van 'n "private" Christendom, stel sy voor dat lewe-gewende publieke teologie aan drie kriteria behoort te voldoen: Eerstens moet argumente met 'n koherente rasionaliteit gevoer word. Tweedens moet teologiese kommunikasie wegstuur van jargon en toeganklik wees vir die breëre publiek, en derdens moet teologie inspraak lewer op sake van openbare belang.

Ronell is tans leraar in Fontainebleau, Johannesburg,. Haar promotor was Piet Naude, en die twee eksterne eksaminatore, Robert Vosloo van die Kweekskool op Stellenbosch, and Ernst Conradie van die UWK.

Sover bekend, is dit die eerste proefskrif oor die Amerikaanse feministiese teoloog, Linell Cady, asook die eerste poging om die werk van twee nog lewende (!) Suid-Afrikaanse teoloë onder die loep te neem.

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Johan van Rooyen (PE-De Duin) ondergaan hartvatomleiding

Dink asb in julle gebede aan ds Johan van Rooyen van PE-De Duin-gemeente wat vandag ‘n hartvat-omleiding ondergaan. Hy word vanaf 13:00 geopereer. Bid asseblief vir sy herstel, en ook vir hom en sy gesin op die pad vorentoe.

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Ampie Swanevelder na Kirkwood beroep

Gawie Gouws van Kirkwood skryf:

“Ons (die NG gemeente Sondagsrivier (Kirkwood) het die volgende beroep uitgebring: Ds. P.B. (Ampie) Swanevelder van Sonlandpark na Sondagsrivier (Kirkwood). Ds. Swanevelder het die beroep aanvaar en word in die gemeente ontvang op 25 April 19:00, terwyl hy sy intreepreek op 27 April om 09:30 lewer.”

Welkom in die Oos-Kaap Ampie!

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Konsep-Handves vir Godsdiensregte

Prof Pieter Coertzen vra terugvoer oor ‘n Konsep-Handves van Godsdiensregte. Daar is tot hierdie dokument ooreengekom op ‘n Werkswinkel wat op 14 Februarie 2008 te Stellenbosch by die Teologiese Fakulteit van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch gehou is.

Aan die werkswinkel het deelgeneem:

• Verteenwoordigers van 4 Godsdienste in Suid-Afrika – die Christendom, die Joodse Geloof, die Islam en die Suid-Afrikaanse Tamil Federasie

• Verteenwoordigers van 21 Christelike denominasies

• Verteenwoordigers van 9 Godsdienstige - en akademiese instellinge

• Verteenwoordigers van ‘n aantal plaaslike gemeentes

Almal wat tot dusver betrokke was by die ontwikkeling van die Konsep Handves sien dit as ‘n moontlikheid dat indien die godsdiensgemeenskappe van Suid-Afrika ooreenstemming kan bereik oor die inhoud van die Handves dit vanuit en namens die godsdiensgemeenskappe aan die regering voorgelê kan word vir aanvaarding deur die Parlement as ‘n dokument met regskrag (sien artikel 234 van die Grondwet).

Die mening van elke lid van die godsdiensgemeenskappe van Suid-Afrika is daarom baie belangrik, beide wat betref
* die inhoud van die dokument en
* die verdere hantering van die dokument.

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Prof Andrew Purves besoek PE op 4 Augustus 2008

Die Purves-egpaar is beide predikante, en beide besoek Port Elizabeth op 3 en 4 Augustus 2008.

Lees gerus die volledige inligtingstuk wat hier op ons webblad te vind is.

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Aandag Skollies! Skoolverlaterskampe 2008

Dit is weer tyd vir die jaarlikse Skollie-kampe, vanjaar by Jeffreysbaai of Zuurberg. Kondig die kampe asb in gemeentes af. Julle kan meer hieroor lees by www.ngkok.co.za/skollies. Daar is ook ‘n inskrywingsvorm beskikbaar. Dupliseer asb en gee vir julle skoolverlaters. Die koste is R580, wat goeie waarde vir geld is. Gemeentes kan dalk oorweeg om jongmense gedeeltelik of ten volle te borg.

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Padberade

Ek herinner weer aa die padberade. Alle leraars, skriba’s en ander kerkkantoorpersoneel, en ook lidmaatleiers is welkom. Ons nooi veral daardie soort lidmaatleiers wat by die gemeenskap betrokke is, sodat ons saam kan gesels oor wat God besig is om te doen.

Hier is die skedule:

Datum	Plek	Ring(e)	Gasheer-Gemeente
Maandag, 14 April	Paterson	Albanie, Sondagsrivier, Uitenhage	Paterson
Dinsdag, 15 April	Oos-Londen	Oos-Londen	Oos-Londen-Noord
Woensdag, 16 April	Dordrecht	Burgersdorp, Dordrecht, Queenstown	Dordrecht
Donderdag, 17 April	Cradock	Cradock, Graaff-Reinet	Cradock-Oos
Vrydag, 18 April	Cradock	Volle Sinodale Kommissie vergader	Cradock-Oos
Maandag, 21 April	Port Elizabeth	PE-Wes	Van Stadensrivier
Dinsdag, 22 April	Port Elizabeth	PE, Humansdorp	PE-De Duin
Vrydag, 25 April	Port Elizabeth	Algoa	Algoapark-Noord

Daar is ‘n baie lae tarief betaalbaar vir personeel en lidmate. Jy moet net DADELIK laat weet jy kom. Die volledige besonderhede is op die inskrywingsvorm.

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Kyk na die video van Obama se toespraak

Na aanleiding van die verwysing na Obama se nou reeds bekende toespraak oor rassisme, vestig Flip du Toit ons aandag op ‘n webskakel waar mens na die video van die toespraak in sy geheel kan kyk. Beslis die moeite werd:

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid900881681/bclid900480414/bctid1472313547

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The best investment you can ever make...

There was a one hour interview on CNBC with Warren Buffet, the second richest man who has donated $31 billion to charity.

Here are some very interesting aspects of his life:

1. He bought his first share at age 11 and he now regrets that he started too late!

2. He bought a small farm at age 14 with savings from delivering newspapers.

3. He still lives in the same small 3-bedroom house in mid-town Omaha, that he bought after he got married 50 years ago. He says that he has everything he needs in that house. His house does not have a wall or a fence.

4. He drives his own car everywhere and does not have a driver or security people around him.

5. He never travels by private jet, although he owns the world's largest private jet company.

6. His company, Berkshire Hathaway, owns 63 companies. He writes only one letter each year to the CEO's of these companies, giving them goals for the year. He never holds meetings or calls them on a regular basis. He has given his CEO's only two rules:

Rule number 1: do not lose any of your share holder's money.

Rule number 2: Do not forget rule number 1.

7. He does not socialize with the high society crowd. His past time after he gets home is to make himself some pop corn and watch Television.

8. Bill Gates, the world's richest man met him for the first time only 5 years ago. Bill Gates did not think he had anything in common with Warren Buffet. So he had scheduled his meeting only for half hour. But when Gates met him, the meeting lasted for ten hours and Bill Gates became a devotee of Warren Buffet.

9. Warren Buffet does not carry a cell phone, nor has a computer on his desk. His advice to young people: "Stay away from credit cards and invest in yourself and

Remember:

A. Money doesn't create man but it is the man who created money.

B. Live your life as simple as you can.

C. Don't do what others say, just listen to them, but do what you feel is good.

D. Don't go on brand names; just wear those things in which you feel comfortable.

E. Don't waste your money on unnecessary things; rather spend on those people who are really in need.

F. After all it's your life - then why give chance to others to rule your life."

G. The best investment you can ever make, is to invest in the Kingdom of God.

(Met dank aan Johan Kotze)

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That’s were I buried the bodies…

An old man lived alone in Kwa Mashu. He wanted to spade his potato garden, but it was very hard work. His only son, Simphiwe, who used to help him, was in Polsmoor Prison.

The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament. "Dear Simphiwe, I am feeling pretty bad because it looks like I won't be able to plant my potato garden this year. I'm just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. If you were here, all my troubles would be over. I know you would dig the plot for me. Love, Papa"

A few days later he received a letter from his son. "Dear Papa, For heaven's sake, Papa, don't dig up that garden, that's where I Buried the BODIES. Love, Simphiwe"
At 4 A.M. the next morning, the Scorpion Unit, NIA agents and local police showed up and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man and left.

That same day the old man received another letter from his son: "Dear Papa, Go ahead and plant the potatoes now. That's the best I could do under the circumstances. Love Simphiwe."
(Van Isa Goosen)

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Groete tot ons weer gesels,

Danie Mouton

Sinodale Kommunikasie

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