Death of Lucky: ministry in Jo’burg

Lucky died just weeks before we returned to Australia.

While begging at the lights, Lucky was hit by a car and died instantly. 

He had been coming to our Thembalethu homeless ministry for several months and was well known by many of our long-term members.

After Lucky’s memorial service, I hope that the boys reflect on life and death and where they see their lives going. 

Johannesburg as South Africa’s economic capital is seen as a city of hope but there is great disparity in wealth, bringing many social problems. Poverty, HIV/AIDS, unemployment and homelessness affect many people.

We work with David and Leisl West who founded Melville Union Church as a deliberately multiracial Christian community in the heart of Johannesburg. There the church preaches the Lordship of Christ: working both with South Africa’s future leaders in the universities nearby as well as providing for street children and AIDS orphans.

Unlike many evangelical churches, it is strategically located in one of the city’s more demographically diverse areas between the two main city campuses of the University of Johannesburg, and just a few kilometres from Wits University.

A large part of our time is spent leading the campus ministry called FOCUS. But with the support of Melville Union Church we have also aimed to build up a ministry to homeless boys.

Thankfully an evangelistic Sunday we did with the boys in mid last year saw Lucky come forward to receive Jesus as his Savior.

We know that many of the boys believe but find it very difficult to live Christianly when on the streets and facing all the temptations assailing them there. 

However the truth of Ephesians 2:8 gives us great hope in situations such as these; “For by grace you have been saved, through faith- and this not from yourself, it is a gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.”

At the same time the house next to Melville Union church was burned down.

The church had bought it at the end of last year and is used for offices, as well as rented to our church workers for their accommodation. Thankfully no one was in the house at the time and it is fully insured. 

The church does need prayer. It is a blow for Melville Union Church as we have only been using it for 9 months.

However, we are determined that no ministry should be affected and everything will continue as before. 

Despite the inconvenience, the response of the church in helping the six church workers who have lost so much is wonderful to see. There is no question that adversity helps strengthen the church.

The homeless ministry continues to see 15 to 20 guys coming three times a week.  The shed for training the boys in computer and carpentry skills will be in use early this year.

Campus ministry growing

The university ministry also continues to grow.

One of our main objectives is to train up local leaders and we have been able to send two guys to George Whitfield College. This is a big sacrifice for them.

For many black students, they are the first in their family to receive an education and there is an expectation that they will be able to go on to a professional job which be able to support their whole family. This is a pressure Australians would find hard to understand.

Nevertheless, we are very excited with the new student ministry committee elected for next year. We have seven really dedicated students who want to see FOCUS impact their campus.

When I return to Johannesburg, the aim is to plant a new congregation on the other side of the campus. This is a poorer, very multicultural suburb and it is where many of our students live. 

The future is looking really positive.

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