Palm Sunday

This is a special day when we remember Jesus entering Jerusalem riding on a colt and all the people shouting and singing, waving palm branches and putting cloaks on the ground. When Jesus stopped at one stage the Bible says He wept over Jerusalem. We realize that He weeps today over the tragedies in our world. But the good news is that He faced the cross to bring hope and new life.

Holy Week 2008

On Sunday we "launched" into Holy Week with joyful singing and the waving of ferns. We thank the ladies who made us all beautiful palm crosses that we will treasure and perhaps keep in our Bibles for another year.

This is a very meaningful and special week as we remember what Jesus went through for us. On Wedneday at our Harties church we will be celebrating the Passover meal and "Jews for Jesus" are coming to explain the significance of each part of the meal to us and how Christ fulfilled them.

On Thursday we will have the Service of the Shadows at Brits - called the Tennebrae Service and as we read all the events leading up to the cross, candles will be extinguished until we sit in the dark shadows, praying.

On Friday morning we will gather for our Good Friday service as Jesus hung on that cross and then on Sunday we will greet the rising sun over the dam and celebrate that our Saviour rose from the dead. I am sure the service on Sunday will be filled with joy and promise of our risen Saviour's presence.

A Wedding

This is a recent wedding. The church and the bridal party were so beautiful. When the cameraman needed to change a battery - no problem - the choir just sang while he did that!

Beautiful boys

One of our new babies soon to be baptised being proudly held by cousin Amo.

Bright smile and colours

This is Elizabeth Makuwa, a member at Brits- what a advert for our rainbow church. She can always be found helping out around. She has also been on the Emmaus Walk

Together again

It was great to be together again as the two congregations of Brits Methodist and Harties joined for a service, because the Harties venue was not available that Sunday - a good excuse for a reunion!

God's work

Life at Brits Methodist church is good. We praise our Lord for His faithfulness and provision. Services are well attended and our leaders and helpers are doing well. We recently enjoyed a combined service with both the Brits and Harties congregations together. It was like a big, happy family reunion.

The Sunday school is strong and doing well under the leadership of Moira.

We love our new organ - we are so gratefull to Sinoville Methodist in Pretoria for donating it to us. May God bless you for your kindness.

The next Emmaus Walks are soon and we are sending quite a few people to experience this wonderful spiritual journey. We know these folk will be blessed out of their socks.

We have at least 2 new babies and we congratulate these proud families.

The combined Youth group from both the Brits church and Harties church meet each Friday evening for supper (provided by the moms) and a Bible study, some music and a game if there is time. These enthusuatic young folk are also visiting a safe house on a Saturday afternoon once a month to play with the children there.

We started off Lent with our Koeksuster making delicious pancakes.We then had an Ash Service and started the Lent journey to the cross reminded of what Jesus went through. Some of us have given something up or a fasting one day a week to prepare ourselves for Holy Week.

Easter Programme
Passover Supper – Wed 19th March
6.30 pm at Harties
Tennebrae Service – Thursday 20th March
7.00 pm at Brits
Good Friday – Fri 21st March
8.am Harties and 9.30 Brits
Easter Sunrise Service – Time to be advised
Caribbean Beach Club
Resurrection Sunday 23rd March
8am Harties 9.30 am Brits

Christmas Wreath

In the four Sundays leading up to Christmas and on Christmas Day, we light candles to remind us of the advent of Jesus Christ. Members of the congregation take part each Sunday.
The large centre candle is lit on Christmas day and we are reminded that Jesus is the centre of our celebrations.

Christmas Day Dec 2007

We will be holding a Christmas Day service at our Harties Church in Schoemansville at 8 am - cnr Marais and Kyper St at the Diens Sentrum Hartbeeshof,

and at 9.30 am at our Brits Church.

All are welcome. Rev Jannie Hofmeyr will be leading both services and there will be some old and new carols to sing. We have been lighting an advent candle each Sunday leading up to Christmas. On Christmas Day, the centre candle is lit and this reminds us all to keep Christ at the centre.

Carols by Candlelight

Wed 12th December 2007.

A perfect evening during a stormy month, a beautiful sunset on the lawn at the waterside of Hartbeespoortdam, Caribbean Beach Club was the setting for our picnic and carol service. The violins and guitars accompanied our carol singing and in between songs various people read the story of Jesus' birth to us.

To get us thinking Rev Jannie asked us where would we address a letter to Jesus?..Bethlehem.......Jerusalem.....? How about our own address? We sing "O now carry me to Bethlehem, to see the Lord appear to men..", but the true meaning of Christmas is that the Lord is born in our hearts and lives at our address, and does not remain the baby in a manger in Bethlehem 2000 years ago.

May we all experience His closeness every day - may every day be Christmas and may we all savour the "moments" with loved ones and friends and also think of those who suffer and grieve more intensely at this time.

Carols at Sonop

Joy to the World - well, to Sonop Old Age Home for a start. On Sat 1st Dec a group from Brits and Harties Methodist played and sang their lungs out bringing the message of Christmas to the old folk at Sonop.

They were treated to a gift each made by the Henna Ladies - a hand painted draw string bag with soap, lotion etc inside. A kind donation paid for a scrumptious lunch too for them. As usual, we were probably even more blessed than they were!

Henna Ladies Group

Hen Party or swans?

Our ladies group - named after a beautiful flower in the Bible met at "Jeannelies" for morning tea for our end of year celebration. We shared about our families and Christmas plans while swans floated nearby on the water. We finalised the details for the visit to the Sonop Old Age Home on the 1st December, where we will be singing carols and serving lunch with help from volunteers from the rest of both congregations.

Youth

Youth Bible Study and Fun
On Friday evenings the Youth from Harties and Brits churches have been meeting together for Bible Study, followed by nice food prepared by the moms and then a fun game. Jan and Angela have been helping us and lately we have been studying the book of Titus and have enjoyed grappling together verse by verse with what God is calling us to do and how to live.










Beetle Drive we discovered is not where we got to drive a Volksie, aah gee, but had to draw beetles with the correct number of legs, eyes and antennae! It was the boys team who seemed to win time and time again. But when it came to a winking game and "killing" our fellow youth, the girls were good!

Leaving the nest

We pray for both churches in this new season of growth and adventure. We are still all ONE in Christ our Saviour and will have lots of fellowship together. It is not good-bye, but God bless.

More pics and article on the harties blog site - http://hartiesmethodist.blogspot.com

Blessed to be a blessing

Our church is fulfilling a big dream - to start another congregation at the Hartbeespoortdam.On Sunday the 28th October, we celebrated our last combined service at Brits - exciting, scary, tearful, momentous, challenging......you can imagine the host of emotions.
The Lord has blessed us at Brits to the extent that we feel the time is right to take this leap of faith.
The Hoffies wrote a new little verse to the song "I'm blessed and I know that I am-
I’m blessed to be a blessing every moment of the day
I’m blessed to be a blessing in All I do and all I say
I’m blessed to be a blessing when I work and when I pray
I’m blessed to be a blessing
I`M BLESSED!
I`M BLESSED!
I`M BLESSED!
At the end of the service we formed 2 circles - the Brits congregation enfolding the ones who were setting out and prayers were offered. The fledgling church is ready to fly.

New members for Brits Methodist

After an enjoyable dinner at the church on 18 September, Jannie officially welcomed our newest members to the congregation during the Sunday service on 23 September.

As followers of Christ we are called to serve and we encourage all members - old and new - to use their gifts and talents in service to God.

We are blessed to have you and hope that you will enjoy being part of this very special family.

Lay Witness Banner team

In order to advertise the Lay Witness GIFT weekend, some very creative congregation members used their talents to design and make the banner, currently on the fence in front of the church.

The banner was designed by Julie Hammond, and our artists - Wilna and Charlene Otto & Amy Ashby - reproduced the design on calico and painted it.

Pic courtesy Charmaine Ashby.

Sunday School

Our young congregation members show their enthusiasm for Sunday School by attending during school holidays as well as term time.
These pics were taken during the July school holidays

Pics courtesy Charmaine Ashby

Growing In Faith Together - 5 - 7 october 2007

We are looking forward to the Faith and Fellowship weekend with great enthusiasm and have finalised the programme for the weekend. For your easy reference, please find the details below.

All members of the congregation, your friends and family are welcome to join in any or all of the events (in fact the more you can participate, the better!!). While RSVP's do assist with catering, replies are not essential and you aer welcome to attend whether you have indicated your intentions or not.

FRIDAY 5 OCTOBER
6.30 pm congregational supper and fellowship at the Church
7.30 pm Worship, team introductions and testimonies followed by tea/coffee


SATURDAY 6 OCTOBER
10.00 am Coffee, tea and coke groups in homes
3.00 pm Coffee, tea and coke groups in homes
6.30 pm Congregational supper at the Church

SUNDAY 7 OCTOBER
9.00 am Worship service at the church followed by fellowship over tea
6-7 pm Celebration and evaluation service at the church

For more information, please contact Rev Jannie Hofmeyr on 012 244 3217 or Priscilla Oosthuizen on 012 252 0493

We hope to see you there!!!

Lay Witness weekend - Faith and Fellowship

We, at Brits Methodist Church, are blessed to be hosting a lay witness weekend on 5, 6 and 7 October.

Although the church hosted a Lay Witness Mission a few years ago, there are many members who were not here at that time and who have not experienced such a weekend before. To tell us more about how the weekend works and how each member of the Church can get involved, a coordinator from Lay Witness will be speaking at the service on Sunday 19 August.

From our church, Priscilla Oosthuizen is handling the coordination - a mighty task - and she would appreciate any help from members of our church. Particular areas of need include people for the prayer group, publicity, accommodation, catering, transport, tea and coffee groups, youth, music and flowers. Please contact her on 072 779 9744 if you are able to help in any way.