R&J Hall's Durban Mission -- The Mission Council Workshops, p.1

As you may recall, our primary activity during this calendar year has developed from the declaration, in January 2001, by the denominational Mission Council of the United Congregational Church of Southern Africa at its Consultation (held in Durban and hosted by the KwaZulu-Natal Region), that 'We call upon each local church to undertake at least one mission project that seeks to make a difference in the community.' The regional Mission Council for KZN, in taking as its initial primary task this effort to spur 'involvement in the work of Mission' on the part of the local churches in KwaZulu-Natal, determined to hold a series of workshops for representatives from the local UCCSA congregations throughout the province, with the following aims: (1) To share information concerning existing mission activities by local churches; (2) To suggest expansion of local mission activities addressing the UCCSA's declared mission priorities of HIV/AIDS, poverty, and violence (both crime and abuse issues), in our local communities; (3) To learn about ways to proceed; and (4) To develop a register of current local church projects for reporting purposes.

In seeking to gain the greatest participation from the local churches in the workshops, the Mission Council determined to hold five workshops at various places in the province. We started on Saturday, 12th May at the Musgrave Road (Berea Congregational) church in Durban, with a session intended to be for the Durban area churches. Sessions were then held on Saturdays: 21st July at the Esikhaweni church (for the North Coast and Zululand churches), in a township near Richard's Bay, about 2 hours north of Durban; 28th July at St. John's United in Pietermaritzburg (for the Midlands churches); and 11th August at the Gamalakhe church (for the South Coast churches), in a township near Port Shepstone, about 1-1/2 hours south of Durban. Because of the desire to gain participation by the other churches who had been invited but had not, for one reason or the other, attended one of the initial sessions, a fifth session was held Saturday, 20th October, again at the Musgrave Road church in Durban. All local churches in the province that had not been represented at one of the 'area' workshops were invited to this additional session.

After the five workshops, more than 3/4ths (50 out of 65) of the local UCCSA congregations in the region have been represented at one of these workshop sessions. The registered attendees totaled 158 across the five sessions. We estimate that the aggregate total of those participating amounts to more than 250 people; this number includes 21 of the ministers and interns in the region, almost 2/3rds of them.

Each workshop meeting opened with devotion led by a minister from one of the attending churches, and was closed with a devotion and charge by another. The messages were inspiring.

The work of the sessions began with a time for the local churches to report on their existing activities addressing the mission priorities. The sessions revealed great interest on the part of the local churches for learning from each other, as well as for hearing about the local community outreach activities that are being conducted under the auspices of particular churches or by partnership of the churches, or through the involvement of their members in other organizations in the communities. The meetings have shown that the breadth and depth of the community outreach involvement of the local churches, and the desire to be more and more effectively involved, are greater than the regional office, and the denomination as a whole, had been aware. Among the most meaningful aspects of the sessions has been the opportunity for those attending to engage in open dialogue concerning common issues encountered in their efforts.

As additional aspects of these workshop sessions, there were presentations by outside organizations who are active in one or more of the mission priority fields, in the geographic area covered by the workshop, and who are interested in partnering with the local churches, seeking the involvement of church members, or providing training or serving as resource points for activities by the churches or their members. The representatives of these outside organizations have indicated that the sessions have proven valuable for their organizations as well. We have learned of follow-up contacts already made.

Finally, there was time for dialogue and discussion about common issues as raised in the reported experiences of the churches themselves and the information from the outside organizations, and some efforts at training and guidance as part of the sessions.

The regional Mission Council has prepared and published an extensive report, with the title "Izinkwa neZinhlanzi / Loaves and Fishes," to record the information gathered from the workshops, and to make resulting recommendations.

If you go to the next page, we've posted some pictures from the workshop sessions. Our experience in working on and in the workshops has been incredibly rewarding, and a true joy.