MAP Joburg
Key Facts:
Project Name: Ministry Apprentice Programme (MAP)
Programme: Equip
Partner organisation: Melville Union Church, Auckland Park, Johannesburg
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Key contact: Dave West
Support provided: The cost to the programme of one local apprentice; accommodation, resources, a small allowance and all costs linked with training and resourcing.
Summary:
Following the model established at several churches in UK and Australia, the Ministry Apprentice Programme (MAP) seeks to give young people the chance to experience a year or two of full time Christian ministry and to be trained in how to teach and serve in a church.
JMT has been supporting the programme by enabling an additional apprentice to be part of the programme for the year, and hence giving them a fantastic opportunity to learn, to serve the church and to test if full time, paid Christian work might be the right way for them in the future. Under the auspices of Dave West and Melville Union, the programme is aiming to develop future Christian leaders who are well versed in teaching the Bible faithfully. Currently for 2007 there are eight MAP workers in the course, which is a fantastic number – six local South Africans, and two Australians who’ve been sent and funded from Sydney.
In a small church, with a large student and youth ministry, and one experiencing fantastic growth, the church members are fully focused on financially supporting the development and growth of the church, the student, youth and homeless ministries. Hence, at this early stage, support for the MAP programme is coming from outside the church, in the hope that they can establish and grow this way.
Details and background:
Melville Union Church is part of the CESA (Church of England in South Africa) denomination and located in Auckland Park area of Johannesburg. Run by Dave West and his team, the church has close links with churches in UK and Australia.
Unlike many conservative evangelical churches, it is not based in the wealthier northern suburbs of Johannesburg, but is strategically located between the two main city campuses of the University of Johannesburg, and just a few kilometres from Wits University. The church began primarily as a student ministry, reaching out to the student campuses and halls of residence, and running mid-week groups and meetings for students. The evening Sunday service remains primarily student-focussed, with a continually growing student congregation, and a very active set of mid-week activities and studies on campus, run both by MU’s own student team and the Campus Outreach team who are associated with the church. A family service and ministry was then developed, which has now grown substantially, such that a normal Sunday morning service could be 150 or more people, and lots of children!
Melville Union has developed a number of areas of work – students, families, children, a homeless work (see JMT’s support for Thembalethu under Serve), as well as being the igniter and host for the Johannesburg Bible College. As the church grows, a critical need for MU and for Christians in South Africa more broadly, is to have more well-trained, Bible-teaching leaders developed. Many Christians, especially when in their twenties, might be considering whether a full-time role in ministry might be the right thing for them, but aren’t yet in a position to go to a multi-year theological course. For this reason, the MAP programme was introduced at Melville Union, following its successful model in UK and Australia, to give young people the chance to spend a year or two learning, serving and investigating Christian full-time work.
The MAP workers undertake a range of activities including:
a) Training/studying – All the apprentices receive specific training and studying, both from Dave as Minister directly and by attending some of the Johannesburg Bible College (JBC) lectures and courses.
b) Student work - All of the apprentices are involved in one or more of the student ministries; either with MUC’s FOCUS programme of meetings at UJ’s two campuses, or working with US-based Campus Outreach organisation at the Bunting Road or Kingsway campuses.
c) Homeless ministry and youth/childrens work - several of the MAP workers have taken the opportunity to get involved with Thembalethu’s work with homeless teenage boys from the streets of the surrounding Auckland Park area. Meeting with the boys three times a week, helping to provide food, washing, clothing and help with medical aid or getting ID cards. They then spend time doing educational work (e.g. maths/English), skills teaching (e.g. computers, carpentry) and leading a special service on a Sunday lunchtime. Further, other apprentices are involved with the childrens’ and youth work at the church.
d) General assistance – a key part of the experience is getting involved in the daily running and administration of the church; helping with the layout of church seats, preparation for services and meetings, assisting the full-time staff; this helps develop a service-attitude and get an insight into all the sides of church ministry life!
Ultimately, the aim of MAP is to see people decide to go into full-time Christian work, and often the next step is to go off to Theological college for several years. Melville Union is hoping to send and support a number of further students to colleges like George Whitfield in Cape Town in the coming years. However, that is not always the right next step for some, and following consultation with Dave and MUC, some are encouraged to stay on for another year and develop the experience and learning more. Others decide to take the valuable experience and learning into their lives and jobs in the secular world, or to other Christian organisations; almost all of the apprentices today seem to have benefited hugely from the scheme and grown in the understanding and ability to teach.
PHOTOS
Latest updates:
The MAP programme has continued to grow and develop, with the quality and structure improving each year (according to Dave!) and in 2007 there are 8 apprentices, who are:
Jan-Hendrik Laas, Charlene Pretorius, Ignace Badibanga, Refiloe Photoane, Kylie Zietsch, Stephen Rushton, Andrew Robinson, Jeff Viljoen
JMT has built a strong and close relationship with Melville Union and its work, and is in regular touch with Dave West and other leaders. Over the last two years, Nick Marsh has been part of the church at Melville and able to observe the scheme at work. Additionally, Andrew Marsh spent two months in Johannesburg and visiting MUC in late 2006.
The latest newsletter in May 2007, gave an update on all the areas of involvement with some real encouragements in the student work:
“It’s been an incredible year so far serving at the UJ campus with Focus. Our time is split between both the Kingsway and Bunting Road campuses where we run large evangelistic meetings and small-group Bible Studies.. We’ve seen the group on both campuses grow steadily: 30 students regularly meet at Bunting Road and 50 at Kingsway. At our meetings and the end of term camp we’ve watched students wrestle with relationships, the Bible’s teaching on wealth, as well the relationship between Christianity and traditional African cultures. Particularly exciting has been the growth in women’s ministry, thanks to Kylie’s diligence.”
Links and info:
Do get in touch if you’d like to receive a copy of the MAP newsletter which Melville Union send out to give updates of the work.
Ways to get involved:
Financial support – The full cost for an apprentice on the MAP scheme at Melville Union is just over £5,000. This cost includes providing accommodation in the newly acquired church building, amenities, resources and materials, training costs, as well as a small allowance for the individual to live. For many of those that want to go on to the course, they are unable to raise much funds beyond their living costs for themselves, since many come from poor backgrounds in Johannesburg and are usually recent graduates themselves. JMT has sought to fund one of the apprentices this year, and would love to continue this support, and possibly even grow the support if supporters were particularly seeking to support this project.
Prayer – specific prayer points for MAP:
- Thanks for an exciting and challenging year of ministry so far
- For growth in maturity and numbers in both Campus Outreach and Focus
- For wisdom to deal with difficult situations at Thembalethu
- For rest and refreshment
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