Family Ministries South Africa
Activities: Seminars, Church seminars, Family Ministry School (FMS),
Languages: english
Vision and purpose
To see healing, restoration and hope take place in the lives of families, the church body and the local community, who will in turn impact their nation, through biblical worldview teaching.
We believe the long term goal of the Family Ministry School is the multiplication of the training and to equip those in ministry those in churches and working in community in various ways to help bring about healing and restoration. The theme for the Ugandan Family Ministry School was: Reaching Nations through Restored Families and we have kept this for the ongoing ministry.
The scriptures we felt that God wanted us to bring in relation to Family Ministries were from Nehemiah. As with the city of Jerusalem which was in ruins, so are our families, communities and nations. When the walls of Jerusalem were rebuilt, they were rebuilt by families working together.
Nehemiah 2:17-18
Then I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and it’s gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace”.
Nehemiah 4:14
“Remember the Lord, who is great and glorious, and fight for your friends, your families, and your homes!” (NLT)
Ministry overview
Ministry Overview
After helping to establish the Family Ministry School (FMS) in Uganda from 2003-2005 and in South Africa from 2006-2008, under the leadership of Dr Bruce and Nellie Litchfield, John and Jenny Le Clerc felt the need to take Family Ministry teaching out to non-YWAMers, those who were not able to come and do a FMS due to financial reasons or family commitments. This came about when we were teaching on a DTS in Yei Southern Sudan and pastors from Juba were expressing their desire to do the FMS, but could not, and asked us “why can’t you bring the teaching to us” – so this was where we believe God birthed it in our hearts.
In 2009 we did a fact finding trip to Swaziland and Zimbabwe meeting pastors with the desire to bring Family Ministry teaching to those regions.
In 2008 Family Ministries made connection with Brandvlei Prision to bring teaching on family relationships to the case workers and wardens. We took our staff, students and lecturer to the prison for three weeks of lectures, the first week covering The African family and Cultural Differences, the second week Addictions and the third week on Grief and Trauma in the Family. It was a wonderful door that God opened and now YWAM Family Ministries is on the data base of Correctional Services South African.
The FMS outreaches have been mainly to the district of Worcester and Rawsonville, which has the highest rate of alcoholism per capita in the world. This is due to a history of the Dop System in earlier years when white farm owners paid their African farm workers with wine instead of wages which caused a stronghold of alcohol addiction. This method of payment is now illegal. The FMS have been running seminars for farm workers and local farm supervisors as they can then take the teaching back to their workers in the field.
History
After pioneering the Family Ministry School in Uganda from 2003 to 2005 the school was then started in Worcester, South Africa in 2006 with Dr Bruce & Nellie Litchfield leading the lecture phase, and then John and Jenny Le Clerc leading the outreach. The 2007 and 2008 schools were then led by John and Jenny Le Clerc. Roelof and Kim van der Merwe who are from South Africa and have now taken on the leadership of the FMS and have run it from 2009.
In 2008 Family Ministries made connection with Brandvlei Prision to bring teaching on family relationships to the case workers and wardens. We took our staff, students and lecturer to the prison for three weeks of lectures, the first week covering The African family and Cultural Differences, the second week Addictions and the third week on Grief and Trauma in the Family. It was a wonderful door that God opened and now YWAM Family Ministries is on the data base of Correctional Services South African.
Opportunities
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We would like to have at least another couple to come on board with us with our ministry to be able to continue and take the ministry on as the doors are opening up to us.
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To raise our support base for personal and ministry expenses so we can continue to serve the Lord as He has called us.
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Please pray for direction for our ministry and ourselves as we look at our general circumstances and the challenges we face as we continue.