A District Superintendent Shares Ideas
Impact Weekends
Concepts that have worked well for us on the Western Cape District are “impact weekends.” People from churches around the district spend a weekend at another Nazarene church that is struggling, or perhaps the community is struggling for various reasons.
We go in and work with the youth, hosting programs for them and perhaps counseling those involved with drugs or gangs.
For the community, we invest funds to work on a house and everyone goes in to clean, paint, and repair it.
In addition to work and outreach efforts, we hold church services. Friday night services are geared to young people.
On Saturdays, we minister to children with a variety of options for them.
Then on Sundays, we have a large worship service and invite people from the community to join that local congregation.
Tutoring
Another thing that works well for us is the district-funded program in mathematics to help children who are struggling with that subject. We get teachers from the community who come in on a Saturday morning for a tutoring program. That has helped a lot of young people to be more successful in their academics.
Students are transported in from surrounding areas to the school where we are meeting that day. As an example, a principal has allowed us access to his school numerous times. It helps that the program’s director, Donovan Ramedies, is an administrator at that school and pastors the Blue Downs Church of the Nazarene.
Mentoring
We believe in mentoring and have a program for that. I have mentored younger pastors, new district superintendents, and so on. Mentoring helps all of us know one another better, and we see what strengths each of us brings to our areas of ministry.
We look around and see the needs; we consider how we can meet those needs as a district. God is helping us to be the church in action.
Patrick Paulse
Facts about the Church of the Nazarene in South Africa
Africa Region
Regional Director: Filimao Chambo.
Total Districts: 130.
Total Organized Churches: 4,430.
Total Church Members: 600,285.
Average Weekly Worship Attendance: 346,730.
Africa South Field
Field Strategy Coordinator: Mashangu Maluleka.
Total Districts: 23.
Total Organized Churches: 712.
Total Church Members: 83,214.
Average Weekly Worship Attendance: 59,195.
Year the Church of the Nazarene entered South Africa: 1919.
Western Cape District
District Superintendent: Patrick Paulse.
Churches: 37.
Total Church Members: 6,500.
Average Weekly Worship Attendance: 3,446.
Please note: All facts, figures, and titles were accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of original publication but may have since changed.
