Trevor remains at Northfield
Submitted by Aiden Choles on Fri, 2008-06-13 11:09.
A few months back I posted an entry wishing Trevor well in his next move after Northfield. It turns out now, after much discerning and discussion, that Trevor will remain a part of the Northfield team next year. Some of the website readers inquired as to how they could stay in touch with Trevor. Well, now it's quite easy ... his telephone number and email address will remain the same :)
Trev, perhaps you'd like to tell us a little more of what your involvement next year will be, by way of a comment to this post?
Re: Trevor remains at Northfield
Hi Aiden
After the decision to leave Northfield last August, I explored a number of different ministry invitations. None of them seemed to really grab my heart, except one which I did explore for sometime. However, in the end this particular option closed down. As a result I did not want to make a five year commitment to any congregation (as we have to when we receive an invitation to a Methodist Church in Southern Africa), and so I found myself without appointment. I was then approached by our Elders to consider staying on for a year in a restructured and part-time position.
What does this then mean for me in 2009? Schalk Pienaar and Brian Smith have asked me to be available to preach on 12 Sundays during the year and to continue developing the mid-week Teaching Ministry and Spiritual Formation initiatives, as well as investing time in the growing of the Healing Well Ministry. I will discontinue all Pastoral work and Pastoral counselling but will be available for marriages and funerals when required. This should add up to approximately sixty percent of my time.
With regard to the other forty percent of my time, I will be doing a number of things. Some of this time will go towards the development of a retreat programme at the new Emseni Retreat Centre. The rest of the time will be spent preaching and teaching where invited. I have been invited to do three two-week ministry trips in the USA in 2009 and one one-week ministry trip at the Central Mission in Sydney, Australia. In between all this I hope to do a little bit more writing.
I am grateful to Northfield for making this year possible and hope that I can continue to make some meaningful contribution to its ongoing life and ministry as it moves into its new future.
Warm Regards
Trevor
Re: Trevor remains at Northfield
Hi there!
Although I am not a member of the Methodist Church, I often attended the services in Kempton Park (Monument Rd) where Trevor ministered before. My husband, Eric Diepraam, was a member of that church at that time but he passed away in 1996.
When I read in the Afrikaans periodical, "Leef", about the retreat he had at the Good Shephard near Hartebeespoort dam, I just had to try to contact you, so I used the internet. I would so much love to attend such a retreat. When will you be having the next retreat? May I attend even though I'm not Methodist? I can't find anything about retreats in your events on internet.
I am at present reading Trevor's book "Vrae wat God ons vra" - great stuff, lots to make you think about what God desires from us and also a beautiful book to look at.
PLEASE let me know about the retreat and THANKS for the trouble!!!
Friena Diepraam
084-851-3270
friena.diepraam@gmail.com
Glen Marais, Kempton Park
Post new comment