Archive for July 25, 2008

Government Partners with Faith Based Religious leaders to create a better life for all.

{ July 25, 2008 @ 6:56 pm } · { Culture, NEWS }
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By Prince t.

© God’s Business Mag, 2008
All rights Reserved. To use this article please contact: Prince on 0721290602/ 011 211 3651 or
Email: monnapt@gmail.com
Offenders will be prosecuted.

24 July 2008.
Johannesburg, South Africa: The legislature of the City Of Jo’burg (CoJ) has partnered with Religious leaders in the Gauteng area in an attempt to echo a common tune towards remedying a host of issues that concerns the wellbeing of the people of Jo’burg. Today marks the fifth (5th) Faith Based Forum meeting with the City of Jo’burg.

In her welcome note, as appearing in the fourth (4th) issue of The Stakeholder’s Newsletter, the speaker of Council, councillor Nkele Ntingane said the challenges the City of Jo’burg faces in creating a “better life for all are not only issues of service delivery”. “Government, no matter how committed it is to the principles of good service delivery, cannot operate in an unfettered manner”, she added.

She further advised that there is need for “a strong and critical supportive” Council to ensure that the proposals of the Executive, are “effectively scrutinized” and appraised as necessity demands. She added that for the democratic process to be legitimate and be seen as such by all stakeholders “there must be on-going community participation in the democratic process”.

For her part, the Human Development Directorate (HDD) representative Ms. Thuli Mlangeni today told the delegates that it is a duty and an obligation for the city of Jo’burg to ensure that “all its people”, that is every human being who falls within its jurisdiction, whether migrants or not, “do not feel socially excluded nor victimized”. Ms. Mlangeni was delivering a presentation on the progress made by her department so far, especially following the aftermath of the atrocious xenophobic attacks which almost tarnished the reputation of the country.

“Faith Based Forum is going to be the main catalyst in the reformation and reintegration of the xenophobic-displaced immigrants”, she said. She also said “the city’s programme on common Citizenship and counter xenophobia is committed to the agenda of addressing social exclusion.” According to Ms. Mlangeni, the implementation of the Re-integration plan for the 2730 displaced persons within the Human Rights parameters remains a major challenge for the CoJ. She however acknowledged the involvement of various churches that helped in this aftermath. “Immediately after the attacks, churches made donations towards solving the problem” she enthused.

She further called on the church to get involved in grooming community leaders who will be able to harness the youthful energies of the violent perpetrators within our communities. Ms. Mlangeni bemoaned the quality of leadership within our communities today, saying perpetrators of violence are the youth, “therefore leadership is a necessity”.

Addressing the delegation on violence in schools, an executive from Phaphama Initiatives, said at least 15% of learners (at least two million learners) in South Africa have been exposed to violence at school, while at least 20% of secondary school learners are exposed to violence, other than sexual violence. She continue to say that at least 15% have been exposed to drug use by a family member, while the other 20% know siblings who have been in jail.

She said that exposure of youngster to criminal activities thwarts the psychic and mental development of these children. “if children see that solving a problem is through the use of violence, then, that is what they will learn”, she cautioned.

However, she further lamented the fact that although children grow up seeing such violence in the home, research have shown about 90% of students as saying they felt much safer at home than on the streets. Commenting on this she said this shows that these youngsters have accepted the ‘normality’ of violence at home and have been numbed by its effects.

Therefore, violence in schools is a direct reflection of violence in the community, she lambasted. Furthermore she said that absent fathers were contributing negatively to the general welfare of society and requested pastors present, to take up the issue of fatherhood at their pulpits. “Criminals are not out there, they are in our homes, we are breeding and fostering criminals in our homes” she lamented.

She warned the delegates, saying that at least 16% of youngsters between the ages 12 to 14 have considered getting involved in crime or criminal activity. While for those aged between 18 to 20 about 22% of them have considered crime.

She went on to make some recommendations towards alleviating violence in our schools and homes, saying that “targeted early preventative interventions” should be the focus of our efforts. “We have a duty to lobby the government on these issues as religious institutions”, she exhorted.

On their part, the FBF said following the deliberations they made towards this noble goal by the government, they would consider their voices crucial to the process should a report back be availed them in the form of an appraisal. “Report back is very crucial”, they said.

Its business “unusual” for the church.

{ July 25, 2008 @ 6:54 pm } · { Business, NEWS }
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By Prince t.

© God’s Business Mag, 2008
All rights Reserved. To use this article contact: Prince on 0721290602/ 011 211 3651
Or email: monnapt@gmail.com
Offenders will be prosecuted.

23rd July 2008.
Florida/ Johannesburg: “Money indeed makes the world go round, but it is certainly not the most important thing for which human beings exist.” This seemed to be an obviously unsolicited consensus among an extraordinary breed of Christians, who had convened in one accord under an extremely peculiar spirit of a “business Unusual” gathering, to quote President Thabo Mbeki’s post Polokwane National Address coinage.

The importance of money to living can not be over emphasized. However, this all time truth continues to find varied expressions among people of different colours, creed or faiths, especially. While some are to this day still shy to acknowledge its importance others can do just about anything to have it.

It is to the latter category that the Bible finds no solace and therefore vehemently disproves. According to the Bible, it is not money but the love of money that is the root of all evil. The Bible attributes its claims to the evils as perpetrated by man, whose singular pursuit in life is to amass and accrue wealth in the form of money. According to the first book of Timothy 6:10b, “people, in their eagerness to get rich, have wandered away from the faith and caused themselves a lot of pain (ISV).

The church is ready and prepared morally and ethically to do business the unusual way. A day with Pastor Ray was one such exploits of the church as it embarks on the spirit of business Unusual. This annual event is one among many other business related events under the auspices of The Business Fellowship, a business wing of the Heritage Faith Worship Center, under the capable leadership of Pastor Earl Morrison. According to Pastor Morrison the vision of this ministry is to “help business and career people walk in the blessing of the Lord which makes rich and adds no sorrow”, he said. He further explained that the focus of this seminar in particular is “to develop a consciousness of unity in the area of commerce and group economics”. Through this ministry, we develop business owners and career people who are committed to responsible prosperity” he emphasized.

For his part Bishop Sherman gave the delegates, John 15:1-8 as a strategy and a fault proof process to success. “If you are not fruitful you mean nothing to anybody”, he said. “A man is measured by his fruits”, he further warned the delegates. Bishop Sherman is a very successful Christian business tycoon, who started from nothing. To his name he does not even have a grade 12 qualification. But that did not deter him from building for himself a multi-million wealth portfolio, to which he takes no glory. Bishop Sherman was yesterday testament to the fact that making money is not a sin. “Your labour is the premium expression of your worship”, he told a delegation of Christian Business man and women at a one day business seminar organized by the Heritage of Faith Worship Center in Florida, Johannesburg.

He lamented the fact that the “so-called “church” has commercialized Christianity, saying that “everybody is embracing the ‘word’ Christianity but are you supporting a Kingdom cause?” he asked. He then told the delegates that the process of life “starts with a thought, then speech and then action”. Furthermore Bishop Sherman said that fruitfulness or success starts with a gift in service. In other words Christian businessman should be determined to serve God’s people in accordance with their needs and in the service of our Lord Jesus Christ, who Himself is a true epitome of a servant ‘in-service’.

He also said that it is crucial that Christian business people invest in relationships because it is through relationships that they will be able to be of influence to anyone within their sphere of influence. “Without influence you are a slave to the atmosphere of another”, he said. According to Bishop Sherman, if you are dominated by another’s atmosphere you will change toward it, because the atmosphere enacts change. “Change puts a seed in your hand, and then a harvest, anyone with seed has dominion”, he said.

Edwin foster of Foster Transport suggested that delegates form syndicates if they wanted to start businesses citing the fact that institutional lending was very difficult to obtain, especially these days. He also advised the delegates to consider franchise business ventures saying that franchise business was a very lucrative venture whose failure is very minimal in South Africa, which stands at a measle 11% considering the fact that at least a third of all new businesses fails in South Africa.

He further indicated that the franchise market in South Africa was very open, citing that at least about 17 sectors are involved, compared to the 50 and 25 in the USA and Australia respectively.

On his part, the key note speaker of the day, Pastor Raymond Le Fluer reminded the attendants that “we are not business people to make money, although we can not avoid making it, but we are “in business so that God may be glorified when we help the poor” he said. “Sustainable leadership is therefore a requirement and a necessity”, he added.

Pastor Le Fluer further indicated that “ethics were very crucial in Christian business because business is not a game”. He therefore suggested that as Christians we need not rush into the kitchen to serve Jesus, before we sat at His feet and be served by Him in his manifold wisdom. “The fact that He (Jesus) is in your house does not mean that you have a relationship with Him”, he warned. He further referred the delegates to John 12, the story of Martha, Mary and Jesus. He said that Mary knew how to wait on Jesus while Martha was busy with everything else but waiting on Jesus. “Don’t go to the kitchen before first sitting at His feet”, he advised. He moreover said that a big business requires an equally big prayer life”therefore.