ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
STILBAAI UNITED CHURCH
JUNE 2023 – MAY 2024

I greet you in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Our God has brought us safely through another year and has richly blessed us. How this past year we have again found how true the hymn writer’s words are, “Great is Thy faithfulness, morning, noon and night.” How faithful God has been to us in all things. We have been so blessed by God that we could bless others with the blessing God has so generously poured out on us.

With regards to the finances, we could help the school needs with stationary and other needs, Jagersbosch and Soeterus (Retirement complex in Melkhoutfontein), Ouma Lena se Huis and Badisa with school fees, and also Sozo (Medical Ambulance). We also have an Emergency fund that we assist people with. Once again we would like to thank Craig Whitecross and the Whitecross family for their generous donation to the church with the Meat hampers that raised a total of R9 660 for the church funds. Due to your faithful support out church is in a good financial state. Our current account R17656,15 , Savings account R707 887 and the Property trust savings account R150 00. I would like to commend you all on your financial generosity during the year that enabled us to keep the doors of the church open and also we have helped many people financially this year. In our giving, we are always acknowledging our Lord’s goodness and faithfulness towards us.

Our women’s group once again has been a blessing to our church in the way they have reached out to people. Their baby bags for young mothers have been so appreciated. They have also helped the people at Kwiktertjies and Soeterus. The cross in the pocket they made for new visitors has been such a blessing. Many people have asked for one. The Ladies group also had a very special car boot sale. They also made blankets for people in need during the winter months.

We also have enjoyed two congregational breakfasts. Especially the last one was well attended and enjoyed by all.

The two courses that were done in the past year was the Alpha course we shared with the Dutch Reformed Church. And then just recently we did “The Power of Whisper” by Bill Hybels. We also shared in Wees Lig, Be Light outreach. We are planning another two courses next year.

We also had a movie evening that was well attended, especially by visiting young people who also enjoyed the popcorn. We will be looking at having another one in the new year. Another special moment was when the Stilbaai Singers came to share in our worship service. It was a wonderful moment. Our church has also welcomed quite a number of new members that have been such a blessing to our church.

Our property team has done well with the repairs that were needed to be done. They have seen to the cracks that appeared in the church and also the window in the steeple. We want to thank the garden team for the way they have cared for our church garden. A number of people have visited and commended our beautiful, cared for garden.

We are still doing the YouTube recordings of the sermons as there are a number of people (30 – 40) who still benefit from it. Here we need to express our gratitude to Benjy and Hannetjie Kuun for doing it for us.

Our four Bible Study groups are still meeting faithfully and growing our people in their walk with Jesus. We all need to grow in our journey with Jesus for none of us have yet arrived. There is so much more we need to grow in our relationship with Jesus.

I also want to thank our data projector operators for the special work they do to help us in our worship services. I would also like to thank Riaan Terblanche, who very faithfully serves as our church’s secretary/treasurer and plays each Sunday the keyboard that we can sing. We thank God for his unselfish service. I would also like to thank Jean Moffitt for helping our worship in playing the piano for us with Riaan. We need to acknowledge Marion Potgieter, our auditor as well who faithfully audits our books. Our worship services have also grow from the average of 60 people to now 70 on average. We are so grateful to God for the growth.

We also had to say goodbye to two very helpful and committed people who have helped us greatly. They are Johan and Charmaine Raaths who have moved to St. Helena Bay on the West Coast. Johan was our property steward and Charmaine a local preacher and they both served on our church council. We wish them well in the new place.

As we look towards the future we do so with keen anticipation as God calls us forward. As the hymn writer says, “Onward Christian soldiers, marching as to war.” God has so much more that He is calling us to. So let us in faith step out, trusting God.

Lastly Christina and I once again want to thank you for the privilege and honor that is ours to serve God amongst you special people of God.

God bless
Yours in Christ
Ronnie Cawood

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
STILBAAI UNITED CHURCH
MAY 2022/2023

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ

The Lord has been good and faithful to us once again this past year. We stand in awe of all that God has done in and through our church. Therefore, with the hymn writer we can say “When we consider all the works of Thy hands then sings my soul how great Thou art.”

Just when we feel we have seen it all, God opens us to experience more and more of Him in our lives, personally and also as a congregation. As we reflect back over the past year we see what a privilege it is that God has brought us safely through the Covid period and that we could get to doing things again. When I look at our services, what a joy it was to have numbers increase again at our weekly services and the chairs could be moved closer to each other and we could see each other’s faces again. We could have tea and coffee after the services too. Also how good it was to have a full house at our Christmas Day service and to see families worshipping together. We had the privilege to have done the Ortberg course “Who is this man Jesus” and “Anxiety ” by John Piper on Sunday evenings. Our Holy Week and Easter services were well attended. We also have continued with our U-Tube services. It is a real blessing for those who cannot come to church due to health reasons and even touched people who have never come to church. Here we need to thank Benjy and Hannatjie Kuun once again for their time and effort.

We had wonderful outreach opportunities. We helped Badisa (School fees), Ouma Lena Huis, school needs financially, stationery for Melkhoutfontein and Bertie Barnard Schools. We also helped people from the emergency fund. Our Women’s Group did a wonderful outreach in knitting knee blankets for the needy and elderly and filling maternity bags with special items for new born babies whose parents cannot afford to care for their new born babies. We are also involved with Badisa’s “Sakkie vir ‘n Pakkie ” donating dry food for the needy in Stilbaai and Melkhoutfontein.

We also again did the Sandcastle competition for the holiday makers on the beach in December and here we need to thank Zelda and her team. We did the Surfers’ burgers again at the surfing competition in September and here Bill and his team did great work. We also donated money to the Gideons for Bible distribution.

With regards to our church building, we fitted an inverter to help us with the data projector, lights and microphones with the power outages. Then I would like to thank Johan and Gavin and the team of men who organized and did the recoating of our church chairs. What an awesome task but now our chairs are in a good condition. Our garden team has done a good job with maintaining our garden.

Fundraising: We want to thank the Whitecrosss family for donating us a meat hamper that raised R6411 and the Surfers’ braai that raised R3885,00. Our Women’s Group organized a car boot sale that also raised R5388,05.

It also has been a wonderful year as we have received a number of new members. We would like to welcome all new members and we are glad to have you as part of our church family. Our deep felt sympathies to those families who lost loved ones during the year.

Then the highlight of our year ending in May 2023 was Trevor Hudson’s weekend mission, 5-7 May 2023. What an inspirational weekend and so many people of the other churches in Stilbaai joined us and we had outstanding attendances and so blessed by his messages.

I would also like to thank all the people who so freely gave of themselves in serving God in our church – the Data Projector operators, Riaan for the music each Sunday, the Door Stewards welcoming the people on Sundays, the ladies who help with serving tea and coffee on Sundays and also all those who bring refreshments each fourth Sunday and also Melinda for organizing the Communion Table on Communion Sundays.

Our Bible Studies continue to meet faithful and care for each other.

Lastly, I would say what a joy and privilege it is to serve God amongst you. May God continue to bless us and use us to serve Him.

Yours in Christ
Ronnie Cawood