My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Since this is the first Ad Clerum of the year, let me take this opportunity to wish you a
belated Happy New Year. I presume you are all well under way with the new things
that you have discerned are from God, and that preparations for your Vestry
meetings are already on the agendas for your Council Meetings.
We have a busy year ahead, and may I remind you that notices about our Synod
have already been sent out, and I am sure the days of May 7-9 are already in your
diaries, and that you know who your synod reps are. If not, you still have time!
I have been reading a rather different book. It is called “God is my CEO – Following
God’s Principles in a Bottom-Line World” by Larry Julian. For the more spiritually
sophisticated, it is rather a simple book, but it makes some significant points. He
uses a lot of stories, and chapter two is called “success” and is sub-titled “From
success to significance.” In it, he compares the lives of three businessmen, one who
has spent so much time and effort in building up his business, his values and sense
of self are totally wrapped up in it, and when it comes time to pass it on, he looks at
the son he never bothered to get to know, and is extremely negative about how his
son will “ruin” what his father built up. The son is merely used to his father’s opinions
of him and has grown a thick skin and there is no communication between his father
and himself.
The other two stories are also about successful businessmen, but whose lives were
changed by loss – one through the loss of his only son, and the other through the
loss of his young man’s dream which had promised him a glowing future, but which
was denied him at a crucial time. Both of these men turned their losses into
successful businesses, but they were the sort of enterprises which benefitted others
and enriched their own lives.
The point of these examples is to show there is a difference between “success” and
“significance.” Success means that we have certain goals and we either meet or
exceed them. Getting a degree and becoming an important academic, making a
certain amount of money, reaching certain status are the sorts of things that
represent success. Significance, on the other hand can also mean great success in
the materially measured sense of the word, but it is more concerned about how
whatever it is you do will impact on other people’s lives. Is your business, your sports
team, or your best-seller merely going to give you greater status, or is it also going to
represent a meaningful contribution to the lives of others and in that way make our
civilization progress even further?
In our church context, I suppose a successful church is one that is full every Sunday,
with large buildings and all paid for, with exciting programmes and many people
involved in them, and outreach, justice and social care which go a long way to
solving the problems of poverty and its attendant ills of crime and corruption. The
problem with such criteria is that we start to measure things like prayer and holiness,
and when we think that by having more miracles it means more success in prayer.
Prayer, then is no longer communication with God, but a sign that our “annual
achievements” are going up.
If we are going to be “significant” as a church, we need to look at what Jesus actually
meant when he created this body of Christ. This doesn’t mean we need to ignore
“success.” Hard work, persistence, good stewardship, taking up every ministry
challenge and doing our best to lead our people into that “vineyard,” prayer, and
studying God’s word are all required, and there will always be some success in an
institution which is well-run. But if we are going to fulfill what Jesus asked, then our
focus must be elsewhere. We are in the business of loving broken, difficult people
who will always spoil everything we try to do, but we see Jesus in them – somehow,
and only by his grace. They will always make “success” difficult, but Jesus sees
them as significant. As baptized people we speak out against injustice, corruption
and fraud even when it ruins our prospect of a successful career.. We make sure
that the least and lowliest of our congregation is heard even when it means we get to
miss an event with someone who could put in a good word for us and further our
career.
You understand what I am saying. Our significance is Jesus. Our purpose is that all
living beings, human, animal and plant are allowed to live so that God’s purpose is
totally fulfilled. Our method of working is to build up a kingdom with whoever God
gives us to work with, and to keep a vision of that perfection God created at the
same time as seeing absolute value in the least and the lowliest. If we can die (and I
don’t say “retire,” because we never stop being priests) leaving behind us people
who know that God has a purpose for them and for their world, and that they must
keep the faith and not tire of the work, then we shall have significance. Success
brought about through these efforts, belongs to God, and to God alone
+ Steve
DIOCESAN NEWS
 Bishop Dom Timothy Bavin – Visit
JAEI ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the
Diocese for the great support which was shown during
Bishop Dom Timothy’s visit to our Diocese. You
showed so much love and appreciation for the man of
God who once was a part of this Diocese. No amount
of words can express my gratitude – Thank you.
You will find all pictures of the events where
Bishop Dom Timothy was during his visit on
www.facebook.com/BpTimothyBavinJHB2015
 Clergy Day - 2 Day Workshop –
Revd Karl Teicheirt
Revd Karl Teichert will be conducting a
workshop on Life Coaching.
Date: 03 & 04 March 2015
Time: 09h00 till 15h30
Venue: St. Joseph Diocesan Centre
Capacity: 40 Clerics
Could clergy please RSVP Tumi for this
workshop by the 27 February 2015 on email
boitumelo.masemola@anglicanjoburg.org.za
 Self Supporting Clergy Day
There will also be a 1 day Life Coaching
workshop Clergy day for the Self Supporting
clergy in our Diocese.
Date: 13 June 2015
Time: 09h00 – 15h30
Venue: St. Joseph Diocesan Centre
 2015 Lenten Appeal – Diocesan Welfare
Committee
The Lenten Appeal material is available from
the Diocesan office for collection. Could
parishes that have not yet received their packs,
please make arrangements to collect them
before we begin the Lent season.
JAEI Get-together & AGM
Invitation
21st February 2015
 Please find attached the invitation together
with the annual report.
 Vestry 2015
Vestry Deadline for Parishes: 08 March
2015
Vestry submission deadline to the
Diocesan Office: 1 April 2015
 2015 Telephone Directory
Please note that the directory will be
available in March.
 2014 Communicants Returns form
2014 Communicant Returns form is on
our website. Parishes can download
and complete it under "Diocesan Office".
Please send it to us by the10th
February 2015.
 Revd Tony Farrel – Re Birthday
The Bishop’s office would like to
aplogise to Revd Tony Farrel for the
omission of his birthday last month on
the 28th. With that said we would like to
wish him a happy belated birthday.
Birthdays & Anniversaries
February 2015
Date Birthdays
Anniversaries
1.
 Wilfred Pohl
 Thato & Felicia Molipa
2.
 Pulane Mphaki
 Abe & Pearl Mokgohlane
4.
 Ivan & Pat Lane
6.
 Margaret Place
8.
 Bridgette Oliphant
 Joel Dikgole
 Wouter & Karen
Uitzinger
9.
10.
 Jerry Bailey
 Gail Dengler
 Andrew Payne
11.
 Margaret Beckley
13.
14.
 Ranthite & Moipone Namo
 Kevin Balkwill
 Ray & Lynette Bewsher
 Sidney & Margaret Place
15.
 Edna Cooke
18.
 Dorcas Mabitsela
 Lorraine Willamson
19.
 Margaret Eades
 Gail Westwood
 Wendy Henwood
 Marion Hofmeyer
21.
 Michael Oliphant
 Geraldine Singleton
22.
 Lynette Ellis
 Nokwezi Dodo
 Parker Monala
23.
 Lefetlho Lethoko
 Thelma Walmsley
25.
 Phil Lulyt
27.

Michael & Bridgette
Oliphant

Errol & Gail Dengler
February Diary
February
Date Parish
Diocese
Sunday
1
Monday
2
Tuesday
3 Clergy Day
Clergy Day
Clergy Day
Clergy Day
Wednesday
4
Bishop
Synod of Bishops
Synod of Bishops
Synod of Bishops
Thursday
5
Synod of Bishops
Friday
6
Synod of Bishops
Saturday
7
Sunday
8
FOX, POST
POST
Parish of
Sunninghill
Pastoral Visit
Monday
9
10
DAY OFF
Deadline Communicants
Tuesday
Wednesday
returns submission
11
Management
Management
Meeting
Thursday
12
Friday
13
Saturday
14
Meeting
Ordinands / Parish
Ministers
Preaching Course
Sunday
15
OFF
Monday
16
DAY OFF
Tuesday
17
18 Ash
Wednesday
Ash Wednesday
Ash Wednesday
Wednesday
Thursday
19
Friday
20
Saturday
21
JAEI AGM St.
Francis Parkview
Sunday
22
Ferreirastown
Pastoral Visit
23
International
Environment
Monday
Conference
24
International
Environment
Tuesday
Conference
25
DFB Meeting
International
Environment
Wednesday
Thursday
Conference
26
International
Environment
Conference
27
International
Environment
Friday
Saturday
Conference
28