The Evangelical and Reformed Conference

 P O Box 6294

Weltevreden Park

1715

Tel (011) 6724141

Fax 0880116724141 (Dedicated fax line)

Cell No’s Matthew 0825646484

                       Tina 0823380432

Email address gracecc@mweb.co.za or mpieterse@erc.za.org

Web address- www.erc.za.org

February 2008

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

Greetings to you all in His precious name.

After some eight months do you have  any memories of the 36^th Conference?  Do you remember the time we spent together and how sweet the fellowship was and how challenging the teaching?

This is a reminder of the dates of next year’s conference from 27 June 2008 to 2 July 2008.

The Committee has taken a decision to send out our newsletter now for the 37^th Conference for two reasons:-

1)     Firstly, to present to you our thoughts on the bus, which this last year again ended in a loss to the conference. Business sense will argue that for this reason we should scrap this idea. However we are finding that for couples, especially the older ones, and the singles, the bus is a tremendous cost saver. The chances of losing these folk to the conference would be accentuated by not having the bus. We have therefore decided to approach all the supporting churches and ask for a special donation to cover the cost of the bus. Our target is R 15 000. By this means it is our intention to establish a “Bus Fund”. The cost to those traveling next year will be pegged at R300 and if we have a kitty of R 15 000 it will enable us to avoid a loss on transporting the less well off to the next conference and set us up to ensure this arrangement for subsequent years. If churches own this means of supporting their folk to attend then we see no reason that the bus fund will be depleted. This “ownership” will also act as a means of encouraging folk to use this service. We are sending a separate communication to the Pastors to make our proposal known and you along with us should pray that the Lord will assist us in seeing this matter come to fruition.

2)     Secondly, the Committee have proposed to each of the churches that they establish a Skogheim Fund” and encourage their members to make a separate tithe to this above their normal tithe to assist some needy souls who may not have the means to attend the conference. This last year we turned down at least 2 requests for subsidised help as we did not have the spare funds to do this. We believe that this early communication will enable this fund to be started in the last four months prior to the next get together. We also urge prospective conference attendees to save up for this most blessed time of our annual calendar. For your information the Conference last year broke even and that means we do not have the reserves to be able to pay for the tickets of the speakers in advance. This may be detrimental in keeping the cost down. If any of you would be inclined to already be sending your fees for the next years conference that would also be a way of solving the cash flow problem. We encourage as many as possible to make a monthly payment into the account and this will help both you and the conference in its forward planning.

 The tariff for the 37^th Conference will be as follows:

 Adults and Students over 18 -         R 1 025

Scholars 7 – 18                                 R    975 

Children                                              R    475

Babies                                                R    225

Campers- Adults and students        R    275

              - Scholars                             R    250

              - Children and babies             Free

Skogheim have increased their charge by 11.42% compared to last year for Adults and 10.81% for Scholars.

The Conference Registration Form will be sent out shortly but we urge you all to be ambassadors and let us together ensure that we will have, by God’s grace a full house for this year.

So far we have secured one speaker from England. His name is John Tindall. He has been to South Africa on a previous occasion and has ministered to a family camp hosted by Constantia Park Baptist Church. We give you his short history:-

“John Tindall was born in the North West of England in 1942. He became a believer in the Lord Jesus at the age of seventeen through the work of the Boys’ Brigade and as a consequence of an over-passionate interest in soccer.

He candidated for the Methodist Ministry and undertook four years of theological training before serving Methodist churches in South Wales, Newcastle upon Tyne and Buckinghamshire. After a five-year ministry of free church planting back in the North East he engaged in his longest pastorate of 22 years at the Chessington Evangelical Church (during which time he took his only trip to South Africa to preach on church camps for Constantia Park and Hillcrest Baptist Churches).

Between 1986-2000 he served as honorary pastor for the South Asia Group of the Wycliffe Bible Translators speaking at conferences and visiting field workers in Thailand, India, Pakistan, and Nepal. He has recently served the West Eurasia Group of Wycliffe at two of their conferences.

Two years ago he was called to help Monyhull Church in the West Midlands into his early years of “retirement”. He is a visiting lecturer at Oak Hill Theological College and on the Midlands Ministry Training Course.

He married Pauline over 40 years ago and they have three married children and nine grandchildren.”

Regarding the second speaker we will let you know later.

Remember

The bank account details are Nedbank Florida (branch code not required)

Account No. 1905 153953 – Current account

The branch code is already built into the account number.

We  so look forward to meeting you all again at the 37^th and so please encourage friends, church members and past attendees to come and join with us this year. We covet your prayers in this connection and particularly for arranging the second speaker and obtaining the funding we are looking for..

Yours in His service,

Matthew Pieterse

pp.Organisers