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 Jubilee Community Church Mercy Ministries
Cape Town, South Africa
The Jubilee Church, Cape Town, has a history of engaging effectively with the community through many ministries to help disadvantaged people. Jeremy and Darlene Cons, who oversee these ministries, share their history and highlight key lessons they have learnt.
When Stephen van Rhyn became leader of Jubilee Community Church, he determined to continue Simon Pettit’s legacy in helping the poor and needy and invited us to oversee all the social ministries at Jubilee. At the time there were four social ministry outreaches and whilst they were associated with Jubilee, by Management Team membership or involvement, none of them in reality felt part of Jubilee. They seemed somewhat separated – having their own ‘life’. Part of our role therefore was to draw in each ministry and make them feel part of Jubilee. This was achieved by developing relationships with each ministry leader and by being a bridge to those ministries and the eldership. We would meet with Stephen and keep him updated, which he would relay to the other elders. By keeping Stephen up to date in this way he was able to use examples of the ministries during his preaching. We also began to gather all the leaders of the ministries at least once a year and invite Stephen to speak.
 How does integration work?
1. Management Teams
On starting this role we met with each Management Team with Stephen who cast the vision of the role and explained that effectively we were the elders’ representatives. Over a period of 18 months to 2 years relationships were formed and we were invited onto each Management Team and each ministry really felt connected to Jubilee. At no time did we press for inclusion on the Management Teams but were invited through passion and relationship. This enabled the ministry leaders to feel included and cared for.
We soon learnt that, to ensure each ministry was an integral part of the church, the leaders needed an overseer with time to devote to them.
2. Champions
Several of our ministries partner with other churches in the city but the second lesson we learnt was that for ministries to be fully part of local church the Champions should be from that local church. Over the years we have found it really hard to have leaders where they are under the authority of two eldership teams. Integration of ministry and church must start at the leadership level by being under the authority and spiritual oversight of one eldership team. Having Management Team members from other churches is good but the ministry leader must be part of the local overseeing church. We will look at the legal status below.
3. Vision and passion
The Champion is not just an organiser – he or she must be someone who has the vision and passion for it. Being in a church like Jubilee, where the elders encourage and preach into vision, engaging with community, evangelism and care for the poor, it is not surprising we are involved with many ministries that reach out to people in need.
 One such project is Umoja. Liliane, who oversees this ministry, came to South Africa as a refugee from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Her passion was to assist refugee women to learn a skill, to earn an income to support their families and learn English enabling them to look for better jobs. This project is inclusive; it does not exclude any people group.
They occupy several areas of the Jubilee Centre where the group of predominantly Congolese women chat passionately over the whirring of sewing machines. In the adjoining room another group of ladies are sewing beads to dresses for local designer boutiques. Training takes place and as skills reach the level of quality required, the ladies are paid for each item made. After work two days a week we run basic and intermediate English classes for those whose mother language is not English and so around the work rooms are signs saying ‘No Lingala’ and ‘No Francais’.
4. How integration works
Integration is not imposed but careful planning takes place to facilitate this where possible. For example, on Tuesday mornings women from Observatory, Woodstock and Salt River gather at Jubilee for Sunshade, a place of shelter from the harsh storms of life for a few hours each week. Jo oversees a number of women who are passionate about these ladies. Whilst their children play in a safe, creative and fun environment the women develop relationships, learn life skills, have lunch together and the gospel is shared with them. Most of these ladies take the opportunity to visit the clinic and even bring their extended families. Every Tuesday Sunshade ladies have priority to the services provided by the clinic. Often talks on health care by our clinic staff are given to these ladies which range from HIV to family planning and healthy eating.
 The health centre is now the pivotal ministry at Jubilee operating 4 days a week, offering primary health care, dispensing medicines, physiotherapy, crisis pregnancy counseling, and HIV testing and counseling. It reaches into the neighbourhood around Jubilee bringing many non-believers, including a number of Muslims and factory workers, but also serves the needs of poor and needy people amongst our own church family. This includes folk from the townships, from our prison ministry, Sunshade mums and the sewing project.
5. Gospel impact
We do not ‘Bible-bash’ but our team is passionate about the gospel and are willing to spend much time with each client praying for them. We have seen many people led to Christ, delivered and healed. Our care and confidentiality caused many visitors to ask for HIV tests which led to including our HIV counseling service. Against voices who said we would never get people into a church for HIV testing, we are seeing many visiting us weekly.
Stephanie, the Director of Beauty for Ashes, a prison ministry which includes a halfway house for women released on parole, shares in her yearly report to the Management Team about the role Jubilee plays in assisting the ladies in the house. Ladies have in the past been involved with Umoja and gone on to find employment, have regular medical checks, been helped in basic literacy, been part of Sunshade and life group, and have been taught the boundaries course as well as attending church on Sunday.
Hidden away are Olga and Jenny, who sort clothes given by members of Jubilee for those who are in need and prepare food parcels for our mercy store. Every two weeks we offer a Legal Advice Clinic to those who cannot pay for such advice.
6. Legal status
The issue of charitable status is ongoing. Initially our ministries each became Not-for-Profit Organisations to enable them to raise funds and offer tax exemption to businesses. But this led to funding proposals to secular donors which had to exclude the gospel. Recently we took over a charitable trust which covers all our ministries, but three ministries are still individually NPOs.
 One of these is Level Ground, a ministry of restitution and restoration of dignity to disadvantaged South Africans by assisting them to own a brick home. This is a vehicle to help the privileged assist the under-privileged by both giving financially and by giving time to help build their homes. The need to distance the church from being seen as a vehicle for getting homes was the main reason for establishing this outside Jubilee.
Other lessons learnt include:
- To hold ministries/projects lightly. Over the years we have stopped several projects. In one the people with passion moved on. In another we multiplied one ministry three ways, and in a third we stepped back from the ministry.
- The gospel must be included in all social ministries. If we are ashamed to proclaim Him in all we do, He will ultimately remove his hand from our efforts. This must be done with care and wisdom, but to ignore it is to lose our ‘secret ingredient’!
- Using volunteers creates relationships that advance integration. By serving needy people through social ministry, folk become more aware of those with need within the body and will engage in fellowship on Sundays.
We continue learning and strengthening the integration of ministries with the church. Through the efforts of church members many lives have been transformed. We count it a huge privilege to serve poor and needy people by working alongside each ministry, offering them hope and seeing their dignity restored.
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