Northfield Methodist Church

Dear Friends

Dear Friends

Dear Friends
Over the last few days, numerous people have given testimony to the Easter Journey, sharing deeply significant moments of engaging God in Worship, in Word, in Sacrament and in imagery. Some were astonished at my ability to organise a power blackout at the moment of Benediction, having just considered the theme of Betrayal - I try. Personally I will not forget the visual experience of the Emseni sunrise service, seeing a cross, an empty tomb and the rising sun - all in the same vista. Try not to miss this service next year.

Dear Friends
The Induction Service was an absolute blessing. Thank you to those who shared it with me. I am also aware of all those who attend the other services and so were not able to be part of that moment, thank you for your prayers. Thank you also to those who organised the Tea and eats - for your gift of love and sacrifice of time, thank you.

Welcome to Northfield Methodist Church - a church that is growing a people of God for Benoni and Beyond. Benoni is a beautiful city in Johannesburg, South Africa.

At Northfield, we have decided to focus on five key areas that are the pillars of how we endeavour to do God’s work.

Hospitality

Recognising the need for Northfield to become known as a hospitable church, we now refer to it as a ‘Home of God’ and no longer as a ‘House of God’. This means that we need to develop a strong ministry of hospitality.

This is evident in all aspects of the church, including its gardens, signage, communication, and the way in which we make outsiders feel welcome at home. The bottom line is that Northfield needs to be known as a hospitable church.

Worship

Our aim is to enable as many people as possible to worship God in life-changing ways. Our recently extended 800-seater sanctuary and brand-new chapel need to be utilised to the fullest. Such facilities enable us to have children regularly participating in worship with us. We also seek to make our service times and venues more accessible and convenient.

Discipleship

Our main task is to lead Christians into becoming fully-fledged disciples of Jesus. In most churches, 20% of the people do most of the work, while the remaining 80% are spectators. At Northfield, we want to change this.

Community

Northfielders need to live life together in a way that is not normally experienced in our secular world. We want to make a difference through the quality of our care, the depth of our relationships, our eagerness to share the Good news of Jesus and our willingness to serve others.

Outreach

Mission and Outreach is an extremely important expression of God at work. It attempts to help members of Northfield recognise that this work is also what takes place in our homes, our social circles and our places of work, a fundamental belief that as a believer “I am an instrument of God at work in this world wherever I find myself.”