Mukhanyo’s Rustenburg Centre is situated in the middle of town, where many young people come to look for employment opportunities. Due to the significant unemployment in the area, they decided to use an empty classroom for assisting young people with important practical skills, whilst at the same time exposing them to Biblical worldview perspectives around practical everyday matters.
According to Dr Eben le Roux, Rustenburg Centre Manager, the initiative shows much potential. “The classes are facilitated by one of our students, and the aim is to help participants connect Biblical truth with real-life issues they face daily. We want to bring God’s Word into the very questions that shape their lives,” he explained.
Young people struggle with confidence around finding employment, so we focus on job interviews, CVs and help with financial literacy and other job related skills. We also provide them with online computer courses to help boost their skills. At the same time, whilst the young people are there, Mary-Anne Phiri (who is the current facilitator) gets to know the students and the issues they struggle with (e.g. money, alcohol or entitlement thinking).
The programme combines both practical teaching and spiritual challenges. By starting with familiar ethical issues, participants are encouraged to think critically about their choices. From there, they are led to see how these issues ultimately relate to faith, repentance, and the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Often, insights gained from the Mukhanyo material are utilised in our interactions with the young people. During a recent conversation about the gospel message, Eben and Mary-Anne decided to make use of an evangelism framework advocated by the Witness of the Church study guide (written by Jacques Malan). This framework presents a clear approach to evangelism, so those who speak to the young people are better able to comprehensively explain the gospel. Assumptions need to be challenged, so that people realise that the biggest issues are not poverty or corruption, but sin, which is the root cause of the issues we see around us. Jesus Christ is not just a loving Saviour, but also a righteous Judge, and when we place our trust in Him, we have to be 100% committed to being disciples.
It is vital that our students do not just receive the theory of ministry work, but that they are exposed to practical ways of demonstrating the love of God to our neighbours. The Biblical worldview is not dualistic, but we can do everything to the glory of God. We need to prepare our students to be able to serve in their communities also in practical ways (combined with Biblical truth) that contribute to the witness of the church.
