A church in Los Angeles started the LA Dream Center, which has influenced New Creation all the way around the world to adopt a similar community outreach strategy. It is quite simple really: serve the community through practical means and thus develop a relationship with people that normally would not be connected to a church community.

Adopt-a-Block has been an exciting and stretching venture in serving the local community. Close by the New Creation property is a high-density, cosmopolitan area which accommodates peoples from many different nations.

Many are without employment, and apartments made to house three or four people are accommodating ten or more. Drug dealers and prostitutes are active in the area. Each Saturday, a team from the church visit this area and serve the local community, through visits, cleaning homes, gardening, tidying streets, painting, etc. Practical needs are met where possible through the provision of food and clothes. New Creation’s desire is to expand the Adopt-a-Block project by encouraging people to serve regularly in this community by “adopting” a block of the suburb.

Paradigm Shift is going to pick up where adopt a block leaves off- more on that later.

Read more at http://www.adoptablock.co.za

Aside from the King’s School, New Creation has focused energies and resources to abandoned/HIV babies.

In October of 2000, they opened the Oasis Haven of Love for abandoned/HIV babies. There are increasing numbers of such children in South Africa, and the task is enormous, with limited support from government to address the impending crisis.

For a number of years, the home has been operating on a foster parenting basis, but was recently registered as a full children’s home, which allows latitude in expanding its operations. Over 70 children have been through the home, and many have been placed in loving homes. Some have remained with us, and this has necessitated strategizing for the future needs of older children who are now of school-going age.

A local HIV specialist assists with medical care for the children, and those who are HIV+ are sponsored where possible for anti-retroviral drugs. We have seen astounding changes in children who have been given new hope compared to their initial situations of abandonment on rubbish dumps or on the street.

Oasis also exists to feed and cloth the needy, and networks with other such organizations to address these problems around the city.

Read more at http://www.oasishaven.org

Things are taking shape and we’re overwhelmed by the response of the first church and school we’ll be working with. The hospitality we’ve experienced here makes the cross continental journey one filled with joy and thanksgiving.

New Creation Fellowship Church
Over the next few blogs, I want to introduce you to our first partner here in South Africa: New Creation Fellowship Church. It began in 1982 and within a few years of its existence, the church started a school. Families from within the church sold their houses and moved into smaller ones, some gave jewelry, some cashed in insurance policies all in efforts to buy a piece of property. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the King’s School and marks one of the core outreaches of the church: Christian education.

Introduction to the King’s School
The King’s School is the largest of New Creation’s ministries. With over 700 kids from K-12, and more than 100 staff members, the school serves families from diverse backgrounds and continues to extend the reach of the church beyond just the local congregation. God used the King’s School to pioneer quality Christian education in South Africa, and today, the school has high standards of academics, arts and athletics. And now, selected Sophomores on a business track will be participating in the Paradigm Shift pilot program by assisting in the business training for the entrepreneurs.

www.thekingsschool.co.za

Now the Paradigm Shift field team is four strong with Greg and Elizabeth making their way at the end of the month!

Over the next few weeks they will be settling in and getting acclimated to Jo’burg! We’re excited to have them here.