issue17 arise & shine

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Complimentary copy Not for sale FEBRUARY/MARCH 2013 ISSUE 17 KwaZulu-Natal Are you ENERGISED by VISION? Carrying the glory of the KINGDOM into the world Encourage Equip Inspire Ignite SHINE GROWING UP IN WISDOM, STATURE & FAVOUR Arise and YOUR LIGHT HAS TRULY COME! The TIME is NOW ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN

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2013 is the year for us to ARISE AND SHINE to take hold of all that God has prepared for us to do.

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Page 1: Issue17 ARISE & SHINE

Complimentary copyNot for sale

FEB

RU

ARY

/MA

RC

H 2

013

ISSU

E 17

KwaZulu-Natal

Are you energisedby VisiOn?

Carrying the glory of the

KingdOMinto the world

Encourage • Equip • Inspire • Ignite

ShInE

GROWING UPin Wisdom, stature & Favour

Arise and

YoUR lIgHt HAS tRUlY CoME!

The TIME is NOW

oN EARtHAS It IS INHEAVEN

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Page 3: Issue17 ARISE & SHINE

VoICE oF tHE PRoPHEt The time is now 8 Carrying the glory of the kingdom into the world 10

HEARt oF tHE PAStoR Arise and shine, your light has truly come 16

HAND oF tHE HARVEStER Growing up 20 Energised by vision 22 On Earth as it is in heaven 24

IN EVERY ISSUE Where to find CONNECT 3 Letter from the Editor 4 Notice board 7 The Rest is HIStory 28

PRoMotIoN St Mary's hospital golf day 13

PRoDUCtS & SERVICES Printing services 2 Business networking 6 Copy writing, life coach, painting contractor, trainer 14 Business systems, graphic designer, estate agent (Westville), business insurance 15 Attorney, security, networking systems 23 Financial planner, photographer, family church, business systms, short term insurance, electrical contractor 26 Jewellery, health consultant, social networker, estate agent (Queensburgh), labour consulting, civil & structural engineering 27 Audiologist 30 Polyform 31 Crossover 32

is produced by:tracey olivier - Editor [email protected] Peck - KBN Director of Operations [email protected] Young - Sub-Editor [email protected] Plowman - Art Director [email protected] Sales - 084 548 4720 [email protected] Joubert - Ad Design [email protected] printed by: DNA Print (Pty) Ltd. [email protected]

is available at the following locations:

Amanzimtoti Sweetwaters Full Gospel Church

Kingsway Church, Life ChurchDurban North

Living Waters Church KingsNet Ministries

Empangeni Christian Family Church

Hillcrest GraceHill Church

Focus On The Family Bookshop Christ Church Hillcrest

Kloof/gillitts Kloof Harvest Church

Sarepta Church Kloof Baptist Church

St. Agnes Church Kloof Methodist

Morningside The Olive Tree

Lambert Road Baptist ChurchMusgrave/glenwood

Full Gospel Tabernacle Scripture Union St Olav’s Church

His People ChurchPinetown/Westmead Highway Christian Community

Pinetown Baptist Church Doxa Deo NG Kerk

Fourways SparPietermaritzburg

African Enterprise The Coffeeberry Cafe

All Saints ChurchUmhlanga

Umhlanga Harvest Umhlanga Christ Church

Waterfall Waterfall Baptist Church

Westville Church on Route 5

St. Elizabeths Church Westville Methodist Church

Westville Baptist Church Westville Presbyterian Church

Please let us know if you wish to distribute CoNNECt magazine

in your church or business.

CONTENTS

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I normally come bursting out of one year and in to the next, sword blazing irritating the poor people who are

slowing easing themselves into it. New years are normally filled with high expectations and huge intentions to do what we didn’t get to do the year before. We also dig out the promise box and wave them around.

2012 was an incredibly tough year for me as a mother, wife and business owner, I faced many disappointments and trials as did many who I walk with. I made it through knowing that God was right there

Download all 17 issues of

KBNConnect for FREE! issuu.com/connectbizmag

by my side, holding my hand and loving me through the really dark times.

So when 2013 was knocking at the door, I gingerly cracked the door open and peeped out. Knowing that great things lay ahead, but afraid that I was not up for the challenge. My confidence shaky, I turned to the only one who can make sense of it all.

It started as a whisper, and now it shouts inside of me everyday. ARISE AND SHINE. It isn’t anything I can muster up and whip up, as I lean into him He continues to whisper Isaiah 60: 1-3 Arise [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you—rise to a new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!2

For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and dense darkness [all] peoples, but the Lord shall arise upon you [O Jerusalem], and His glory shall be seen on you.3 And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.

Then these four phrases were dropped into my heart. Look up! Crown on! Sword up! Sickle ready!

In a nutshell, we cannot allow the circumstances of life to get us down, He is the lifter of our head and once we look up the opportunities will be clear to us. We need to have a clear understanding of who we are in Christ and walk in it daily with

ARISE & SHINE

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authority and Grace. We need to be practiced in the Sword of the Word so that we know how to use it when the need arises and lastly we need to have our sickles ready to harvest that which we have sown and fought for.

For such a time as this…. There is a sense of opening of provision for the assignments we have been entrusted with, now is not the time to give up, now is the time to push through. Now is the time of the tipping point… Step into this new year ready to co labour with the King of kings and the Lord of lords, take hold of all that He has for you! Arise and Shine!!

PS. Check out our authors

FOLLOW US ON TWITTER Twitter.com/Connectbizmag

BECOME A FAN ON FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/connectbizmag1

www.kbnconnect.co.za | 5

Kim White, Auckland, New ZealandKim White comes from a Financial Services background and has run his own business consultancy focusing on strategic planning, project and change management. He is passionate about restoring the business person in Gods church and helping churches to release the potential within their business people.

Patrick Kuwana, Johannesburg, South Africa is the founder of Crossover Transformation Group – a business focused on providing biblically based business leadership, entrepreneurship and transformational leadership training, consulting and coaching services..

gary Kelly, Pinetown, South Africa Gary is a Pastor and M.D. of an Energy Saving business situated in KZN which provides Solutions country wide. Gary is a strong visionary and has a passion to develop leaders in their gifting areas. Hê is also a life coach and mentor to various businessmen and woman throughout SA.

Ed Ramsami, Johannesburg, South Africa Ed is the founder of SHIFT, a company that specialises in helping companies, churches and individuals to shift from their current reality to a vibrant, effective and productive future reality.

Patrice tsague, Portland, USAPatrice is author of the Biblical Entrepreneurship Weekly Devotional, Biblical Entrepreneurship Certificate Course and Nothing but a Jar of Oil. He is an international speaker, author, business trainer and coach.

Amanda Wells, Brisbane, AustraliaAs a life coach and international speaker, Amanda is a dynamic, powerful visionary and humanitarian whose passion is for people to engage their spheres of influence to bring about transformation.

Yours truly with StoRY Sessions founders travis gale and Don Muller

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ENCOURAGE, INSPIRE, IGNITE & EQUIP• To grow, equip and encourage Christian business owners

• To extend God’s Kingdom by using our unique market place gifting to bring finances into our local churches

• To give exposure to each member’s product or service so that we can support and refer business to one another

• To create a culture of excellence and integrity in Business

youareinvisible

Ifnobodyknowsaboutyourbusiness

todayisNETWORKINGinbusinessOneofthemostimportanttools

seriousaboutBusinessJoinaNetworkinggroupthatis

andaboutkeepingChristasourcentre

andfoundation

For more information call 084 548 4720 or email [email protected]

Follow us on www.facebook.com/ KingdomBizNetworking

KEEpINgjESUS

CHRISTAS OURCENTRE

Page 7: Issue17 ARISE & SHINE

Notice Boardthis page is for you to write in with your business questions. We have a panel of

Kingdom Business experts who can't wait to help you. or just let us know how the

articles have blessed you. We really would love to serve and ConneCt with you.

1-2 March 2013 Biblical Entrepreneurship 1

BE-1 teaches the Biblical approach to identifying opportunities, taking calculated risks, solving problems,

and exercising stewardship for biblical profit while developing a Christ-centred character and attitude.

11-13 April 2013 Biblical Entrepreneurship 2

BE 2 is an 18-36 hour course designed to assist students in developing an

understanding of practical “Mini MBA” principles as they relate to the

Word of God.

to book email: [email protected]

For more information contact Belinda on [email protected]

Westville: 12 Feb & 12 March

Hillcrest: 14 Feb & 14 March

North Coast: 19 Feb & 19 March

South Coast: 20 Feb & 20 March

Pietermaritzburg: 26 Feb & 26 March

R90 Members, R120 Non-members

(incl breakfast, coffee/tea)

RSVP: Belinda [email protected]

oUR PANEl oF ExPERtS INClUDE:Adele Benvie is the proud founder and C E O of The Success Company, taking many of South Africa’s leading companies toward their success using People Development, namely Skills Development, Team Building and Inspiration. As a business woman, she has devoted her life to equipping people and businesses to discover their true potential for success. Adele motto in life is “If you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life” and is blessed to say that is exactly what she does.

Andries Koen is qualified in labour relations (industrial relations) with 12 years experience in this field. Andries assists businesses with day-to-day advice regarding formal internal processes for labour matters. His experience extends to assisting with CCMA and bargaining council disputes, wage negotiations with Unions and assisting companies with retrenchment and restructuring exercises.

Patrick Kuwana is the founder of Crossover Transformation Group – a business focused on providing biblically based business leadership, entrepreneurship and transformational leadership training, consulting and coaching services. Part of their work is to assist businesses and organisations with turnaround and performance improvement strategies that are biblically based. Patrick is passionate about seeing Christ based transformation firstly in people’s lives and then flowing into all sectors of society especially in business and the economy.

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voiCe oF tHe ProPHet

In our last Dreaming with Purpose prayer meeting in December a flow of

prophecy was released that was very encouraging and empowering for people in Marketplace ministry. Whatever your business and ministry involvement, 2013 holds great potential for those who will step out and follow their dreams and callings. Romans 8:19 says, “For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed.” Creation, the world, your workplace, the lost, are waiting in “eager expectation” for YOU to rise up and reveal the Kingdom of Heaven through you.

There was a strong prophetic message of New Babies being birthed in 2013: spiritual babies that have been growing in the hearts of men and women and who are now ready to be born. 2013 is for the risk takers, those that would step out in faith, ignoring the opinions of man and following the promptings of God to advance His Kingdom. Matthew 6:33 urges

us to “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well”. When we are focused on building God’s kingdom, God builds with us and with Him nothing is impossible!

2013 is a time when atmospheres will start to be transformed around us. Not just personal spheres but governmental and social spheres (the “seven

mountains of influence”) will be transformed by kingdom initiatives of God’s people. For many this will be a time to plant a stake in ground for their faith. No longer hidden, Christian men and women will rise up in the Marketplace and BE God’s Word in their place of work. Not weird, but releasing heavenly power, influence and love, and transforming others as they go.

god will give new people a Voice this year to sound the call, to speak into situations, declaring God’s plans and purposes into situations. God is sounding His trumpet, His

The TIME is NOW

8 | www.kbnconnect.co.za

We cannot hold onto or control what God

will release through us. Whilst we may benefit from it, the primary

purpose of our calling and gifts is for the release of others.

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Momentum is started in the “corporate” move of God but PROGRESS is made through the release of individuals

– rising up in callings, doing things God’s way and standing on God’s word and ways in their lives.

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voice, through the voice of His people. “Speak up,” says the Lord, “speak truth, speak healing, speak wisdom and encouragement. Be the voice of reason and hope in your spheres of influence.”

Everything we do must be to build God’s kingdom, not our own. “Freely we have received, freely give” (Matthew 10:8). I see a picture of seeds being sown, and those seeds exploding and releasing other seeds, and those in turn exploding and releasing others. We cannot hold onto or control what God will release through us. Whilst we may benefit from it, the primary purpose of our calling and gifts is for the release of others. God’s kingdom is an outward explosion of power and love – be careful not to try holding on to what God is doing through you this year! What we hold onto for our own purposes will die in our hands.

We are the seeds and God is exploding many of us outwards, releasing an army of Marketplace warriors to carry the battle in their own areas. It’s not the time to call in the generals (recognised ministries) to fight the battle in our spheres. It is time for you to BECOME the General in your sphere of influence.

As god is releasing people into callings He is also drawing His people into partnerships. Strategic partners, encouraging partners, financing partners, fun partners! They are partners who will co-labour with us, multiplying our effectiveness. Our ministries must be about multiplying others rather than ourselves. We need to invest ourselves in each other and God will multiply the results.

Finally we each need to HEAR God for our seeds and the timing of their birth. there will be a “corporate” release across the body as well as a “personal” one. Take time to hear for yourself personally this year. Momentum is started in the “corporate” move of God but PROGRESS is made through the release of individuals – rising up in callings, doing things God’s way and standing on God’s word and ways in their lives.

Be blessed this year. I’m releasing favour and blessing and courage to you all as God overflows into the Marketplace through you in 2013. !

Kim WhiteAuckland, New Zealand

www.dreamingwithpurpose.co.nz

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“His Lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord.’” (Matthew 25:21). These are words we all aspire to hear being spoken to us by Jesus and should becoming the driving force to what we do with our lives in 2013.

For me 2013 is the year of the glory of the Lord. God has chosen us to be the carriers of His glory on earth (Romans 8:28-30). The more faithful we are with what we have, the more He gives us the privilege to carry a greater measure of His glory into a world that is desperate for solutions that will bring about

transformation, healing and restoration. A key non-negotiable aspect of our faithfulness is pursuing the presence of God in every area of our lives, because the closer we are to Him the more His glory shines on us so that we can reflect it into the world. This is not just about committing to a moment of daily quiet time or Bible reading; this about walking in the spirit of worship and communion with the Father 24 hours a day so that His presence fills every moment of our lives.

I love the moment in Exodus 33: 12-23 when Moses says to God, “If you don’t personally go with us, don’t make us leave this place”. Moses knew that anything that he did without the Lord’s presence would be futile. It is exactly the same for us. However noble, good, religious or Christian our activities

voiCe oF tHe ProPHet

Glory ofthe Kingdom

Carrying the

into the world

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of God so that we can become reflectors of His glory in every area of our lives. Our shining faces are what will draw people to the Lord and salvation.

time to arise and shineI believe God is saying to us right now, “Arise! Shine! For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you” (Isaiah 60:1-2). The world is getting darker (economic and financial turmoil will escalate this year, depravity will be rampant, corruption will continue), but we as Kingdom warriors should

not get worried by this. This is the perfect stage for us to reflect the glory of God into the darkness and bring about hope as we point people to the source of the glory.

What is the evidence of an arisen and shining church?The glory is going before us into all spheres of society – government, business,

education, arts and entertainment, media, religion and families. Our role as Kingdom transformational agents is to follow it and reflect it because it is the power that will enable us to boldly and victoriously implement heavenly blueprints in those spheres. The glory will cut down the enemy ahead of us – opening doors for us and guaranteeing us victory inside those doors. His glory reflecting through us will set us

might seem, if the Lord does not go with us, these activities will be useless and won’t bear fruit for the Kingdom of God. They might temporally satisfy our personal, denominational or church agendas, but they won’t contribute towards what the Lord is looking for to be able to call us ‘good and faithful’ and give us added responsibilities.

Moses goes on in verse 18 to ask the Lord, “Then show me your glorious presence”. After this Moses has several encounters with the Lord on Mount Sinai which cause his face literally to shine (Exodus 34:29-35) as he becomes a carrier and reflector of the glory of God. We need to be boldly pursuing the glory

We need to be boldly pursuing the glory of God so that we can become reflectors of His glory in every area of our lives.

Our shining faces are what will draw people to the Lord

and salvation.

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apart from all the other people on the earth (Exodus 33:16).

The evidence of an ‘arising and shining’ church will not be the size of its congregation, its buildings, its programmes or the number of people it packs into conferences. The evidence will be seen in the physical state of the community, city and nation that the church operates in. We can’t keep talking about the glory – it’s now time to display it to the world as Elijah did on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:20-40).

Surrendering self – the key to being a glory reflectorBefore we can reflect the glory into the world we need to totally surrender and empty ourselves of everything so that we are completely transparent before the source of glory – Yahweh, Adonai, El Shaddai, Jehovah. (I specifically mention these names of God because there is so much loose mention of God everywhere, and unfortunately most of it does not refer to the only true God – Yahweh). The glory cannot be fully reflected off a channel that is still filled with ‘things of the world and the flesh’ because they grieve the Holy Spirit and hence block the glory flow. The more transparent we are, the more glory will be reflected through us so that we can serve as a conduit to point people to the source of the glory.

greater works than JesusOne of the verses I keep having to read to make sure my eyes are not deceiving me is John 14:12 – “I tell you the truth, anyone

who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works because I am going to be with the Father”. Jesus – sorry for being disrespectful but you must be kidding! Are you saying you expect us to do greater works than what you did? As crazy as it seems, yes! Jesus said those words and you and I had better embrace them, believe them

and go out and do those greater works as we are led by the glory of God.

It is through those ‘greater works’ that we will see His will being done ‘on earth as it is in heaven’ and a bumper harvest of lost souls coming to the saving grace of Jesus the Messiah. !

Patrick KuwanaJohannesburg, South Africa

[email protected]

The glory will cut down the

enemy ahead of us – opening

doors for us and guaranteeing us

victory inside those doors.

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St Mary’s hospital is a registered Non-Profit Organisation and Section 18A-exempt hospital that undertakes district hospital level one services on behalf of the KwaZulu natal Department of health. It was established by a group of Trappist monks in 1882 and as medical care was required in the community, five women formed the foundation of the Missionary Sisters of the Precious Blood (a Catholic Religious Order, the order of nuns that owns the hospital today) to provide these services. The hospital is situated in the Mariannhill Mission Complex, located on the outskirts of Durban. It is a 200-bed hospital, serving a population of approximately 1, 023 million people living in the Inner and Outer West areas of Durban. The area has an hIV prevalence rate of 38% and is the referral hospital

for some 21 Community Clinics. Patients attending St. Mary’s are mainly

from historically

disadvantaged semi-rural communities where access to education, the learning of skills, employment and adequate health care facilities were severely restricted. Poverty, malnutrition, disease and violence prevail. The disease profile of the majority of the patients at St. Mary’s relates to opportunistic infections related to hIV and AIDS, malnutrition, gastroenteritis, TB, lower respiratory infections. The Hospital also attends to complicated births and including a high number of teenage pregnancies, pre-term labour and the need for repeat caesarian sections, and offers free voluntary male medical circumcision.

St. Mary’s Hospital - Mariannhill

will be hosting its first fundraising

golf Day on 12th April 2013

at the Kloof Country Club.

Cost: R1,800 per 4 ball including green fees, dinner and prizes.

We need your assistance with the following: 4 Ball teams, Sponsorship

of Holes and Prizes

The money raised will assist the hospital with upgrading of equipment

and much needed renovations.

For more information please contact Helen at the marketing office on

(031) 717 1152 or email [email protected]

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Tracey OlivierA life purpose Coach with a passion for Marketplace Businesses

084 548 [email protected]

Opening up your unique purpose, potential and possibilities through coaching

equipping People for suCCess withINSPIRAtIoN • SKIllS • tEAM BUIlDINg

staFF WHo:

Know how to do their work (Skills Development)

Work well with colleagues (Team Building)

Are inspired to give their best (Inspirational Speaking)

CoMPANY SUCCESSMore Productive Staff More Productive Company

BE tHE CHANgE YoU WANt to SEE!if you want to see change in your job, team, leadership, company or life as a whole, it starts with you. If you want better relationships at work, be more relational to your colleagues. If you want more commitment from those around you, start showing them more commitment. If you want to see your company do better, do better at your role in the company.

If it is to be, it is up to you . . . So BE the CHANGE YOU want to SEE.

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graphic design

brand development (logos & stationery)

publication design (magazines, books & brochures)

typographic art

passion for creating beautiful things

Ruth PlowmandesigneR

084 88 22 110 [email protected]

leslie VenterCell: 082 451 7328Tel: 031 823 [email protected]

Its payroll tax year end time again - Contact us for year-end assistance, or to change/take over your payroll. Visit our website for some tips and important dates.

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Heart oF tHe Pastor

The Bible says in Isaiah 60:1-2, “Arise, shine; for thy light is come and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee”. The first thing to

note from this passage is that God commanded the people of Israel to “arise” and “shine” and be who they were intended to be. For God to say that, the Israelites must have been ‘lying down’ in a spiritual sense – in other words, spiritually asleep. They were to arise from their spiritual slumber because God said, “Your light has come”. What a beautiful picture to know

that God looks upon spiritually asleep Israel and causes His people not only to arise, but to shine His light upon the world.

To qualify what God is saying, let us look a bit deeper. The word “arise” means “to get up or to stand up as from a lying or sitting position”, “to come into notice”, “to be recognised”, “to ascend”. In essence this means that you should expect to get up, stand up, ascend and come into notice (be recognised). To “arise” also means to move onto the next level, a higher level in

Arise & ShineYour Light has truly come!

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your spiritual calling. The point is this: you do not arise downward – you arise upward.

Arising is very difficult for spiritually insensitive people because they are tied down by many issues, burdens and yokes that keep them in bondage. These yokes range from debt, sickness, broken or dysfunctional relationships to a relationship with God that does not exist or has gone backward. The good news is that the God of Breakthrough, the Creator of the Universe, the One who holds the whole world in His hands, says “ARISE”, stand up. You can now expect to ascend to greater heights because the Lord, the Burden Remover, will destroy every yoke that is holding you down in Jesus’ mighty name. What are we arising to do?∙ We need to arise to possess what god has given us! In Genesis 13:17 God says to Abram, “Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee”. Further on in Joshua 8:1 we read God’s command to Joshua to “arise, go up to Ai: see, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai, and his people, and his city, and his land”. As children of God we need to realise that God is commanding us to arise for there is much that He wants you to have in Jesus’ name. We need to understand that the promises of possession God gave to the Israelites are relevant to us as His children this very day.

∙ We need to arise to a life of worship! In Genesis 35:3 we read that Jacob says to his family, “let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went.” Arising to a life of worship is more than just a matter of singing spiritual songs and hymns; it is about living a life of victory which results in praise and the offering of sacrifice to the Living God. We as children of light should adopt a spirit of gratitude and a thankful heart that will cause us constantly to glorify God in Jesus’ name. King David was referred to as a man after God’s own heart because he devoted his life to worshiping the Almighty God.

∙ We need to arise to much more! In the story of The Lion King, Mufasa appears to his son Simba and tells him, “You are more than what you have become!” This is also true of every Christ follower; we are more than what we often perceive ourselves to be. You may think you are just a writer or an accountant, for example – but what could your gift be in the hands of the Living God?

Right now, I want to encourage you to take time and meditate on how god sees you, rather than how you see yourself. God constantly sees you arising to lead (Joshua 1:2), arising to build (Nehemiah 2:17-20), arising to intercede (Isaiah 21:5-6), arising to rescue (Deuteronomy 9:12) and arising to restore (Genesis 31:13, Luke 15:18).

Maybe you are at a place in your life where people have laughed at you because of your plans that have gone wrong, your relationships that are in a mess or some other reason. But in Micah 7:8 the Bible says, “Do not gloat over me, my enemies! For though I fall, I will rise again. Though I sit in darkness, the LORD himself will be my light.”

∙ We need to arise to shine and be seen! There has never been a better time to shine. To “shine” literally means to be visible, to

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bloom like a flower. It also means to come out of darkness, out of hiding and to be seen. Continuing to live in darkness will never bring hope to yourself or to those around you. The Message translation says in Matthew 5:14-16 that “Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand – shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven”.

2013 is the year where the “Church” (body of believers) will arise for the world to see. We have

a message that people all over need to hear, and now is our time to Arise and Shine! This obviously implies that we need to be seen and come out of the darkness! Too many Christians have been in a spiritual closet and have never been given the opportunity for their lights to shine. Well, God is going to push you to a hill from where your light may shine for many to see. Furthermore, this will require us to be bold, to step out and put our fears behind us. 2 Timothy 1:7 expresses this message to every believer: “For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline”.

No matter what your background looks like or even what your life looks like right now, God through His Grace is able to turn it around in an instant. Consider this: Joseph was in a jail but when the time came to arise and shine, he was

Meditate on how God sees you, rather than how you see yourself.

God constantly sees you arising to lead (Joshua 1:2),

arising to build (Nehemiah 2:17-20), arising to intercede (Isaiah 21:5-6),

arising to rescue (Deuteronomy 9:12) and arising to restore (Genesis 31:13, Luke 15:18).

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catapulted into the palace and into a position second only to Pharaoh. You may even be an orphan like Esther or a shepherd boy like David, but when God decides that it is time to come into the palace, nothing and nobody can stop it.

∙ Finally we need to shine to influence. God wants to bestow on you wisdom that will astound both you and those entrusted to you. We read that this wisdom is freely available to every believer when we ask God without doubting. James 1:5 NLT says, “If you need wisdom – if you want to know what God wants you to do – ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking”. God will fill your mouth with wisdom. In fact in Ecclesiastes 8:1 the Bible says, “How wonderful to be wise, to be able to analyze and interpret things. Wisdom lights

up a person’s face, softening its hardness”.The wisdom that God wants to give you will

be uncommon wisdom and it will cause you to shine. In addition to this God wants you to (a)rise to the occasion! Daniel 12:3 says, “Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who turn many to righteousness will shine like stars forever.” When you Arise and Shine God will cause you to be influential and it will affect lives. As you shine, darkness will be scattered and rendered ineffective. In John 1:5 we read, “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” You will not be stopped by any darkness as you step into your season of arising and shining.

Finally, as believers Arise and Shine in 2013, we will undoubtedly see the glory of the Lord. The Bible says in Isaiah 60:1 that “the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee”, so get ready for the glory of God. In Ecclesiastes 3:1,4 the Bible says, “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven…a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance”. This is your time to Arise and Shine in Jesus’ Mighty Name. Amen! !

Pastor gary Kelly [email protected]

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GROWInG up!Hand oF tHe Harvester

Growth is a very necessary part of human life and in fact in all of nature. Remaining stagnant is not

an option if you want to become effective in life, business and leadership. For me 2013 is a time to grow and I have been challenged and inspired by the life of Jesus and especially his story of growth as recorded in Luke 2:52: “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man”.

A closer look at this scripture reveals four areas of growth: (1) wisdom, (2) stature, (3) favour with God and (4) favour with man. This year I want to commit to grow in these same four areas and I challenge you to do the same. I believe that these four areas can serve as growth engines for all areas of life. For instance, if I am growing in wisdom then I will begin to make better, more godly decisions about my life, my business, my relationships and my future. Let’s take a look at each area.

gRoW IN WISDoMThroughout the scriptures we see the importance of growing in wisdom. James even encourages us to ask for wisdom if we lack it (James 1:5)! Howard Hendricks said that if we stop reading, we stop learning, and when we stop learning we stop preaching or witnessing.

There are two factors that influence your life the most: the books you read and the people around you. Aside from the Scripture, what other books or literature are you reading right now? Charles Spurgeon once said, “The man who never reads will never be read; he who never quotes will never be quoted; he who will not use the thoughts of other men’s brains proves he has no brain of his own”. We need to read, and to make sure that what we read – and

the people we spend time with – build us up in knowledge and faith.

gRoW IN StAtUREI see this “stature” as more than just physical stature because the Old Testament says that man looks on the outside (personality) but God looks on the inside (character). Is your character growing? Are you creating time on a regular basis to develop the deep character-building blocks in your life? As you start 2013, may I encourage you to grow in the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control) and remember that against these character traits there is no law.

gRoW IN FAVoUR WItH MEN Man was created for community, and so we need to be growing in our relationships with each other. As the Proverbs remind us, just as iron sharpens iron, so is one man with another. Do you have key relationships in place that serve you in terms of close friendship like David and Jonathan, in terms of accountability like Paul and Timothy, in terms of editing your life like the prophet Nathan did for King David? Notice again how each of these growth areas build on each other. We need godly wisdom to know how to develop our character, and if we have a strong, godly character then we will naturally gain favour with those around us; people will want to be with us, learn from us and more importantly grow with us.

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gRoW IN FAVoUR WItH goDThis is probably the most important area of growth for the Christ-follower. I remember when I was at Sunday School many years ago we used to sing a song “Read your Bible, pray

every day and you will grow, grow, grow”. It sounds simple but for so many these

are two of hardest practices to maintain on a regular basis. We should remind ourselves that growing any personal relationship requires time and effort. Here are some practical steps to ensure we are growing with God:

1 Meet with God daily

2 Practise God’s Presence – “Being persuaded that

God is everywhere present on all sides, we praise Him as we till the ground, we sing hymns as we sow the seed, we feel His

inspiration in all we do.” (Clement of Alexander)

3 Deal with Sin – Martin Luther once said that

Christians should set aside time each day to reflect on the

Ten Commandments and ask God to reveal which they had broken.

4 Create space for God – If the devil can’t make you bad he will make you busy!

5 Serve – “Spirituality is not simply an inward disposition. It is not only a

peaceful state of mind. Spirituality must come to expression in acts of kindness, deeds of love and thankful service.” (Charles Ringma)

A final thought on growth is this: be aware of the barriers to your spiritual growth. Satan is never happy to see Christ-followers growing and so we need to observe these two barriers and deal with them accordingly:

Barrier One: Being StalledI am certain that when we were learning to drive, all of us stalled the car in an attempt to get the balance right between releasing the clutch and accelerating. This is expected from a learner but we all look in disbelief and sometimes frustration when a seasoned older driver stalls a car. So it is in our spiritual lives. We must beware of stalling and get the balance right.

Barrier Two: Being DissatisfiedAfter reading the Bible, praying and attending church I have heard many people say that they have become dissatisfied because they have not seen rapid growth, or because something or someone has caused them to become dissatisfied. Remember that the Bible challenges us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling, and calls us to run the race that has been marked for us with perseverance.

We all need to take personal responsibility for own growth. Keep developing these four growth engines and you will begin to live an effective, productive, transformative spiritual life that will continue to impact all around you. !

Ed Ramsami Johannesburg, SA

www.shiftthefuture.co.za

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“Where there is no revelation the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who

keeps the law.” - Proverbs 29:18

Vision is an overused word in the business world and is often misunderstood because it can be very complex or

simple, depending on its use and application. In simple terms vision is a revelation that gives you insight into the future. It is a picture of your preferred future. If everything you hope for was to occur, what would your reality look like? That is your vision. Vision is sometimes confused with mission. Mission is who you are and what you are trying to do, while vision is who you are trying to become. Mission provides a road map towards the future, while vision provides a target into the future. A lack of vision can be detrimental to an organisation. Organisations that lack a clear vision tend to experience the following symptoms:

1. Complacency2. Lack of focus and direction3. Lack of energy and enthusiasm4. internal complaints and high turn-over5. Low financial returns6. Lack of innovation7. Limited growth

An organisation’s ability to do impossible tasks is not based on its capacity, but on its belief and view of the future. A great vision inspires people to achieve beyond their capacity. As long as there is inspiration and hope, individuals stay the course and do what it takes. Organisations with a compelling view of the future have a competitive edge because they are able to address today based on tomorrow’s

possibilities rather than allowing themselves to be overwhelmed by today’s problems. Crafting a compelling vision statement, however, is not easy. It must meet these seven criteria:

1. Bold2. measurable3. realistic4. daring5. inspiring6. Focused7. Futuristic

To create a well-articulated and balanced vision statement using these seven criteria requires the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Your vision must reflect not what you can do alone, but what you can do only with the help of God. If you can accomplish it on your own then it’s not a vision. If you do not have the seeds to accomplish it then it is a wish. Your vision must strike the proper balance between that which is possible and that which is on the edge of impossibility but is yet still possible. It must reflect not what you can do but what you must do. You may only be able to raise one million dollars but how much money do you need to raise? That is your vision. When our vision focuses solely on what we can do, we limit ourselves to our own ability. But when we focus on what we must do, we are then able to tap into God’s abilities.

My prayer for you today is that God will give you the grace to craft a vision statement that reflects what you can only do with God’s help; and if you already have a vision, that you will review it and ensure that it energises you and your team for this upcoming year. !

Copyright © 2013 Patrice tsague, Portland, USA. All RIgHtS RESERVED

Energised by Vision

Hand oF tHe Harvester

Do you have a sense of vision for this year? What about the next three years? Are you inspired by it?

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Hand oF tHe Harvester

When He prayed, “thy kingdom come on earth as it is in Heaven”, was Jesus mistaken in His expectation

that God would establish His kingdom upon the earth? I don’t believe so; I believe He was literally saying, “Let the earthly kingdom be under heavenly control and government” or “Let Divine intervention come in the affairs of men on earth!”

The Message of the Bible is about a Kingdom called Heaven. Kingdoms, like all other nations, do not have members, only citizens. The first three chapters of the Bible show us God’s original intention for mankind and the earth. Man was originally created perfect, in the moral likeness of God, and placed in an environment ideally suited to sustain his existence. Through a lack of experience with the results of evil, Adam fell from his state of perfection and faced the consequences of his sin: sickness, poverty, suffering and death. This heavy penalty was imposed upon him not because of the magnitude of his sin, but because the principle of obedience to the Creator had been broken. The history of Man has demonstrated the heavy price which has already been paid. The entire world has been groaning and travailing in pain under the burden of the reign of sin and death, and longing for deliverance (Romans 8:22).

The Kingdom of God is the restoration back to perfection of that which was lost in the Edenic paradise. Jesus didn’t come to start a religion, but to restore and establish His Kingdom. The Kingdom of God – or we could

say the Government of God – which Christ wishes to establish on the earth is based on Royalty. Because most modern governments are built on democracy, socialism, communism or dictatorship, few people truly understand Kingdom Royalty and what it means for Jesus to be “King of Kings”. Yet if we are to understand how God views money and wealth, it is imperative to understand Royalty and His Government.

Monarchies are characterised by the wealth of their royal families and by the power of royal kinship. It is the same in God’s Kingdom. God is a God of relationship, and not only are we citizens of God’s Kingdom, but we are part of the Royal family and can address Him as Father. God, who rules over everything, limited Himself for the sake of man’s participation, and gave Adam and Eve rulership over this earth. God needs our permission to govern the earth because He is bound to the judicial system of Heaven itself – and that judicial system gives mankind authority to rule on the earth!

Revelations 5:10 says, “And hast made us unto our God, kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth”. This is how powerful you and I are! As we rule by the Word of God as He declared, then God has freedom to loose angels to perform His word in our situation. You and I have a weight on us as kings, and our kingly duty is to pray!

A RoYAl PRIEStHooDA King on the earth administers in the natural realm what a Priest does in the spiritual. We

On Earth as it is

In hEAVEn

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are called a “Royal Priesthood” because we do both. A priest has the ability to go in and out of heaven, to open a pathway between heaven and earth to administer supernatural things on behalf of human needs. A King has latitude on a horizontal scale to administer and dominate over an assigned territory. This is the power of the Kingdom! The Lord is looking for a Kingdom of Priests, a Royal Priesthood who can access heaven and come down with tangible solutions to rule with dominion on earth in the presence of our enemies. When you show up, God shows off! That is the testimony of the Gospel of the Kingdom.

tHE CoMMoNWEAltHPart of the duty of a king, in the Kingdom of God, is to seek and understand our daily provision. Provision is part of our kingly inheritance. A Kingdom word that many don’t understand is “commonwealth”. Part of any monarch’s kingdom is called a “commonwealth”. The Queen of England is not just head of her own nation, but of the entire Commonwealth. We cannot rule well in the Kingdom if we don’t grasp that God’s Kingdom is a commonwealth, and how this relates to Kingdom governance. The word commonwealth means “a governing community founded and set up for the common good/welfare of the people”. Therefore a nation’s wealth is to be used for the common good. In the book of Acts we are told that “everyone had all things in common” (Acts 2:44). This means more than just sharing earthly possessions, which is how religion has traditionally understood it. In God’s order there is no poverty for a King in terms of his governance of his commonwealth. In a commonwealth all citizens work together by sharing ideas, experiences, skills, knowledge and so on.

As kings in the Kingdom or Commonwealth of God, it is our duty but to distribute wealth for the benefit of the people and to be of service in the Kingdom. When we pray for our daily provision, it is not for personal provision only – that is thinking and acting like a slave or a servant. Instead we pray as a monarch in the Kingdom, where provision for all God’s people is part of our responsibility and governance.

The Kingdom of God is the realm where God has dominion and His will is fulfilled. His kingdom is invisible, which is why we are to pray, “as it is in heaven let it be done on earth”. As sons and citizens of His Kingdom we are a visible representation of the invisible Kingdom. Nobody can see the Kingdom but they see you and I, the Church, His body, as we are the carriers of His Kingdom. Blessing, therefore, is not just so that you and I feel good and get personal answers from God; the King wants to bless the lives of His royal family so that the earth receives the favour of the King!

Unfortunately another area the church hasn’t understood in terms of a Kingdom mandate is the Great Commission. God is King and Supreme Ruler, and all his sons and daughters are also kings with territorial authority in His kingdom! Just before Jesus ascended back to be with the Father He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:18-19). Notice that Jesus didn’t say just go and disciple people, one to one, just your friends and neighbours? Why, and what is the difference? We, as His sons and daughters, are called to colonise our nations, our homes and our territories until each starts to look like Heaven! That is true discipleship – bringing the Commonwealth and Government of Heaven to Earth.

Can you imagine what would happen if the Church started to see concepts like discipleship and wealth through the eyes of the Kingdom and understood that we are in a commonwealth? We are not just here to be personally blessed because we are Christians, but because we are here as citizens of the Commonwealth. And as members of God’s Commonwealth, our duty is to steward and serve our ‘territory’, to bring the Kingdom of the King and His constitution into the earth and enforce His law and His word in every area of society. This is discipleship, where Heaven invades Earth through His Kingdom enforcers! !

Amanda WellsBrisbane, Australia

[email protected]

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The rest is HISTORY

What's your STORY?A conversation with StoRY Sessions founders Don Muller and travis gale

As the Connect team brings you one powerful story after another, we are being increasingly struck by the Story

that God is weaving with our collective lives: a story of often small beginnings, perseverance through hardships and victories of many kinds, both small and large. When we hear other people’s stories, their testimonies ignite in us a hope and a confidence that pushes us forward in our own story. And when we do, God gets the glory. Here’s the amazing thing: God has put a story on each of us and furnished us with the abilities we need to live it out – but he lets us do the writing!

We recently had the pleasure of meeting Don Muller and Travis Gale from Appletree Catalyst Agency, the founders of Durban’s awesome STORY Sessions. Here’s a snippet from their website, www.storysessions.co.za to give you a snapshot of what they’re about:

“No matter who you are you will have been impacted by powerful stories. History books are littered with stories of great men and woman whose extraordinary lives have shaped the world we live in. Then there are stories of unsung heroes, the people in our midst who have incredible stories to tell yet may never have the opportunity to share them.

STORY Sessions aims to create the space for these stories to be told. Our live events bring communities together to share in the stories of those who live right amongst us. Our blog posts will feature stories that we hunt down and that others have shared with us.

But the big dream goes far beyond simply sharing stories. At STORY Sessions we believe that the power of a story is the story it starts in you. We aim, therefore, to create a community of

people who not only listen to the stories of others but become intentional in living out the most authentic and unique expression of their own stories. Because it is these stories that will change our world.”

So, WHAt ARE tHE StoRY SESSIoNS AND HoW DID tHEY StARt?“As a company we ran a workshop in the corporate space called ‘S.T.O.R.Y," recalls Don. “It was very focused on individuals understanding their strengths and taking ownership for their story so they can live it out better, instead of the environment always dictating their current reality. At these workshops we’d get a lot of people saying they wish their wife or friend or whoever could experience the same thing.

“This started a conversation,” he continues. “We’d always felt a bit frustrated that our impact could only be in the corporate space, so were toying with running public workshops, but getting the logistics to work was really complicated. I remembered watching VH1 Storytellers growing up, where a band would get up, tell the story behind a song and then play the song. So we thought maybe we could just find someone in Durban who’s living a cool story and get up and just tell it.

“When you hear someone who’s lived a cool story, you realise it wasn’t as if the heavens just opened one day and this amazing opportunity just fell in their lap. There were intentional steps along the way that got the person to live out that cool story. Often when we hear that it challenges us [to think about] the kind of story we live in. Travis’ brother Gareth Gale is one of the best

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drummers in the country and we thought why not showcase a cool place in Durban and just tell this guy’s story (it wasn’t just by accident that he got to where he is today). And from that one, we said we’d do five, then we thought why stop there?”

With eight Story Sessions under their belts, there’s no question of stopping now. One story leads to another and another, and for Travis and Don the real Story is about the stories the sessions start in the people who attend.

Travis gives the example of a man who once attended a workshop of his. “He worked for a business called Green Office and he used to pack cartridges and that kind of thing,” says Travis. “He lived down the South Coast and used to take a train to work each day. At the workshop this man told us how he used to walk from his township past the golf course, and how he used to watch these middle-aged white men hitting a ball with a stick and wonder, ‘What is this?’ Then he proceeded to tell us that he used to sneak through the fence every now and then, pick up a club, and now he’s a scratch golfer. Now part of his aim in life was to inspire and help young township kids to learn to play golf. I remember being in that workshop and being completely floored by this guy’s story. Those moments in workshops are often what inspire others.”

HoW DID YoUR DREAM BECoME A REAlItY?Despite their mounting excitement around starting the Story Sessions, it was many months before the first Story Session took place in July 2011. “It took us quite a while to get off the ground,” says Travis, “but in that time our team formed. We were looking for a venue and we were impressed with Darryl Hoffman’s night market which at that stage

was at Colombo. He offered to do a vibey little night market for us and we used Colombo because we’d seen it work. Then we needed some kind of set – all we had was the ability to talk! We were chatting to Aaron McIlroy and he said we had to meet a friend who would ‘love the idea’. Well that friend was Michael Broderick, one of the best set designers in SA. Mike does all our lighting now. And through a colleague, Brandon Bunyan of Black Coffee,

Mike organised for us to borrow whatever sets we needed for each session. All the sets (and that’s not small money) are sponsored. So Mike came on board and then Dre '2 Slice' Watermeyer offered to help us with the social media marketing, and we had help from some of the staff at Olive Tree Church – so we had a

team. We had been working with Gareth (my brother) already and I was confident I knew his story. So we were ready to go, but at the same time we didn’t know if it would turn out.

“It’s easy to talk,” admits Travis, “but when it comes down to execution it’s a different story. At one stage my pastor shared that if you don’t step into your visions, it’s people around you who perish. So in actual fact if you’ve been given something, you’ve got a mandate to step out because it hasn’t been given to you for yourself – it’s been given to you to serve others. You will always have that moment when you’re a bit apprehensive. But if you don’t step out, then you’ll never know. I can’t imagine us still sitting here, asking ‘what if?’”

It’S HIS StoRY, Not oURS. “To me, that’s where His story comes in, because God is using us to write his story,” says Don. “The enemy will always use doubt and say ‘but, but’. For us the big Story that came about with all these individuals coming and joining us is because we decided just to step out in this thing that God’s calling for in

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the city. We had to ask ourselves if we would act without a guarantee, and we had to realise that our story really does count. That when we act on those things, we make a difference to others. The thrill of seeing someone’s life changed by stepping out into something they thought could happen is so rewarding.”

WHoSE StoRIES HAVE YoU FEAtURED So FAR?Gareth Gale’s story about being “exceptionally intentional” was followed by Aaron McIlroy on the theme of “leaning into your passions” and surfing legend Shaun Tomson on confronting your fears. Other well-known people featured have been epic storyteller Gcina Mhlophe, the Marine Surf Lifesaving Club (an incredible story – check out their video on www.storysessions.co.za), mountaineering legend Sean Wisedale, Margaret Hirsch of Hirsch’s Home Store and – most recently – Brad Klynsmith from the hit band Gangs of Ballet. From Margaret Hirsch’s story of small beginnings and perseverance to the MSLC’s story of choosing to change their attitudes so that they could survive, each story resonates with ordinary people.

A testimony to the sessions’ power to change lives is the story of Rob, a friend of Travis and Don’s, who played at the first three Story Sessions. Don tells the story.

“Rob Warren attended the three first

sessions and all three had initiated some form a change in his life. He’d been sitting on a decision he needed to make around recording an EP and when Shaun said ‘just turn around and paddle’, he asked himself ‘Why am I allowing doubt and fear to stop me from doing this?’ So that’s why we recorded him for the

fourth Story Session – because the Sessions had impacted his life in the way we wanted them to and he was now living his dream!” (Have a look at his story under Media>Video on www.storysessions.co.za)

HoW ARE tHESE StoRIES SHAPINg YoUR PlANS FoR

tHE 2013 EVENtS?“We haven’t been able to track the stories but we do know of some people who have started new things because of the sessions,” says Travis. “Margaret Hirsch impacted a lot of people and some even started vision boards and that kind of thing. This year we want to be even more

intentional. We’ll keep having some of the bigger names but in between we’ll have the smaller stories and start massaging in the idea of coming for the story and not the person. That was always the original intention. We’ve never battled for stories. You can live a story without being a big name.”

WHEN AND WHERE Do tHE StoRY SESSIoNS tAKE PlACE?“It varies. Part of our intention is to showcase cool venues around Durban, but we’re also toying with using with a few core ones going

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forward. We have used seven venues for eight sessions so far. Wednesday nights tend to be the best time for people.”

HoW Do YoU lEt PEoPlE KNoW ABoUt tHE StoRY SESSIoNS? Word of mouth, Facebook, newsletter subscribers, and our website – www.storysessions.co.za

HoW Do tHE StoRY SESSIoNS FIt INto YoUR oWN StoRY, AND YoUR BUSINESS, APPlEtREE CAtAlYSt AgENCY? Not surprisingly, Don and Travis’s business isn’t far from what the STORY Sessions are about. Offering innovative strategic consulting, corporate workshops, life/business coaching and keynote talks, Appletree’s DNA lies in (igniting individual potential and building corporate community. The apple tree (the seed of a company vision born in 1999 on a round-the-world cycle tour) is a beautiful metaphor for the STORY Sessions and what they aim to achieve.

“Picture life as an apple tree. The trunk is life. We move up the trunk through school, careers, family, assets and retirement, until we reach the top. Most of our lives we cling to this thick, safe trunk. The apples represent opportunities, the realities that we wish to create for ourselves. Given that they lie at the ends of thin branches, we fear to pick them and choose not to step out of our comfort zones into a world of risk. No one wants to get to the end of their lives and look down on piles of rotten apples lying on the ground, never picked.

The challenge is to step out onto that thin branch, to pick apples and to begin a journey that will change our reality. In essence, we need to stop preparing to live; we need to livelifenow! It is a call to action, for businesses and individuals alike. It is a call to stop, disconnect, ask yourself some important questions, re-assess your direction, and then to choose an intentional path that is purpose-driven.”

Imagine where His Story will take you if you step away from the tree trunk. !

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