What motivated you to plant your church in the Tygerberg area? 

In the early 2000s God spoke to our sending pastors, Graham and Jenny Evans, about the Tygerberg area, and they began praying for God to call the right leadership at the right time. When God spoke to us in 2016 about planting a church in Tygerberg, we were serving under Andre and Leanne Greeff at View Church Table View. The Greeffs were very supportive when we shared how God was leading us.

At the same time, unknown to us, ARC Southern Africa was being formed. When we told Paul van Coller that God was leading us to plant a church in the Tygerberg area, he invited us to join ARC.

The ways in which God confirmed His calling and opened a ministry opportunity to us in Tygerberg Hills could not be coincidence! We planted our church in obedience to the call God placed on our hearts.

What do you love about your church and community?

We love that our church is truly a family. In a short period of time hundreds of people have formed a genuine community filled with love and warmth. We say that anyone and everyone can come as they are and belong before they believe. Time and again we hear incredible testimonies of our open-handed volunteers reaching out to others and welcoming them into our church home. Our community is diverse in ethnicity and culture, making it a true South African home.

What has been one of your greatest moments since planting your church?

God’s goodness has been evident in baptisms, healings, multiple missions trips, and restored marriages. A couple hundred people have given their hearts to Christ each year since the launch of our church, and salvations always top the charts in our praise reports!

Perhaps this past Christmas was the single greatest moment; 761 people attended our carols celebration services, a record attendance since we launched in 2018.

What has been one of the toughest moments you have experienced in ministry?

Our toughest moments in ministry are when the pace is either very slow or too fast. It’s painful when things are slow because you feel like you’re moving backwards, but during periods of fast growth the busy pace can hurt you just as much. We are focusing on finding the balance between these two extremes.

What is the biggest change you have seen in yourself or your church since you planted?

I’ve come to see that I have more blind spots than I realized, God is more gracious than I knew, and He is more committed to building His church than I ever will be!

I am a 97 percent number 3 on the Enneagram test, which in a nutshell means I want to win and do anything to get there. While there are benefits to this personality type, in the Kingdom we sow and water, but only God makes it grow. I’m slowly learning to accept this deep within my heart.

What do you want to share with someone thinking about becoming a church planter? 

First, stop what you are doing and join ARC! The support, friendships, and guidance we have received from ARC have been crucial to our success.

Planting a church is more difficult than you think it will be but better than you can imagine. God is more faithful than you realize, and there are people who genuinely care enough to walk with you and see this dream become a reality.

Pray about everything, and I mean everything! From the carpet color, to the rental agreement, to the kids’ curriculum, to the sound guy you must hire, bring everything to God in prayer.

“Pursue health and embrace growth” is a key thought we use to filter our plans and priorities. It’s easy to pursue growth and ignore health because a lot of things constantly vie for our attention and nearly everything needs to get better. We’ve adopted the phrase, “I will make all things better without making me feel worse.”

How has being a part of ARC had an impact on your life and family?

ARC has become our bigger family. From the outset we have received so much support, incredible friendships, invaluable advice, and genuine community. It’s one thing to have faith for ministry, but you also need friends and family in ministry. ARC has been that for us.