But We’re an Urban Church!
26 November 2010
So, you’ve heard the message of Trumpet Call! You agree with it passionately. But you’re an urban church, in an affluent area for that matter. And what’s more – you don’t really know if you have the time, or ability, to plant maize using Foundations for Farming’s methodology outside of a rural area, what with all the other things you’re doing!
Well, this was something of the quandry Northside Community Church found itself in.
”We’d known about Foundations for Farming from the time it was Farming God’s Way. In fact, we’d been in contact with the likes of Brian Oldreive and Alan Norton since the beginning of Westgate. But we are businessmen, accountants and lawyers and we couldn’t see how to use it in Harare,” said Gary Cross, the Minister at Northside.
Northside’s support of Foundations for Farming was clear from the fact that it was using its principles at its agricultural farm for destitute people, New Hope Village, in Hwedza. The church had even employed a full-time agronomist who had received Foundations for Farming training. Not only that. An orphanage in Nyanga, Rekai Tangwena, that Northside supported was also implementing Foundations for Farming. On average, therefore, Northside could be said to have been doing its bit.
”When Trumpet Call came through, I felt that this was a message from God. The message of Isaiah 58, calling us to a renewed passion for Jesus, one another and the nation was stirring. It was both practical and spiritual and I knew that the church should get behind it,” said Cross.
He then spoke to his church and the congregation of about 400 adults felt they wanted to be part of Trumpet Call. The first step was attending the September 26 event at the Civic Centre grounds.
”It was difficult, being midday, and the venue being the other side of town. But Northside really supported the event and braved the heat to unite with other churches,” Cross noted happily.
”But even after the event, we were still struggling with the practicalities of growing maize. We didn’t even know what we would do with it all after we harvested!” he laughed.
The congregation was asked to plant maize and one member offered seed to everyone at cost. Someone else donated seed for those in the church who couldn’t afford to buy it. Then – on November 6 – so that the church would plant on time, Foundations for Farming trainers were invited to come and plant a well-watered garden and teach the congregation how to follow suit in their own homes. Northside Community Church staff as well as general members of the congregation attended and it is hoped that they will in turn teach others.
”For us, it’s been baby steps. We are moving into something unknown, but you know what: we’ve got to give this a try!” said Cross. He added that Northside had been offered 60 acres of land to use just outside Harare but that the church wanted to see how planting on a smaller scale would go. (Northside has a six by six metre well-watered garden established by Foundations for Farming as well as one done by its own staff.) ” Maybe we”ll see about that land next year,” Cross said thoughtfully.
”The message of Trumpet Call is one around which the entire church can unify. Northside has always supported initiatives to unify the body of Christ. There have been concerns by some about some of the groups involved but I liken it a little to getting onto a bus. As a passenger, I can’t control who else gets on, but we are in this together and as long as we are going in the right direction and to the same destination – it will be ok,” said Cross in conclusion.