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All members of the Neighbours community share their experiences here 

Branken and Neighbours December 2019

14/12/2019

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Leaning into 2019 intentionally

11/2/2019

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As we head into 2019, we have been thinking about being more intentional with our friendship and in our support of one another. We recognise that we are all on personal journeys trying to live our Christianity intentionally in sometimes difficult circumstances, trying to confront the injustice within and around us, and trying to influence people and spaces we find ourselves in to also embark on journeys towards justice. As we do this, we think we should be asking a few questions: 
  • How can we help each other in this journey?
  • How can we support one another in the face of opposition?
  • What do we each need to learn to be more effective in this and how can we embark on learning journeys together?
  • In what ways can we work together to achieve justice?
  • Who else could we include together on this collective journey?

​As we have thought about our (the Branken family and Neighbours) plans for 2019, we see us focussing in particular on:
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  • Helping the church advance its mission though incarnational Christian living as a prophetic sign of hope calling the church to lean into a more holistic gospel proclamation
  • Seeking justice together in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, SA, and internationally through standing with and amplifying the voice of the marginalised
  • Seeking the flourishing of Hillbrow’s residents and children through supporting and running programmes initiated and/or led by marginalised communities (Asset Based Community Development)
  • Growing our music school and learning centre
  • Training and equipping churches, businesses and individuals to live more justly
  • Supporting others on similar journeys

These are a few ways you could help us in 2019:

Journey together

Journey together​ - let us know that you want to get involved in a journey together. We need so much more than volunteers and supporters, we need co-conspirators of a new world. Lets dream about how we can help you advance justice in your spaces and you can help us in ours

Pray for us

P​ray​ - Specifically you can pray with us into the following: a) For new key partners in our work who will be true allies (same heart and vision) working together for kingdom advancement in our city; b) For us to have favour with our existing community and volunteers as we pick up some, if not all, of the activities we were doing together with them between 2012 and 2017; c) For all the transition issues back into the city, including our relationships with our Hillbrow neighbours. Please pray for God’s grace and love to continue to form the foundation of these friendships. d) For financial provision in all that we are doing. It may seem like we are doing well if you follow us on Facebook but the reality is that we have less than 10 financial partners currently and we are very seriously short, by far – about 80% short in total.  Please pray for provision as we fundraise, and as we seek training and consulting opportunities to supplement our income.

Gather some friends

Gather - Please will you consider gathering a few people in your church, community or even a group of friends who may share a similar desire to us whom I can talk to and share our vision with and explore possibly doing stuff together with in 2019. We would love to host this kind of event at our learning centre in Hillbrow (but could be convinced to do it at a more convenient space 😊). Please let us know if you can help with this.

Support financially

Give​ - Please will you personally consider supporting us financially in 2019 through a once off or regular contribution to our work. Here is a link you can use if you are able to help: 
Support Financially
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#TruthBomb

9/2/2019

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Standing where Jesus Stands

9/2/2019

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Listening to a student

7/2/2019

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​I have started studying this year at UP. I am doing a short course called leadership in Urban Transformation at the Centre for Contextual Theology at University of Pretoria. It involves 5 x 4-day sessions over the year where we analyze, reflect and plan our work.

Today is day 4 of the block and lectures start really early so I arrived at 6:30. I went in, the lecture theatre was locked and so went to sit outside. While waiting there I opened up my lunch box and offered the young woman next to me a mango. She seemed quite eager to receive it and so I began to ask a bit of her story.

She is from the Eastern Cape and has come to study theology. She is currently sleeping at the Elim Church while she waits for her NISFAS funding to secure her residence. She should be placed in res by next week. In the mean time she had not had food (clearly for a while).

I gave her the rest of my lunch, my card to call if she needs help in any way and went off to class thinking about what's happenening around South Africa on our universities and how this story gives me a little more insight into why this is all so important.
#FreeEducationNow
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How one South African helped another get through Varsity!

5/2/2019

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​Social media, an anonymous donor and some kindness have given this South African a new lease in life… this is his story 2 years later!
read all about it here
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Lets talk man to man about consent

30/1/2019

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Post to my men friends on consent...
Part of the toxic masculinity we have grown up with has included being taught all sorts of things we now need to unlearn. Most of us also never had open, healthy conversations about sex and consent growing up. All I learned from church and parents was that sex before marriage was a sin and bad. It was completely inadequate. Friends were not good advisors on this either as they too had nobody sit down with them to help navigate this all.
We as a result need to have conversations about sex and consent not only with our kids but with fellow men.
So, let's talk about some ground rules on consent:
1. It must be freely given... It is not ok to pressure, trick or threaten someone into saying yes. Power plays into this. It is never ok to use power to obtain consent. Also obviously nobody who is drunk, high or passed out can give consent.
2. Consent is reversible. It is ok for someone to say yes and then change their mind at any time. Even if you are already naked in bed, consent can be reversed. Even if you have done it before, it can still be reversed. Respect the word no.
3. Consent must be informed. You can only consent to something if you have all the facts. For example, if someone says they will use a condom and then they don't, it isn't full consent.
4. A person participating should be enthusiastic. In other words, they should want to do it. If someone is not enthusiastic (meaning happy, excited or energized), stop and check in with the person.
5. Consent must be specific. Saying yes to one thing (e.g. going to the bedroom to make out) is not the same as saying yes to other things (like having sex).
Sex is beautiful but when you mess with the freedom of people's consent it is violent. It really causes deep hurt and pain, sometimes pain that lasts a life time.
Men, the ladder we have to use to climb out of those bins has a name... It is called respect.
Let's show some!
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This is our beautiful city

20/1/2019

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(Corner Empire and Clarendon, Hillbrow, Johannesburg)
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#ResistBlackFriday by fighting for justice in 2019

27/11/2018

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#ResistBlackFriday by investing in Hillbrow's children

27/11/2018

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