A sense of Hope in the community - An Edenvale Story

I have taken to watching the omnibus of Extreme Makeover Home edition (why is probably your question), well the focus of the show is to reach out to families who have nothing yet go out of the way doing selfless deeds for others. I guess you can call it giving back to those that help you when they are in need and I was touched by the one family this afternoon where they helped out a pastor and his family who purposely moved to a dodgy neighbourhood filled with gangs and drug dealers and set out to change and turn that community around by ministering to these very people whilst putting their lives at risk. I look at my neighbourhood and I see possiblities, through sports facilities (a Soccer Club, a Rugby Club, a gymnastics club that i didnt join up with because they dont offer artistic yet its 2 blocks away from me so I settled on a club that I'm happy with in the neighbouring community), Churches, schools, the list is endless and everybody knows everybody but yet if you drive up the main road of Edenvale you have clubs that are a drug haven, pool bars so people can get drunk and some say where is the hope for Edenvale. If you look in the surface what people dont see are schools, churches, sports clubs and selfless neighbours making a difference like this pastor guy that I mentioned earlier on to bring about and produce a community like no other. My challenge to you is look more in depth into your community and ask how can I make a difference and show the light of Jesus in the darkness that is evident in our surrounding areas. A ministry friend and his brother started an organisation called Inspired 2 Become focused on sport development among the youth and I thought what about bringing gymnastics awareness into that organisation, it will grow the development of the sport whilst keeping kids off the street by entering in a passion due to poor role models would not have been exposed to.

My Testimony

"Revised correction, i noticed some errors"

I have shared with you the very passions of my life but for those who are asking who is this Graham Boyd and how did he become the person that he is today.

I did the sunday school thing at St Chads Anglican Edenvale and during those years I had a lot of questions in my mind and the main one was "Why does everyone talk about the cross" needless to say I never did ask that question in public and started doubting things and in the end departed from the church and 4 years later a seed was planted that would forever change and answer the very question and heres how, My brother was in Grahamstown with my parents checking in to Rhodes University and I went to stay with a best friend Leslie Miller whose parents belong to Honeyridge Baptist in Randpark Ridge, that Sunday I went along and the sermon was delivered by Leigh Robinson who was the senior pastor at the time. Little did I know that it would change my life, just over a year later I was invited by my brothers best friend to Friday night youth at Edenvale Baptist and so I went along (Just a week beforehand I was on my knees and finally coming home to God and handing my life over to him). That was the start of something big, I started out just going along to Friday Night Youth being run by the youth pastor at the time Mike Geldenhuys and then home cell and then Sunday night church after continous encouragements. What has happened afterwards and how far God has brought me is beyond my imagination. For me to list involvements would be boasting and instead as as leader (Youth and church welcoming team), gymnast for christ and skater for christ I continue to humble myself and at times particularly late this week laying down my agenda for others even though the thought of missing something you love does suck but our dreams dont just happen without a few challenges along the way. I am not perfect but I am at least thankful that I'm not the person I was.

What is your dream

What with this Sunday being Reformation day and amongst being in the midst of having saying goodbye to what I thought was a good youth pastor, these words of encouragement was shared by Werner and I refer to a passage of scripture in Acts 2:

"'And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;

and then a question was asked that I will share with you:
What are your dreams?

Quite comforting words of departure. Yes we may face challenges to make our dreams a reality, I know I have but one thing I can say is that as long as we hold on to those dreams big things can and will happen and one of the ways to start is this Sunday many people celebrate an occult holiday called halloween why not instead celebrate the reformation instead. Martin Luther had a dream to focus peoples beliefs and views on the truth instead of believing that they had to work hard to inherit the kingdom of God (Matin Luther taught that we are sinners saved by the grace and blood of jesus). Martin Luther also face challenges to make this dream a reality but it happened and now we can all be grateful for what he did. My challenge for you is whatever your dream is be it big or small. make it a reality and what will happen is you will be a part of the many few who has changed the course of history as we know it.

A Missions Journey like no other

This past year has definately been an interesting one.

Roy Harley of Sonsurf has a way of describing Gods secret plan and when I started gymnastics I happened to befriend 2 brothers Gideon and Wehan Du Preez and when they left the club God made certain that I keep up in contact with them and last year after a series of events joint up with the one brother being Gideon (who also just happens to have a passion for skateboarding) and together we help run Pause Skateboarding, a christian skateboarding association put into place with reaching the Kempton Park community of skateboarders with the gospel. Interesting how God brought me from gymnastics into something so big and massive. I felt the calling into Pause Skateboarding last year about a year ago during the EBC Missions week of 2009 and one thing I remember is in April we had 1 day camp and being 2am in the morning and everyone just pretty much pulling an all nighter (even leaders) God provided me a chance to minister to a troubled teen (due to confidentiality I wont reveal the nature of his troubles) and since then I have become a mentor to this kid and I even went on to share some scripture I found during the easter Period.


Col 1:15  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
Col 1:16  For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him.
Col 1:17  And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Col 1:18  And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.
Col 1:19  For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,
Col 1:20  and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Since then changes have happened Pause Skateboarding has gained 2 more leader bringing it up to 4 now:
Gideon Du Preez (Founder)
Graham Boyd (Myself)
Geo Smit
Kenny Kloppers

but also there is a loss in that the current youth Pastor of the church Pause is responsible for (Werner Teichert) announced 2 weeks ago that he is leaving the post of youth pastor for a better opportunity. I now join in with a church that is close to my heart Honeyridge Baptist by experiencing the transition period between pastors together and its a time when strength needs to prevail and God need to be in control (not that he isn't already because he always has been in control).

I look back and it amazes me that given my history and journey that God opened these doors in one of the most original ways, If I had never become involved with gymnastics none of the above would have happened because I would have never have known the 2 brothers that changed my course of skateboarding ministry forever.

Reformation Day - 31 October

When someone mentions October 31st what day is associated with it and most people will say Halloween. Did you know that Halloween is a religious holiday but not christian, its a holiday connected with the occult and I have a document in my possession that can prove it, for this reason I choose not to celebrate Halloween. Now that I have laid down my thoughts there is another connection with the 31st October and that Reformation Day and its a day when a man by the name of Martin Luther challenged the catholic church and their beliefs by posting a document on a church door in Wittenburg Germany in 1517 and its because of this day and man that we can be blessed with having to go into any bookstore and purchase a bible as well as profess our faith freely anywhere we wish. My challenge is for all who read this to not fall in with the whole halloween celebration but to celebrate reformation day next Sunday the 31st.

Prayer Update - Seth Campbell

I'm going to ask a question. Do we serve a God of Miracles? Yes or No

I'm going to answer with a yes. Seth is still in hospital recovering but emotions have turned from fear to thankfullness. Why you may ask, well I just saw pictures of the car damage and let me just say that its a miracle that Seth is still alive. With a condition the car is in, its clear that somebody could have easily died on the spot. Anyone who says God is not in the miracle business should re-evaluate their theory as once you see the car wreck and remind yourself that a person who was in that car is still alive and recovering very well in hospital is a clear sign that God has performed a miracle in itself. I continue to pray for Seth that he will recover fully and there is hope that he will be back to normal in no time.

Urgent Prayer Request - Seth campbell

Hello Everyone

There was a massive car accident the other day and an old friend Seth Campbell just happened to be caught up in it. Seth is at the moment in ICU and stable at the moment but anything could happen at this moment in time. Please lift up your prayers for Seth that God would heal him and get him through this tragedy. Seth is 2nd from the right in this picture.

Gymnastics Update 4 - A universal gymnastics crisis

You all know my gymnastics journey quite well but I'm going to shift gears and talk about a crisis that has pretty much rocked the gymnastics development in a negative way.

Majority of olympic gymnasts come from the university/college programs and somehow instead of programs spreading they are just being shut and shattering the dreams of thousands of fellow gymnasts and the latest is UC Berkeley with 4 other programs also being shut. A problem like this needs to be addressed and fought for (but also prayed about) because these guys have fought their whole lives to get to where they are and slowly their dreams are just coming to standstill that could have been prevented in the first place. I know because as a gymnast myself I have the same dreams as all these gymnasts have.

I ask anyone who reads this to pray for the college gymnastics program to be saved and even join the following groups on facebook.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=55687526057

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=125846664121255

Its a huge deal and even if you're not a gymnast I still ask you guys to pray about this whole crisis and that by Gods grace and glory that these programs will be saved and in even brought back in the institutions that have cut the programs. Give gymnasts a chance everywhere to grow in this awesome sport without having to deal with all the nonsense and tragic cuts thats happening before our very eyes. 

Make some time for Coffee (A take on a message by Roy Harley)

As I sit here on a Saturday morning enjoying a really good cup of Coffee, I thought since I share my gymnastics journey with you and how some elements in my life relate to the gospel, I've never done it with the heavenly drink called Coffee. I remember about 4 years ago the head of Sonsurf Roy Harley talking about what it means to too take the time out and spend time with someone close to you or a youth kid you're mentoring and I'm goin to touch on that. 

How often do we get to spend and just relax with that person that means so much to us. Like me I guess there are those people in our lives that we haven't seen in a long time and here's an encouragement and one I like to do. Thats make a friendly phone call with the words "Do you want to do coffee together" something like this can go a long way as it shows how much you value the person and what they represent and do in your life. If not coffee then how about to a sporting event eg. in less then an hour I'm going to watch the SA Gymnastics team in action, invite someone, Rugby - Go along to a rugby game at Loftus for example with someone. I remember in feb going off to Roodeplaat to watch the National Rowing Championships and whilst I may not do rowing being in company with friends just made my day and made things special and whoever read this could take on a the same challenge. When you take time out for someone you make them feel valuable and you yourself feels valuable.