Nondumiso Shangase explores a Bible story with a group of Breakthru children.
Lynda Hollinger-Janzen
Wednesday, September 2, 2009

PIETERMARITZBURG, South Africa (Mennonite Mission Network) – The manicured lawns of Breakthru Church International suffered the pounding of a thousand feet during the week of July 6-10. In the mornings, some 500 singing children spilled from vehicles and rushed into the sanctuary eager to begin worship. They came from Pietermaritzburg and surrounding townships for Holiday Club, an all-day version of Vacation Bible School.

Breakthru’s members agree the assault on the grass was a small price to pay for the privilege of touching the lives of so many children.

“We pray that the impact of learning about Jesus will live on beyond the hours these young people were at church, beyond the week that they were with us, and into their everyday life,” said Thandi Gumbi, coordinator of Breakthru Community Action, the church’s non-profit organization for social ministries.

Bible study, sports and a nutritional noon meal rounded out the Holiday Club activities that continued through mid-afternoon. The children’s voices often caused the stately church walls to pulsate with energetic music that characterizes much of Breakthru’s ministry.

As Breakthru’s lawns begin to green again, Holiday Club melodies echo through Ghost Town, Imbali and Ashdown – townships where kids continue to praise God. One mother, delighted with the songs she heard each evening after her daughter returned from Holiday Club, wrote a note thanking Breakthru for her daughter’s happiness.

The seeds of Breakthru were planted in 1975 when a nominally Christian couple, Hilton and Rhoda Toohey, experienced a radical spiritual transformation. Two decades later when the Tooheys moved to Cape Town to plant a new church, they turned over leadership of the Pietermaritzburg congregation to their son and his wife.

Since then, senior pastors Nina and Russell Toohey have been tireless in growing the Breakthru church through evangelism, an emphasis on reaching out to children and youth, discipling in cell groups and social ministries. When the church moved into its current neighborhood in 2000, a brothel and a shebeen – an illegal bar – closed down due to the church's witness and efforts to create a healthier environment. Breakthru now has three Sunday services to accommodate the numbers of new members. The congregation is laying plans to purchase a tent that can seat 1,000 people.

Mennonite Mission Network has encouraged Breakthru’s ministry in small ways. A RAD team, predecessor of the Radical Journey program, helped renovate the building in 2002. This year a Youth Venture team composed of Brittany Kiser and Kate Bender from Rockhill Mennonite Church in Souderton Pa. and Valerie Showalter of Akron (Pa.) Mennonite Church helped with Holiday Club.

Christine and Phil Lindell Detweiler and their children, Mennonite Mission Network workers,  have attended Breakthru since they moved to Pietermaritzburg in 2005. They are active in cell groups and Breakthru Community Action. The Lindell Detweilers also work with church communities in Philipstown and Cape Town.

 

 

 Related

 

 

Harmony: A compendium of peace storiesInternational Day of Peacehttps://www.mennonitemission.net/news/4985/HarmonyHarmony: A compendium of peace storiesGP0|#52c46992-a072-4af3-b006-834f7e8b9cb1;L0|#052c46992-a072-4af3-b006-834f7e8b9cb1|News;GTSet|#544fcc8d-5de2-49c8-9d51-afee09323476
First memorial signage of Bodewadmi Myaamia Trail to be installed September 29Press releasehttps://www.mennonitemission.net/news/4979/First-memorial-signage-of-Bodewadmi-Myaamia-Trail-to-be-installedFirst memorial signage of Bodewadmi Myaamia Trail to be installed September 29GP0|#52c46992-a072-4af3-b006-834f7e8b9cb1;L0|#052c46992-a072-4af3-b006-834f7e8b9cb1|News;GTSet|#544fcc8d-5de2-49c8-9d51-afee09323476Indiana
Service Adventure units welcome new participantsService Adventurehttps://www.mennonitemission.net/news/4974/Service-Adventure-units-welcome-new-participantsService Adventure units welcome new participantsGP0|#52c46992-a072-4af3-b006-834f7e8b9cb1;L0|#052c46992-a072-4af3-b006-834f7e8b9cb1|News;GTSet|#544fcc8d-5de2-49c8-9d51-afee09323476
Apache Stronghold continues prayerful struggle to protect sacred placesPeace and justicehttps://www.mennonitemission.net/news/4973/Apache-Stronghold-continues-prayerful-struggleApache Stronghold continues prayerful struggle to protect sacred placesGP0|#52c46992-a072-4af3-b006-834f7e8b9cb1;L0|#052c46992-a072-4af3-b006-834f7e8b9cb1|News;GTSet|#544fcc8d-5de2-49c8-9d51-afee09323476Arizona
Greening the faith: students plant avocado trees in GuatemalaStewardshiphttps://www.mennonitemission.net/news/4962/Greening-the-faithGreening the faith: students plant avocado trees in GuatemalaGP0|#52c46992-a072-4af3-b006-834f7e8b9cb1;L0|#052c46992-a072-4af3-b006-834f7e8b9cb1|News;GTSet|#544fcc8d-5de2-49c8-9d51-afee09323476Chamelco, Alta Verapaz
Celebration of life in community carries on Service Adventure lifestyleCycles of Lifehttps://www.mennonitemission.net/news/4961/Celebration-of-life-in-community-carries-on-Service-Adventure-lifestyleCelebration of life in community carries on Service Adventure lifestyleGP0|#52c46992-a072-4af3-b006-834f7e8b9cb1;L0|#052c46992-a072-4af3-b006-834f7e8b9cb1|News;GTSet|#544fcc8d-5de2-49c8-9d51-afee09323476
New MVS participants join units across the countryMENNONITE VOLUNTARY SERVICEhttps://www.mennonitemission.net/news/4959/New-MVS-participants-join-units-across-the-countryNew MVS participants join units across the countryGP0|#52c46992-a072-4af3-b006-834f7e8b9cb1;L0|#052c46992-a072-4af3-b006-834f7e8b9cb1|News;GTSet|#544fcc8d-5de2-49c8-9d51-afee09323476
Youth Venture Benin in photosYouth Venturehttps://www.mennonitemission.net/news/4954/Youth-Venture-Benin-in-photosYouth Venture Benin in photosGP0|#52c46992-a072-4af3-b006-834f7e8b9cb1;L0|#052c46992-a072-4af3-b006-834f7e8b9cb1|News;GTSet|#544fcc8d-5de2-49c8-9d51-afee09323476Allada
Third peace conference brings faith and peace togetherPeace conferencehttps://www.mennonitemission.net/news/4953/Third-peace-conferenceThird peace conference brings faith and peace togetherGP0|#52c46992-a072-4af3-b006-834f7e8b9cb1;L0|#052c46992-a072-4af3-b006-834f7e8b9cb1|News;GTSet|#544fcc8d-5de2-49c8-9d51-afee09323476
Mennonite Church USA to unveil sculpture August 2Sculpture unveilinghttps://www.mennonitemission.net/news/4951/unveil-sculpture-August-2Mennonite Church USA to unveil sculpture August 2GP0|#52c46992-a072-4af3-b006-834f7e8b9cb1;L0|#052c46992-a072-4af3-b006-834f7e8b9cb1|News;GTSet|#544fcc8d-5de2-49c8-9d51-afee09323476Elkhart, Indiana
Peacebuilding efforts continue in EcuadorPeacebuildinghttps://www.mennonitemission.net/news/4931/Peacebuilding-in-EcuadorPeacebuilding efforts continue in EcuadorGP0|#52c46992-a072-4af3-b006-834f7e8b9cb1;L0|#052c46992-a072-4af3-b006-834f7e8b9cb1|News;GTSet|#544fcc8d-5de2-49c8-9d51-afee09323476
Couple experiences shalom and community across the United StatesSOOPhttps://www.mennonitemission.net/news/4928/Couple-experiences-shalom-and-communityCouple experiences shalom and community across the United StatesGP0|#52c46992-a072-4af3-b006-834f7e8b9cb1;L0|#052c46992-a072-4af3-b006-834f7e8b9cb1|News;GTSet|#544fcc8d-5de2-49c8-9d51-afee09323476
Peacemaking agency director challenges U.S. churches to uphold democracy by creating space for dialogMENNOCON23Videohttps://www.mennonitemission.net/news/4930/Peacemaking-agency-director-challenges-U-S--churchesPeacemaking agency director challenges U.S. churches to uphold democracy by creating space for dialogGP0|#52c46992-a072-4af3-b006-834f7e8b9cb1;L0|#052c46992-a072-4af3-b006-834f7e8b9cb1|News;GTSet|#544fcc8d-5de2-49c8-9d51-afee09323476Cape Town
Seminar calls church to serve people experiencing migration and disappearanceMennoCon23Videohttps://www.mennonitemission.net/news/4929/Seminar-calls-church-to-serve-people-experiencing-migration-and-disappearanceSeminar calls church to serve people experiencing migration and disappearanceGP0|#52c46992-a072-4af3-b006-834f7e8b9cb1;L0|#052c46992-a072-4af3-b006-834f7e8b9cb1|News;GTSet|#544fcc8d-5de2-49c8-9d51-afee09323476
MennoCon seminar discusses options for students after high schoolMennoCon23https://www.mennonitemission.net/news/4926/MennoCon-Seminar-discusses-options-for-students-after-high-schoolMennoCon seminar discusses options for students after high schoolGP0|#52c46992-a072-4af3-b006-834f7e8b9cb1;L0|#052c46992-a072-4af3-b006-834f7e8b9cb1|News;GTSet|#544fcc8d-5de2-49c8-9d51-afee09323476Kansas City, Missouri

 

 

 

 

Harmony: A compendium of peace storieshttps://www.mennonitemission.net/news/4985/HarmonyHarmony: A compendium of peace stories
First memorial signage of Bodewadmi Myaamia Trail to be installed September 29https://www.mennonitemission.net/news/4979/First-memorial-signage-of-Bodewadmi-Myaamia-Trail-to-be-installedFirst memorial signage of Bodewadmi Myaamia Trail to be installed September 29
Service Adventure units welcome new participantshttps://www.mennonitemission.net/news/4974/Service-Adventure-units-welcome-new-participantsService Adventure units welcome new participants
Apache Stronghold continues prayerful struggle to protect sacred placeshttps://www.mennonitemission.net/news/4973/Apache-Stronghold-continues-prayerful-struggleApache Stronghold continues prayerful struggle to protect sacred places
Greening the faith: students plant avocado trees in Guatemalahttps://www.mennonitemission.net/news/4962/Greening-the-faithGreening the faith: students plant avocado trees in Guatemala
Celebration of life in community carries on Service Adventure lifestylehttps://www.mennonitemission.net/news/4961/Celebration-of-life-in-community-carries-on-Service-Adventure-lifestyleCelebration of life in community carries on Service Adventure lifestyle



 

 

The secret to living simply? It’s complicated!https://www.mennonitemission.net/video/4967/The-secret-to-living-simply-It’s-complicatedThe secret to living simply? It’s complicated!MVS
Harmony: A compendium of peace storieshttps://www.mennonitemission.net/news/4985/HarmonyHarmony: A compendium of peace storiesInternational Day of Peace
I have felt welcomed herehttps://www.mennonitemission.net/blog/4988/I-have-felt-welcomed-hereI have felt welcomed hereHispanic Heritage Month
First memorial signage of Bodewadmi Myaamia Trail to be installed September 29https://www.mennonitemission.net/news/4979/First-memorial-signage-of-Bodewadmi-Myaamia-Trail-to-be-installedFirst memorial signage of Bodewadmi Myaamia Trail to be installed September 29Press release
Here with purpose: Naomi Learyhttps://www.mennonitemission.net/blog/4980/Here-with-purpose-Naomi-LearyHere with purpose: Naomi LearyQ&A
Explore your world through MVS!https://www.mennonitemission.net/newsletters/mennonite-voluntary-service/4970/Explore-your-world-through-MVSExplore your world through MVS!Mennonite Voluntary Service