Winter greetings from Cape Town South Africa!
South Africa updates We as a family moved into a new community and we settling nicely by God’s
grace. Thanks for all the prayers and support.
The long years of hard work & prayers finally came to fruition with the ministry van finally branded.
The past 2 months June & July was very challenging to connect with all our wonderful people across
South Africa and Africa including Mauritius as Loadshedding (National electricity blackouts). I had to
really request a lot of patience from the Lord due to my character of getting things done, it surely tested
one of the fruits of the spirit (Patience) within my soul. May month was all about connecting with our
African leaders in the midst of power shortages. WhatsApp was the only communication to do follow up
discipleship. July month I was privileged to have partnered with our National Sport Minister which
enabled me to do life coaching with national sport coaches as well as share my testimony with over 1300
youth at the National School Sports Winter Championship. This amazing opportunity also gave some of
our ministry youth an opportunity to be part of this prestigious event where they were able to share about
their faith journey. We managed to distribute over 2000 gospel tracts in forms of soccer ball & flyers.
We had many outreaches during June month been its Youth Month in South Africa. We were delighted to
see our then kiddies, now young adults leading sport outreaches across our Country! It’s not always that
we witness the fruits of our laboring what a delight in brought to my heart seeing these youth equipping
other youth despite their own life challenges. Church leaders were equipped and communicated youth
participants have increased within their church ministry.
A wonderful engagement happened when our Board Chairlady, Kathy organized with her friends
travelling from USA to South Africa blessed us with sport equipment much needed and more so with their
powerful prayers over our lives. Thanks Bobbi & team as the timing was perfect for me personally.
Through this support we managed to get all of our youth into playing regular weekly soccer and delighted
to share that it opened up a door for me to train up soccer coaches in Leadership and character building
which is now ongoing through the soccer club. GOD again amazed me and reminded me of his promise
that HE will never let his children stand ashamed and it was evident when I could be able to witness our
ministry youth run proudly on the sport field with descent sport equipment.
We appreciate the J316 Soccer Ball Ministry support specially brothers PF Meyers, Jordan & Butch!
2021 KSM Updates From the Barnes Family
2021 started with a lot of anxiousness amongst everyone. Many of our Timothy’s ministry leaders and youth had anxiety due to many Lockdown Covid-19 regulations. Scriptures clearly reminded us aboutPsalm. 46:2-4; John 14:27 & Phil. 4:6-8 BUT we kept pushing the agenda of Jesus died for our sins so we can see another year and share the gospel freely!
South Africa updates I write to you this update on 22 March which is a National Public holiday commemorating Human Rights Day in South Africa. Many older folks who survived the Apartheid years & still living today has never been through counselling for what happened to them during the harsh times. Apartheid was a system of institutionalized racial segregation that existed in South Africa from 1948 until the early 1990s. If you have time, watch the film Invictus and see the power of Sport to bring a nation together!
We see the negative effects it brought upon their kids and grandchildren mindsets within our ministry on a daily basis. We often share their stories to the youth and we reassure them that there is forgiveness and freedom in Christ Jesus once we give our lives fully to the Lord.
I continued online CSRM Training with participants across Africa and managed to have a physical training with 18 church leaders from all 9 provinces in South Africa. The rest of family pushed the Covid limits taking the Gospel to the streets with our community kids as we just miss them too much.
Joslyn had fun days with kids and we pray it continue despite the dangers to her and kids’ safety but it’s our lifestyle so daily we press on! More pics can be seen on our website www.kingdomsportsministry.org
We were able to feed a few more needy families with the last Covid funds available and we Must THANK everyone for the generous support towards this Covid Feeding project, much appreciated! A new sport ministry partnership started with the J316 Soccer Ministry and we look forward to welcoming the J316 intern, Jordan in the coming weeks. A huge thank you to PF Meyers for enabling us to use the Jesus film kit as we reached out to 1352 people to date in the areas I have travelled & was able to share Christ.
Greetings with a Thankful heart from Kingdom Sports Ministry family!
Festive Greetings to you and family all the way from the tip of Africa, Ocean View Cape Town, ZA!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT & PARTNERSHIP THROUGH A TOUGH 2020 YEAR!
We believe this year was not the year to get everything you want. This is the year to appreciate everything you have!
2020 Christmas I will truly remember…
Spent it with family and with a special leader / brother who flew all the way from USA to spend time and do ministry with us. (name cannot be mentioned for security reasons). Let me just say our Christmas guest lives to share the Gospel to the unreached and persecuted church so we value his life too much to share his identity
As we lived this Christmas day and enveloped us with all it’s different emotions, hope we did, as did the Wise Men, seek a bright, particular star to guide us to our Christlike opportunity in service to our fellowmen. We all lost, grieved & was challenged a lot in 2020, let’s seek why we still alive & share it.
The Barnes Family wish you a safe & peaceful Festive Season. Have a Fruitful & Healthy New Year!
Christmas Camp 2020
OCTOBER – NOVEMBER 2020 updates from the Barnes Family!
Firstly, apologies for late newsletter & update... I just just managed to build strength after many family & ministry kids deaths we had to experience and support in the past 2 months, forgive me.
The past 2 months was really a mental warfare as we were in lockdown with minimal outdoor activities due to the rapid rise of COVID-19 – 19 positive cases.
Ministry was almost put on hold but due to no contact but we managed to keep kids active and leaders active through social media bible quiz and making funny videos to keep everyone mentally healthy. I have seen how youth and leaders became very withdrawn and lacked the drive to live as normal life and provision from their parent came to a standstill with no fishing able to take place. Kids school days were limited to 2 days a week with only 4-hour class time which I hope won’t bring negative year end results.
Connecting, Consulting and building church and recreational ministry was physically non-existent the past few months and it forced us to spend a lot more on data (South Africa don’t have free WIFI for public) to keep ministry going in the form of various social media platform. This brough about a challenge as majority of our youth don’t have cellphones and my African leaders all over Africa don’t have access to free WiFi! The past few months taught me a lot of patience with others and made me realize how fortunate I am to afford data & appreciate life more.
We are thankful to our disciples and youth who continue to remain positive during these times and I love the way my youngest son, Blake, uses social media to make people laugh at his funny videos. He’s really leading the youth in many ways. My eldest son, Lyle is showing great leadership as he connects with the youth leaders at school during interval times and then reports to me how they are doing. My wife continues her prayer and mentor sessions with youth parents (mostly moms) via social media so I am very thankful to my family for supporting the ministry to continue to lead strongly. More importantly, we very much thankful to all around the Globe who continue to believe in us and who continue to support our walk with the Lord, WE THANK YOU! I Believe GOD’s Favor will put you in places that money can’t!
I decided as the African Leader that we will finish 2020 very strong and live daily our best lives by not limiting ourselves to what the world is throwing at us with this global pandemic. We abide by government rules but we embracing other forms and ways to connect with people and churches from our home. Daily we decide to make the best of everyday as we physically experiencing a lot of death within our family and friends through thus COVID-19 -19 season. We know GOD is keeping us alive to be the light in this season of panic, unknown, fearful & violent times. If you able to read this then know that you have a massive purpose to be living and I urge you to find that special purpose GOD has set apart just for you!
During the global pandemic we encouraged by this verse Philippians 4:8 and would like to share it: FIX YOUR THOUGHTS on what is true, honorable and right and pure.
I consulted, connected with and challenged the youth and African leaders in sport & recreational ministry to remain relevant to society as children of GOD via social media so that Hope can be seen!
We are preparing for Christmas Kids Camp 11-15 December due to Amazing support, GOD BLESS YOU!
AUGUST “Women’s Month” 2020 updates from the Barnes Family!
We stand in awe of how GOD just showed up with an excess of Grace and good health to our family. GOD is doing something incredible and you can be a part of it! August month we dedicated to all females around the world and we took a strong stand to say NO TO GENDER BASED VIOLENCE specially against females as well kids. I personally know of males been abused by females as well so we not excluding any gender hence we declare a war against GBV! However, We, along with stakeholders celebrated all females through a powerful Women’s March on Women’s day 9th August in Ocean view as well as in other communities in South Africa. More pics of the marches will be uploaded on our website www.kingdomsportsministry.org.
Covid-19 has really pushed us as a ministry to a new level of trusting GOD for the many youth and ministry leaders around South Africa and beyond in various parts of Africa. It personally brought my wife and I to a point of just surrendering more & more to the Helper, Provider, Healer, Comforter and only Father Christ Jesus......Why, well after receiving overwhelming requests for food from both males and females across Africa let alone just the Ocean View ministry kids parents, we believe you cannot teach a hungry person hence we tried to help as many as possible but realizing when we give it to GOD then HE makes all things possible. Thank you to all that contributed and still contributing towards our Covid Feed.
August highlights:
We are thankful that we are now able to operate from a family laptop for online schooling due to Covid-19 as well as a Coved ministry laptop for myself to be able to continue leading and raising up dedicated disciples throughout Africa through the various social media platforms. Special thanks to the Ladies Kathy & missionaries Emily & Reagan for Laptop support!
The gospel Living ball is making its way around the African Continent and just amazed how many African countries we were able to bless with the Gospel through a soccer ball! Thanks to the Living Ball Ministry leader, Mani for support! Coach Todd from Ireland surprised our ministry with fantastic tools to use. The new believer soccer player I mentioned last month is actually believing Coach Todd is a soccer coach after he got a sneak preview of my “Meet my Head Coach” book that will be launched soon!
Another highlight is our new Hip Hop street dance ministry launched during Covid-19 by a now young adult boy, Niepie who came to our ministry house doorstep before he even could walk properly in a dipper! Huge thanks to missionary Kyle for ongoing love and support shown to our community and specially theses young boys! A grateful and heartwarming appreciation to so many of you who support our ministry specially through prayer as it’s the biggest investment required; you know who you are .
Too many to mention by name but CSRM family we say “baie dankie”/ Thank you very Much for believing in the life we live for GOD.
~ Bradley & Joslyn Barnes
GREETINGS from The Most Southern Western tip of Africa with awesome July 2020 updates!
We stand in awe of how GOD just showed up with an excess of Grace and good health to our family. GOD is doing something incredible and you can be a part of it! July month is normally the toughest month of the year for many as it’s in the heart of Winter when jobs dry up for our fishing industry livelihoods and sports ministry activity must stop due to cold air and heavy rains.
However, it’s been the most thankful month for us personally even with adding July month with the peak season of our countries Covid – 19 Pandemic. I personally experienced a warm July 18 Birthday and realized how much Grace is upon my life and the faithfulness of the Lord. I remember vividly the days in 2009 when I asked the Lord to flood Africa with church sports and recreational ministry all alone in our Ocean View family house, a now fulltime missionary house! Well, fast forward into July 2020 CSRM afforded me the opportunity to head up the African continent through church sports & recreational ministry. To date many churches have been planted, many lives saved, many disciples still been discipled, many mission teams hosted & many countries & airport staff receiving the Gospel that came into contact with me! What a huge seed GOD planted in my life in 2010 through a passionate sport mission team lead by Mr. De Jonge, now Mrs. Sakala & JD, a seed that catabolted me into heights that remind me of Isaiah 43.
July highlights: Covid-19 Relief Fund fed 2855 people to date! Yes, a little amount invested but with a pure heart can feed the multitude so Thank You Very Much from the Barnes tribe! A successful and completed online CSRM leaders training impacted 4 African countries as we adapt to the new CSRM online 4C strategy of Consulting, Connections, Certification and conferences. The new leaders connected, we consulted and soon they will be certified and invited to our hopeful 2021 African Conference.
A soccer player I coach gave his life to the lord and he was the first person to question why I am coaching an unsaved team knowing what I stand for, my reply to him months ago was: Let’s see what GOD can do at this club, so guess who GOD saved 1st ! On a saddened note, today as I write to you, we laid to rest a soccer ministry youth who was shot 12 times in a case of mistaken identity as police reported. The boy has been with our ministry for 5 years .
Now, so thankful for beautiful and genuine people in our ministry that has such a positive impact on lives all over Africa without them yet knowing as they invest time and wisdom in our ministry, you know who you are . Too many to mention by name and words wont equal your investments and valuable time willingly devoted to our ministry. Enjoy the following photos of our Grace filled July 2020 ministry.
~ Bradley & Joslyn Barnes
