GWC alumnus Sinethemba Hliso is the Senior Pastor at Khanya City Church, Johannesburg. Planted out of Hope Church Auckland Park in 2022,Sinethemba says that digital tools and creating online communities have been an integral part of growing their congregation.
“Situated in Braamfontein near student residences in the inner city, we target students and young professionals, while also focusing on homeless ministry given the high rate of homelessness in the area. In order to help young people navigate the transition from being a student to being in the workplace, and to support them through various challenges, we set up a monthly get together for people in a similar season of life. We meet in a hybrid way, interspersing online meetings with in-person events, which has enabled this fellowship group to grow to include young professionals from across the country and the African continent.
Using time wisely in a fast-paced city
Being online has meant we can host speakers from different countries on a wide variety of topics, that we would otherwise never be able to afford to do. Life in a city like Joburg is fast, and travel time can be an issue with traffic and long distances. Being able to connect digitally means setting aside only one hour as opposed to three, for example, which helps people schedule the event into their busy lives more easily.
While building relationships through a digital platform is not perfect, we have run games evenings and other online event ideas developed during Covid-19 to help build fellowship successfully. What has been very encouraging to me is when people who have been part of the online group exclusively have started attending services. They said they would never otherwise have set foot in a church, but were drawn in through the online meetings. ”