‘OUR OILSTRIKE MINISTRY!’

This accolade is consistently given by our Founder, Michael Cassidy, to AE’s youth empowerment and ministry program that is Foxfire – young lives being positively impacted both within the team (through training, mentoring and ministry) and in communities (through the Foxfire’s ministering to other youth through dance, drama and testimony).

The start of the year saw another fresh intake of seven (7) candidates for the 2024 Foxfire Team and two (2) from the 2023 team re-joining for another year.

Sameega and Jedidah stay on for their second year; Sameega ‘because I feel that there is still a lot that God can do in my life through this program’ and Jedidah ‘because I want to allow God to do what He wants and to start allowing God to use me.’ Sameega goes on to say that she has come to the realization that one’s story can have a powerful and positive impact on people’s lives as God can use your testimony as a tool to bring other people to Christ. Jedidah, who was raised in an orphanage, has a dream and passion to have both a children’s home and an old-age home to care for them and show them the love of God.

The new recruits are Nokuthula, who wants to become a doctor and open a clinic for the elderly in her home town. She joined the Foxfire program in order to ‘grow in the things of the Lord’ and impact others with the sharing of the Good News.

Ntuthuko has some experience in children and youth ministry having been involved at local church level. His reason for joining the Foxfire program is to ‘reinstate my faith in doing God’s ministry.’

Minenhle is passionate about dance, rap and drama and has been inspired by the Foxfire program to channel this passion for ministry – ‘I joined Foxfires because I love what they do.’

Sanelisiwe has set her sights on being a motivational speaker one day and to proclaim to others that God can do for them, what He has done for her. ‘There are also different ways of worship and I would love to experience that. I want to grow in the Word.‘

‘Before I joined the [Foxfire] program I was a leader at the kids’ program at my church,’ says Amahle, who wants to study teaching and dreams of becoming a famous artist. Her reason for joining the program is to grow spiritually and to share the Gospel.

‘I truly believe that everybody is driven by their dreams’ says Msizi who himself has many – from the simplicity of being ‘a bundle of joy to my mother’ to the sublime of establishing an organisation that will assist the disadvantaged.  His reason for joining the 2024 program is to ‘increase my knowledge of evangelism/Christianity.’

The ninth and final member of the 2024 Foxfire team is Siyabonga who was a student at Charis Bible College before joining the program, and who is simply determined ‘to share the Good News.’ These nine young people came together on the 14^th January and hit the road running with team-building activities from 15^th-17^th January, followed by their induction on the 18^th and 19^th. Then it was on to three days of Life Skills training (led by former Foxfire and Foxfire co-ordinator Sello Mmane) and, thereafter, a week of intensive training in Dance and Drama with former Foxfire, Mucalynn Elzaan.

Of course, there is still much to be schooled on before their commissioning but, at last week’s staff devotion, the AESA staff had a sneak preview of this new team’s progress in dance and drama and it is safe to say (even at this early stage) that they are well on their way to doing great things in this ministry!

Our theme for 2024 is ‘Chosen Generation’ and is based on 1 Peter 2:9:

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

The scripture emphasises the importance of having our young people being set ablaze for Christ so that we can win the lost and allow the transformative power of God to change them to be who He desires them to be.

Go Foxies!