St Martins Village

General information

OUR STORY – Have you ever heard of St. Martin? If not, here is his story. Martin grew up in a Roman family in Hungary (4th Century A.D.). As a ten year old he started attending bible classes and asked to be baptised. To help him get rid of his new ideas, his father sent him to a military school. Travelling as a soldier in eastern France on a freezing winter night, he came across a beggar dying of exposure to the cold. Martin took his sword and cut his heavy military cloak in half, covering the beggar with the one half and saving his life. That night Jesus appeared to Martin in a dream wearing the cloak Martin had given to the beggar.
This experience would change Martin’s life. Giving up his calling as a Roman cavalryman, he was baptised and became a soldier of God’s word, travelling all over France, preaching and teaching. Later in his life the people of Tours in Northern France caught him and made him their bishop where he served until his death. Martin’s act of sharing brought him to Christ and transformed his life, giving him a whole new sense of purpose and meaning. We stand in the tradition of St. Martin. Our lives have been given new meaning through God’s generosity. His generosity in; creating, saving and sanctifying us. His generosity in giving us the opportunity to serve him by serving others – especially those who are most vulnerable / the least among us (see Mt 26:40). As a congregation we asked how we could reach out to our community in a caring way. Speaking to various stakeholders in the social services of our district, the need for a home abandoned babies, especially those with disabilities, repeatedly surfaced. Thus – after much prayer and deliberation – the idea of St. Martins Village took shape, starting with a home for abandoned babies on a property opposite the church in Hutten Heights.
Our congregation stands behind the project. Various members have been actively involved in the planning process and have taken on roles in the organisation. Furthermore the congregation has committed the proceeds of our recent Christmas Market – R 65 000 – to kick-start the project. With this money we plan to cover the rent and running costs in the first months. We will however be running the project as an independent NGO, giving us the opportunity to reach out to a broader audience and to conduct our business in a more transparent and accountable way and make the donations tax-deductable. Welcome to the village!