About Us
Vision
We strive to be a vibrant and caring Christian community, uniting as diverse people in worship, empowering one another to serve others becoming efficient and sustainable.
History
Melodi ya Tshwane is part of the Uniting Reformed Church in Southern Africa, which was established in 1994, when the former "Dutch Reformed Mission Church" and "Dutch Reformed Church in Africa" united. That was the first step towards uniting the whole divided Dutch Reformed family. We are deeply concerned about Christian unity and justice in society.
The name of our congregation has a long history. It is a Sotho expression which means "The songs of Tshwane." It was a name given to the Fountains, by the African inhabitants of this part of the world before the Voortrekkers arrived. Tshwane is the name they gave to the river which is today called the Apies River.
For centuries the Fountains has been a place of rest for the groups of Africans who traveled through the area and brought their cattle to drink from the Tshwane Fountain. In later years it became a place of rest and refreshment for tired workers from the growing city of Tshwane.
Likewise, our congregation wants to be a place of refreshment and rest for the hardworking people of Tshwane. We want to be a place of unity, where people can sing God’s praises together on the banks of the Tshwane River.
The lighthouse and the anchor were on the emblems of our two former churches when they were still separate. Now they have been joined together within a circle, which represents the love of God binding all people together. The African art pattern in the background expresses the fact that we are a church of Africa and for Africa.
Our name also contains the words Southern Africa because our church does not limit itself to the Republic of South Africa. The circle is open at the bottom, because church unity is not yet complete.
Our Worship Service
Our worship service starts at 10h00 every Sunday morning and it is conducted between English and N&S Sotho or Zulu. We do this because our members come from different language backgrounds, and we want to make sure that everyone understands the message. In this way we learn to sing one another’s songs and appreciate one another’s cultures.
On the first Sunday of every 2nd month we welcome new members and administer baptism. Every third Sunday of the month we celebrate Holy Communion, which is always a special occasion for our congregation, as we affirm our unity in Christ across all human barriers.
Our Leadership
We have a church council made up of representatives of all ministries according to the IM Model. Each of these members report to the church council on behalf of the ministry.
Our Members
The members attending our worship service live in different parts of Tshwane but many live in the inner city. We come not only from a variety of cultural backgrounds, but also from different walks of life: Some of us are domestic workers, while others are students, workers and professionals.
We represent all colours, classes and genders of South African society. We invite you to come and make your special contribution to this community
Theological Seminary
The "Northern Theological Seminary" which trains new ministers for the URCSA, is based within the boundaries of Melodi Ya Tshwane and is an important part of our congregation's responsibilities
Teaching & Instruction
We see children as part of the community of believers. Great care is taken in teaching them bible stories. We have a dedicated team of teachers who take the children out of the service when the sermon begins, to teach them in classes according to their ages. We provide catechism classes for people who are preparing to confess their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ
Join our Congregation
Our worship service starts at every Sunday morning and it is conducted between English and N&S Sotho or Zulu. We do this because our members come from different language backgrounds, and we want to make sure that everyone understands the message. In this way we learn to sing one another’s songs and appreciate one another’s cultures. On the first Sunday of every 2nd month we welcome new members and administer baptism.
Every third Sunday of the month we celebrate Holy Communion, which is always a special occasion for our congregation, as we affirm our unity in Christ across all human barriers.
If you are new, we would love you to join us on Sundays at 10am. There are various activities or ministries where you can get involved. Click button below to join online and we will contact you.
Contact Us
Fill in the 'Contact Us' form to contact our Reverends or you can contact us using the contact details below.