Die rol van predikante in die begeleiding van vrywilligers in Stellenbosch Gemeente

The world is experiencing rapid change, and with this change the expectations of people are changing as does their way of thinking. In its turn this is influencing the society we are living in. This change is experienced in the church and also by the volunteers doing ministry in the church. Hence, new questions come to the fore, new answers are given and new challenges are posed. However, not all pastors have the knowledge to be able to cope with these changes in church and society. Part of these changes in church and society is the fact that the new young generation is volunteering to do ministry in the church and a growing number of leaders in the church are coming from this generation. One of the main tasks of pastors in Stellenbosch Gemeente is to accompany volunteers. This is a significant challenge because the new generation thinks and reacts differently from the previous generation. The younger generation also has different needs and expectations when it comes to church life, leadership structures and their relationship to leaders in the church. The purpose of this study is to do research with regard to the experience of volunteers in Stellenbosch Gemeente in order to present guidelines for ministers in the accompaniment of volunteers in the present world. Semi-structured, phenomological interviews have been conducted with various volunteers in Stellenbosch Gemeente. With the consent of the interviewees these interviews have been recorded on audio tape. To each of the interviewees the following question was posed: What is your experience in doing voluntory ministry in Stellenbosch Gemeente? The research identified various themes and sub-themes which can serve as guidelines for ministers in the accompaniment of volunteers and they are the following: • Relationships are very important in the experience of volunteers in ministry • Volunteers have a desire to identify with the DNS of Stellenbosch Gemeente which includes the following aspects: o Adaptability and openness for a new way of thinking and new challenges o Missional disposition o Support of diversity • The new generation’s approach towards leadership structures is nonhierarchical – instead it is a network of relationships • They prefer permission-giving over control • Volunteers in the new generation are reluctant to be leaders in the old paradigm of leadership and are also reluctant to make long-term commitments • In the experience of ministry leaders they express the need to spend more time with pastors and get help with administration and support servicesDr. L. Mare Prof. J. Du Ran