Elevate: Recent Episodes
Mergon Foundation
Courageous ministry leadership means being the kind of leader who inspires and points people to a greater purpose. There’s nothing more rewarding, or challenging, than this. Join Mergon Foundation’s executive director, Neil Hart, as he speaks with distinctive leaders on what it takes to lead healthy organisations today. Each episode contains fresh, inspiring insights into how leadership can pave the way for long-lasting organisational health and impact.
Roughly 14 years ago, Nhlakanipho Zondi heard about an iThemba kids programme happening at a school in his community. Curious to see what this kids programme was about, 12-year-old Nhlakanipho decided to stop by. This is his Story of Hope.
14-year-old Joan Mwadiwa and some of her friends were bullied in primary school because of their ethnic roots. Afraid that speaking about it might make it worse, Joan kept it to herself for a long time. This is her Story of Hope.
Maurisha Theron was stuck in a demanding retail job which not only robbed her of spending time with her family, but also of her joy. After resigning, she struggled to find another job for nearly three years. This is Maurisha’s Story of Hope.
There are many drivers behind homelessness, and it would be wrong to assume that it’s always issues like substance abuse, family dysfunction, mental health issues or criminal affiliation that lead to a person becoming homeless. Often such psychosocial factors are very well the main drivers, but Daniel Thlabathlaba has a different story of how he ended up on the street. This is his Story of Hope.
Lizwi grew up in a disadvantaged community in rural Eastern Cape. Yet, he always had aspirations to achieve great things, despite his dire circumstances. His path crossed with that of Leva Foundationwhen, during his software development studies at university, he applied to assist Prof Jean Greyling in taking the TANKS coding game to underprivileged communities. This is Lizwi’s Story of Hope.
In an area like Zithulele where only 25% of youth attend an educational institution, only 5% have completed matric and a staggering 70% of youth are unemployed, many young people are hopeless and unsure of how to navigate these difficult life circumstances. Sinethemba Beja was one such young person who didn’t manage to finish her final year of high school. This is her Story of Hope.
Thembisa was faced with a hopeless situation when her husband lost his job before the 2021 lockdown. With her being a stay-at-home-mom to their three children, it meant that soon there were no means for even the basics. This is Thembisa’s Story of Hope.
With the number of orphaned and vulnerable children in Africa at a staggering high, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Thankfully there are many stories of hope, such as the story of Give a Child a Family (GFC) foster parent, Bajabulile Mbili.
Calling Academy is a low-fee independent school that provides high-quality education to boys like Daniel, who are from low-income communities around Stellenbosch and Kroonstad. In addition to providing top-quality education, the school aims to help their learners discover God’s calling for their lives. This is Daniel’s Story of Hope.
Tracey Mungofa was born and raised by her grandparents, deep in the woods of Zimbabwe. Her mother had to emigrate to Botswana to find work. She moved to South Africa in 2014 and settled in Vrygrond – a desperately overcrowded and under-resourced informal settlement in the Cape. This is Tracey’s Story of Hope.
It is estimated that 7,800,000 adults and children in South Africa are living with HIV. In some communities of KwaZulu-Natal, 60 percent of women have HIV. This devastating epidemic has ripped apart countless families and left many in despair. From the age of five, Cazile Mhlope knew what it meant to lose the people closest to her. This is her Story of Hope.
It is estimated that more than 3.2 million learners are bullied yearly in South Africa. In addition, over 67% of bully victims said that they won’t ask a teacher for help because they don’t necessarily think it will change their situation. Masiwakhe Bulu was one such learner who had to deal with and overcome the effects of bullying as a young boy. This is his Story of Hope.
Regardless of whether we’re aware of it, all of us carry a cultural bias. Pastor, author and speaker Afrika Mhlophe says if we want to grow our cultural intelligence, we need to scrutinise the culture that drives our beliefs and ultimately determines our behaviour. How can we appreciate other cultural perspectives and let go of any beliefs that are incompatible with the Christian faith? Afrika helps us answer this question and several more in this episode of Elevate.
Leading in multicultural environments is not easy - but it can be hugely rewarding. In this episode we asked Edwin Fillies, co-founder of YWAM’s Nations-to-Nations ministry, to speak to us about leading cross-cultural teams and developing God’s heart for the ‘other’. Working with over 25 000 young people every year, Edwin encourages us to embrace hospitality, live open-heartedly and engage multi-culturally in the body of Christ.
How spiritually healthy are you as a spiritual leader? In this episode Dr Johan Beukes shares on ways of growing our spiritual health and leadership, so that we not only survive, but thrive, in change and diversity. Johan explores some of the mindsets that typically derail leaders from their God-given course, and encourages leaders to root their identity firmly in Christ.
As a leader of an NGO or ministry, why is it always so hard to ask for money? In this episode, David Denmark, executive director of the Maclellan Foundation, helps us get to the heart of this question by exploring the complexities of financial giving, from both a beneficiary and donor perspective. Through rich theology and practical experience, he paints an inspiring picture of what healthy donor-beneficiary partnerships can be when rooted in trust and Kingdom principles.
Have you ever thought about the various dimensions of organisational health and whether you’re nurturing it effectively? Today we join Werner Momberg from the Mergon Foundation, who shares on the vital role that organisational health plays in having long-lasting success and sustainable impact. He speaks to some of the 11 key dimensions that make up a healthy organisation, and how they work interconnectedly to grow your impact over time.
Have you ever wondered how to benefit from the strength of multi-organisational networks? In this episode, we speak to Kärin Butler Primuth, CEO of visionSynergy, who are collaboration specialists in the global mission movement. Karin makes an inspiring case for the power of Christian partnerships to accelerate Kingdom impact and shape the future of world missions.
In this episode, Dr Steve Patty of Dialogues in Action encourages us to see strategy and evaluation not as an event that we ‘must do’ once or twice a year, but as a ‘way of life’ that architects a culture of learning in our ministry. Through fresh and practical insight, Steve helps us develop our strategic thinking so that we can effectively evaluate and communicate our impact as leaders and organisations.
As ministry leaders how do we empower and release the people around us? In this episode Eddie Waxer shares on the power of humility to pave a culture of inclusivity, trust and dedicated discipleship. Having helped drive a movement in global sports evangelism, Eddie illustrates how we can effectively multiply our impact when we keep the mission, and not ourselves, at the centre.