THE little candle flickering in the dark has grown into a brightly shining light for the community.
Born in a building – the Old Eeufees Church – where the dwindling congregation was absorbed into the NG Church Alberton Wes five years ago, Ligstad has truly become a beacon of hope for the community. The work of those at Ligstad has improved the lives of many through the opportunities offered by this NPO.
Ligstad will start with Sunday morning sermons with the support of the Dutch Reformed Church Alberton West, as from Sunday, June 4 at 9am.
The grand old lady’s doors will be flung wide open, welcoming everyone in the community with open arms to the services led in English by Jim Rosser.
While not departing from the NG and Presbyterian churches’ proud tradition of Bible-based theology, there will definitely be a different slant to the service. And so Ligstad welcomes Ilse-Louise Herholdt-Rosser, who will be responsible for the music. During services there will be time for musical solos, when you will be allowed to find your inner peace in God’s presence combined with the powerful messages Jim has in store.
The dynamic duo of Jim and Ilse-Louise has a tangible passion for God and they invite the community to take part in the morning worship services.
The theme of the first services will be ‘The Light of the world’, which is part and parcel of Ligstad and in Jim’s words: “We would welcome feedback after our first service, since we bring something new and would like these services to be a creation born out of the needs of the community, forming its own unique identity.”
Ilse-Louise and Jim were destined to come to Ligstad and Ilse-Louise says that this again is proof of God leading the way. Years ago Ilse-Louise rented a property from Ligstad’s chairman, Linda Botha. It just so happened, that after all those years, Linda still had Ilse-Louise’s phone number and knowing that Ilse was an exceptionally talented musician she made enquiries about the possibility of her starting a music school, but another piece of the Ligstad puzzle fell in place too, with Ilse’s husband…
Get to know the dynamic duo:
Ilse-Louise, who is a full-time musician, was born and raised in Alberton and also matriculated at Hoërskool Alberton. “Music chose me. I’ve had a passion for music since I was little and my parents did not even know it,” she said.
She is a talented professional multi-instrumentalist. Ilse-Louise started her career in music by completing her B.Mus. (Cum Laude), specialising in performance piano at the University of Pretoria. She subsequently obtained her Master’s degree in Music at Wits, specialising in Performance Flute and Composition. She performed with some of the big international names in her overseas travels and closer to home with the likes of Kurt Darren and Tobie Jooste. Ilse-Louise will be leading the music ministry at Ligstad, as well as playing an active role in the music tuition.
Jim is a professional businessman currently employed by a Fortune 500 multi-national company. He considered studying theology after leaving school, but opted instead for a career in engineering, obtaining a B.Sc. (Elec. Eng.) from Wits and subsequently an MBA from Henley Business School.
His passion for the Scriptures never left, though, and he looks forward to sharing some wonderful insights from God’s Word. Jim, whose church background is Presbyterian, has preached at St. Andrew’s in Brakpan and St. John’s in Boksburg since 2014. “Both the NG and the Presbyterians have a proud tradition of Bible-based theology and this will continue to form the underlying theme of the preaching,’ said Jim. His motto in life is to leave the past behind and to focus on the future. “I would like to extend an invitation to our community to come and meet with the Lord. Come and learn because there is just so much in the scriptures to share.”
On a personal note:
The couple got together four years ago and have been married for a year and 10 months. They have also just welcomed a new member to their family, one-month-old Arthur-John. Jim and Ilse-Louise actually met 20 years ago. “Jim lived in a house in Midrand for a while before I moved into that exact same house after he moved out. One day Jim and my mother were in a conversation in which he found out that I was living in that house. He then popped in and wanted to see what I had done with the house,” said a laughing Ilse-Louise.
“And, can you believe this? Jim’s sister lives across the road from my parents in Albermarle and that is how we reconnected and fell madly in love.”
“And, as they say, the rest is history,” Jim added, smiling.
“God’s finger is clearly in our destiny,” said Ilse-Louise. “Fifteen years ago my mother told me that she met the man that I should marry – and she was referring to Jim.
They live in Albemarle, along with the rest of their family. Both of them agree that quality time spent with their family and their close circle of friends is time well spent.
About Ligstad:
The “Ou Eufees Kerk” on Van Riebeeck Avenue, Alberton North has been a landmark in the area since 1938. Residents and passers-by will have noticed an uptick in the activity levels at the old building over the past five years where Ligstad, as an NPO, started a community project with the aim of getting the community to uplift the community.
Ligstad has reached out to the local community with various ministry projects under the Ligstad banner.
These include a pre-school, aftercare centre, developmental social services centre, training for counsellors, counselling, elderly care and music tuition. Ligstad is a community development project functioning from Alberton North, on the corner of Van Riebeeck Avenue and Gerrit Maritz Street. It is a non-profit organisation, with a mandate to lend a helping hand to those in need, especially children and the elderly in need.
Through each of these services rendered to the community runs the golden thread of ministering the Word of God. Whether at the elderly Bible study group or the Good News Hour for the children, or the training and counselling – walking in the Light is what drives those involved at Ligstad to uplift the community.
Ligstad has a vision to empower the community of Alberton North to be a beacon of hope in the world we live in, and is on a mission to uplift the community, in dependence on God, by means of proactive community development services rendered by the community to the community – in order for the community to function independently of the welfare system.
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