In their consultation process, the Potchefstroom church leaders (PCL) became aware of the concerns of various police commanders and headmasters of schools.
They said more and more children are ill-disciplined and show a lack of values. After school, some of these youngsters get involved in criminal activities. Once you get used to an undisciplined lifestyle, it becomes part of your character.
‘We all know that the root of the problem lies deeper. In social life, undisciplined behaviour may lead to more problems. One of the reasons for undisciplined behaviour is the lack of effective parenting. Due to the absence of fathers and mothers, children often grow up without effective parenting during a critical phase of childhood.’
‘Now that the PCL forum has been established, it is possible for church leaders to become collectively involved in community challenges. We believe, as Christian leaders pray together and work together, we will also grow towards each other in understanding and love. The forum has registered the data of about 190 spiritual leaders in Potchefstroom alone.
Although all church leaders are not yet actively involved, we are at least moving in the right direction.’ said Rev. Willem Louw, the acting chairperson of the forum.
‘If we, as a community, do not address these concerns, we may find an escalation in undisciplined behaviour, violence and crime in future. We cannot expect from teachers at school to do the work that parents are supposed to do at home. Most of the time, parents who are actively involved in their school or church are not part of the problem. The challenge is to reach out to those parents who do not care!’
PCL has decided to take the bull by the horns and invite community leaders to bring their expertise to the table. We may know the answer but to implement it effectively throughout the whole community needs a lot of prayer, wisdom and cooperation. We hope to get all the important role players on board so that the whole community can stand together in a collective effort.
If you would like to join us in this challenge, please contact the PCL office at 071 569 2086 or post your detail on our website www.pclpotch.co.za.
