Photo by Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash
Greetings, CTU Members and Friends –
We continue our exploration of our Principle Statement with the theme of “Building a Sustainable Community.” How can we ensure that CTU continues to thrive? We’ll explore this question from many different angles, and have some fun along the way.
There are many special events and activities in July! Check out Roux’s meditation and service in Somerset West, Hans’ Mandela Day Volunteerism opportunity, the Buddhist Sangha meeting, Zascha Brésilley’s special King Yoga class, and Hans’ Kitsch'mas in July party. Lots of learning and fun.
An American Unitarian Anthropologist will be in Cape Town the afternoon of Thursday 3 July 13h00-16h00, and she would love to meet some South African Unitarians! We’ll be taking the one-hour history tour of City Centre and return to our building for some tea, biscuits and chats. If you would like to come participate, contact me for more details.
Lastly, we are grateful to Niraj, Kavir and the Vedas4All community for sharing the Vedic knowledge of the Rudram 11 peace prayers this past Sunday, 29 June. Through communal effort and devotional intention, the chanting brought divine bliss, inner peace, healing and spiritual rejuvenation that blessed our spiritual home and expanded beyond to bring vibrational healing to those who needed it. We are grateful for their sharing, for the teaching, and for spiritual kinship with their tribe. Here is the group that participated:
With love and light,
Nima
nimajanettaylor@gmail.com // WhatsApp 076 024 9120
In this issue of the newsletter
Check out our events page to view our church calendar. This includes events posted in the building and outside of the building. If you would like your event added, please contact us via email at: community@capetownunitarians.org
Sunday Services
Somerset West Update
Mandela Day volunteering
Buddhist Sangha meeting
Community Choir
Council Updates
Sunday Services
Please note: All Sunday services are hybrid and start at 10:30 am SA time
6 July - Interbeing: The Zen of Sustainable Community. To build a sustainable community, we must wake up to the truth that we are not separate. What we do to the Earth, to each other, we do to ourselves. Mindfulness helps us slow down, see clearly, and act with wisdom and compassion for the whole.
13 July - The Circle and the Seed: Indigenous Wisdom for Living in Balance. Building a sustainable community means remembering that we are part of a web of life, not above it. When we walk gently, listen deeply, and honor the Earth and each other, sustainability arises not as a goal but as a natural rhythm. (Also, we will officially welcome Waleed as the newest CTU member!)
20 July - In Service to Others. Hans Moolman will share his passion for volunteerism, with the July Mandela Day encouragement of 67 minutes of service.
27 July - Katleho. Katleho will lead the service this Sunday on the monthly theme of building a sustainable community.
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES
Somerset West Fellowship
Saturday 5 July
Vonke House, 121c Lourensford Rd, Somerset West, 7600
For more information, contact Rev. Roux Malan – 084 679 5466
Website: www.swunitarians.carrd.co/
8:55 am Zen meditation
10 am Speaker: Rev. Roux Malan
Heretics, Heroes, and Hope: How 16th-Century Radicals Pioneered Religious Tolerance:
The Untold Story of Servetus, Calvin, Castellio, and Ferenc Dávid
Join Rev. Roux Malan for a compelling exploration of 16th-century Europe, where radical thinkers dared to challenge dogma and champion religious tolerance as a foundation for peace. Discover the courageous legacies of **Michael Servetus, Sebastian Castellio, Ferenc Dávid, and Fausto Sozzini**—visionaries whose struggles and ideas continue to inspire us to embrace difference, foster mutual respect, and build a more harmonious world.
About the Speaker:
Rev. Roux Malan is an ordained minister of the Unitarian Free Christian Churches (UK) and a board member of the Cape Town Unitarians. Holding a Master’s in Theology from Stellenbosch University, he also facilitates Rinzai Zen meditation, blending spiritual wisdom with historical insight.
Who Should Attend?
- History enthusiasts who wish to learn more about religious dissent and reform
- Curious Christians, Muslims or people of any faith seeking wisdom for peaceful coexistence
- Anyone who believes diversity enriches humanity
Bonus: A free Zen meditation session will be offered beforehand at 8:55 AM in the same venue.
This is a free event—all are welcome!
Awaken Spiritual Power: Harness Universal Energy to Heal Yourself and Others
With Zascha Brésilley
Saturday 12th July
2–5pm
Have you ever felt the call to make a real difference – in your own life and in the world around you? You're warmly invited to a heart-opening workshop where we’ll explore the simple yet powerful energy of prayer – a tool anyone can use to create meaningful change.
Discover how the gentle power of prayer can uplift your spirit, bring peace into your life, and radiate healing energy across the world.
This is more than just positive thinking – it's a real, tangible energy that you can learn to use in a truly transformative way.
As the great Master of Yoga, Dr. George King, once said:
"Correct Prayer is the door to self-expression. It is the door to healing. It is the door to your advancement... a key to the door of the miraculous."
At this inspiring and hands-on event, you’ll:
• Learn how to relax and focus your mind for deep spiritual connection
• Experience for yourself the presence of spiritual energy
• Discover how to invoke and direct this energy to bring light to your life and the lives of others
• Be given a sacred mantra to empower your spiritual journey
• Learn how your prayers can contribute to global healing and upliftment
Whether you're seeking personal healing, emotional peace, spiritual growth, or a way to help others – this workshop is a beautiful step forward. You don’t need any prior experience – just an open heart and a willingness to grow.
Together, we can be part of something greater – a force for good in the world.
Come and experience the magic of prayer in action. Come to the threshold of the miraculous.
We’d love for you to join us.
Zascha Brésilley
Email: capetown@aetherius.org
Tel: +27 (0) 73 747 6373
aetherius.org/capetown
18 July, Friday, is Mandela Day.
In the spirit of Ubuntu, South Africans are encouraged to come together, to participate, to volunteer 67 minutes of service.
Why volunteer?
How might volunteerism relate to living a more fulfilling spiritual life? The action of helping or participating in collective effort towards a greater communal goal, can embody many enigmatic expressions of being, as if it possesses an alchemy all its own. Volunteerism, as an act of service and devotion, can help us to know God better. Baba Ram Dass, the enlightened American spiritual teacher, hints to the very same intimacy or friendship, when he shares: "When I don't know who I am, I serve you. When I know who I am, I am You."
How might we volunteer more heartfully?
The following is suggested. Start small. Be intentional. Make it personal. Serve your guest with love, as if they are divine. As Mother Teresa illumines: “There are no great things, only small things with great love.” It doesn’t matter whether big or small, all that matters is that you show up, that you come with an open heart, that you apply yourself wholly and give your best effort.
Another consideration asks one thing from us: Presence. Be attentive. Be attentive. Be attentive. Thich Nhat Hahn, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, peace activist and spiritual teacher, reveals: “When you love someone, the best thing you can offer is your presence. How can you love if you are not there? ... You must love in such a way that the person you love feels free."
Volunteerism is also an act of devotion, an unconditional gift, without attachment. Henri Nouwen, a Dutch Catholic priest, professor, writer and theologian, elaborates: “If service is an expression of gratitude for the love we have already experienced, then we can be free and engage in change without trying so hard.”
One final consideration is the suggestion that volunteerism, as an act of servanthood, requires vulnerability, an open-mindedness and curiosity, almost as if that of a child. It challenges us to approach from a Beginner's Mind, as if doing it for the first time, to empty ourselves of ourselves, and thereby, to experience it anew, as if for the first time. As our chalice lighting wording always invites us, we hope you feel a little bit uncomfortable in the not-knowing, because that is often how we grow... In the action of volunteerism, it opens us up to a world of discovery and ways of being.
If you wish to participate during Mandela Day activities, as a volunteer over the weekend, from 18-20 July, to give your 67 minutes of service ... please contact Hans for information or resources, via whatsapp +27 721276497.
Thank you for your service!
Sangha: Cape Town Buddhist Gathering
Saturday, 19 July
2–3:30 pm (SA time)
Online only
Sangha is an opportunity to learn Buddhist teachings and practice with others. There is power in a community of practitioners who support and encourage each other on their spiritual paths.
We will begin an exploration of the book by Ezra Bayda, “At Home in the Muddy Water: a guide to finding peace amid everyday chaos.”
Contact Nima for the Zoom link.
Kitsch'mas in July party
27 July, Sunday, 12-6pm
CTU Church, 64 Hout Street
We are halfway through 2025! With the current state of affairs, the world is quite absurd ... but with a little effort, we could make it completely ridiculous!
So don your gawdy sweaters, hail all ye out-of-tune carollers, and let’s see how completely ridiculous we can ham up this festive Christm... Kitsch'mas in July party! Bring a sense of fun and good cheer and a hearty appetite, and let’s make merry! Just in: Elvis has not left the building ...
Please bring a dish, or any foods, snacks and drinks to share. Feel free to contact Hans via Whatsapp if you have any questions: +27 721276497
Children and young-at-hearts are welcome. There will be some entertainment, party games, general shenanigans and mayhem on the go.
Ho ho ho, see you there!
CTU Choir
You are welcome to join your voice when you are ready. All are welcome, irrespective of experience level.
Please contact Camille with any questions you may have about the choir.
Community Highlights
Heart Fund Creation
CTU is delighted to announce the creation of a new “Heart Fund”, a donation fund held by the church for the express purpose of offering temporary support to members in need. This fund can be applied to for support for medical emergencies, emergency bill pay, and food access. Funds may be applied for no more than 2x/year. In some cases, we may consider small business start-up requests (in situation of members in long-term poverty).
Please apply using this form:
https://forms.gle/cJq5tR3rZbcdHcaU6
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Please donate by contacting Altaira, Nima, Camille, or Hans.
Donations can be made by EFT: Unitarian Church
Standard Bank, Branch 051001, Account # 070440719
Swift Code: SBZAZAJJ
Notate funds to be used for Heart Fund, or email us
We have already received several donations from community members!
Council Updates
Next Council meeting is scheduled for 12 pm SA time on Sunday 20 July. All are welcome to attend. For the documents to be reviewed and the Zoom link, contact Nolu at Community@CapeTownUnitarians.org.
Given the changes and intricate reports from the Finance team, it was agreed that there will be a separate council meeting to review them, followed by a special AGM to review and approve the financials.
Have questions or comments for Council? Please email us at community@capetownunitarians.org.