“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15: 5
Greetings from Carmel
In looking back at the year that has passed we are reminded in John 15 that we are the branches and how Christ is the vine, only by remaining in Him, we will bear much fruit.
Often, we need to allow Him to cut away what is not bearing fruit and to prune the parts that are, to make space for new growth and ultimately for our Father GOD to be glorified. Our prayer as we enter this festive season is that we may remain rooted in Christ our Saviour, and as we encounter Immanuel (GOD with us), He may become ever more manifest in the fruit of our lives.
We are incredibly grateful for how Friends of Carmel, the Carmel Heights Community and our Partners have come together with gracious and open hearts, to prune the ‘vines’ of Carmel this year. God is at work, and we pray that the fruit our of ‘vines’, will bear its blessings on all who come to Carmel. With the many Groups and Guests returning to Carmel this year, they have left each time with a sense of warmth, of being touched by the presence of God at Carmel. We thank you for the prayers and grace you have given us.
We also give thanks to Wouter, our amazing staff team and volunteers, who through their gifts of hospitality have prepared tirelessly to welcome new and generation-long guests into the Carmel family this season. We pray for blessings over our guest visits this season; may it be filled with fun, family, rest and the presence of our Lord and Saviour.
We wish you and your families a blessed Christmas. May it be a time of joy, hope and love and a time of gratitude for the love of Christ, that is blessed upon the world.
God Bless
Suzanne Mackay
The Carmel Trustees
Greetings from Operations
The season is upon us, and the team and I are looking forward to welcoming new guests, families, and generation long friends to Carmel.
Over the last 6 months since I joined Carmel, it has been a privilege and joy to get to know each of our team members, many who have been with Carmel for over a decade. As you meet our team this season, may you feel welcomed into our Carmel family.
In addition to our permanent team, over the school holiday period, we have a valued team of Friends of Carmel and Ethos Ministry International volunteers who will be facilitating a number of age specific kids’ activities each day.
We are ready to welcome and serve you to experience the rest and restoring love of Christ this festive season and into the new year.
Many helping hands in restoration, bringing blessings to our guests
Through the helping hands and generosity of our Carmel Heights Community, Friends of Carmel and Ethnos Ministry International, we have been blessed in God’s provision to implement several restoration and revitalisation projects around Carmel.
I give thanks to God for our supporting community, through which all this would not have been possible. It is through this that I pray that in turn, you may be equally blessed by the fresh look across the property, gardens, activities, quiet spaces, and Kaye’s Cafe.
The team and I look forward to welcoming you to Carmel.
Wouter Cloete
General Manager
Looking for a group retreat or conference. Carmel is the perfect location to experience our group meeting facilities, accommodation, dining, chapel, quiet spaces and also fun group activities.
Carmel is well equipped through our large variety of accommodation types and the numbers of people we can accommodate to serve a wide variety of groups.
Carmel can also host conferences of up to 150 people, cinema-style. Conference packages are on offer, ranging from half-day and full-day meetings, to overnight conference stays.
Our high-season ends on Sunday 15th January. Start your new year, over 16 – 30 January with a time of connecting, aligning and growing your team for their best year yet!
The 2023 School Holidays are an incredible time for kids of all ages and parents to come together at Carmel for fun and daily activities run by the Carmel Team.
The 2023 School Holiday Schedule is below:
1 April – 11 April
Easter Weekend 7 -10 April
24 June – 17 July
30 September – 9 October
16 December – 15 January 2024
Prayer Room October Highlights
If you would like to be a part of the Wednesday Prayer Room, we pray in the chapel every Wednesday morning from 06h30 – 07h30. Prayer times are led and facilitated by Jason & Rene Goldberg. If you are not able to join, we have created a dedicated email newsletter which you can sign-up on the link below and we will keep you updated.
Matthew 25:14-30
- The one who has a heart of faithful stewardship will be given more.
- We pray for hearts of faithful stewardship.
- Help us Lord to be faithful stewards of what you have entrusted to us. Help us grow in faithful stewardship. May we care for the things you have entrusted to us with the same heart of love, care and wisdom as you would. May we see as important the same things you see as important.
Matthew 10:1-31
- Lord Jesus, May you give us faith to follow you even if we don’t know everything that is ahead of us. Lord, May you help us to be busy with what you are busy with. Help us to understand what you are busy doing at Carmel. May people experience your presence at Carmel. May people find rest!
We would love for you to partner with us in prayer for Carmel. Please continue to hold the staff of Carmel and the Carmel Community in prayer. Ephesians 1:15-23 is such a beautiful prayer for all those serving and associated with Carmel.
If you would like to share any words the Lord has given you during your prayer time for Carmel and the ministries, we would love to hear from you! You can email us at news@carmelmail.co.za
Carmel's ongoing legacy
The shared testimonies over the many years of Carmel’s history inspire confidence. God continues to be at work and use Carmel for His ministry. So many leave rested, encouraged, and restored, by the love of Jesus. The ripple effects of Carmel continue into eternity. All praise be to God!
In being able to continue the work of Carmel for future generations to come, we are seeking our valued guests and friends of Carmel for donations or bequests, in leaving a legacy into Carmel’s future. There are many specific projects we have on our hearts to implement the mission of Carmel, and many ways in which to become involved.
If being a part of Carmel’s legacy is on your heart, we would love to share our vision and projects with you in more detail and how you can be a part of Carmel’s bright future.