Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This research has been conducted from a post modern, practical theological point of view. The focus of the research is on the question: How was it possible for Eloffsdal Dutch Reformed Church as a congregation with a death penalty on it to experience new life and hope? I share a couple of introductory ideas and concepts in Chapter 1. The focus is on the research question mentioned above, the historical background and the unique context of the congregation. Concepts are clarified to explain the meaning of certain concepts in the study. Concepts include missional, missional transformation, stories/narratives, identity, capacity, new borders, a new church concept and God stories of Hope are clarified. Chapter 2 deals with the importance of considering the congregation's story and the context in which it played and still plays out. The micro, meso and macro contexts are also taken into account. In Chapter 3 Eloffsdal's members tell the story of the congregation through the use of the nominal group technique as well as the use of the ethnographic reading report. The congregation is then described according to ethnographic interviews, missional conversations and relevant nominal questionnaires. Chapter 4 focuses on the theology, practical theology and the narrative practical theology. The identity of the congregation, the re-discovery of the initiative of the Trinity, the discovery to be send out or be missional as well as the development of new capacities are described. In Chapter 5 there is a search for a possible paradigm shift where the congregation itself needs to discover and develop various levels and different contexts in their missional journey. This will involve that new borders will be crossed. The processes and factors which turned the members' minds to contribute to their new concepts of the church (ecclesiology) are also discussed. Together with my co-researchers we searched for possible stories of Hope. Chapter 6 is a critical reflection on the research process and the possible missional transformation that contributed to a congregation's experience of new life and hope in spite of a death penalty being spoken out over it. Possible limitations of the research as well as topics for further research are mentioned. The end of any process is and always will be open and always leads to further questions and problems to be discovered. This research does not end with a full stop, but with a comma,…. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hoe het Eloffsdal NG Gemeente as ʼn terdoodveroordeelde gemeente nuwe lewe en hoop gekry? Dit is die navorsingsvraag wat in die navorsing aan die orde gestel word. In Hoofstuk 1 hanteer ek enkele inleidende gedagtes en konsepte. Die soeklig val kortliks op die navorsingsprobleem, die konteks van die gemeente en historiese agtergrond wat ondersoek word in die res van die navorsing. Die begripsverheldering help om van die kernbegrippe in die navorsing uit te lig. Begrippe soos missionaal, missionale transformasie, verhale/narratiewe, identiteit, kapasiteit, nuwe grense, nuwe kerk begrip en God stories van Hoop word omskryf. Hoofstuk 2 handel oor die noodsaaklikheid om die gemeenteverhaal en die konteks waarbinne dit oor jare afgespeel het, te verreken. Die mikro, meso en makro kontekste word ook verreken. In Hoofstuk 3 word Eloffsdal se lidmate aan die woord gestel om deur middel van die nominale groep tegniek asook die bevindinge uit die etnografiese leesverslag, die navorsingstorie van die gemeente te vertel. Die gemeente word met behulp van die etnografiese onderhoude, missionale gesprekke en toepaslike nominale vraelyste beskryf. In Hoofstuk 4 val die fokus op die teologie, praktiese teologie en narratiewe praktiese teologie. Die identiteit van die gemeente, die herontdekking van die insiatief van die Drie-enige God, die ontdekking van gestuurd wees asook die ontwikkeling van nuwe kapasiteite, word in dié hoofstuk verreken en ontgin. In Hoofstuk 5 word na 'n moontlike paradigmaskuif gesoek waar die gemeente self die verskillende vlakke en kontekste in hulle unieke konteks gaan ontgin. Nuwe grense word ook oorgesteek. Die prosesse en faktore wat in die mense se koppe gedraai het en sodoende meegehelp het om 'n nuwe kerkbegrip (ekklesiologie) te laat ontwikkel word ondersoek. In samewerking met my medenavorsers word daar gesoek na moontlike stories van hoop. Hoofstuk 6 handel kortliks oor 'n kritiese refleksie oor die navorsingsproses en die moontlike missionale transformasie wat meegehelp het om 'n terdoodveroordeelde gemeente te laat herleef. Moontlike leemtes in die navorsing en voorstelle oor gepaste onderwerpe vir verdere navorsing, word ook hier hanteer. Die einde is en bly altyd 'n oop proses en ontlok altyd weer nuwe vrae vir verdere navorsing. Daar is nie 'n punt aan die einde van die navorsing nie, wel 'n komma, ……..

The study entails the design of a public school in the Pretoria inner city that will serve the needs of a growing number of residents in the area. Influences that shaped the design include the school’s connection with the urban context, needs set by the current educational system and a commitment to sustainable development. A mutualistic relationship between school and city is created. The inner city serves as an energetic and sustaining growth medium for the school. The school becomes a beacon of education for the urban community. Architecture creates the opportunity for a positive flow of information and inspiration between school and city. Functions of the school and city blend. Boundaries between the two become blurred. Architecture becomes flexible. Urban or educational needs can lead to a re-shaping of the building’s function or internal organisation. A temporary stability is provided. Architecture makes the user aware of is or her place in the physical and social context of the environment, just as the user makes the architecture aware of its place. / Dissertation (MArch(Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Architecture / unrestricted

The single parent family in an inner city context is confronted with a problematic life situation. The demands, which are brought about by single parenthood as well as residence in an inner city environment, often lead to inappropriate parenting. The single parent child is often disrupted on an emotional and social level as a result. In many cases the child handles this disruption inappropriately. The single parent family has a need for resources in the community in order to ensure the continuous emotional, social, psychic and physical well being of its separate members. Involvement in gestalt group work can already be regarded as such an important resource available to the single parent child. Through this research study an investigation was made into the efficiency of a gestalt group work programme in the empowerment of the single parent child to handle the negative experiences of the single parent situation, such as feelings of guilt, anger, confusion, fear, inadequacy, loss, and sorrow and depression. Gestalt group work offers an opportunity to the child to share feelings and experiences regarding the single parent situation within the group context and to receive support from the therapists and other group members. This process strengthens the child’s inner self and the child is empowered to self-support. A complete and refined gestalt group work programme was developed and evaluated from the findings of a literature study and empirical study. The process of intervention research was followed during the empirical study. Data was obtained from seven single parent children in their late middle childhood years in an inner city context and their single parents. The combined quantitative-qualitative approach was used for this purpose according to the dominant-less-dominant model of Creswell. The single-systems design was used to test the effectiveness of the programme. The quantitative findings were obtained by self-developed questionnaires for the child respondents and their single parents, before and after the gestalt group work programme. The qualitative findings were obtained by unstructured observation during the gestalt group work sessions. According to the integration of the quantitative and qualitative findings, the conclusion can be made that the gestalt group work programme brought about an improvement in the child respondents’ emotional and social levels of functioning and their appropriate handling of feelings. The findings obtained, suggest that the developed gestalt group work programme can be implemented with confidence with single parent children in their late middle childhood years in an inner city context. Further research on the development and evaluation of a gestalt group work programme, specifically presented to the single parents, in order to guide and support them in the handling of their experiences of the single parent situation, is strongly suggested. / Thesis (DPhil (Social Work))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted