Blessed in business to bless others

Kalahari.com project developer on daily walk with Holy Spirit

[notice]Gateway News Volunteer reporter PATSY FULTON spoke to Jacques Whittle, a leader in the inventory management and control solutions arena and project developer of the Kalahari.com website, who attributes his great favour in business to his commitment to putting all he has on God’s altar. [/notice]

Anyone in South Africa, who has had anything to do with computers over the last 15 years, would most definitely have heard of Kalahari.com. Any book club member will tell you that ‘If you can’t find a book in any bookshop, then you know you can get it online at Kalahari.com.’  That’s where I first heard mention of it.

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The present reality of the iconic shopping website is so far beyond its beginnings that it is impossible for him to condense the journey ‘from then till now’ into a few lines, said Jacques Whittle, the Port Elizabeth-based businessman, who in conjunction with the client, designed the distribution system that drives Kalahari.com.

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Considering the standard of excellence he has established in the online retail business, it is beyond the grasp of a ‘mere mortal’ in the computer arena that there is any limit to Jacques’ talent. Then again nothing about this man’s humility and perception of life can be easily summarised.

Open doors for Christian ministry
Jacques and Jacqueline Whittle own Corporate Renaissance Group SCS (CRGSCS), a Supply Chain Services company and believe their favour in the corporate world has opened doors for Christian ministry. Having committed their lives and business to the Lord, it has at times seemed to them that the income the business generates just does not make sense, but rather that the Lord has blessed them to be in a position to exchange time for money.

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“The Lord spoke to our hearts and asked: ‘What are you doing? How can you bless others?’ ” said Whittle.

“It literally seems like the time when Jesus fed 5 000 people with five loaves and two small fish. But this is exactly what God is doing with the income of the business and we are convinced that it is purely because we place all that we have on God’s altar to use as He deems necessary.”

Since its inception, he says CRGSCS’s priorities have changed completely, due to their growing involvement with Human Hearts Ministries, a Port Elizabeth-based ministry that aims to serve people with the love of Jesus, bringing them into a living relationship with God. He said that CRGSCS is so re-motivated through the impact of the ministry that its current focal point aims are:

• to create opportunities for people to develop their talents in order to reach their full potential;
• to assist South Africans to become more competitive in the international arena;
• to create an altar for Jesus with the implementation of each new project;
• to honour God, our fellow-man, leaders and elders who have been appointed to preside over us.

Whittle was a co-founder of Human Hearts Ministries and together with his ministry partners, Danie Mathee, Kobus Prinsloo and Dirk van der Mescht, he continues to serve wholeheartedly in the non profit organisation which he says was born out of  ‘a true act of gratitude to the Living God from a like-minded team’.

“The Lord has taught us not to make excuses or to criticise but to commit and be available,” he said.

Growing from a desire to initiate Christian community-based projects in obedience to God, Human Hearts initially provided financial support to establish a performing arts ministry, but this has grown over time to include a youth ministry, pastoral care ministry and a men’s ministry.

Called to serve
Human Hearts team members work according to the premise of Matthew 20:28: ‘The Son of Man came not to be waited on but to serve,’ and they step into Jesus’ footprints, believing He has called each of them to follow Him and to serve their fellow man with the same passion, said Whittle.

His words are not for the faint-hearted, but for those who dare to be strong and courageous wherever they go.

He said: “No one can claim that this [Human Hearts] was their vision. It has come about because we have been seeking the Lord on a daily basis and bravely following the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Even when it does not make sense to do so.”

Human Hearts community initiatives over the past 12 months include:

• 2 youth camps that followed out of a weekly youth meeting, called The Event, which is aimed at youth and evangelism.
• the launching of a families’ ministry which brought restoration to homes as a steady growth of local care groups continued.
• pastoral care, including ministry to Zimbabwean farmers who were forced off their farms.
• performing arts presentations including an Easter production ‘‘Plek van die Hoofskedel’ at the Little Theatre and various churches in and around Port Elizabeth; a comedy called ‘Dokter Dokter’ at the Little Theatre during the July school holiday; and a further children’s production and a puppet show which shared the message of the Gospel to the very young and primary school children in a fun way.

Human Hearts’ is hosting its first annual Golf Day at the PE Golf Club on September 17.  More information about the ministry and the Golf Day is available at http://www.humanhearts.co.za,