About
Gavin and Marlien Porter
We met in 1993 while on outreach to Mozambique and were married in the middle of the following year. We have been involved in full time ministry ever since.
From 1994 until 1999 we coordinated a community development project north of Pretoria in South Africa. The project included skills training, job creation, vegetable gardening, outreach to children, cell groups, Community Health Worker training and a bi-weekly Primary Health Care clinic. Through the many challenges we faced in this poor community, we began searching the scriptures for answers and later found ourselves presenting community development workshops and mobilising churches towards ministry to the poor and needy.
We originally started Partners in Grace, in 2000, to assist in the formation of cross-cultural partnerships between wealthy Christian congregations and poor Christian congregations with the further goal of community development through church partnership.
I started to facilitate the World Perspectives (World Mission) Course in 2000 in Pretoria. In 2003 we moved to Zambia for about two years, where we helped to train and equip Zambian missionaries as well as teach local church leaders.
Since 1999, I have been studying God’s plan and purpose and by 2007 I began teaching God’s Vision God’s Mission as a course by itself.
Currently we are based in Pretoria, South Africa and travel to various neighbouring countries, including Zambia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Malawi and Democratic Republic of Congo, to teach church leaders and to equip missionaries. Marlien trains missionaries to acquire new languages by making use of the Brewster’s LAMP course, she has also developed a Community Health Worker Training Course which is used to equip the missionaries or community leaders to address the third world health needs while creating a platform to share the gospel. Gavin teaches God’s Vision God’s Mission and trains facilitators for the course.
God's Vision - God's Mission 
Hi Gavin,
Ek hou baie van wat ek lees oor julle bediening op jou blog en in jou nuusbriewe; Dankie daarvoor;
Ek waardeer die passie en insigte wat ek by jou raaklees en bid julle bediening die seën van die Here toe;
Ek sal graag eendag saam met jou wil koffie drink as jy beskikbaar is.
Christusgroete,
Chris Visser (VisChris)
Hi Chris,
Baie dankie vir jou comment! Dit sal lekker wees om saam koffie te drink. Ek sal jou bel.
Be blessed!
Gavin
WOW !YOU GUYS ARE DOING A GOOD JOB, KEEP IT UP.YOU HAVE GREATLY MOVED MY HEART TO DO MORE OF GOD’
S WORK, MY WIFE TOO.
Keep on moving
Abraham Donald
I am impressed by the direction I see on your website. You are in the church that Christ approved, Philadelphia, the missions church. Check our my daughter and son-in-law. They are working in Pretoria for Operation Mobilization. They are Michael and Heather van Buskirk.
Hi Gavin. Don’t know if you’ll remember me. I did the World Perspective thing with you at Lewende Woord. Also used to work at Jericho Walls at that time just before you went to Zambia full time. Eish my friend, I would like to meet you again. You made such an inpact on my life and God realy used you in a big way in my walk with Him. Please let me know when you are in Pretoria again, I would realy like to meat with you. Thanks, Flip
Hi Flip,
I am so glad to hear from you. I asked about you at Jericho Walls a while ago, but no one knew where to find you. I am in tanzania at the moment doing a teaching trip. Still have a few weeks to go. will be back in Pretoria by mid October. We must definitely get together. If you email me at partnersingrace@gmail.com then we can make an arrangement to meet.
I’m looking forward!
Be blessed!
Gavin
Hi Gavin,
Hope you’re well. It’s been a while since we did the course with you in Somerset West, but I just wanted to tell you again how absolutely life changing this course was to me. Thank you so much for being so faithful in sharing this message. I’ve been a devoted Christian for many years before I did this course, but I never understood the ‘good news’ message like I do now. God’s vision is so much clearer to me and I understand what all of our mission as Christians should be. What a gift. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I’m still busy thinking of ways to get this message to every Christian out there – will keep you posted. : )
May you and your family be blessed!
Marlize
PS: If you’re still thinking of doing a new website, let me know – my hubby could possibly help.
Hi Marlize,
Thank you for a very encouraging testimony!
I hope to teach the full course in Cape Town sometime during 2014. We have many exciting ideas and new opportunities…I think a new website will be part of that…will keep your offer in mind!
Be blessed!!
Gavin
Fantastic! I was thinking of showing the dvd’s to a group of people in December, but if you’re coming to CT in the new year, it might be a better idea to invite them along to that, so please keep me posted re: dates etc.
Thanks!
Marlize
Marlize, the possibility of teaching in Cape Town may only happen in July nothing final yet. So maybe it’s a good idea to go ahead with the dvd classes. Does your husband know anything about “Moodle”? I’m exploring the idea of an online course.
Be blessed!
Gavin
Probably not ideal to squeeze something like this in during the busiest time of the year, so I’ll wait to hear from you re: next year. No pressure though. He doesn’t know Moodle unfortunately, but let us know if and when you get to that stage as he’s also in the process of developing an online type
course.
Keep well!
Marlize
Thank you! Will let you know about dates for next year!
Be blessed!
Gavin
With clarity and precision you teachings are powerful and simplistic ln expressing to us God’s vision for our lives. GOd is truly using you.’l
Thank you Felton! God bless you!
Hi Gavin when will your next course be for 2014 in Pretoria?
Hi Belinde,
I have started a class in Centurion this week (every Tuesday evening 7pm). Another will start in Faerie Glen next week 4th Sept (every Thursday evening 7pm). If you would like to join the class let me know and I will send you the address. partnersingrace @gmail.com
Be blessed!! Gavin
Beste Gavin,
Baie dankie vir julle lewe van inspirasie oor ons Here! Waar kan ek navraag doen of inligting kry oor die kursusse wat jul aanbied? Ek wil so graag mense help, maar moet self geleer word voor ek ander kan leer. Ek is BAIE lief vir die Here en wil nie met lee hande voor Hom staan nie, maar met arms wat oorloop!! Hoor graag van julle. Baie liefde en Seen
Neliza Malherbe
Hi Neliza,
Baie dankie vir jou boodskap.
Waar is jy in die wereld? Ons in in Pretoria.
Meeste van ons kursusse word hier naby of in Suidelike Afrika lande aangebied. As daar ‘n redelike groep mense is wat belangstel sal ons probeer om die klasse na hulle te neem.
Die God’s Vision God’s Mission kursus is amper weer op DVD beskikbaar. Ek hoop om dit teen einde Junie klaar te he. Ek hoop dit help?
Be blessed!
Gavin