When a church reaches out to its community, it can touch every aspect of life, making transformation possible. This is why we work through the local church, wherever possible, to bring about lasting change. We call this Church and Community Transformation. This week, praise God that a study we carried out with Bath Social and Development Research has shown how effective this is.
Sunday 23 April
‘I see the church is involved in many more activities. There is more preaching of the word of God and people are getting saved. The church is also giving people the knowledge they need to improve their wellbeing with the resources they have,’ says a community member from Uganda. Praise God for the increased motivation people experience through knowing him.
Monday 24 April
‘In general, my wellbeing has improved. I feel better every day because God is in me... I have grown in my spiritual life,’ says a community member from Bolivia. Pray that more people who take part in our Church and Community Transformation programmes will grow and develop their faith.
Tuesday 25 April
‘I have more hope than I did five years ago. Back then, I believed I was limited in what I could do... Now, because of the Church and Community Transformation training, I know I can do anything. I have been taught how to make energy-saving stoves,’ says another community member from Uganda. Praise God for life-changing training.
Wednesday 26 April
‘My mother took part in Church and Community Transformation classes at church. She shared what she learnt from the training with our family. We now know how the family can change together. This has improved our relationships with each other,’ says a community member from Nepal. Pray that these classes will bring more families together in unity.
Thursday 27 April
‘Previously, the two communities had a bad relationship. Church and Community Transformation helped us realise why this was, and it brought people together,’ says a community member from Sierra Leone. The church can play an important role in peacebuilding and reconciliation in communities that have religious and ethnic divisions. Pray for more peacebuilding to be done through the church.
Friday 28 April
‘Before, there were 30, but we now have 200 people at our monthly meetings. We make decisions together,’ says a community member from Bolivia. Church and Community Transformation encourages people to work together, leading to initiatives involving the whole community. Pray for more churches to set up these programmes so that marginalised people can get involved in community decision-making.
Saturday 29 April
‘Our income has significantly improved. Before, we relied solely on farming. But when the famine hit us, we diversified and are now not just reliant on farming. Even relationships have improved... We have also gained many skills,’ says another community member from Uganda. Praise God for outcomes that release people from poverty.
