TRANSFORMATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: A Further Pursuit of God's Holistic Mission
MINISTRY UPDATE
Over the last twenty years, Veritas College Uganda (VCU) has been dedicated to equipping Christian leaders with skills to interpret and apply the message of the Bible. The main focus has been on developing and sharpening of ministry skills needed to serve God’s church in a variety of contexts. To this end, VCU has participated in advising churches on structuring leadership training programmes within the church activities, training church leaders, parishioners and individuals in the "Equipping to serve" Veritas curriculum, providing training materials for such programmes, training trainers (facilitators) and assessing participants.
Module One training with youths at All Saints Cathedral Kampala. 30th March 2016
VCU has so far worked with over 2500 church leaders and has enrolled approximately 900 participants annually. Our target this year is to deliver 1200 modules by August 2016. We are well over 300 modules and are going strong in spite of setbacks pertaining to structural changes, financial constraints and a facilitator/trainer gap. God’s faithfulness is steadfast and we covet your prayers in this regard.
In 2013, the need to incorporate Livelihood skills training in the services offered by Veritas colleges worldwide was tabled and as a result VCU has participated in empowering various church communities with skills pertaining to starting and running Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLA). Based on reports from trainings that have taken place in the central and near eastern regions (Lukaya and Kasana communities), there has been increased access to credit and a savings culture is being instilled. As a result, the participants have set up income generating projects such as piggery, second hand clothes trading and small restaurants. There has also been enhanced cohesion among the Christians. The perception that the Church is for the hopeless is fading and transitioning into one that the church is a good example to the rest of the community in holistic living. Though these groups are facing various challenges such as compliance to set rules and regulations, difficulties in book keeping, the communities and their pastors are grateful that they are not where they used to be.
In a further pursuit to be aligned with God’s holistic(integral) mission of spiritual and physical wholeness of His creation, VCU (under the kind patronage and guidance of VCI) has built on its curriculum by adding a course in Transformational Development (TD). The TD course prepares Christians and churches with the knowledge and skills for transformative and sustainable community development through holistic, asset-based approach for all people, regardless of their level and form of poverty (spiritual, physical, relational). The TD course will enable people to take responsibility to solve their own problems using gifts and resources that God has given us as His image bearers. The content of the course will include the the exposition of issues such as: the theology of development, community and Holism, poverty, cultural beliefs, sustainable community resource mobilisation among others.
TD discussions with pastors from True life Bible college, Jinja (Eastern Uganda), 3rd April 2016
The TD course is practical and thus involves the setting up of small church groups to discuss and consequently develop and implement programs/projects that address the forms of poverty affecting their respective communities.
How you can be a part of this…
As you may know Veritas considers it a privilege to be working with churches and individuals lacking physical resources. The church in Uganda is experiencing various forms of lack in all four key relationships: relationship with God, self, Non-human creation and others. For instance: Tribal conflicts have left over 20 people dead in the Rwenzori region (western region), Cholera outbreaks have claimed lives and left over 25 infected in Butaleja district (eastern region), food shortage that affected over 50,000 people in Karamoja region last year has hit western Uganda in Masindi District and post election tensions still lurk in and around Kampala.(http://shor.pe/a7Fic)
Post Election conflicts: a supporter of opposition leader Kizza Besigye is detained by Policemen. 19 February 2016
The definition of ‘poverty’ certainly has various dimensions that the church here in Uganda should ideally and practically continue to address. Nonetheless we are grateful to God as a nation and church for a mostly peaceful election period. With a new course in the curriculum and ‘Equipping to serve’ modules still going on, the VCU team without a doubt appreciates your continued prayers and support. We immensely value our partners’ commitment and are aware of the wisdom, technical and financial support. God has opened a new chapter and is faithful to accomplish it. This is another of God’s many endeavours to enlist co-workers. May we continue to be willing co-labourers with and for Christ.
Over the last twenty years, Veritas College Uganda (VCU) has been dedicated to equipping Christian leaders with skills to interpret and apply the message of the Bible. The main focus has been on developing and sharpening of ministry skills needed to serve God’s church in a variety of contexts. To this end, VCU has participated in advising churches on structuring leadership training programmes within the church activities, training church leaders, parishioners and individuals in the "Equipping to serve" Veritas curriculum, providing training materials for such programmes, training trainers (facilitators) and assessing participants.
Module One training with youths at All Saints Cathedral Kampala. 30th March 2016
VCU has so far worked with over 14,000 church leaders and has enrolled approximately 900 participants annually. Our target this year is to deliver 1200 modules by August 2016. We are well over 300 modules and are going strong in spite of setbacks pertaining to structural changes, financial constraints and a facilitator/trainer gap. God’s faithfulness is steadfast and we covet your prayers in this regard.
In 2013, the need to incorporate Livelihood skills training in the services offered by Veritas colleges worldwide was tabled and as a result VCU has participated in empowering various church communities with skills pertaining to starting and running Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLA). Based on reports from trainings that have taken place in the central and near eastern regions (Lukaya and Kasana communities), there has been increased access to credit and a savings culture is being instilled. As a result, the participants have set up income generating projects such as piggery, second hand clothes trading and small restaurants. There has also been enhanced cohesion among the Christians. The perception that the Church is for the hopeless is fading and transitioning into one that the church is a good example to the rest of the community in holistic living. Though these groups are facing various challenges such as compliance to set rules and regulations, difficulties in book keeping, the communities and their pastors are grateful that they are not where they used to be.
In a further pursuit to be aligned with God’s holistic(integral) mission of spiritual and physical wholeness of His creation, VCU (under the kind patronage and guidance of VCI) has built on its curriculum by adding a course in Transformational Development (TD). The TD course prepares Christians and churches with the knowledge and skills for transformative and sustainable community development through holistic, asset-based approach for all people, regardless of their level and form of poverty (spiritual, physical, relational). The TD course will enable people to take responsibility to solve their own problems using gifts and resources that God has given us as His image bearers. The content of the course will include the the exposition of issues such as: the theology of development, community and Holism, poverty, cultural beliefs, sustainable community resource mobilisation among others.
TD discussions with pastors from True life Bible college, Jinja (Eastern Uganda), 3rd April 2016
The TD course is practical and thus involves the setting up of small church groups to discuss and consequently develop and implement programs/projects that address the forms of poverty affecting their respective communities.
How you can be a part of this…
As you may know Veritas considers it a privilege to be working with churches and individuals lacking physical resources. The church in Uganda is experiencing various forms of lack in all four key relationships as established: relationship with God, self, Non-human creation and others. For instance: Tribal conflicts have left over 20 people dead in the Rwenzori region (western region), Cholera outbreaks have claimed lives and left over 25 infected in Butaleja district (eastern region), food shortage that affected over 50,000 people in Karamoja region last year has hit western Uganda in Masindi District and post election tensions still lurk in and around Kampala.(http://shor.pe/a7Fic)
Post Election conflicts: a supporter of opposition leader Kizza Besigye is detained by Policemen. 19 February 2016
The definition of ‘poverty’ certainly has various dimensions that the church here in Uganda should ideally and practically continue to address. Nonetheless we are grateful to God as a nation and church for a mostly peaceful election period. With a new course in the curriculum and ‘Equipping to serve’ modules still going on, the VCU team without a doubt appreciates your continued prayers and support. We immensely value our partners’ commitment and are aware of the wisdom, technical and financial support. God has opened a new chapter and is faithful to accomplish it. This is another of God’s many endeavours to enlist co-workers. May we continue to be willing co-labourers with and for Christ.
TRAINING & TESTIMONIES
Transformational Development Workshop in Soroti, January 2016.
” Since I started Veritas, I have grown, I don't read my Bible just for reading’s sake but to extract its message through exegesis”
-Milly Aine, a youth in her after-High school break, All saints Cathedral VCU training
The VCU Training Director (Godfrey Ntale) passionately sharing with colleagues at the Soroti TD training
Youths (Mary and Micheal) at All saints taking their colleagues through exegesis as the Facilitator: Ivan Gahiire observes
POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIPS
Gillian and Brian from Global Link Afrika met with VCU to discuss possible partnership
PRAYER POINTS FOR UGANDA
Holistic ministry to be embraced by the church in Uganda such that the Church can empower its own and influence the economics and politics of this country.
The new TD course: That it will flourish and that God will open doors in the places where we shall be holding workshops.The next workshop is scheduled for 13th, June 2016.
Strength for the regional coordinators as they disciple and train facilitators in the various communities in which they serve.
God's providence to reign in the lives of the Veritas participants and for their hearts to be open to His wisdom and direction.
In a little town of Wobulenzi there lived a widow with her two children .The first born was a girl and was now mature for marriage .The second born was a boy and at home due to lack of school fees. Education for girls in those days was not worthwhile in regard to the culture. Girls are only meant to bring in wealth. And this was the fate of Mary.
John was an educated young man of secondary school level. He too had dropped out of school due to lack of school fees .And now that he was owning a small business of selling charcoal, he desired to get married so that he could have his land utilized for agriculture. Using a go –between, John wrote to Mary of his endeavors.
