PREPARING THE CHURCH FOR HOLISTIC MISSION & MINISTRY

The issue of Livelihood-Security is one that haunts many Ugandans. "What will tomorrow bring?", "Will my children have enough to eat?" - these are the kind of questions that many Ugandans got to bed  at night with.

Many communities struggle with the challenge of poverty and want to alleviate it and develop their community. God has placed Christians and the Church in the community to show his loving concern and help the poor to develop. At Veritas College, we believe that Transformational Development (TD) training provides a good foundation for the Church to begin to understand and practically implement biblical principles to livelihoods.

The goal of TD is to promote development that truly transforms communities. TD is holistic, people-first oriented, asset-based, participatory, sustainable and helps to mobilise the Church. Based on Biblical truths and principles, TD helps people see the many resources God has given us and how to be good stewards of these resources and bring reconciliation to relationships through Jesus Christ. Veritas College Uganda run a Transformational Development (Week 1) Workshop at Luwala Full Gospel Church, Kamengo, Mpigi, Uganda from the 20^th – 24^th August 2018. Churches invited to attend the workshop will have been recipients or are current recipients of our 'Equipping to Serve' Bible interpretation and ministry training.

During the workshop at Kamengo, participants were fully engaged by responding to questions in the sessions and through discussion and presentation in small groups. Adult education principles were used to facilitate the workshop using a dialogue approach.

TD principles covered included: The Four Relationships God Created For Us At Creation, Thinking About Community, Shalom – Holistic Health, Basic Principles Of Sustainable Development, Made In The Image Of God, Building Trust, Appreciative Inquiry, Beginning An Initiative, Poverty, Sustainability, What Is The Role Of Donors, Income Generation, Responding To The Poor, Sunday Or Monday Christians, Culture And World View, The Change Cycle, Learning That Motivates, Partnership, A Living Holistic Church – The Body Of Christ, Mobilizing The Church For TD/Holistic Mission And Implementation Of A Simple Program Amongst Many Other Topics.
 

Testimonies!

Tadeo Tumwesige "The Transformational Development training was good compared to other trainings I have attended. The approach of the facilitators in delivering the content was very involving of the participants and this aided me to easily understand the topics being discussed. This has changed my attitude towards different things; running of my businesses, approach to church programs and projects.
While brainstorming as a church group on which project we could implement after the TD workshop, we agreed that due to the available resources, we start with a brick laying project which also has ready market."

Gertrude Ojala "When I was coming on day one of the workshop, I thought that Veritas College was bringing us material things. But the training they have given us throughout the week has challenged our mind and attitudes towards what we have and not to look out for handouts to solve our problems."