Project report: Mozambique, community development Training Program
In September 2015, we have launched a five- year church-based community transformation program (CBCTP) that equips the local church and community authorities with a biblical worldview to address the most critical needs in their communities self-dependent.
The Training is conducted in partnership with Transforming Nations Alliance, Disciple Nations Alliance and Youth With A Mission Nampula. Transforming Nations Alliance has developed the curriculum and does the teaching.
The Training compromises 10 modules carried out over a period of five years with three general areas:
Overcoming Cultural lies with Biblical truth
The program uniquely integrates a wholistic approach to ministry with an emphasis on worldview transformation that identifies and replaces enslaving and destroying cultural distortions – the root causes of poverty and brokenness- with biblical truth.
Challenging and equipping the church to effectively serve their community
Trained Churches apply what they learn by reaching out to their communities through ‘Seed projects’ that demonstrate God’s love in relevant and practical ways, using local resources independent from outside help.
Developing basic life skills
Church members receive trainings on health, money management, marriage and family, evangelism and discipleship all from a distinctly biblical perspective. They are equipped to demonstrate these things to the other community members.
Pastors and leaders of eleven churches from four denominations have participated in the initial module. Here is the report as received from our partners TNA:
Background information about the training
Mozambique, Nampula community has suffered challenges of being in war for the last 16 years, civil war and the influence of colonialism. There is a lot of envy on those that are successful. People are used to being given (dependence syndrome). One of the leaders echoed “If we had no lunch in this training no pastor would be able to participate”. The locals believe that foreigners developed themselves with wrong motives, and the locals are struggling. It’s on this background that Church leaders needed to be sensitized to participate in holistic community transformation as change agents of the prevailing mindsets.
Summary of Major Topics Covered
The participants were taken through the challenge of Africa, Biblical story, the power of worldviews, kingdom Math’s and seed project to mention but a few. These were to help the Churches understand their mandate in the community and so develop practical action plans that they can implement using locally available resources.
Learning Outcomes
The participants were able to make plans for their individual churches to demonstrate Christ’s love in the community.
They realized that their role as church leaders was to take care of the wholistic needs of their families, church and community.
Involving participants from different churches enabled us realize they are coworkers in the community they are serving hence relationships were being built.
Participants were able to analyze the impact of some of their cultural practices and they were aware on how to deal with wrong cultural practices in the communities which bring poverty and enslavement.
Participants appreciated the power of the word of God in addressing all aspects of life. It was an awakening that the change of mindset is what they needed to address some of their needs.
Some of the cultural lies that lead to poverty and underdevelopment were exposes
Congo group – No pointing a finger to the dead and stopping for hours when a dead body is being transported. Besides the believed family spending 6 months on morning without any productive activity. The dead still controlling the leaving.
Makonde culture- A non-circumcised man does not go to the cement ray, even if it’s their close relative.
Makwa Culture- women circumcision rituals. Once a woman has gone through a ritual of circumcision, she is able to marry any man and not supposed to refuse any advances from a man since she is circumcised, she has been taught marriage issues. Unfortunately the girls that are taken for circumcision these days are between the ages of 10-15. This has increased early marriages, promiscuity among others.
Among the Iyawu culture- they identified the ‘blindness ritual’, where young boys and girls are taken to the bush for a month to be initiated into womanhood and manhood by teaching them how to burry, clean the house, build a toilet and hunting among others. Their parents are not supposed to bath nor have sex during the ‘blindness ritual’.
Participants were able to realize some of the causes of poverty and community destruction in their cultural practices.
Comments from select participants
I have learnt that transformation begins now. Instead of waiting till the end of conference, am able to do something now in my family and Church.
It has come out clear to me that the source of transformation is the bible.
I have always thought that Transformation begins when we are supported but I have been challenged by the story of the Samaritan.
I will start to cook a meal every weekend with my wife to demonstrate to my children the love of Christ.
The training has enabled me to see the gold am seating on / around me, I used to think am poor but this training has opened my eyes.
I have learnt the power of unity can make a big thing appear simple and small, the seed project exercise has taught me to work with others if am to achieve much as well as plan my life to be productive.
Way forward
Participants were able to form a committee that will ensure churches implement their action plans as well as plan meetings for fellowship and give feedback.
The leaders were as follows;
Team leader (Mr. Victor)
Secretary (Mr. Jose)
All agreed to have a monthly meeting on every Saturday of the end of month
Participants were encouraged to practice what they learnt as families, churches and communities
Some members committed to train the Churches using the given material
The Participating churches agreed to support each other in implementing seed projects and mobilizing the community.
TNA to support in follow up and building the team.
Communicate the seed project implementation dates in their first meeting. The following seed projects were registered.
Cleaning the rubbish around community.
Helping an elderly widow roof her house.
Sensitization on the danger of alcohol in the community
Seminar on the benefits of eating a balanced diet.
Building community toilets
Open a new orphanage
