Friday, December 2, 2016

Transforming Mission: Fostering the Discipline of Reflection

Lenny Mbogo, Kavira Nganza, Polisi Kivava
Certificate of Integral Mission, Central African Cohort

It has been a joy to facilitate Canadian Baptist Ministries' certificate program with our friends and colleagues across Central and East Africa. This past week has been the final module of the program for our partners in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. We have been reflecting together on how good leadership and project management can lead to both social and spiritual transformation as we help churches participate in integral mission. 

Growing  together

The question of how local churches might participate in the spiritual formation of their congregations and communities has been a central part of our discussions as we study and apply the training to the ministries where we serve. In this module, we have been considering approaches to leadership, evangelism, and discipleship might best be used in our particular contexts. We recognize that there are no "one size fits all" approaches, but that God works and moves in specific ways in the places and times where we have been led.

The rhythm of drawing together every six months to share and learn together has been such a rich experience for all of us. Sharing our stories, successes, and struggles has made this a deeply meaningful time of growth in each of our lives. These have been times for each of us to consider how we might improve our the approach of our projects and our own personal practice of ministry.

Janice and Jonathan Mills leading a song of worship 
with our Thursday morning speaker, Espérance Niyigena

Module Four Facilitator Darrell Bustin

Listening to students tell of the change that they have experienced has helped confirm the importance of CIM. We have witnessed new confidence among the leaders who are stepping into complex situations of poverty, conflict, and trauma with faith and wisdom.  

Pauline Kariuki teaching best practices in project monitoring and evaluation

Thank you for keeping Canadian Baptist Ministries and our African partners in your prayers. These young leaders are such a courageous and faithful group serving churches and vulnerable communities. As this final module wraps up today, our prayer is that the bonds of friendship and camaraderie will continue to grow and that together we will build on the successes that are happening as God's mission brings hope and healing into the brokenness of this world

CIM Central African Cohort 2016
Kigali, Rwanda

A big thank you to the Mills for sharing these great photographs!


No comments:

Post a Comment