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Wednesday
22nd & Thursday 23rd December:
Henry,
James, and representatives of the ALFA
in Sweden discussed on where urban ministry
resources (traditional and contemporary)
match-up project-development needs including
funding for sustainable work in Africa.
We
noted various concepts from development
foundations and funding trusts
and came to the following challenges/conclusions:
a)
Local congregations must give to each
project in their parish - as an expression
of the responsibility God places on them
according to Scriptures.
b)
A level-field approach where the revolutionary
bottom-up and the hierarchical top-down
approaches meet each other at the feet
of the Cross must be stressed and achieved.
c)
Local Churches must be trained to have
the confidence to initiate or lead a multi-agency,
bilateral or multi-partnership ventures.
They may do so by, for example, using
urban ministry expertise or networks.
d)
State Churches and National Council of
Churches in the West are potentially
masses of influence and can be channels
of locally-donated development resources
or international development grants to
Africa - the church of Sweden and the
Church of Sweden and the Church of England
being examples.
Taking
Risks - the Matthew 5 Multiple-Recognition
Concept
We discovered that the single-effect focus
or approach to project work in the West
(understandably) cannot be always justifiable
in many African situations where the needs
are various and acute, and also particular
with different groups of people at any
given time/moment.
We
came up with a Matthew 5 Concept,
where Jesus applies his gospel project
to several needs at the same time (Matthew
5: 1-10), and then developing framework
and strengthening contexts to deal with
the various needs. We recognise that even
though a Matthew 5 Multiple-Recognition
Concept is untenable in aspects modern
management prudence, we nonetheless recommend
to the kind consideration of Trusts, Foundations
and Leadership who can afford to 'do risky
start-ups'.
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Discussions
and Discoveries 
