T RANSFORMING R UR A L C OMMUNITIES

1. TRANSFORMING RURAL COMMUNITIES Envisioning

2. CHE is Community Health Evangelism which is mostly focused in rural communities • 118 countries worldwide • In over 4000 villages globally • By over 550 groups • Transforming Rural Communities is CHE in Rural North America and is focused on underserved smaller communities Community Health Evangelism/Transforming Rural Communities

3. Transforming Rural Communities By • Connecting People • Creating Community • Transforming Communities

4. Spiritual Mandate: Love God with all your mind, body, soul and strength AND Cultural Mandate: Love your neighbor as yourself Built on Luke 10:27

5. Our Purpose • Not just breaking poverty or planting churches, though both are accomplished • A transformation in lives and communities that is as deep as the human heart and as broad as the whole range of the different sectors of society. • Jesus is recognized as Lord over all creation and our development activities to reflect the depth and breadth of the kingdom of God.

6. Vision For Rural Communities See a rural community develop to its God-given potential in all areas of life. Communities are networked together so eventually the region is transformed.

7. Transformation is Built on Relationships • Person to person relationships which is built over time and through multiple contacts • Person to neighborhood relationships • Small community to others in county relationships

8. CHE Overseas is in Rural Villages • A geographical place where people live • Been in same place for generations • Know each other • Hold many things in common • Strong network of relationships • Have a sense of belonging, my place

9. Neighbors live in same geographic area Neighbors know each other Neighbors available to each other Neighbors spontaneous with each other Neighbors meet frequently Neighbors have common meals Characteristics Needed to be a Real Community

10. People Often Only See Needs • Alcohol and drug dependency • Youth leaving for life in the cities • Unemployment and underemployment • Underfunded schools at risk of being closed • Shifting values • Broken families • Poor living conditions

11. But God Has Given Many Assets • All people want to be of value to others and not just be a receivers • Builds on what is in the neighborhood already, work can be on-going by people in it. • Needs focus on problems, assets on solutions

12. ASK PEOPLE: for input on themselves, on associations, and institutions, about the location, and about what they’ve seen God doing. • WHO do we ask? Everyone community leaders, workers, housewives, teachers kids • We value people by asking them How Does One Find Assets In the Community?

13. Rural Community Transformation Is Built On • Find Externally focused Churches and want to reach their communities in a wholistic way. • Prayer and unity in the church. • Identifying and utilizing the assets already found in your community. • Mobilizing individuals, associations and institutions. to build together on their assets. • Reawakening neighbor helping neighbor instead of being dependent on professionals. • Connect small interest groups to neighborhood interests. • Jesus Christ is the cornerstone. He has good plans for your community.

14. Ways to Help

15. Major Players in Rural Community Transformation • A Facilitation/Training Team (launch team) of 10-12 lay people from the church, and eventually the community, initiates the program--creating awareness and training the next two groups. • A Committee, or Association of local leaders who are trained by launch team & then direct Rural Community Transformation in their area. • Mentors/Coaches are local volunteers who learn how to help their neighbors & then visit neighbors to share what they have learned.

16. Participation BY People’s at Their Interest Level Expose (Doing For) Easy Entry One Time No Commitment Little Relationship Engage (Come Along Side) Several Times Heart is Changing Some Commitment Builds New Relationships Own (Leadership) Deeper Engagement Recruiting Others High Relationship Do For Come Alongside Leadership

17. Training Local Volunteer Facilitators • Facilitators are volunteers therefore only have limited time each week • Start with 14 hour Weekend Training for volunteer facilitators by Master Trainer • Train multiple churches together each applying in their neighborhood. • Churches decide which modules they want additional training on from 16 modules (4 to 7 hours each).

18. Participatory Learning Owned by The Learners • Starts with what people already know and builds. • Focuses on the learner not the teacher. • People are involved in their own learning instead of being lectured to. They participate in small groups, discussions, role plays, creating stories and songs. • All learning is turned into action and not left as head knowledge. • The teaching is under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. • There are over 2000 participatory lesson plans to be used by the trained on many different topics.

19. Observable Indicators of Transformation • Transformed neighborhoods from the inside. • People know neighbors and helping each other. • People knowing and growing in Christ. • People taking responsibility for their own lives. • Healthy growing churches. • Improvement in employment and living conditions. • Reduction in disease, crime, drug and alcohol addiction. • Other towns throughout the county begin to implement Transforming Rural Communities.

20. www.neighborhoodtransformation.net www.chenetwork.org http://facebook.com/pages/Neighborhood-Transformation/178206349129 http://urbancheguy.wordpress.com stan@neighborhoodtransformation,net Resources