Our
Stewardship Community
Executive
Summary
INTRODUCTION
It is
difficult for me to distill the vision and game plan for the ministry of Our
Stewardship Community into just a few sentences. In my notes there are hundreds
of pages of text and many pages of outlines that will become text someday.
But
sometimes the Lord blesses me unexpectedly and a simple summary just flows out
of my keyboard. What follows is one such example. Please read it and pray as
the Holy Spirit prompts you.
At the
end of this I will request your feedback in the forms of comments, suggestions
and questions.
SUMMARY
Our
Stewardship Community glorifies God by making reproducing disciples of the Lord
Jesus Christ.
Our
unique way of ministry is by sowing and growing Community Centered Libraries in
the remote villages of developing countries.
Those
we especially seek to serve are subsistence farmers, orphans and rural pastors.
We serve these people by collaboratively creating and distributing educational
modules that provide the practical knowledge and skills.
The
long range game plan calls for a few paid staff to oversee many volunteers
online. The volunteers are mostly college students. Teams of volunteers will
collaborate while researching, writing, editing, illustrating and translating.
Lord
willing the Community Centered Libraries will have basic audio and video
recording abilities. Then the local pastors, teachers and various experts will
contribute valuable resources to the library collection.
The
design for the Community Centered Libraries calls for more than just a place to
store and loan out resources. In order to facilitate learning let there be
plenty of tables, chairs and private study carrels. Let there be multipurpose
rooms for classes, small groups, support groups and shared meals.
Then
when the modules are used their basic needs for access to water, improved
sanitation, larger agricultural harvests, alternative income streams and basic literacy
will be met. The rural pastors will have biblical reference materials to better
prepare messages for their congregations. Plus they will have other Christian
education aids for the members to excel at evangelism, discipleship and benevolence.
Gradually
this hub for learning will lead to improved economic development and enhanced
quality of life of both the library patrons and others living in the area. Over
the coming decades untold numbers will come to saving faith and grow as
Christians to become effective leaders in their families and communities. This
will break the cycle of severe poverty and hopelessness. This will pave the way
to a future filled with hope filled possibilities for the following
generations.
Each
library will be self-governed. So that local people will provide the leadership
and manage the routine operations. Our Stewardship Community will continue to offer
useful resources and access to our network of advisers. Hopefully during the
coming years as the Community Centered Libraries grow and mature so will our
relationship with them. We will repeatedly ask what they need and want. Then we
will do our best to provide what they request.
IMAGINE
This
will be an amazing adventure reaching many different kinds of people around the
globe. And you are invited to partner with us by contributing your faith filled
prayers.
You can
join your faith with mine to imagine the following:
lots
of volunteer college students gathering and cataloging practical online
resources
an
ever growing wiki with simple summary articles related to practical solutions
those
links and articles being used to collaboratively create useful lessons in text
the
text lessons being translated into many languages
the
translated lessons being converted to audio and video files
these
educational materials provided under creative commons licenses
local
experts making suitable adjustments for their community
community
centered libraries being established in remote locations
instructions
for how to best use the resources as individuals and small groups
plenty
of materials to help children learn how to read
lots
of lessons aimed at teaching teachers how to teach better
general
guidelines on how to set up and operate a recording studio for local teachers
CONCLUSION
You are
invited to join us now by praying. Also your feedback will help in making
improvements during this startup phase. Then later there will be ways to
volunteer online and donate money.
FEED
BACK
Please
take time now to share with me your comments, suggestions and questions.
Shalom
