Use Your Talents Study and Action Booklet

Study and Action Booklet

Editors: Seth Ueland Chancy, Sigurd Haus and Amos Ounsoubo

Title: Use Your Talents – Study and Action Booklet

Editors: Seth Ueland Chancy, Sigurd Haus and Amos Ounsoubo

Publisher: Digni, Arbins gate 11, 0253 Oslo Norway – www.digni.no

Facilitated by: NMS – Use Your Talents Institutional Development Project

Design: The KIT – Ivar Oftedal and Kjell Inge Torgersen

Completition date: May 11, 2023

ISBN: 978-82-93052-15-9

Complete, unchanged text can be copied and distributed without permission from the publisher.

Suggestions for how to use this booklet in 8-12 sessions

SESSION 1

Read the three first chapters: ‘What is Use Your Talents?’, ‘How to use this booklet’, and ‘Mafo, a model congregation in Use Your Talents’. Also read the chapter ‘Use Your Talents Guidelines’ towards the end of the booklet. Then decide how many sessions you will conduct and when.

SESSION 2

Read the chapter: What do you have in your hand? Read the Bible text, pray and share related to the questions.

SESSION 3

Read the chapter: Love Your Neighbor. Read the Bible text, pray and share related to the questions.

SESSION 4

Read the chapters ‘Use Your Talents Guidelines’ and ‘Guidelines for Asset Mapping’. Discuss and decide how to do formal or informal asset mapping within the group.

SESSION 5

Do talent/asset mapping within the group. It could be a formal process, like in ‘Guidelines for Asset Mapping’ or informal by working together to explore the talents the group has and has access to.

SESSION 6

Make a (simple) Plan of Action based on the asset mapping. Start to implement.

SESSIONS 7-11 (ADJUST ACCORDING TO THE TIME YOU HAVE AVAILABLE)

Choose the most relevant chapters for you. Read the chapters and the Bible text, pray and share. At the end of each of the sessions, discuss and monitor the activity that you have started.

FINAL SESSION

Wrapping up: What have we done and what have we learned during the sessions and the activity? How can we continue to use “Use Your Talents” in our family, our congregation, and our community?

What is “Use Your Talents”?

In Matthew 25:14-30, Jesus tells the story of the master and his three servants. The Lord Jesus requires His disciples to use their talents responsibly for good purposes in this life. This parable teaches us, His followers, that we should use our talents.

The parable tells the story of a rich man who is going on a long journey. Before leaving, he decides to hand over important financial responsibilities to his servants, expecting them to make profitable use of the money they are entrusted with. This parable portrays the kingdom of God and illustrates how Jesus as the master will, upon His return, hold us accountable for how we have handled the talents that He has left in our care.

WHAT ARE TALENTS?

The key term in the parable is “talent” which was a currency used in the first century. Jesus used the “talents” in the parable to symbolize personal gifts and abilities, e.g., knowledge, skills, wealth, etc. One servant was given five talents, another two talents and the last, one talent. Each servant had some ability and was granted resources accordingly. At that time, one “talent” was a lot of money; it was worth more than twenty years of a day laborer’s wage! This tells us the master was wealthy, but he was also generous with his servants, and he trusted them with great resources. Our Lord Jesus has given all people plenty of resources and abilities. Some may have more and some less, but everyone has been given some. We must use whatever resources we have in the best possible way. Similarly, the apostle Paul also affirms that believers are each given different gifts, so that all can contribute to build the body of Christ (Romans 12:6–8).

USE YOUR GOD-GIVEN RESOURCES

The two servants in the parable who put most effort into serving the Lord by using their talents well are the ones that end up with most blessings in return. The passive

servant blames his decision on fear of the master’s strictness. The master, however, does not accept his excuse and does not absolve him of the responsibility to act. We know that in the real world, all actions involve some faith. In serving the Lord Jesus who has blessed us with talents, stepping out in faith is what we should be doing and is better than burying our treasures in the ground. Our God-given talents include our abilities, time, property, expertise, passion, and money. So, go out and use the resources God has given you to bless your community, and serve and praise God!

“Use Your Talents”, as presented in this book, is about how our Christian fellowships could use our Talents or our Assets to serve and develop the communities that we are a part of, based on the Parable of the Talents found in Matthew 25. One of the main points of the parable is to be good stewards and use the talents entrusted to us by our Creator. Using our talents is a way to fulfil God’s commandment to love our neighbor –both as individual believers and as a Church.

In “Use Your Talents”, talent means all our resources; our knowledge and skills, our relationships with others and what we own or have access to. We use the your in “Use Your Talents” because the word “Your” can be both singular and plural. It is a call for us, both as individuals and as a community, to use the talents.

The “Use Your Talents” network started in the Malagasy Lutheran Church. Several churches already contributed to the local community by maintaining the roads, building bridges, running schools and health centers, supervising agricultural production, caring for the forest and much more. The Norwegian Mission Society (NMS) has partnered with the Malagasy Lutheran Church for many years. NMS was interested to study what was happening in Madagascar, and from this the name “Use Your Talents” was born.

“Use Your Talents” became a way to recognize and build on these initiatives, learn from each other, and spread this further. Over time, more churches and countries have joined, and now the “Use Your Talents” network has representatives in more than 25 countries.

“Use Your Talents” could inspire us to move back to ways of working that were more common before; whether it’s voluntary work, social work or business development. This is how the history of the church or organization becomes an asset. In Norway, for example, we find important inspiration in the legacy of Hans Nielsen Hauge and his movement that NMS sprang from. The Haugians connected spiritual life, fellowship, talents, missions, and community building in a way that changed Norway!

“Use Your Talents” has been described as “going from being a Sunday Christian to an everyday Christian.” Others have said it’s about opening up more to the community rather than being most focused on the inner life of the church. We will use all our resources, both as individuals and as a community, often in collaboration with others, to contribute where we are.

“USE YOUR TALENTS” – START WITH THE ASSETS

The “Use Your Talents” way or approach starts with the assets. It can be used at once and does not require external funding. It aims to stimulate and encourage the Church, both as congregations and as individuals, to use our talents to improve our own lives and the lives of those around us. Rather than starting with areas of need and seeking external help as is often done, here we first look at the gifts and the resources (the assets) God has already given us, as a church, as individuals and as a local community.

OUR AIM

Our aim with this book is to inspire you to recognize your gifts, and to use them to glorify God, help yourself and your neighbors – and to give you the tools to be able to do so. This book supplies examples on how people have been using their talents in both rural and urban settings. We hope this can serve as an inspiration for you and your church to serve God and your community.

BENEFITS TO THE INDIVIDUAL

 Gives opportunities to serve God, the church, one’s neighbors and community

 Encourages creativity

 Recognizes God-given gifts

 Improves self-esteem

 Can improve people’s living standards

BENEFITS TO THE CHURCH

 Builds relationships

 Spreads the love of Christ

 Helps find resources

 Raises the church’s profile

 Enables the church to have a positive influence in their community

 Raises awareness of how to practice the gospel in the community

BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY

 It brings people together

 Helps people recognize each other’s abilities and gifts

 Improves life quality

The aim is to inspire you to recognize your gifts

How to use this booklet

In the “Use Your Talents” Approach, the focus is on the resources that are available in the community. Therefore, many chapters will refer to a story of application in a local congregation. Each congregation should look first at the resources available locally to see how they can contribute. Other chapters will be reflections on biblical texts related to Use Your Talents.

“Use Your Talents” does not have a set plan or method – as the resources available will vary from congregation to congregation and place to place. Thus, these stories and reflections are provided as inspiration and discussion. The key to “Use Your Talents” is to reflect on how each Christian and congregation can use the resources God has given them to work with others in the community. That is why each chapter will have questions for discussion and reflection.

Learning from each other has been a foundational part of the development of “Use Your Talents” from the very beginning. In the first chapter, we will see what we could learn from the Mafo Congregation within the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus – a congregation that has really practiced “Use Your Talents” for many, many years – long before we started to use the concept “Use Your Talents”.

Based on this example from Ethiopia, the first chapters will focus on the biblical basis of “Use Your Talents”. The following chapters contain reflections and different kinds of examples on how people use their talents. It is important to underline that these examples are not exhaustive, but only some examples, but of important issues: fighting against poverty, for human dignity and tackling climate change. Towards the end of the book, there are guidelines that could be used when you take an initiative.

The booklet is meant to be used as a study book and guide within a group or a committee in a congregation who wants to do something for their congregation and their community. It could also be used in other settings. It is important and recommended that you start doing something – even if it is small – early in the process. This is why you could also read the chapter “Use Your Talents – Guidelines” early in the process and also come back to it during the study period.

As you will see, the different texts or articles are written by different authors from different countries around the world. A couple of authors did not want their names published. In 13 chapters there are proposals for reading texts from the Bible, prayers, and questions for discussions. Each text also starts with a question that you could keep in mind during the reading. The editors are responsible for these passages. If you don’t have time for all the sessions, feel free to choose the chapters you find most relevant for you. A concrete suggestion on how to use this booklet within 8-12 sessions can be found on the inside cover page of this booklet. A foundational way of thinking in “Use Your Talents” is that the answer lies within the community; also that the best way to implement this is found in your context. The editors have provided suggestions, but everyone is encouraged to find their own path in implementing “Use Your Talents”, as well as using this booklet.

Mafo, a model congregation in “Use Your Talents”

Mafo congregation is one of the congregations in the Ethiopian Evangelical Church Mekane Yesus (EECMY) in the South West Synod (SWS), one of 31 synods of EECMY. The synod was established in March 1990. Currently, the synod has 750 congregations and 350 preaching centers. Mafo Congregation is a model for “Use Your Talents”.

Mafo congregation is located in a high, mountainous, and badly degraded area. Population density is high so that farming land is very scarce. The livelihood of the people is under severe threat. However, this congregation is working to enhance its internal economic capacity and to transform the economic, social, and spiritual situation of the community.

Mafo congregation voluntarily uses the talents of its members in three dimensions: for economic enhancement of the congregation, for community support in their village, and to evangelize non-believers in the village.

1) For economic enhancement of the congregation, Mafo congregation uses its member’s talent in a voluntary base, and they do remarkable activities. From income collected from members, they constructed a cafeteria, opened shop for selling goods, constructed a bakery at the church compound, and set up a furniture producing machine in the town. They own six hectares of farming land, and the congregation member farmers plough the land and they have been producing barley, wheat, and apples. Currently, their capital is estimated to about $50,000. (This is a big amount for a congregation in a remote area whose members are mostly poor farmers.)

2) For the community support, Mafo congregation has built classrooms at their own expense for two government primary schools, namely, Zakota and Dertsele, and they conduct students’ tutorial education during every summer vacation, mainly for upper primary and high school students funded by the congregation. And, further, they have

F Rev. Esayas Emene, former Synod President, South West Synod EECMY

been feeding and building houses for aged poor people, irrespective of religion and ethnic background. In addition, they have prepared pedestrian paths and crossing structures to link rural villages, and they opened a public library for the students in the community.

3) In terms of evangelism (spiritual work), the congregation has employed three pastors who have been working in the Mafo congregation. Furthermore, they have sent outreach evangelists to the place called Lisha. The people in Lisha were mostly non-believers, thus, some of the evangelists and congregation leaders experienced persecution from the people. However, after many years struggle, now a strong congregation has been established in Lisha. Mafo has continued its outreach evangelism to other places.

The two key aspects of “Use Your Talents”, looking to what we have at hand (in opposite to seeking external aid), and serving our neighbors (lending our hand to others) have been implemented in this congregation. This tremendous growth of the congregation has happened because majority of the members are paying their tithe, they work in the congregation farm every Friday, and they voluntarily involve themselves in the congregation businesses. For them, working for the growth of the kingdom of God is an integral part of their life as Christians; those who are not willing to work are recognized as the servant who buried his talent, and such a person could be rejected to be a leader in the congregation.

WHAT WAS THE REASON THE MAFO CONGREGATION WAS EFFECTIVE IN “USE YOUR TALENTS”?

It is impressive to find such a model congregation in “Use Your Talents” in a rural area where many of the congregation members are poor farmers. Use of the talents has become an integral part of Christian life in this congregation. The reason was related to their first introduction of Christianity.

Mafo congregation was established around 1938 by three notable indigenous missionaries who were sent from Entoto congregation (from Addis Ababa). These ministers were 1) evangelist Kasa Konde, 2) pastor Wolde Kassahun, and 3) Rev. Daniel Arke. The first

One of two residence houses built by Mafo congregation for aged helpless people

believers of Mafo congregation were very poor, sick men and socially marginalized ones. The above mentioned pastors, besides preaching the gospel, also started to share their clothes with those who had no clothing, they fed the hungry and they totally identified themselves as part of the situation. Moreover, they started primary education in the congregation and encouraged the parents to send their children to the government schools.

Ms. Lidya Kasa, the daughter of evangelist Kasa, saw that her father was passionate for all the people; he fed the hungry and their house was open to guests. He was so eager for education, besides teaching in the church, that he brought ten children to school whose parents were negligent in education. In order to help the needy, he used to work at home, and the work was weaving. He taught the congregation members to work hard to change their lives and the community as well.

When the congregation was growing in number, others who had better economy and health joined the congregation. Hence, the indigenous missionaries had started to teach the believers to share what they have with the needy by being models. Therefore, diaconal activity became an integral part of the gospel preaching. This is the real reason why Mafo is regarded as exemplary today by other congregations.

While preaching the good news to the souls, the indigenous missionaries focused on sharing what they have, working on their God-given talents, and taught the believers to serve the needy in the church as well as in their community.

Evangelist Kasa teaching in the church

Mafo Congregation Church Building

Some of the leaders of the Mafo Congregation

What do You Have in Your Hand?

When you read the following text, keep in mind: What talents do the Mafo congregation have?

The Israelites went to Egypt in search of food and settled there, in a foreign land, for 460 years. It was hunger and poverty that had forced them to leave their beloved country. After a long period of suffering in a foreign country, God sent Moses to rescue and liberate the children of Israel from the oppression of Pharaoh, King of Egypt. He gave Moses the assignment and task to deliver these people who were facing socio-economic hardship and lived miserable lives at the mercy of the Egyptian king. Moses was called to rescue them out of this situation.

Similarly, “Use Your Talents” “has come as our “Moses” to alleviate the suffering of people around, using local resources. Some countries are suffering from socio-economic challenges. They do not have sound financial background to support their families and the church. People in these countries often have a problem-focused mentality, spending much of their time focusing on the problems, instead of a solution-based mentality, finding ways and means to eradicate such challenges in life. Hence, the program came to address community and socio-economic challenges and help communities to live a meaningful life through “Use Your Talents”.

God sent Moses to convince them that he is holding something in his hand that is of paramount importance to improving their lives and helping them to come out of poverty. The rod in the hands of Moses was to be used to transform the lives of the Israelites to a better situation, and to help them be better people in their own right. The concept of “Use Your Talents” is the key to unlock the potential talents stored in the hands of communities around. God asked Moses what was in his hand – which was a rod. The rod had the potential to become a snake, but Moses was not aware of the significance of the rod until he threw it on the ground at God’s command. Then he realized the potential that was in the rod to change from a rod to a snake, and its significance.

F Rev. Daniel Mutidzavanda – District Superintendent, United Methodist Church, Zimbabwe

“Use Your Talents” looks to remind people of what is in their hands which can be used to change the lives of their own people, and help them to become aware of, discover and release the talents in their lives. God reminded Moses that there was something important that he was holding in his hand which could be of help to transform his people from suffering. In the same way, communities need help to learn to discover potential talents that are in their lives and use such talents for the betterment of the community.

God helped Moses to release the potential talent that was in his hand, and it was used to liberate the children of Israel from bondage. Likewise, you can use the talent in you, your congregation and community to transform people’s lives in your community. The people back home are eagerly waiting for the “Moses” of their time to help them to tap the potential talents in their lives. In our communities, we need to try our level best to help people around us to release their potential talents and utilize them for the betterment of their families and communities at large.

READ THE TEXT ABOUT MOSES IN EXODUS 4:1-4

1  Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?” 2 Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied. 3 The Lord said, “Throw it on the ground.” Moses threw it on the ground, and it became a snake, and he ran from it. 4 Then the Lord said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So, Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand.

PRAYER:

Dear Jesus, You who gave Your life for the world. Thank You for Moses and the example he provides for us. Help us to see what is in our hands. Help us to be channels for Your blessing in our homes, at work, and elsewhere where we are. We worship You. Amen.

Help transform people's lives in your community

DISCUSSION:

1. How do the Mafo congregation use their talents?

2. Why do the Mafo congregation use their talents the way they do?

Love Your Neighbor

Why should we use our talents?

The breaking of bread in the Holy Communion and the breaking of bread with the world should be viewed the same way as it was from the beginning – the first breaking of bread of Jesus with the community of His followers.

What is diakonia? Diakonia focuses on linking the life and faith of the church and the life in congregations with life in society at large. Diaconal theory emphasizes that the faith of the church and our life in the world are intrinsically interwoven and should stimulate each other.

“Now I can send all my children to school. ‘Use Your Talents’ project made it possible for me”. This was said by a leader in the Methodist Church in Zimbabwe, pastor Daniel Mutidzawanda from Mutare, about what “Use Your Talents” meant for him. Standing in his field, with maize, watermelons, pigs and ‘roadrunner’ chickens flapping around him, he continues, “‘Use Your Talents’ has changed my life and that of many others in the community”.

Understandings of diakonia have fundamentally changed. Diakonia is not just “care for people in need”. The Norwegian Church expresses diakonia through loving your neighbor, creating inclusive communities, caring for creation, and struggling for justice. Many churches in the worldwide church have a similar understanding of diakonia. The church is called to stand together in service to each other and humanity as a whole. This call is not simply about charity work, but about standing together side by side in the fight for a better life for our global society. Everyone is equal in this fight; everyone has a role to play and the ability to contribute. The current understanding of diakonia is characterized by a fundamental belief that all people have value and dignity. A decisive part of a Christian understanding of humankind is that everyone is created in God’s image and likeness, for fellowship with one another. Everyone is given to one another and is dependent on one another and on the whole living cosmos.

Diakonia should include a strong emphasis on the need for mutual cooperation and contributing towards empowering each other. It is important to understand that as fellow

F Rev. Stephanie Dietrich – Professor in Diakonia

members of the human race, we are mutually dependent. Sometimes we need help, sometimes we need to give help to others. No one owns the solution to someone else’s problem, but together we can make progress in finding solutions.

“Use Your Talents” is built on this understanding and belief that all humans have inherent resources and the ability to take part in developing their own life and that of their community. The New Testament story of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30 is a good place to start. The parable is understood as an encouragement to the faithful to use their ‘talents’ – which in the New Testament context was an amount of money that was increased through wise management. Jesus’ judgement of the one who buried his talents was severe. Talents are understood today as individually inherent gifts and abilities.

In the Christian worldview, the emphasis in “Use Your Talents” is that all people are created in God’s image and have diverse gifts and talents which can and should be used in their unique setting. Instead of focusing on everything one cannot do or carry out, we are encouraged to reflect on what we can do with the possibilities and resources available to us.

“Use Your Talents” is, in fact, not a traditional development or charitable project. It is not about making a project plan and supplying money and competence to improve people’s living conditions. The starting point is that the ability, willingness, and competence to do something about individual circumstances lies within each person who utilizes their God-given talents. The parable from Matthew 25 is the basis and encouragement to use our talents instead of burying them.

“Use Your Talents” can change people’s lives. The Methodist pastor referred to earlier was able to earn money to send all his children to school because he started looking for possibilities to make a better life for himself and his family. He had a plot with uncultivated soil that was available – fertile soil in Zimbabwe – and he had the desire and ability to begin to cultivate in his own garden. Now he has planted both maize and corn which he has sold; he has chickens and pigs and other animals which supply food for his family and money to send his children to school. And the most important of all: He is inspired and is supplying guidance to others in the church and congregation to do the same: think ‘possibility’ and ‘ability’, rather than ‘need’ and ‘obstacles. It can begin small and spread to others who also don’t have enough food or money for school fees. – And

All humans have inherent resources

it can be done through the work in local congregations, in local communities, based on resources which are available for everyone.

Diaconal theology emphasizes that the church is only a true church if it is diaconal in nature: Diakonia is part of the church’s DNA. This includes both the individual diaconal responsibility, congregational diakonia, diaconal institutions and the international diaconal responsibility. Christianity has, right from the beginning, focused on the church’s responsibility towards our fellow human beings, both inside and outside the congregation. The Christian church has not only played an important role for its own members, but also for the local society.

“Use Your Talents” starts with the congregation as actors. Congregations have many possibilities and resources, both material (buildings, land, employees) and non-material (abilities, talents, and participation). When local congregations and churches notice and make use of their own potential, big changes can happen. Congregations have local knowledge, a sense of ownership, many members, continuity and, not least of all, credibility in the community.

The challenge and aim for the future should be for those who work in congregations, or will collaborate with congregations, to be educated in becoming catalysts for such thinking in their respective local context. Church workers, priests, and pastors, often play an important and powerful role in creating meaning in local settings and therefore there is huge potential for raising awareness amongst them about the importance of their responsibility to inspire and lead congregations’ members to use their talents.

When congregations are not only focused on the spiritual but are concerned about the “whole human being”, both body and soul, by Jesus’ own example and preaching, then big changes might happen which can benefit the whole community and society as a whole.

READ THESE TWO TEXTS:

In Matthew 22:37-39

37 Jesus says, And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Matthew 25:14-30

The Parable of the Talents

14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.

15  And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.

17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.

18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.

19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.

23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:

25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

26  His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

30  And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

PRAYER:

Dear Holy Spirit, thank You for Your provision. Help us discover the talents that You have given us. Help us to see how we can love and serve our neighbors. We pray that we would be vessels of Your love to others. We worship You. Amen.

DISCUSSION:

1. What talents do we have in our group, in our family, and in our congregation?

2. How are we using our talents in our group, in our family, and in our congregation?

F Rev. Rolf Arne Tjøstheim, Stavanger, Norway

Bring together people who are passionate about a task

What talents do you have in the group?

We need another volunteer in Sunday school, another employee to do the youth work, etc. So often the solution is closer than we think, because our communities and churches are full of people with talents and attributes who dream and yearn to use their gifts and bless others.

It triggers its own godly dynamic when we bring together people who are passionate about a task, rather than closing the gaps in our work with more or less random solutions.

Letting people go and allowing them to take tasks they are eager for and can perform is the first step in the right direction. The next thing is to put together different people or groups to achieve things that may initially seem impossible.

This winter, as a priest, I held a devotional at the nursing home in our parish. Then I discovered that there was a brand-new greenhouse there, and I became curious - perhaps because I virtually grew up in greenhouses, as my father was a gardener.

I asked the activity manager at the home what the plan was, but quickly realized that she had no plan. Then I couldn’t help but offer my help and wrote some emails to the local gardener and garden center.

As a result, the nursing home is now up and running with its new greenhouse. They’ve got everything they need from pots, soil, and plants. This became a concrete example of how we as a church can bless what others do and in turn reap blessings.

I could also talk about the young people in the parish who have formed a technical group and take care of work with sound and images. They are now also engaged in digital

production of services and film snippets, in addition to providing them with other actors in our local community, such as the local children’s and youth theatre group, etc. He who sows with blessing shall reap blessing (2 Cor 9:6b).

READ THE FULL TEXT – 2 COR. 9:6-12

6 But I say it: He who sows sparingly shall reap sparingly, and he who sows with blessing shall reap with blessing. 7  Every man shall give what he has decided in his heart, not with lust or by coercion. For God loves a happy donor. 8  And God is able to give you all his gift in rich measure, that ye always and in all conditions have plenty of everything, yes, have abundance for all good work. 9 For it is written: He strewn out and gave to the poor, his righteousness shall always last. 10 He who gives seed grain to the one who shall sow, and bread to eat, he shall also give you seed and let it bear abundantly and let your righteousness bear rich fruit. 11  You’re going to have plenty of everything, so you’d like to give. And then thanksgiving shall ascend to God as we deliver the gift. 12 For this ministry, this service, is not only some help for the Saints in their need; it also creates an abundance of thanks to God.

PRAYER:

Thank You, good Father in Heaven, for all the blessings and gifts You have given us: the individual, our community, and our church. Help us use our gifts and equipment in the best possible way to bless many.

Thank You for earlier generations who have lived out this in practice with fear and frugality. Help us find our way of managing our talents and gifts so that we can stand in the blessing chain that passes all the way from Abraham to all the peoples and lands of the earth.

Dear Jesus, our liberator, free us from wanting more than we need ourselves; help us to bless others.

Dear Good Holy Spirit, help us see the opportunities in our community as well as the opportunities to bless our sister churches around the world. We worship You. Amen.

He who sows with blessings shall reap blessings

DISCUSSION:

1. What talents have you discovered in your group after the previous session? You could take a round and help each other discover each other’s talents.

2. How has someone blessed you recently? What could this blessing say about their talents?

F Ms. Jaquelini de Souzza, Teacher, Ceará, Brasil

My Profession is My Priesthood

How do I serve people in my home and through my work?

My name is Jaquelini, and I live in the city of Iguatu in the state of Ceará, in northeast Brazil. I am a historian and teach at the regional university. My culture is probably different from your culture, and maybe I’m never going to get to know your country or you mine. But something even greater unites us, namely our walk with Christ.

I am a descendant of Brazilian Indigenous peoples and Portuguese, like most people in northeast Brazil. This is the poorest part of the country.

Today, unfortunately, evangelical Christians in Brazil have a bad reputation in the population. This is because parts of the leadership are trying to influence through political power. I do the opposite, because I believe that the power of the example is much stronger than any political power. I live my whole life as a minister to God, and also, I see my profession as my priesthood.

Through higher education, God blesses young people in my city to overcome poverty, and I see myself as a conduit for that blessing. I prepare good teaching and encourage my students to believe in themselves. I serve my colleagues and the university with devotion, and I do it for God.

I live out my faith by caring about the people around me. That’s what matters. As Lutherans, we believe that through baptism we become part of God’s family. We must expand this family, spread love, serve God and people. We don’t live for ourselves.

To be a Christian is to live for others.

READ THE TEXT ABOUT JESUS AND THE RICH MAN IN MARK 10:17-31

29 Jesus answered,” Verily, I say unto you, anyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the gospel’s sake shall receive a hundred times as much again. 30 In the present day, he shall have houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields—but also persecution—and in the world to come eternal life.

PRAYER:

Dear Jesus, You who gave Your life for the world. Thank You for Jaquelini and her life. We ask for Your blessing on her and the ministry she is in. May You bless the church in northeast Brazil. Let it grow strong. Thank You for Jacquelini reminding us that we are church through our relationships and actions. Help us to be channels for Your blessing in our homes, at work, and elsewhere where we are.

We worship You. Amen.

DISCUSSION:

1. How do I serve people in my home and through my work?

2. How do I encourage others to believe in themselves and what God has created them to be?

3. How does my life draw people to Christ?

4. How do my associations, Bible community, or church become the feet and arms of Jesus?

F Ms. Anne Storstein Haug, Bangkok, Thailand

House of Grace and Use of Talents

What do you think about the church in Thailand opening up to the local community by running the House of Grace?

House of Grace in Bangkok, Thailand supplies young mothers and women who do not have a safe place to live, a place of respite. For over 30 years, House of Grace has provided women support and career education. Financial support from abroad has gradually declined in recent years. Instead of cutting down on activities, employees have used their talents and creativity to find new sources of income.

Two of House of Grace’s employees, Pisara and Nipaporn, grew up in the countryside and helped their parents grow crops on the land. The lack of fertilizer forced them to experiment with organic farming. Now they have adopted the knowledge at House of Grace where they grow organic vegetables, herbs, and fruit. They began in a small corner of the garden, and today they have ten different varieties of vegetables and six types of fruit. They are also actively working to share their knowledge with those who live at House of Grace. What is grown is used at House of Grace or sold to others. Neighbors have discovered that the products are both safe and fresh. Thus, the revenue for the operation of the center has also increased.

One day, they became aware that a hydroponic growth system (a shelf system in which the plants grow in water) was no longer used by the local church. They asked to take over this. Then they acquired knowledge via the internet and set about producing lettuce. The results after the first harvest are already both eaten and sold! Organically grown vegetables are very popular in Bangkok.

House of Grace has also started its own soap production. A company donated a soap machine as well as equipment to clean the soap and supplied training on how to recycle soap pieces into beautiful new soap products. They get used soap from a five-star hotel in

Bangkok. This is a win-win situation. The hotel receives help in reducing the amount of waste, and The Grace Home receives raw materials for a production they make money from. House of Grace has also started its own local recycling store where different groups work together to keep operations running. These include two international schools and a women’s group from Bangkok’s immigration community. The staff at House of Grace discovered that it was easy to get used goods from international schools and the immigration club. Today, House of Grace has good access to used clothes and other items, and not least, volunteers with many different talents and time to spare. Talents in design, advertising, and sales, as well as photography, come in handy. The recycling shop is run by volunteers, but both the girls who live at the center and the employees help to work in the store. There are also regular flea markets. In addition, House of Grace runs a small coffee shop called Garden Café. All this raises both income for the center and is good work training for those who live at House of Grace. Pisara and Nipaporn and the other employees at House of Grace, as well as the many volunteers from different countries, make a positive force for change by using, sharing, and developing their talents.

READ THE FULL TEXT OF THE CHURCHES IN MACEDONIA AS ROLE MODELS:

2 CORINTHIAN 8:1-15

7 You have an abundance of everything: of faith and speech, of knowledge and zeal, and of the love you have from us. Then with this gift you must also show your abundance! 8  I’m not saying this as a commandment, but I mention the zeal of the others to try to see if love is real with you. 9  You know the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ: Even though he was rich, he became poor for your sake, that ye would become rich by His poverty. (2 Corinthian 8:7-9)

PRAYER:

Dear merciful God. Thank You for having employees with drive and creativity. We pray for the children, for the mothers, and for the staff. Thank You for being part of a living church in the whole world and for standing with our siblings at The Grace Home. Lord, we ask that You show us how to care, trigger creativity, and find useful resources in our context.

We worship You. Amen.

DISCUSSION:

1. What do you think about the church in Thailand opening up to the local community by running the House of Grace?

2. What can we learn from what Pisara and Nipaporn set in motion at House of Grace?

3. How could I apply what I have learned from House of Grace?

4. How could we as a group or association apply what we have learned from House of Grace?

Mr. Rainivony and Aunt Periette work within their community to secure food for all

This story is about one family living in Ambohimandroso, Miarinarivo, in Itasy region, in Madagascar. RAKOTOARIVONY, known as RAINIVONY, is head of the family. He is 72. In 1973, he married RAVAONIRINA Pierrette, known as Aunt Pierrette. She is now 63 and is from Ambatomitsangana. They have 9 children. They are very active members of the local Malagasy Lutheran Church development committee.

The couple is working with the local community, the Fokontany. All community members who were determined and willing to work together were invited without any distinction. The daily routines and responsibilities of the committee consist of receiving requests and needs, looking for solutions to the problems among the farmers, raising awareness, and passing on advice after training sessions. They also follow up on the farmers’ work and the decisions taken together, and they also write activity reports.

Most important is being an example in everything they do. They are 10 members in the committee, and they work benevolently, and neither the church nor the Fokontany pay them.

When technicians come to give training, and when they look for a demonstration plot, the members of the committee offer or look for someone who has what is needed so that everyone can gain experience. It is not necessarily the best plot, but it is just used to give training and advice. It is an example or model.

What are the talents that are used in Ambohimandroso?

F Mrs. RATSIMBA Lantosoa Clemence, Field Agent, Madagascar

Both Mr. Rainivony and Aunt Pierrette are determined to work for development. At 15, he had already planted 200 pine trees. They planted 40 Japonica trees, and 30 mango trees, but the trees had never given any fruit. However, the couple don’t want to cut these trees for environmental reasons. They also think they can give firewood later. In addition, they have had 9 red pepper bushes for 10 years. People come to their place to buy the crops.

Once, they joined an association of egg-laying chicken farmers and worked with the government, but there was a problem of management in the association. They could only gain the poultry and some experience, and therefore wanted to restart a poultry project. They feel that is what they are able to do at their age, because it is not very difficult, and they can get money every day. It will also be complementary to the farming they do, because they can get very good manure from the poultry.

Itasy has a slope relief, and the couple was ready to set up contour lines on the slope lands. They finished 3 hectares and Rainivony himself dug the canals, because he was not content with what the employees did. They now have many plots of lands. They offer some land to people who want to farm and to protect the soil. They say: TO FARM means to PROTECT and to IMPROVE.

The first training was about making compost. They produced 6 carts; they used it to plant vegetables and off-season cultures. They got money from that activity for a winter. Now they are preparing to make 30 carts: that is their present need.

They also learned about fruit trees: fertilizing and pruning. Rainivony offered his orange trees for the practice during the training. Unfortunately, the trees still couldn’t produce fruit. So, during our discussion, he ordered 50kg of bone powder to solve the problem. He hasn’t lost heart yet, and they have extended and planted 400 more orange trees in November and December 2014.

But he had problems in watering his orange trees, although the river Imazy passes next to his field. First, the river is too deep, and second, he’s getting old. So, he invented a drip irrigation system: he made 20 very small holes at the bottom of 5-liter plastic cans. He fills those cans with water every morning, puts them at the foot of each tree, and collects them every evening. He says that system is better than watering directly with a can because the water comes out little by little and the young trees get the water efficiently.

The couple really likes planting fruit trees because they can also plant food crops between the trees. That helps in fertilizing the soil. In addition, the fruit trees are a part

of their retirement plan as farmers. They have already mastered the pruning techniques; now they want to learn about grafting.

In October 2013, a project introduced 23 varieties of “taro” to be grown in the village. The goal was to know which variety tastes best and get a good share of the market. Rainivony and his wife agreed to work with the project. They took 5 seedlings of each variety and planted them on half an acre of their field. Now they are on the next season covering 1.5 acres. They are very enthusiastic, because now they are in May and the burrows are ready for the sowing in June. Before Aunt Pierrette offers seedlings to other people, she first goes to see the place where they will be planted. She also checks if any preparation of the soil has been made beforehand. If the criteria are not met, she prefers not to give. She wants to invest wisely.

Last, there is a training center in Antanetimboahangy, on the way to Analavory. It is a cooperation with the Region of Itasy. The center gives training to the farmers according to their needs. Aunt Pierrette likes to go and get training at that center. Trainees themselves pay the cost of the training. The center offers light lunch and leaflets with technical information. She likes to practice the training she gets. So, she was chosen by the center to go on a study tour to Morondava in May 2015.

The story given here is just one example of what the Development Committee does. It is similar in the 8 villages. However, each has some particularities and special talents of their own.

READ THE FULL TEXT OF DEUTERONOMY 11:13-14

13  So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul— 14  then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and olive oil. I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied.

PRAYER:

Dear merciful God. Thank You for Your words, for Your promises, and for Your provision. We love You, Lord, and seek to serve You. Help us to see the many ways that You provide for us. Help us to be good stewards of the world that You have given us. We worship You. Amen.

Most important is being an example in everything they do

DISCUSSION:

1. What are the talents that are used in Ambohimandroso?

2. What can we learn from this example from Ambohimandroso?

3. What can we do to meet the needs of our community, for example, in terms of food and livestock?

Take care of God’s Creation

How can we be good stewards of the natural resources God has given us?

GENESIS 1:26-30

26  Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27 So, God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28  God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” 29  Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

Genesis 2:15. The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

The creation story of the world and humankind is important as it reveals our responsibility as caretakers of God’s creation. To fulfil this God-given responsibility, we must use our God-given talents. There are several messages that we must grasp and act on.

The first chapter of Genesis tells us that God has created a world in which everything was good. To keep the world in good order, God created human beings. He commanded Adam and Eve to subdue the earth by learning how to use all that God has built into his creation, through discovery, invention, etc., and to rule over all fish, birds, and living creatures on earth. God was giving humankind a central role as caretaker of life on the planet. Since the fall, this now includes looking to put right that which is wrong, by caring for nature and all that God has given us.

F Rev. Ole Jacob Grønvold, Rev. Colin Bass, and Ms. Marieke Rode-Christoffersen - Missionaries

Genesis 2:15 further reinforces this command from God. Adam and Eve were put in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Naturally, work must start on a small scale in a localized place before it can be extended to cover the whole world. To enable humans to be effective workers as demanded, the sovereign and gracious God has taken several necessary actions. In the beginning, he created humankind “in his own image and likeness” (Genesis 1:26). A reasonable explanation of this “image and likeness of God” is threefold: powers that enable him to do many things such as learn, think, reason, investigate, invent, etc. These are God-given talents that are necessary to fulfil the God-given responsibilities mentioned above. Finally, it means that man is the authorized representative of God, having the authority over the world, to implement God’s plan there. Therefore, having been created in the image of God, enables us to be good caretakers of that which He has created.

God then tells humankind to be fruitful – to increase in numbers, and to fill the earth. To do this, God gave them everything necessary for survival and reproduction. He gave us the food we eat, the oxygen we breathe, the water we drink and so much more, so that we may survive and multiply. This was necessary so man could begin to rule over all living creatures. To do well, human beings need to work together to care for the world.

The message for us today is that we are commanded to take care of the earth and all that is in it – to protect and manage the resources that have been given to us to sustain our lives. As caretakers of God’s creation, we need to sustain and improve people’s lives. For this important and complex duty, God has given us manifold talents, skills, and abilities. If we are not actively engaged in this work, we are wasting the very precious resources and talents provided by God.

This is often a forgotten and understated truth of our role as God’s servants. Often our emphasis is on preaching the gospel and building up the Church. Of course, these are vital, but they should not be to the exclusion of Christian service, using our talents to bless those around us, and care for God’s creation. It is of paramount importance to realize that the New Testament has a lot to teach about Christian service, or Diakonia.

Indeed, we can find a significant link between the Genesis command and New Testament Christian service. As we have seen, Genesis 2:15 says, “the LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it”. This was God’s arrangement before man sinned and fell. After the fall, we find something similar, except that the location has changed, for Genesis 3:23 says, “So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken”.

Man must continue to work, not only for survival, but also to keep his relationship with nature, of which man himself is a part. Most significantly, the word “work” in the two Genesis verses above finds an equivalent in the New Testament term “Diakonia”.

All around us in nature, we can see signs that humans are destroying the wonderfully created world that God supported us with. Land and seas filled with rubbish, sick and dying animals, bleached coral reefs, and climate change are signs that we as humans have not taken care of creation as we should have. The Bible tells us that we are created in God’s image and that we are responsible to care for creation and those around us.

By using our talents in small and big ways, we can work to protect God’s creation and love people in our community that need help and encouragement. By changing habits and finding ways, we can safeguard our world; together we can make a big difference in protecting God’s creation.

How could you join in using your God-given talents to protect God’s creation?

READ THE FULL TEXT OF GENESIS 1:26-30

26  Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28  God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” 29  Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

PRAYER:

Dear Loving Father. Thank You for creating us in Your image. We praise You for Your provision of natural resources. Help us to see how we can be better stewards of the Earth You have created as a part of our worship of You. We worship You. Amen.

By using our talents in small and big ways, we can work to protect God’s creation

DISCUSSION:

1. What can we learn from the examples we have read in this story about being good stewards of the natural resources God has given us?

2. How do we, as individuals and as a group, steward the natural resources we have in our community?

F Mr. Tom Rode-Christoffersen – Missionary

Cleaning the Xiang River

What can we learn from these churches in China about creation care?

Across China, churches are getting together to clean rivers in obedience to the biblical call to look after God’s creation. This story is an example of how a church has done this and has worked parallel with the government to take better care of the environment.

In Hunan province, over 100 churches have collected more than 50 tons of rubbish from Xiang River. In Dali in, Yunnan province, the church has mobilized people to collect waste batteries to protect Erhai Lake. The church in Qinghai province collected more than 1030 tons of rubbish from the Qing Shui River.

When Chairman Xi Jinping visited Yunnan province in January 2015, he instructed the local government to protect the ecological environment and the water quality of Erhai Lake. In response, the Protestant and Catholic Church in Dali mobilized people to collect waste batteries to protect Erhai Lake.

After learning about the importance of practicing diakonia in accordance with the Bible, church leaders in Hunan province discussed how to best do this together. All of the churches had many people who were keen to serve. What could they do? They had volunteers and time. So, more than 100 congregations located near Xiang River decided to clean the river together as there was too much rubbish floating in it. First, the pastors preached about the importance of creation care in their congregations. The following week, volunteers from the congregations went together to the river to collect rubbish. After that, the volunteers distributed free textile bags in towns and encouraged people to use these instead of plastic bags. Over several months, the congregations collected more than 50 tons of rubbish.

Yuanyuan church in Qinghai province decided to clean the Qing Shui River of rubbish as a way of show Christ’s love in a very practical way and help to protect God’s creation. Twenty volunteers in the church, as well as villagers in Huangyuan county, collected rubbish over the summer. A local Tibetan Buddhist monastery wanted to help, so two monks joined the cleaning efforts of the church. Over the course of four months,

the 16-kilometre-long Qing Shui River was cleared of 1030 tons of rubbish. Before they started, the river looked like a landfill. Both banks of the river and the river itself were covered in rubbish and plastic, and sundry products were floating in the water. After the river cleaning, the water in Qing Shui River ran clear and the surrounding area looked again like it should – clean!

All these churches chose to use their resources, their time and passion, to look after God’s creation. Perhaps your church could clean a river near you?

READ THE TEXT JEREMIAH 2:7

But I brought you into a land that has rich soil. I gave you its fruit and its finest food. In spite of that, you made my land impure. You turned it into something I hate.

PRAYER:

Dear Heavenly Father. We thank You for Your wonderful creation. Help us to be good stewards of the earth and all of its resources. May we see ways that we can serve the community around us and encourage others to also take care of Your creation. We worship You. Amen.

DISCUSSION:

1. What can we learn from these churches in China about creation care?

2. What resources has God given us in our community that we can use to be better stewards of the natural resources the Lord has given us?

3. How can these natural resources be better protected?

4. What can we do in our community to reduce waste and pollution?

F Rev. Eivind Kråvik, Youth Pastor, Sandnes, Norway

Church Garden in the fight against Climate Change

Can we learn something from the courage of young people?

It’s early spring 2019. One of my youngsters was bleeding after cutting his hand on a crowbar. As he stands wiping off his blood, he proudly says, “Now you can say that the kitchen garden is built of blood, sweat and tears.” The other young people laugh and say it’s worth it. They say they are willing to sacrifice a little for climate and the environment with their fragile gaming and student hands. After a few weeks, we have erected a fence around an area of seven by fifteen meters. This is the story of a youth ministry and their organic garden.

While the voluntary work is going on in the garden, parents come to the youngsters and wonder what I have said to them. They are struggling to get them to help around the house, but here they are willing to serve. When one of the mothers had asked her daughter what she was going to do one afternoon, she had replied: “I’m going to Bogafjell Church and save the world, Mom.” In May, the garden was finished, and we had sown various vegetables in six pallet frames and potatoes in the free land bed.

“What are you going to do with the snails?” “What do you want to do with all the diseases that can get on the plants?”, “What about all the hatching?” “How are you going to keep this?” are questions often asked by adults. The men joke that you’ll have to use pesticides eventually and claim it’s not as simple as we make it sound. But when autumn 2019 came and we served carrot cake and stew with ingredients from our own kitchen garden in Bogafjell ward, suddenly new questions were asked.

So what exactly do we do? We look at God’s creations (nature) and try to temper. We do not dig, weed minimally, and we nourish the micro life of the soil and not just the plants. After all, it is the soil that takes care of the plants. In nature, in general, plants and the soil fix this in interaction, but in a kitchen garden where we want to extract one-year-old and perennial edible plants, the micro life in the soil constantly needs replenishment of nutrition. The replenishment is from compost. Bacteria, fungi, and viruses break down the organic material that is slowly but surely being converted into soil. From this soil, the base-layer for new life is formed as well as the vegetables in the kitchen garden. The method we use is called “No Dig” (cultivation without digging) and is regenerative. That is, when we build soil and do not dig in it, CO2 is stored in the soil where it belongs and can help the plants.

READ THE STORY OF THE SOWER AND THE SEED IN MATT 13:1-9

1 That same day, Jesus walked out of the house and sat down by the sea. 2 So many people gathered around him that he had to go out in a boat and sit in it, while the crowd stood inside the beach. 3 And he spoke to them in many parables, saying, “A sow man went out to sow. 4 And when he sowed, something fell by the road, and the birds came and took it. 5  Something fell on rocky ground where there was little soil, and it immediately shot up because the soil layer was thin. 6 But when the sun rose, it was burned and withered because it had not been allowed to take root. 7  Something fell among thorn bushes, and the thorn bushes grew up and choked it. 8  But something fell into good soil and bore fruit: something hundred, somewhat sixty, somewhat thirty times that sown. 9 He that has ears, listen!”

PRAYER:

Dear good God. Thank You for everything that grows. Thanks for all the seasons: spring when everything sprouts, the summer when everything is green and growing, the harvest when everything is harvested, and the winter when everything rests. Thank You for the pleasure we get in looking at flowers and tasting all the good that is being grown. Help us always take care of Your creation and manage it right. May You protect the farmers and their work. We pray for those who suffer distress in the world due to food shortages as a result of natural disasters or conflict and crime.

We worship You. Amen.

We nourish the micro life of the soil and not just the plants

DISCUSSION:

1. What do you think about young people’s commitment to climate and the environment?

2. Soil is important for food security and in 2015, the UN shouted a warning that this is under threat as we both degrade and destroy food soil at an excessively fast pace. Does it matter in this context that a kitchen garden is being built in Bogafjell church?

3. Can we learn something from the courage of these young people?

4. In what way were you inspired to try to cultivate in new ways; in the garden, on the farm, or around the church?

F Ms. Grace Auma – Project Leader, Nairobi, Kenya

Women – Use Your Talents

What do you think about the idea that all God’s children are created equal?

EXAMPLE FROM SAVING GROUPS WITHIN FREE PENTECOSTAL FELLOWSHIP IN KENYA

Women are talented, but sometimes their talents are not used due to lack of opportunity or motivation to put them to use. Men and women are economically, socially, and politically equal. All over the earth, customs and traditions take away these powers from women, i.e., inability to inherit property from parents/husbands, lack of equal opportunity to go to school, and early marriages. Women lose much of their economic and social power and find it hard to regain it.

Tuinuane, a project run by Free Pentecostal Fellowship in Kenya (FPFK) and supported by PYM (Norwegian Pentecostal Mission), has been working towards creating opportunities for women to actively take part in economic development. The project’s main goal is to improve poor women’s ability to sustain themselves economically and contribute towards their household income. The main strategy is the establishment of self-managed accumulating savings and credit associations (ASCAs) where “Use Your Talents”, local knowledge, skills and business training is promoted, and members get easy access to savings and credit services. The strategy is an effective tool to poverty reduction which ensures achievement of socio-economic strength and improved living standards. Exposure of members to entrepreneurial development and availability of credit facilities, enables them to venture into pursuing Income Generating Activities (IGA). Poor households use savings and credit to move from everyday survival to planning for the future: they invest in better nutrition, housing, health, and education. The establishment of Tuinuane groups as a method for alleviating poverty has been inspired by a belief that the poor need financial services and, more importantly, they have the potential to improve their livelihoods.

Tuinuane savings groups for women promote the “Use Your Talents” as one very important way to alleviate poverty. The groups save their own money and give loans from their own savings. There is no external funding to the groups. Tuinuane helps women to discover their hidden talents. This promotes “Use Your Talents”, skills and local knowledge in development.

Tuinuane promotes the “Use Your Talents” as one very important way to alleviate poverty. This is done by encouraging mobilization of locally available resources, and there is no external funding to groups. The groups save their own money and give loans from their own savings. Helping members through a self-actualization process to identify their hidden talents is part of the training for groups, leaders, and volunteer trainers. This promotes “Use Your Talents”, skills and local knowledge in development.

The project sees itself as a tool which contributes to achieving the twin goals of poverty alleviation and women’s empowerment. Tuinuane groups have brought certain changes to the lives of women. It has enabled women to move from their earlier position of silence to one of gaining voice, reduced their fatalism and has increased their collective bargaining powers. Part of the great success of Tuinuane is hinged on the much-acclaimed slogan “helping people to help themselves”, which has materialized in Tuinuane principles and methodology. This is through mobilizing and training people in groups to cooperate towards a common goal, which is “improved quality of life for all”.

Members have recognized talents as readily available resources that need little or no capital to use to earn income. Through talents, it’s easy to transfer knowledge and skills to other people. Talents are mostly embedded within the culture and people’s traditions, making it easy to practice, especially in groups of people from the same community. Members therefore use their talents in various ways such as: income generating activities, i.e., outside catering, singing, weaving, poultry keeping, livestock rearing, etc.; involvement in community activities, i.e. repairing roads, working on farms, participating in community leadership roles, improving their businesses, supporting church development and motivating/inspiring others to get started.

Tuinuane has inched toward a collaborative society in which the merits of both men and women are understood, valued, respected, and employed. Getting access to savings and credit facility supplies access to financial services tailored to greater livelihood security and enhances ability to utilize un-utilized/underutilized talents.

BASICS MODEL OF THE TUINUANE SAVINGS GROUP

 10-25 members

 Group must elect their leaders (chairlady, treasurer, secretary, and controller).

 Leaders are given training in record keeping, group management, savings and credit.

 Groups are provided with accounting materials, including cash box and record books.

 Weekly meetings with self-determined savings.

 No access to savings till end of business cycle (one year).

 Record keeping and money management is done in weekly meetings.

 Groups have rules and regulations.

 Group must fix and enforce fines for situations such as: lateness, absence, etc.

 Groups have an emergency account (welfare fund).

 Members set their development goals at the beginning of each business cycle.

Being in groups enables women to bring together different ways of thinking, cooperative spirit, gift of learning from each other, patience, empathy, networking abilities, negotiating skills, drive to nurture and educate their children, business connections and the win-win attitude, where each woman wants to witness success in their families and ability to embrace complex social, environmental, and political challenges.

READ

GALATIANS 3:26-28

26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God by believing in Christ. 27 This is because all of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. You have put him on as if he were your clothes. 28 There is no Jew or Gentile. There is no slave or free person. There is no male or female. That’s because you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 You who belong to Christ are Abraham’s seed. So, you will receive what God has promised.

PRAYER:

Dear loving Christ. Thank You for the value, the equal value that we have in You. Help us to see the wonderful resources You have given us in each other, men and women. Help us to see the value in all our brothers and sisters across the world, without regards to nationality or race. May we view others as You view them. We worship You. Amen.

DISCUSSION:

1. What do you think about the idea that all God’s children are created equal?

2. What can we learn from the Tuinuane groups?

3. In what ways do we practice gender equality in our congregation and our community? What gender equality challenges exist in our congregation and our community?

4. Do we see any new ways to use the resources available in our congregation –related to gender equality?

In what ways do we give space and partner with persons with disabilities in our community?

The “Angel Fellowship” started over 10 years ago as a way of providing fellowship and vocational training for people with disabilities and their families. From this, a professional training center has been established, providing special education and rehabilitation as well as support for parents and caregivers.

The “Angel Fellowship” started in the church where I am a pastor. I am Pastor Wong, and our congregation is made up of a variety of people, including many people with different mental and physical disabilities.

The idea of “Angel Fellowship” can be traced back to 2008. At that time, our team noticed that there were many people in the community who had to stay at home because of their disability. They had few or no friends, were not attending any social activities, were not employed, and were excluded from the community. The loneliness and helplessness of these people and their families deeply grasped our hearts and we wanted to do something to help them. As a result, “Angel Fellowship” for disabled people was formed to help them get vocational training so that they could live a life of self-reliance and of dignity, and to provide a place of belonging for them in the fellowship of the church. In the process of carrying out services for people with disabilities, volunteers from the church become more and more active and have found multiple ways to provide services of support. Many of the people with disabilities have difficulty coming to the church, so volunteers offer transportation.

“Although I can’t walk, I can do a lot of the things you can do”

During these fellowships, some parents of children with disabilities shared about their daily struggles. Because the schools could not give the children the help they needed, they had to stay at home even though a lot of the children did not have any mental disabilities. The parents bore the economic pressure of treatment and rehabilitation in addition to caring for a child with disabilities, which made them physically and emotionally exhausted. To address this situation, we initiated “Home of Angels” (HoA) in 2014, a weekly Saturday school that provided special education and rehabilitation for children with various disabilities and their families. Children attended classes in the morning and rehabilitation training in the afternoon, including physical therapy, art therapy and music therapy. The teachers, staff, and most of the rehabilitation therapists were volunteers from the church. HoA not only provides education for these children, but also the opportunity for them to make friends and have fellowship. Additionally, this arrangement serves as a support group for the parents. They meet up when accompanying their children and can support and encourage each other as well as sharing resources. The physical and emotional pressure on the parents has been greatly reduced, and the HoA has become like a second home for many of these families.

Limited by the venue and resources, the church could only arrange these classes once a week, which was far less than what was needed. Therefore, I gathered my team and we started to raise money in 2016 for a more professional training center. Two years of hard work and fundraising resulted in the church being able to finally buy an apartment in 2018 and open a new center for children and parents. Since then, the children have their own daily learning and rehabilitation center open from Monday to Friday. The center can serve 15 children with disabilities. These children who were once locked up at home and thought useless are now dreaming about what they want to be when they grow up: English translators, writers, inventors, computer programmers and graphic designers.

During a special Christmas performance in the church, a little girl with cerebral palsy proudly said to the congregation: “Although I can’t walk, I can do a lot of the things you can do”. With the support of HoA, children have been integrated into regular schools and are enjoying studying with other children.

Over the course of 10 years, with the resources mobilized and volunteers being helped to discover their hidden talents and abilities, the church has been able to support more than 200 people with disabilities and their families. The children attending HoA are

growing day by day and there are plans to provide vocational training for older children, giving them the chance to work and earn a living.

READ PROVERBS 3:27

Don’t hold back good from those who are worthy of it. Don’t hold it back when you can help.

PRAYER:

Children have been integrated into regular schools and are enjoying studying with other children

Dear Holy Spirit. Help us to see others as You see them. May we see the value, gifts, abilities, and talents in every person we meet. Help us to identify the resources You have given us and how we can use these together with those disabled, for Your glory. We worship You. Amen.

DISCUSSION:

1. What are your thoughts after having read Proverbs 3:27?

2. How can we work with persons with disabilities to help them see and take the special place they have in the eyes of our Lord?

3. In what ways can we partner with persons with disabilities in our community?

4. What can you do to inspire new partnership with persons with disabilities to serve your community?

Taking care of the unborn

How can we use the resources available to us to meet the needs of expecting mothers?

With the help of her pastor, May set up a counselling office for women with unwanted pregnancies. Now the whole church is involved in providing support and resources for both women and families with troubles.

My name is May. I started serving in the church 10 years ago after accepting Jesus as my Lord and Savior. After I married, my husband and I became co-workers in the church. However, I felt that my gifts were not fully developed and used.

While serving in the church, I discovered that I was good at counselling sisters and helping them to be set free by applying the word of God. Therefore, I decided to study counselling and obtain a counselling certificate, hoping that one day I would have the opportunity to serve the Lord through counselling.

Two years ago, my heart was deeply touched when brother Tan preached about the protection of life. My heart went out to the women who were considering abortion, and I longed for an opportunity to care for and serve these women. I approached my pastor and shared my thoughts with him. Unexpectedly, he agreed that we should do something for those women. With the help of the pastor, who also was the director of a local hospital, I was able to set up a counselling office in autumn of 2017, specifically providing counselling services for single mothers who faced challenges and were considering aborting their babies.

I was the first person to work in the counselling office, and I am very grateful that I could serve using my gift. Three months later, although I was physically and mentally exhausted, I still firmly believed that the job was assigned by God. But I felt helpless because sometimes the women I met would still choose abortion. I felt strongly that this was not just my own ministry, but also the church’s ministry. So, during a Sunday worship service, I stood up and witnessed, calling on the whole church to get involved and pray for this work and for the pregnant women. Since then, the church has regarded this ministry as their own, praying for the work, for the pregnant women and for those of us

serving in the ministry. Some sisters in the church volunteered to accompany the women and take care of them, helping me to be more effective in my work and empowering me. I organized volunteers to provide support and resources for families who were unable to take care of their newborns, so that the children could be looked after and raised properly, with the love and attention they need.

Today, I feel supported and encouraged, full of enthusiasm, because I can use the gifts God has given me together with my brothers and sisters.

READ THE TEXT PSALM 139:13-16

13 For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.

14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

PRAYER:

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You that You created us. Thank You for these words that remind us that You knew us before we were born, that You care for the unborn. We ask for Your blessing on those who are pregnant, particularly those in difficult circumstances. Help us to see how we can serve them. Help us to use the resources in our community to bless them.

We worship You. Amen.

DISCUSSION:

1. How do we serve expecting mothers in our community?

2. How can I encourage others to make wise choices and to be all that God has created them to be?

3. How can my life draw people to Christ?

4. How can my associations, Bible community, or church be an ambassador of love? Can we see that our walk with Christ challenges us to care for those in need? How can we use the resources available to us to meet the needs of expecting mothers?

F Rev. Kotobesoa – General Secretary

Partnering with others

How do we work with other partners in our community, other churches, government agencies, or other civil society organizations to serve those around us?

The goal of partnerships is to achieve more than individual organizations can achieve on their own. In other words, the whole of the partnership adds more than the sum of the individual parts. Bear in mind that the partnership should not be the end in and of itself, but a means to an end. Therefore, setting up a partnership may not always be the most appropriate decision.

For that reason, the local church should be active in starting initiatives to address the problem of the people in their own area. Local congregations cannot wait; they should start with the talents they have. The main principles of this approach are to start with what we have and not wait for help and to start with small things. When they start with small things, and see the work becoming big, excitement grows. Sometimes it helps to have a partner to work together with.

A partnership recognizes that both sides must be involved in defining the terms of the relationship. In a partnership, the partner cannot prescribe the terms of the relationship in their way and of their choice only. While the members of a partnership development certainly have strong interests in common, they are likely to have some diverse needs. We also need to know this in the forming of a partnership. There are three essential steps to making sure you get your partnership off to a successful start:

1. Defining the need for a partnership

2. Starting the process

3. Setting up and maintaining the partnership.

Christianity is composed of hundreds of denominations and traditions. Christian churches share the values of love, equality and justice, peace and service, and we are potential promoters of change. We should work together with different denominations, especially in the development of our communities – a common witness of the Christian

within the Malagasy Lutheran Church

churches. We live in same city and one society in that city or village, so we should work together for development. The Church has to respond to the needs of the people in each society through the “Use Your Talents” approach to development. In our experience, the different churches can work together, especially for the social life of the people. For instance, when the cyclone “Danie” attacked Madagascar in 1965, the different Christian churches worked together to solve problems at that time. For that reason, we have had practice having partnerships with the different churches, such as Catholic Church, Reformed, and Lutheran Church through the “Use Your Talents” approach. So, partnership between different churches should use this small guide:

 Start discussions on development and “Use Your Talents” approach

 Apply strategies, methodologies and tools for education, dealing with the “Use Your Talents” approach.

 Mobilize churches to action for the challenges which are the precise work needed in their own society (for example: road renovation or security problems)

 Advocate for the societal problems in their own context

Christian members should take initiative to address one project which responds to society’s problems. Often it is beneficial to cooperate with local authorities when that project cannot be accomplished by the different local churches alone. But even if it is a cooperation between churches, you should have an agreement.

READ PSALMS 82: 2-5

2 He says, “How long will you stand up for those who aren’t fair to others? How long will you show mercy to sinful people?

3 Stand up for the weak and for children whose fathers have died. Protect the rights of people who are poor or treated badly.

4 Save those who are weak and needy. Save them from the power of sinful people.

5 “You leaders don’t know anything. You don’t understand anything. You are in the dark about what is right. Law and order have been destroyed all over the world.

PRAYER:

Dear Heavenly Father, Help us to see the resources You have given us to meet the needs of the community. May we find partners with whom we can collaborate to “Stand up for the weak.” Holy Spirit, give us insight and wisdom to work together with others to be a beacon of light and hope in the world. We worship You. Amen.

DISCUSSION:

1. What are your thoughts after having read Psalm 82?

2. How do we work with other partners in our community, other churches, government agencies, or other civil society organizations to serve those around us?

3. In what ways can we partner with others in our community?

4. Were you inspired to try to find new partners to serve your community? Who would you like start to cooperate with?

F Ms. Toremare Mananato – Assistant General Secretary in the Malagasy Lutheran Church

How to Discover Children’s Talents

How can I encourage children to believe in themselves and see the gifts God has created in them?

Children are sometimes the last to be considered when using the “Use Your Talents” thinking. It is often thought that children’s talents aren’t well identified yet and not mature enough to be used. Also, schooling, especially in developing country such as Madagascar, are more market-need-oriented than person-potential-oriented, so little opportunity is given for kids to sprout up with their favorite specific gifts. However, creativity comes by thinking out of the box, efficiency comes with specificity and devotion comes with passion, and development is ensured by creativity, efficiency, and devotion. It is then key to the program “Use Your Talents” to consider finding, developing, and using the gifts of the church members at very early ages. Here are points to be considered while assessing this subject:

Children are classified by age stages where each phase has its significance education-wise and has direct effects to the following periods:

 infants: under 2 years old,

 preschoolers: 2 to 5 years old,

 school-aged: 6 to 12 years old, and

 teenagers: 13 to 17 years old.

Four settings are very important in influencing the development of children’s gifts. They are home, society, school, and church. These factors are to be balanced carefully to effectively nurture one’s talents.

Pedagogical approaches are erected on the following:

 acknowledge that children blossom better in a restriction-less atmosphere;

 admit that they have high aptitude for learning multiple skills;

 recognize that they are good at mimicking others; and  be aware that unlearning gets more difficult as age increases.

All the following steps should be conducted considering the physical and mental growth of the child which are developing in a very particular universe and governed by fixed rules.

Discovering children’s talents doesn’t need to be a fancy work of professionals with special tools but can be done by any parent or educator who takes enough time to observe them. Observation should be done while they don’t think that someone is watching and when they don’t have to please anyone. What do they choose to do during those times? What do they do without thinking? What do they love? What are they obsessed with? Stanford psychologist, Carol Dweck, even puts it this way: “Pay attention to what your child stares at.” The main aim of this phase is to identify the child’s real interest by sorting it out from distractive noises. Wishes can be very problematic noise to discern from interest; that’s why observation shouldn’t be done on the fly. Avoid comparing a child with others, even with good intention, and every child should be treated as the unique individual they are. Also, comparisons only breed resentment, jealousy, and rivalry. Pressuring kids into things they have no real interest in is no more than a waste of their precious time.

Once interest is found, educators should be very patient in confirming it with aptitude. In fact, in finding a child’s talent, the biggest challenge relates to the relative age and developmental age which can make a kid seem untalented in a specific field, but the truth is that it is not developed yet but the coach wasn`t patient enough. Educators’ role should be to act as opportunity providers for children to find and explore their field of interest. This is done by presenting various challenges to them. In fact, without opportunity for a skill to flourish, it may remain suppressed until it’s too late to develop to its full potential. By themselves, children can’t identify their own talent, yet talents don’t just appear without some challenges. And sometimes breakthrough comes by facing their worst fear that isolates them from others. Howard Gardner published in his book (Frames of Mind: Theory of Multiple Intelligences, 1983/2011) in the early 1980s seven types of intelligence which one should consider to better direct the process of talent discovering in a child: visual-spatial ability, interpersonal ability, intrapersonal intelligence, logical or mathematical thinker, bodily-kinesthetic thinker, linguistic intelligence, and musical intelligence. Sunday School teachers can help children develop their aptitude by appreciating

their interest and encouraging its expression. There is no such thing as natural talent but only natural potential. As Daniel Coyle (The Talent Code, 2009) puts it, “Greatness isn’t born. It’s grown.” Hard work outruns ability. It takes effort to excel in one’s talent but focus mixed with passion relieves the pain and makes a talented person look gifted. That means, mentors should praise effort, not natural ability. Targeted methods of practicing, specific methods of motivating, and coaching are what it takes to make that effort fruitful. How kids practice, how they deal with failure, how they get praised and how they are criticized all play a part in the likelihood of achieving greatness. Also, the pace which shouldn’t be rushed, at which the practice is carried out, is as important to the outcome as the practice itself.

The best way to develop one’s talent is by using it. List the ways to use them in a church setting. Remember, a child can have more than one talent.

As the steps to find and develop children’s talents has been covered and illustrated how it can be used in the church, now find ways to use the talents in your congregation.

READ THE TEXT 1 PETER 4:10-11

10 Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

PRAYER:

Dear Heavenly Father, Help us to see the gifts You have given each of us. Help us be good stewards of the resources You supply Your congregation. May we see the value and potential in everyone, especially those we sometimes overlook. We worship You. Amen.

DISCUSSION:

1. How can I find gifts in myself? How can I find gifts in others, especially the children in my family and my congregation?

2. How can we encourage children to believe in themselves and see the gifts God has given them?

3. How can we use the gifts of the children in our service?

Use Your Talents – Guidelines

Use Your Talents is an approach to development we can use to help us identify and make use of available resources at all levels of our society – including family, church, community, county/district, prefectural, provincial, and national levels. We start by looking at what resources we already have and then make plans on how to use these to help us in our lives and bless those around us. This helps us to appreciate what we already have and empowers us to take steps to improve our lives. As individuals, families, churches, and communities, we are no longer dependent on external help and can immediately start making a difference to our own development.

When analyzing our situation and thinking about using resources, it is a good idea to first start with those closest to you, and then move further out:

THE INDIVIDUAL AND THE FAMILY

One great way of getting started, is to begin with yourself and your family. Asking and answering some simple questions together with your family/household can help you recognize the talents you have at hand. In the article “Guidelines for Asset Mapping” (see page 127), there are some examples of questions you could ask.

Answering these questions will give you a good starting place to look forward and see possibilities. As you spend time together discussing these questions, ideas might start to pop up. For instance: Elisabeth is an artist, Akela plays the violin professionally and Xiao Wei has some real estate, together they talk about opening an after-school tutoring business. Some of the ideas might seem crazy, but it is good to brainstorm and not be afraid of “wild” ideas. Sometimes they lead to important actions.

Once you have spent time brainstorming and come up with a few ideas, it is time to evaluate them and reduce them to a few (2-4). It may help you to consider the following questions:

 Who will benefit from this plan, and how will they benefit?

 What are the risks? Are there any potential problems that might hurt what you hope to do?

 What kind of knowledge or skills do we need?

 Whom do we need to consult?

 Who can give advice?

 Who do we need to cooperate with?

 What will be the concrete steps in our plan?

After that, decide on a plan of action with a simple time schedule where you agree on the steps to follow. Keep written record of this.

IN THE CHURCH

In the congregation, the principles are the same. Whatever position you have in the congregation – whether it is as a pastor, a church worker, youth leader or small group leader – the most important thing is to look out for possibilities and creativity and appreciate and cherish the resources and talents of your church. Often a good starting place will be to engage those who are already “using their talents” – whether it be in their church, community, or family. Those who are creative and active look for possibilities and new or better ways to do things, big or small. You could start discussions with a few individuals or families about the local situation and what possibilities there are if talents were combined and used.

It is helpful for the congregation to promote “Use Your Talents” in a systematic way. In the services, the pastor and leaders can emphasize that all Christians have talents and that we are called to use them. In addition, practical examples and ideas can be shared in announcements. Sunday school is also a great place to teach children to use their talents. This can be encouraged by, for instance, getting them to use their talents in church, teaching them hygiene, encouraging them to grow vegetables or using their computer skills.

The church could help by organizing training to help their members recognize their talents and resources, carry out an asset mapping exercise, and facilitate meetings where people can discuss possibilities for united projects. The church may even initiate voluntary community work, for example, tree planting, maintaining roads, building schools,

etc. They could facilitate training in new techniques, such as agriculture, entrepreneurship, and Christian business ethics. Depending on the context, the church can act as an agent for development by facilitating contact between church members and local authorities, and with people or institutions that have specialized knowledge or competence. It might be a good solution for the church to set up a specific development or “Use Your Talents” committee or group. In some instances, it might be relevant to start your own NGO. The task for this kind of committee/group could be:

 Connect community members who are initiating or developing an idea with other persons or associations who can help or have expertise.

 Involve people to participate in voluntary communal work.

 Initiate cooperation with local authorities on, for example, local infrastructure, like roads and bridges.

 Make an inventory of human resources and talents in the church and surrounding areas.

 Give people tasks according to their talents and skills.

 Establish routines for follow-up, monitoring and evaluation.

 Establish local income systems to fund the work done by this committee (for example: church offerings, selling products, common activities, etc.).

 If appropriate, use church land as a source for income and a place to try out new ideas.

IN THE COMMUNITY

When starting diakonia work (showing Christ’s love in action), attention is often given to resources within churches. However, problems and needs addressed are often closely linked with the communities that the Church is a part of. Projects for a special group, such as people with disabilities, can often bring benefits to the whole community. In fact, to achieve sustainable positive change, it is necessary to have strong participation from the community. Therefore, it is vital to work closely with all participants of the community to improve the awareness of the people so they themselves can mobilize their own resources for development. This is also a process that promotes and encourages the participation of all community members. Working with the community also ensures that initiatives carried out are relevant to the needs and context of each community.

Communities have many different assets and needs. When they take time to think about it, people often know about the many resources in their families or communities, but don’t usually think about making use of these unless they get together to consider how needs can be met using locally available resources. It is important that people in the community themselves participate and lead the development of their community. When a family, Church or community is considering how their lives can be improved, it may be helpful for them to consider:

 What are the available capacities and resources in the community?

 What are the needs in the community that can be met by these assets? How should these needs be prioritized relative to the available resources?

 What groups and organizations are in the community? What are they doing? How can we cooperate with them?

DISTRICT/COUNTY, PREFECTURAL, PROVINCIAL, AND NATIONAL LEVEL

Finally, we need to consider cooperating with groups in our wider society; whether it be with governmental bodies, institutions, different organizations or NPOs (Non-profit organizations). For instance, within China, there are Christian Councils and the TSPM (Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches) from the province to the district/county level; in Thailand the church has worked a lot in cooperation with the Social Welfare department, and in the Philippines some churches work together with NGOs making good use of their expertise. “Use Your Talents” helps many people to make use of their own resources to promote development. This does not mean that we should not cooperate with other entities. In most cases, we need to actively seek cooperation with local authorities, enterprises, social organizations, etc.

Cooperating with local authorities is very important because often you need their permission for initiatives, and by cooperating you can achieve greater results. Sometimes they also have programs you can follow, specialists you can invite, or they can provide material or equipment. Cooperation with local authorities can also help remind them of their own responsibilities in the community. Local NGOs might also have competence and could be invited to share their experiences. These are just a few ideas to help you get started using your talents in your community.

God wants to use us, and our resources, to bring about transformation in our lives and the life of our community. We hope that these guidelines can serve as a good guide for you to recognize your own talents and the talents of your neighbors.

Find

out what your group's assets are!

Guidelines for Asset Mapping

You can carry out asset mapping in many different settings, with many different groups of people: such as your family, the local choir, your church, a village or even a football team.

Asset mapping is the time you spend together with your chosen group to find out what your group’s assets are. We all have gifts in abundance. Let us be positive in our outlook! Our cup is not half empty, it is half full. If we take a good look at our half full cup, we can identify our assets and God’s gifts to us. We can then use these to bless our churches, communities, and families.

IF YOU WANT TO CARRY OUT ASSET MAPPING MORE FORMALLY, YOU COULD FOLLOW THE SUGGESTIONS BELOW.

First, split into groups of around 6 to 10 people. Make sure everybody has multiple pieces of paper (the paper doesn’t have to be big, A6 is fine) and something to write with.

If you carry out asset mapping informally, say in your family, you can ask questions such as:

 What kind of knowledge and skills do we have within the family?

 Who does what in our family?

 Is there something that our family or one of the members in our family or household cares about in a special way?

 Whom do you relate to outside the family? Individuals, families, congregations, associations, institutions, society.

 What are our physical assets, what kind of land do we have; what could it be used for? Do we have any houses; what could they be used for? What other kinds of property do we have; what could it be used for?

 On what do we spend our money? How much money is it possible to save each week? How could we use this money?

Start here!

RECOGNIZING ASSETS AND TALENTS IN YOUR GROUPS

Individually write down your assets on the papers. One asset/talent in big, clear words per page, so that it can be seen from far away. You can use as many pieces of paper as you want. But it is very important that there is only one asset per page.

It is a good idea to remind people of what kind of assets/talents there are. Remember, talents are our skills and our knowledge, our relationships to others and our belongings like land, houses, and money.

GATHER IN YOUR SMALL GROUP:

 Read each asset out, loud and clear, and stick it on the wall, so that everyone in your group can see.

 DO NOT: Categorize them, put them in order, put them together with other similar talents or group them.

 Spend some time reading the identified assets and talents.

THESE CAN BE:

• Physical assets

• Institutions

• Individual assets

• Economic assets

• Associations

CONNECT THE DOTS

As a group, brainstorm actions that connect two or more of these assets. How can we connect different assets? It is tempting to put similar assets together: don’t. That is not the point of the exercise. Think about how they can build on each other.

Cluster together the assets that could lead to an action. If an asset needs to be used more than once, just re-write it on a new piece of paper.

THINK ABOUT ACTIONS LIKE:

• Projects

• Events • Performances

• Campaigns • Celebrations

• Making, growing, or fixing things

Some examples of putting assets together:

> If we put Maria’s broken car together with Padma’s mechanical skills and the youth group, we would have a car repair clinic.

> If you have an empty church building and retired teachers, you could start an after-school homework club.

> If you have vacant land, and Sunitra knows how to grow vegetables and Bintang has a surplus of fertilizer from her chicken coop, you could start a small vegetable patch.

 Tell people why you have clustered assets together, what action could be carried out?

 Look at the other clusters and see if you can add assets. Think about new actions.

 If you think of a new asset not previously shared, add it.

 You can offer suggestions, but do not correct people – it is okay to dream big.

 Talk to each other as you do this.

VOTE WITH YOUR FEET

 Finally, give each group of assets a name – an action name. Then write it on a piece of paper and add it to the cluster.

 Each group briefly introduces to the whole room all their action groups. Everyone listens. People can ask clarifying questions, but no criticism.

 Think about which action you would be most interested in participating in.

 Go stand by that action.

THIS MEANS THAT YOU GET AN INSTANT WORK PLAN:

 The job before you

 The people with you who have an interest in the same idea

 The assets you can connect to get things done

YOU HAVE FINISHED!

Record the final voting by taking photos or writing it down.

If you have time and it is appropriate, it is a good idea to finish the session by getting people’s impressions of the activity.

Ask them:

 Look around the room, does anything surprise you?

 How did it feel to do this?

 How did it feel to identify your talents?

 How did it feel to connect the dots?

 How did it feel to vote with your feet?

 How do you feel about the future?

This article is based on the book by Luther K. Snow (2004): “The Power of Asset Mapping: How Your Congregation Can Act on Its Gifts”.

Terminology

Asset/talent: A useful or valuable quality, person, or thing; an advantage or resource. Examples: Knowledge, skills, relationships, property, money, mindset.

Budget: An estimate of income and expenditure connected to an activity during a specific period of time. Budgets are used to plan and control/manage income and expenditure.

Community: A group of people sharing lives and/or a common interest.

Development: A positive change, growth, improvement, progress in a situation. Bringing about social change that aids humans in reaching their full potential.

Diakonia (similar to “Integral mission”): From the Greek word “diakonos”/ “diakonein” (Romans 12:7), which means “to serve”. Diakonia is often referred to as “Christian Service”.

“Diakonia is the caring ministry of the Church. It is the Gospel in action and is expressed through loving your neighbor, creating inclusive communities, caring for creation and fighting for justice”. *

Both evangelism (reaching people with the gospel of God’s grace) and diakonia (reaching people with works of love) are integral parts of God’s great plan.

Facilitator: A person who enables, encourages, and promotes other people.

Monitoring and Evaluating: It is a good idea to put into place ways to check that your work is going forward successfully. We can do this through monitoring and evaluation. By thinking through who is going to follow-up the work and how, deciding how to monitor the work and setting a time for evaluation, we are helping ensure that our work stays on track and learn from our mistakes.

It is outside the scope of this book to cover project monitoring and evaluation, but there are a lot of resources available (please take a look at our suggested publications).

Integral mission (similar to “diakonia”): an understanding of Christian mission that includes both evangelism and social responsibility. As Christians and as a Church, we should communicate the gospel in all we say and do.

Project: “A project is a series of activities aimed at bringing about clearly specified objectives within a defined time period and with a defined budget”. **

Talents/assets: A useful or valuable quality, person or thing; an advantage or resource.

Examples: Knowledge, skills, relationships, property, money, mindset.

“Use Your Talents”: This is a Bible-based approach to asset-based development.

REFERENCES AND ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

PUBLICATIONS

Church of Norway plan for diakonia, 2007 European Commission’s Project Cycle Management Guidelines

TEARFUND:

Roots books by Tearfund aim to help Christian development organizations in their work. They provide detailed information on relevant subjects – either on organizational devel-opment topics, or on good practice in key development issues: www.tearfund.org/roots

Footsteps magazine aims to share information, ideas, contacts, and experience in a Christian contest at grassroots level. It encourages the practical outworking of integral mission in all aspect of local development work: www.tearfund.org/footsteps

Umoja’s facilitator guide: www.tearfund.org/umojaguides

RESOURCES ON PROJECT MONITORING AND EVALUATION:

TEARFUND:

Simple: https://learn.tearfund.org/en/resources/publications/footsteps/ footsteps_11-20/footsteps_11

Detailed: https://learn.tearfund.org/~/media/files/tilz/publications/roots/english/ pcm/2020-tearfund-roots5-project-cycle-management-en.pdf?la=en

INTRAC:

https://www.intrac.org/resources/monitoring-and-evaluation-planning-series-5/ https://www.intrac.org/resources/me-universe/

BOND:

https://www.bond.org.uk/monitoring-and-evaluation

BOOKS:

Cameron Harder, “Discovering the other: asset-based approaches for building community together”

Sigurd Haus (Ed.) 2017, “Use Your Talents – the Congregation as Primary Development Agent”

Alf B. Oftestad, “How to build a diaconal church”

Biblical References

Below we have compiled a list of inspiring and useful Bible texts which relate to using the unique gifts and talents that our God has given us to serve Him and those around us.

EXODUS 35: 30-35

30 Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 31 and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— 32 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 33 to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts. 34 And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. 35 He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers.

JOSHUA 1:9

9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

2 KINGS 4: 1-7

Elisha, the widow and the oil

DANIEL 1: 17-19

17 To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. 18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service.

PROVERBS 3:27

27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.

MATTHEW 5: 13-16

13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. 14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

MATTHEW 22: 37-39

37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

MATTHEW 28: 18-20

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

JOHN 13: 34-35

34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

ACTS 4: 32-35

32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all 34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who

owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need.

ROMANS 12: 3-8

3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

EPHESIANS 4:12-13

12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

GALATIANS 6: 10

10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

1. THESSALONIANS 5: 11

11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.