• FROM THE DIRECTOR: What Do You Think?
   • A Family's Journey Toward Restoration
   • Chalmers Facilitates Training of Churches in West Africa
   • A Participatory Party in Mozambique
   • Key Links and Announcements

Imagine that your church wants to minister to an individual poor person or to a poor community. Stop and think: Whom would you ask for advice? Really, stop and write down a list of the people you might consult to design your ministry.

Now look at your list. Did it occur to you to ask the poor individual or community for their ideas? If not, why not? It turns out that failing to ask poor people the simple question “what do you think?” in the design, execution, and evaluation of your ministry can be a fatal mistake. Let me explain.  Read Full Article »

Rebekah and her daughter, Averie, represent one of 6,000 low-income families headed by single mothers in Knoxville, TN. Rebekah is a motivated young mother who tried her best to provide for her newborn daughter, but lacked the support needed to make the next step toward self-sufficiency. Before coming to The Restoration House of East Tennessee, she was homeless, living in a shelter in order to leave an abusive relationship, only to find herself alone, without… Read Full Article »

“It is an eye opener. We [have] read the scriptures but did not know one could apply them the way we learned in this Institute.”

“…It’s a good and life-transforming program.”

“I live in a community where there are different groups of churches, about 16 congregations. So I’m going to ‘sell’ [the concepts of the Institute] to them…” Read Full Article »

Well, it wasn’t a party, but it felt like one. I had been invited to an event organized by one of our savings and credit group volunteers, Pastor Rui. In the front of the room there was a paper with the letters “PCR,” the initials for “savings and credit group” in Portuguese, and the verse: “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another,” Hebrews 10:25.

To see these words and to feel the energy in this meeting made me want to party. There was so much enthusiasm in the room! The leaders of the event presented some songs about PCR, which included… Read Full Article »

  • Watch the video of Dr. Fikkert’s Africa visit

  • Course and training links:
      — Course descriptions
      — Distance learning course schedule and registration

 • Back issues of the Mandate e-Newsletter:

         2008 e-Newsletters
      — Issue #1: April

         2007 e-Newsletters
      — Issue #1: January/February
      — Issue #2: June/July
      — Issue #3: December

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