What is Transformation

TRANSFORMATION DEFINITIONS  A definition given by Bryant Myers of World Vision International in his book Walking With the Poor:  “I use the term transformational development to reflect my concern for seeking positive change in the whole of human life materially, socially and spiritually . Changed people and just and peaceful relationships are the twin goals…

What is Wholistic Ministry

I just attended a 3 day conference here in Phoenix, International Wholistic Mission Conference where 700 people came to talk about what was happening in wholistic ministry. Fantastic conference, you should plan to attend next year in 2015. It will be April 29th through May 1. Let’s talk about wholistic and what it means to…

More on Knowing Your Neighbor

What better time to talk about relationships then during this Christmas Season when our Reedemer was born. First lets Review Whats Needed to Build Good Relationships ** Respect for each other. ** Spend time together. ** Can have open and honest conversations with each other. ** Are able to talk about things that are important…

Second installment of Using the School to Start Neighborhood Transformation

Written by Brynn Schmidt, Co-leader of the Neighborhood Transformation team at Flatirons Community Church in Lafayette, Colorado. At Flatiron we have also worked with the elementary school to establish a strong relationship with another organization that our church partners with, the Sister Carmen Community Center. We will begin to work on more projects together next…

Working Through an Elementary School to Start Neighborhood Transformation

Written by Brynn Schmidt, Co-leader of the Neighborhood Transformation team at Flatirons Community Church in Lafayette, Colorado. Flatirons Community Church in Lafayette, Colorado has had a good relationship with one of our neighborhood elementary schools for several years. We have done backpack drives, school improvement days, given funds and assisted occasionally with teacher appreciation and…

From Rural CHE to Urban Neighborhood Transformation

As you hopefully already know, CHE or Neighborhood Transformation (NT) is a multi-faceted, community/neighborhood-based, development strategy that deals with the whole person which builds on the people and their community’s assets. CHE/NT trains people how to use those assets to solve their own problem. It is about neighbor helping neighbor. It releases individuals and communities…

Meeting Learner Needs

As a follow on to my last blog about Participatory Training That Multiplies lets continue on and explore further how we practically do our training in CHE. The key is to meet learner needs therefore the following should be considered in meeting the adult learner’s needs, in order to affect true transfer of knowledge and…

Participatory Training That Multiplies

Our aim in education is to produce changed individuals, who will change others, who, in turn, will change others. These individual changed lives result in changed families, changed communities, and ultimately in changed societies. An inward change must precede the outward change which is based on a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. There are absolutes…

Organic Movement

Earlier this year I read the book Organic Community by Joseph R. Myers which compares the way a community can grow either by a master plan or organically. Master planning is what is done by most western organizations where it is top down every detailed planned out. While organic growth takes on a life of…