Prayer Focus
We recommend the following videos to create awareness about global issues.
Nazarene Missions International:
TEARFUND CONNECTIONS
Tearfund and Nazarenes work together in Asia, Africa, and South America. Tearfund’s ministry is church empowerment, resourcing and coaching, helping even very poor churches to be the drivers of poverty alleviation in their communities.
Churches who engage in our Church and Community Transformation (CCT) process experience a mindset change. They learn to meet local needs with local resources, without waiting on outside resources from governments or charities.
The following resources are available for you to download/print for your church!
Tearfund & Nazarene Compassionate Ministries Shared Projects
There are a number of Nazarene projects and child development centers where Teafund contributed in years past. These projects are ongoing through Nazarene churches, and giving links are available beneath each description.
Bangladesh and Nepali Child Development Centers
The Nepali and Bangladesh Nazarene child development centers offer children a safe environment where they can thrive and grow. The centers provide after-school educational support, hygiene lessons, Biblical studies, daily meals, as well as self-help groups for parents. As is the case with most CDCs, these holistic child development programs act as a conduit of love to the community in direct connection with the local church.
Amidst the pandemic, CDCs in Nepal and Bangladesh found creative ways to continue to serve the children in their community. Due to government restrictions, many families had no source of income and therefore had limited access to food. However, because of the established presence of our CDCs, families were able to receive food as well as critical information on how to stay safe and healthy during this time.
Bangladesh Child Development Centers
Through the Church of the Nazarene in Bangladesh, 80 CDCs across the country serve 2,009 sponsored children as well as 210 children available for sponsorship. One such CDC is located in Cox Bazaar serving the Rohinga children and families who were forced to flee Myanmar. In the midst of chaos and uncertainty, the Church of the Nazarene opened a child-friendly space where children can play, participate in developmentally appropriate activities, as well as receive counseling.
Nepal Child Develompent Centers
Nepal currently has 5 active Child Development Centers (CDCs) with 320 sponsored children and 55 children available for sponsorship. Additionally, there are three CDCs serving around 75 children total receiving support through NCM but are not yet a part of the Child Sponsorship program.
2021 Program Update: Holistic Child Development
(featuring story from Nepal)
Giving Links for Bangladesh and Nepal:
Nepal Earthquake REcovery
In 2015, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Nepal, killing an estimated 9,000 people and destroying more than 600,000 structures. In the aftermath of this natural disaster, Nazarene Compassionate Ministries partnered with local churches as they worked to assist people in meeting their short-term needs.
After the initial emergency response, NCM Nepal shifted the focus to long-term rehabilitation. Now, seven child development centers, self-help groups, and agricultural training are creating space for people to thrive educationally, nutritionally, financially, and spiritually. Agricultural training and seed distribution have helped increase the productivity of kitchen gardens for the participating 188 families. These families have more food to eat as well as leftovers to sell.
Additional outcomes of the rehabilitation program are increased attendance at school due to educational assistance through the CDCs and an overall decrease of water borne illnesses and malnutrition among the families. NCM is committed to a holistic approach to emergency relief that includes meeting immediate needs and then walking alongside them on a path toward long-term recovery and stability.
DRC Anti-Trafficking
The North Kivu anti-human trafficking project grew out of a desire for the church to further educate and mobilize their congregants and community in order to prevent and care for victims and families. Due to social and economic unrest and political corruption, trafficking of humans has increased in this area.
Through this project, 100 laypeople and teachers have participated in train the trainer sessions that included instruction on prevention, protection, how to partner with other organizations, and caring for victims.
Additionally, NCM support helped establish a Listening Center located on the property of the Bulengo church in Goma. This center walks alongside victims of trafficking by offering psychosocial and spiritual assistance, coaching and reintegration into the workforce, as well as physical, medical and academic support.
Nazarene Compassionate Ministries
The Integrated Community Health Project
This project helps link the local church in building awareness & education around community health monitoring, as well as health services in the community. It is a project designed to specifically mobilize women through the local church.
Next year, we will have other integrated initiatives focused on livelihoods and targeting women and other vulnerable persons. This is just beginning in Sri Lanka and Armenia, and also will span Burundi, Benin, DRC, Malawi, and Tunisia over the course of 2021-2022.
One of the unique features of this project is organizing ‘Health Alliances’ and it comprises of church volunteers, community leaders, Community Health Workers (CHW’s), and health care workers from clinics. One of the major tasks of the Health Alliances is to create and promote health seeking behaviors with significant focus on Maternal and Child Health (MCH), Hygiene, Sanitation and general health in the wider communities. In most cases the members of the Health Alliances are women who are trained, equipped and empowered to mobilize communities for collective action for better community health outcomes.
This project began in 2019 and, due to COVID, the local churches have had to make many adjustments. Due to travel restrictions, we don’t have high quality photos or video of the work, which makes it difficult to promote. So anything you/your church can do would help!
For now, the Integrated Health Project in Liberia, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Kenya, and Zambia has the following focus areas:
Helping local congregations to build health alliances, which helps to position the church as a trusted member of community support, as well as strengthen the church’s witness & testimony among the community.
The leaders on the ground feel this project is instrumental for continuing to train and offer a place for women in their church and in the community health alliances.
Building the capacity in local congregations to be an agents for health in the community.