A time to return to God...

Often the demands of our daily living take us further and further away from the one who gives us life. Lent is a time to return to God, to refocus ourselves on our relationship with God. It is a time to return to who we most deeply are: children of God.

Lent has often included, in the common tradition of the church, the practice of giving something up. Sometimes we give up something we’d like to let go of but have difficulty stepping away from. Sometimes we give up something precious in order to sharpen our focus. I, sometimes even do something new to mark devotion. Whatever addition or subtraction we choose to do this year is part of our yearning to return to God. Even the best of our spiritual practices are not to be ends in themselves, but aids to our returning and to living our days with a full sense of God’s presence and love.

Abba, Father,
spark a fire in our hearts
the longing to come back to you.
May you use these days,
these days of lent,
as a time of a renewed relationship.
May you fill our hearts
with your love,
spirit
and peace.
May you use us
as an instrument this season,
use us as a riverbed,
of your understanding,
love,
grace
and your hope.
It’s in the wonderful,
Holy
And powerful name of Jesus,
Amen.

Community Health Evangelism

I was able to go to a TOT1 (trainer of trainer) in Indianapolis a couple of weeks ago. I learned about an amazing mission strategy used all over the world. The strategy for wholistic ministry is based on a concept called CHE (Community Health Evangelism.) The CHE approach combines evangelism and discipleship with community development.

Four of us from Ginghamsburg joined eleven others. We were from all over the country and worked all over the world. Burma, Kenya, Tajikistan, Zimbabwe, Czech Republic and of course Haiti, just to name a few. We told stories and shared experiences with each other.

We were trained the Biblical basis for CHE and basic principles of wholistic community based development. We learned steps for implementing CHE and strategies for entering the community. We also learned basic skills for raising awareness, organizing and activating the community for shared action through the development of a committee.

CHE is being used in rural and urban areas in over 70 countries. It is even used in some urban areas in the US. I am really excited about this approach and what it can and already has done in the world. I can’t wait to use CHE in Haiti. For more information visit www.lifewind.org.