Week 3 - Dynamics of Development

Week 3: Dynamics of Development Main Theme This week we looked at different examples of community and some key ways that we can bring change and development. Giacomo gave lots of examples from his experience in developing a YWAM community/base in Costa Rica and drew lots of parallels between that process and the dynamics needed to develop in other community contexts. Researching and assessing a communities; doing your homework before you go there to form a foundation of awareness as you enter. It's important to have the big picture in mind and to know where you want to go and where you want to take people, all the way from entering a community, to teaching/guiding them and then eventually releasing them to pursue their vision on their own. Some Key Ideas…

• Our goal is to help a community be able to articulate a vision for themselves that allows them to know God and to know themselves better.

• The same transformation process that God has done in our personal lives is what God wants to do at a community level.

• God calls unqualified people and makes them qualified for His plans and purposes. He is not a respecter of power and position but of potential.

• Communities all have personal dignity and responsibility and our goal is to keep those things strong and intact, not take them away.

• It does not all depend on us. We can’t make people change, only by a revelation from God. We can create the platform, the environment, but they need their own revelation of who God is, where they are going and what He wants for their future.

• Research, investigation and assessment - When we prepare to go into a place, whether short or long term, we need to do an assessment before we go into the community. If we do a good assessment this will save us from making a lot of mistakes due to ignorance. Research and Assessment is not only practical but also spiritual as we walk the land that God is calling us into.

• Projects need to be small and simple, when starting to work in a community. It is very difficult to start a project and fail and try to start a project again. If they are too big/overwhelming people are not going to trust you and get on board.

• Go to the people, live among the people and learn from the people. Jesus’ model for sending out the 70 disciples in Luke 10.

Some things we learned… Tim - I learned how it is important to know the times and seasons that God has for us in development. Whether it is long term investment in a certain community until your role is no longer needed or whether it is to help train and facilitate others to go out. God may have different focuses at different times of life.

Eliza - One of the key things for me personally was that development doesn’t all depend on me. We can provide the space for it, but really the people in the community need a revelation from God to have the most effective change. I think it is important to understand what the needs are and why, but ultimately we need the Lord to guide us, show us how to make the way and then give Him room to move in people’s lives. This is good to keep in mind because so often we can fall into the trap of believing it is all on us to figure it out and fix the problems…“For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matt 11:28-30 Another key lesson I learned this week was to do with starting projects in a community. Learning to start small and simple, with a projects that will reveal results, no matter how basic. This is a great idea and not something you generally think of when you see great need and complex situations. If you take it step by step, with the Lords leading you will be able to grow from the small things to bigger ones with more people on board and working together.

#development #communities #teaching