All parts of life are sacred. Helping people develop a micro enterprise to support their families is part of our service to humanity in the name of Christ. In the same way, sharing that Jesus Christ offers salvation to all is part of integrated development. The Gospel--the Good News of Jesus Christ--includes the integrated development of body, mind and spirit for the individual and the community.
Relief emphasizes immediate--but temporary--help. In times of disaster such as flooding, earthquakes, war, or famine, people need immediate relief. Development works more slowly, but it lasts longer. Development is concerned with helping people be more, rather than simply have more. |
It empowers people to develop to their full potential and not to remain beggars. It builds self-respect and helps them understand they are loved and cared for by God, encouraging them to work together to help others in time of need. Relief must be given with care, or it may create dependency in the one who receives it. When we give relief, it is in the larger context of development--allowing relief to open the door to a relationship which fosters long-term development.
In the 28 years since SIFAT began, church and community leaders have come from 79 countries to study at Galilee Campus in Alabama. SIFAT has helped graduates in Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia and the Philippines to start their own training centers and development projects and has assisted graduates in their work and training in various other countries. |
