First Meetings ...

Below are the minutes of the first ever meeting of the Sierra Leone branch of the CRC Sierra Leone and BC Partnership. I was so delighted to read these!

"The Great African Land Grab"

I caught "Dispatches" on CBC radio last night while I was picking up the babysitter. I found it fascinating listening to a report on "The Great African Land Grab" by Canadian Journalist Joan Baxter. Here is host Rick Macinnes-Rae's introduction:

In Sierra Leone, up on the bulge of northwest Africa, prosperity is measured in rice. They even have a saying: If you haven't eaten rice today, you haven't eaten. The slave-traders who went there centuries ago called it "The Rice Coast," and people from Sierra Leone, known as the Gulas, developed the rice plantations in the Carolinas in the colonies.

Back home, rice is grown mostly on small family farms. Before the civil war that decimated Sierra Leone from 1991 until 2002, it produced enough rice to feed itself and to export some. Now, foreign corporations are taking over vast tracts of farm land. Rice is being replaced by sugar cane. To be converted to ethanol for foreign industries and cars. Any chance these big land deals might hurt Sierra Leone's struggling ability to feed itself again? Well, not to worry.
It's all been arranged, apparently. Even if there are some big questions as to how, as we hear from Canadian journalist Joan Baxter.

For Joan Baxter's documentary, go to: www.cbc.ca/dispatches/ Scroll down to "Joan's Documentary" under "The Great African Land Grab."

Goat For Gold!

BC residents (and long-time supporters of the BC-Sierra Leone Partnership) are at it again. They have combined their passion for people in need, their love of sport and a great program by the CRWRC. The result? Goats galore. Take a look: www.goatforgold.com

Links.

We're working on a growing partnership between churches thousands of kilometers apart. It would be nice to visit daily, but that's not feasible. While we may see ourselves as part of a single chain, it is easy to take this for granted and not highlight these important links. In an online forum, what better way to remember and learn of our chained-togetherness than the following links:

• For more information on the religious climate in Sierra Leone, see the World Council of Churches website: http://www.oikoumene.org/en/member-churches/regions/africa/sierra-leone.html
• For Henry Hess's article in the May 2007 issue of The Banner, "In Sierra Leone, A Church is Born," http://www.thebanner.org/magazine/article.cfm?article_id=1014
• For Chris Meehan's article in The Banner, "CRC Blossoms in Sierra Leone" http://www.thebanner.org/magazine/article.cfm?article_id=2116
• For a helpful summary on the country of Sierra Leone, check out BBC's profile: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/country_profiles/1061561.stm
• Check out the links in the right hand margin of this weblog. One is to the CRC Primary School in Kabala's building program, in partnership with Fraser Valley and Surrey Christian schools in BC. Another gives an angle on the birth of the CRC in Sierra Leone. They're worth perusing. -JR
  
  

How Broad is the CRC? Welcome Nigerian Brother!

Next month Rev. Ezekiel James, his wife Tabitha, and their 3 young children will be posted by the CRC of Nigeria as missionaries to Sierra Leone.

Please pray for the James as they leave their family and friends in Nigeria to follow God’s call to Sierra Leone. Please pray for the CRC in Sierra Leone, that God's 'will may be done in and his kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven' through the ministry of Rev. James.

How amazing it is to celebrate (as Christian Reformed Churches in British Columbia, Canada) the arrival of a Minister from the Nigerian Christian Reformed Church as a missionary to the young Sierra Leone Christian Reformed Church!

JR

CRC in Sierra Leone and BC Partnership Moving Forward!

It was exciting, revolutionary and a bit scary when, at their fall meetings, both classis BCNW and BCSE endorsed the formation of a joint classical committee to instigate a partnership between the CRC in Sierra Leone and BC. Relying on the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the members of this joint committee eagerly begin their work of learning and working together.

On the BC side, our committee is composed of:
Chairperson Dave Mayer (Smithers)

John Richey (Vernon – East Hill)
Secretary Rev. Joel Ringma (Terrace)

Ted deVries (Langley – Bridge)
Dr. Sonya Grypma (Langley – Willoughby)

Dr. Barry Lester (Smithers)

Dr. Martin Grypma (Langley – Willoughby),

Asher deGroot (Vancouver),
ex officio members:

Rev. Martin Contant (Home Missions)

Rev. Sid Ypma (Port Alberni)

Dennis deGroot (Langley – Willoughby)

and Al Karsten (CRWM North America Director).

These comments from committee members reflect on this opportunity:
“The greatest things we can bring to this partnership, if it is to truly be that, is not our money, but our skills and knowledge and willing minds to discover and learn from this incredible community as we begin get to know one another.”

“I believe in the intrinsic value of all people as image-bearers of God. I want to make a difference in people’s lives. I don’t want to just talk about it; I want to do it.”

“Missions need to be mutual and my hope is that a partnership will be an opportunity for the Sierra Leone church family to impact our churches in BC and subsequently our culture.”

Our work over these initial months needs your prayers! We are excited about what God is already doing in Sierra Leone. We are eager to engage the work, yet wary of pushing our agenda. We are aware of our riches, our responsibility and much-needed humility as we anticipate joining with our Sierra Leonean brethren in transforming lives and communities worldwide.
We crave your feedback, ideas and reservations as we move forward. If you want to track the progress of this partnership and our developing plans; if you can commit to praying; if you have an area of expertise or passion; or if you simply feel nudged to become involved: Please join the conversation by subscribing to this weblog (http://crcinslandbc.blogspot.com/). Feel free to comment here or email us directly at sierraleonepartnership@gmail.com.

On Behalf of The BC/Sierra Leone Partnership Committee

Joel Ringma
Secretary

September 2009 - Sierra Leone

The Christian Reformed Church in North America (CRCNA) has been at work in Sierra Leone since 1979, even during and after the years of civil war.

The work is mainly among the Koranko speaking people in the Koinadugu district. Christian Reformed World Missions works with the Sierra Leone Christian Reformed Church (CRC-SL). CRC-SL has 54 churches and over 4,000 members. CRWRC partners with Christian Extension Services (CES), who works in 22 communities. \

World Missions working with CRC-SL:
- Church Planting - concentrating efforts in villages that have not heard the Good News of the Gospel.
- Theological Training - sending students to the existing theological colleges in Sierra Leone. There are currently three students studying at Sierra Leone Theological College.
- Youth Ministry - doubled efforts in youth evangelism and youth group organization which includes teaching and bible studies to ensure spiritual growth and Christian character formation.
- Literacy Classes - teaching people how to read and write in their own language.
- Ecumenical activities - working together with 18 other churches in the district
- Education - in partnership with Christian schools in Canada, as well as major donors in the USA, a Christian school has been started. Providing excellent education and a Christian world and life view, this is a natural way to share the Message of Hope to Muslim children and eventually to their families.

CRWRC working with CES:
- Agriculture: training oxen handlers, providing veterinary services and loans of tools and seeds
o 1700 participants benefits from seed banks, 110 farmers using oxen; of total participants, half are women (2008/09)
- Community Development: Capacity building of communities through leadership training action plans
o 40 leadership workshops, 200 people, half are women, 22 communities making progress (2008/09)
- Income generation: training and selection of women, loan payback, incentives to graduates
o 330 people, 290 are women, 180 have graduated 2008/2009, 83% payback rate (2008/09)

Partnership between BC Classes and CRC-SL / CES
The Christian Reformed Churches in British Columbia are considering a longer term connection, a relational partnership, with the CRC of Sierra Leone, and also with CES and the work it does.
How will this partnership bless the church?
We believe that the church in Sierra Leone and the churches of BC will both be blessed through this relationship. Through growing interdependence, the churches of BC might be helped in learning hospitality, patience, long-suffering and zeal for the Lord. Through growing interdependence, the CRC in Sierra Leone might be helped in raising up Godly leaders, establishing self-supporting churches and discipling believers. In short, we join with the mission of our denomination to ‘transform lives and communities worldwide’ trusting that God will transform both the church in BC and Sierra Leone by his Spirit.

Areas of focus for this partnership:
- Leadership development
- Micro credit expansion of CES’s program
- Christian Education
- Social Justice
Getting involved with the work in Sierra Leone
1. Financial and prayer support for World Missions staff (John Phiri) or CRWRC staff (Wyva Hasselbad) in Sierra Leone
2. Financial support of World Mission’s work and CES’s work in Sierra Leone
3. Discuss with North American World Missions or CRWRC staff about special projects in Sierra Leone