TRANSFORMING
RURAL
COMMUNITIES
Envisioning
Community Health Evangelism/
Transforming Rural Communities
 CHE
is Community Health
Evangelism which is
mostly focused in rural
communities
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118 countries worldwide
In over 4000 villages globally
By over 550 groups
 Transforming
Rural
Communities is CHE in Rural
North America and is
focused on underserved
smaller communities
Transforming
Rural Communities By
 Connecting
People
 Creating Community
 Transforming Communities
Built on Luke 10:27
 Spiritual
Mandate: Love God with all your mind,
body, soul and strength
AND
 Cultural
Mandate: Love your neighbor as yourself
Our Purpose
 Not
just breaking poverty or planting churches,
though both are accomplished
A
transformation in lives and communities that is
as deep as the human heart and as broad as the
whole range of the different sectors of society.
 Jesus
is recognized as Lord over all creation and
our development activities to reflect the depth
and breadth of the kingdom of God.
Vision For Rural Communities
See a rural community
develop to its Godgiven potential in all
areas of life.
Communities are
networked together so
eventually the region is
transformed.
Transformation is Built on Relationships
 Person
to person relationships which is built over
time and through multiple contacts
 Person to neighborhood relationships
 Small community to others in county relationships
CHE Overseas is in Rural Villages
A
geographical
place where people
live
 Been in same place
for generations
 Know each other
 Hold many things in
common
 Strong network of
relationships
 Have a sense of
belonging, my place
Characteristics Needed to be a
Real Community
 Neighbors
live in same geographic area
 Neighbors know each other
 Neighbors available to each other
 Neighbors spontaneous with each other
 Neighbors meet frequently
 Neighbors have common meals
People Often Only See Needs
 Alcohol
and drug dependency
 Youth leaving for life in the cities
 Unemployment and underemployment
 Underfunded schools at risk of being closed
 Shifting values
 Broken families
 Poor living conditions
But God Has Given Many Assets
 All
people want to be of value to others and not
just be a receivers
 Builds on what is in the neighborhood already,
work can be on-going by people in it.
 Needs focus on problems, assets on solutions
How Does One Find Assets In the
Community?
 ASK
PEOPLE: for input on themselves, on
associations, and institutions, about the location,
and about what they’ve seen God doing.
 WHO do we ask?
Everyone
community leaders,
workers,
housewives,
teachers
kids
 We
value people by asking them
Rural Community Transformation
Is Built On
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Find Externally focused Churches and want to reach their
communities in a wholistic way.
Prayer and unity in the church.
Identifying and utilizing the assets already found in your
community.
Mobilizing individuals, associations and institutions. to build
together on their assets.
Reawakening neighbor helping neighbor instead of being
dependent on professionals.
Connect small interest groups to neighborhood
interests.
Jesus Christ is the cornerstone. He
has good plans for your community.
Ways to Help
Relief
Betterment
Development
Major Players in Rural
Community Transformation
A
Facilitation/Training Team (launch team) of
10-12 lay people from the church, and
eventually the community, initiates the
program--creating awareness and training
the next two groups.
 A Committee, or Association of local leaders
who are trained by launch team & then
direct Rural Community Transformation in
their area.
 Mentors/Coaches are local
volunteers who learn how to help
their neighbors & then visit neighbors
to share what they have learned.
Participation BY People’s at
Their Interest Level

Expose (Doing For)
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Engage (Come Along Side)
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Easy Entry
One Time
No Commitment
Little Relationship
Several Times
Heart is Changing
Some Commitment
Builds New Relationships
Own (Leadership)
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Deeper Engagement
Recruiting Others
High Relationship
Do For
Come Alongside
Leadership
Training Local Volunteer
Facilitators
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Facilitators are volunteers therefore only have limited
time each week
Start with 14 hour Weekend Training for volunteer
facilitators by Master Trainer
Train multiple churches together each applying in their
neighborhood.
Churches decide which modules they want additional
training on from 16 modules (4 to 7 hours each).
Participatory Learning
Owned by The Learners
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Starts with what people already know
and builds.
Focuses on the learner not the teacher.
People are involved in their own learning
instead of being lectured to. They
participate in small groups, discussions,
role plays, creating stories and songs.
All learning is turned into action and not
left as head knowledge.
The teaching is under the guidance of
the Holy Spirit.
There are over 2000 participatory lesson
plans to be used by the trained on many
different topics.
Observable Indicators
of Transformation
 Transformed
neighborhoods from the inside.
 People know neighbors and helping each other.
 People knowing and growing in Christ.
 People taking responsibility for their own lives.
 Healthy growing churches.
 Improvement in employment and living conditions.
 Reduction in disease, crime, drug and alcohol
addiction.
 Other towns throughout the county begin to
implement Transforming Rural Communities.
Resources
www.neighborhoodtransformation.net
www.chenetwork.org
http://facebook.com/pages/Neighborhood
-Transformation/178206349129
http://urbancheguy.wordpress.com
stan@neighborhoodtransformation,net