Field Report - 2008 Mid-Year Update from Breakthrough Partners

Breakthrough Partners has been actively involved in Africa and Asia, building leaders who will rebuild their broken communities. These communities are characterized by extreme poverty, rampant disease and ideological conflict.  Most of the churches here have adopted a purely animistic form of spirituality, focusing almost exclusively on the influence of the spirit world.  Consequently, their praying, teaching and preaching focuses on deliverance, miracles, healing and revival.  They do not grasp well the implications of God's Word for the social and physical dimensions of life, resulting in avoidance or disregard for daily obedience to God's truth and will.

To walk with the local leaders that God has called, we have been very strategic, maximizing our gifts and resousces and investing in those who can multiply the transformational leadership in their own and surrounding nations.  We are committed to a transformational movement spread in these communities of acute need, moving them towards God's intentions for their people, families and society.  We are convinced that change in these communities happens from the inside out:  initiatives led by local leaders who have been transomed by renewed minds and hearts will work together for the well-being of society.

A Brief Update for the Nations where Breakthrough Partners is connecting, consulting and coaching with local transformational leaders:

Kenya -
We are working with the leadership of Samaritan Strategy Africa (coordinator resides in Nairobi) to foster a continent-wide envisioning and training program to teach people to live before the face of God in all areas of life.  There are now more that 120 trainers who are multiplying training around the continent.  More that 12,000 church leaders have been trained in 23 countries.  Weekly training events are taking place throughout the continent.

As well, we are working with the leadership of ICAN (InterChurch AIDS Network) to assist them to train churches in prevention of AIDS, care of patients and the establishment of schools and feeding centers for orphans.  Despite the struggles and destruction of one center in the slum of Kibera following the violence in December and January issuing from the national elections, the leaders of ICAN are reestablishing the school and feeding center and expanding the ministry to other troubled regions of the nation.  The number of children served has more that doubled in the past six months.  Plans are being made to help the churches involved in the network to enhance their own agricultural projects to become more self-sufficient in responding to the needs.

Rwanda/GreatLakes Nations -
During the past six months, we have made multiple trips to Rwanda and the region.  In January a consultation was facilitated between presidents of public and private universities of Rwanda and the Chancellor of Eastern University (Pennsylvania).  The result is the formation of a national coalition that is working on creating a common curriculum on the ethics and processes of reconciliation and peace to be embedded in all universities of Rwanda.  Eastern University has established a partnership with the national university system to assist them in enhancing graduate education.

We hosted and facilitated a consultation on Reconciliation in May for leaders of diverse Christian denominations and ministries.  As a result, a Reconciliation Coalition representing more that 25 denominations and ministries has been formed.  This coalition is now working with the government of Rwanda to create the National Week of Reconciliation to heal and unite the citizens after the traumas of the 1994 genocide.

Wholistic ministry, partnership and business development training and coaching is being led by a newly structured training team and institute.  More that 400 pastors and Christian leaders participated January through June.  Several of these leaders came from Congo and Burundi.  The training has now expanded into these two nations with a request to work with leaders in Congo to establish an extension  training institute in Bukavu.  Communities where pastors and leaders are trained and coached are seeing church growth double, income triple and service to the community expand.  Schools have been started, soap making factories developed, trauma counseling made available and vocational training for youth launched.

Much coaching and training has been given to the leadership of Patmos Ministry that works with prostitutes, orphans and the extreme poor in Rwanda that no other churches want to assist.  This ministry has doubled since January, reaching more that 350 people and creating more than 30 jobs to employ former prostitutes and extreme poor.

Ivory Coast -
An interdenominational training team for the nation and for Francophone Africa has been established.  The leaders are now spreading envisioning seminars on a weekly basis to towns and communities of Ivory Coast and into Burkina Faso, Togo and Mali.  It is estimated that more than 600 pastors and Christian leaders have been trained in the past six months to work together to rebuild their communities.  Plans have been made to hold an expanded envisioning program in August 2008 and to create a transformation coalition comprised of church, government and business leaders.

South Africa -
Leaders of the greater region of Cape Town are expanding their impact and multiplying the number of churches, businesses and government departments working together to address the needs of the community.  After the envisioning and training consultation last October some 46 churches, 8 businesses and 2 government departments collaborated to prepare and distribute daily some 2,720 meals to orphans and street children.  Plans are being made with leaders in Cape Town to triple the partnership through a consultation process in September 2008 and increase the meals distributed daily to children to 9,400 in the next five months.

As a result of the effects of our work with the churches and government of Cape Town, a request has come to go to Swaziland in August 2008 to facilitate and coach a similar process especially because Swaziland has the highest rate of HIV (26%) in all of Africa.

Vietnam -
A partnership of church leaders from Vietnam continues to be facilitated.  During the past year, major work has been accomplished to document and archive the history of Christendom for the Vietnamese Church.  This work will give the Christians research material and a better understanding of their identity and the work of God in their nation.  Also, this year a strategic planning process has begun with these leaders to help them prepare and make plans for the role and activities of the church post-communism.