Soroti TLT - Christian Stewardship

By Anthony:

In December, we had our second manual in the Timothy Leadership Training group I started here in Soroti. It was a pleasure to lead alongside Rev. Engolu and Rev. Eliabu. The training was challenging because we had to follow a lot of new protocols because of covid-19. It was quite difficult for people to wear masks the whole day each day, but we did fairly well, though we weren't perfect. 

Unfortunately, since we had done manual 1 way back in February, there was a long time gap and some of our original participants did not come back for this second manual. But I was grateful that we also had about 15 new people join. We will plan a special training for them to catch up with manual 1 that they missed. Despite the challenges, we had an excellent training with 38 participants, and I believe everyone appreciated it!

This manual was about stewardship. We talked about the importance of work and how work, even farming, is honoring to God. As I've mentioned in other posts, there is a strong cultural idea here that agricultural work is shameful and something only for poor people. People crave office jobs. I learned that part of the reason for this is that when children are disobedient, they are sent to the garden to work as punishment by their parents. I also learned that this mentality about farming came to Uganda during the Colonial period. The British introduced a new sort of class system, and created many new positions for Ugandans as civil leaders and office workers. Now people crave such positions and look down on farming. What breaks my heart is that farmers are often the hardest workers in Uganda. The stereotype of the office worker, whether in the private or the public sector, is someone who sits in an office all day enjoying their power, and reading the newspaper, having tea, and not doing much else. This is a stereotype, and like with all stereotypes, there are plenty of exceptions. But it is sad that the office workers are honored while the farmers feel shame.

We had a lot of friendly debates and discussions about tithing and giving. We talked about whether tithing is a law for Christians or not, whether to give before or after taxes, should you give to other things besides your local church, what should be done with money collected in church offerings, and much more. We didn't all agree together on every point, especially since we had so many different denominations represented in our training group, but it was a mutually edifying discussion.

Sara was able to come and share a few practical things about agriculture and nutrition with the group so that some people can utilize her in their action plans for this manual. 

When it was time to give reports from their action plans for manual 1 - Caring for God's People - they were not quite as enthusiastic as a normal TLT group would be. This is because some of the plans were unable to be achieved during the COVID-19 lockdown in Uganda. But many of the action plans were successful despite the challenges, and other participants came up with alternative action plans that they could do during the lockdown. 

Peter's plan had been to do gardening projects to be able to support his family. He started with 3 chickens and has increased them to 30. As part of his action plan, he had to protect his garden from the animals of many neighbors. Unfortunately animals are often left to wander around in Uganda today despite the carnage that this causes to neighbors' gardens. Peter started to catch goats eating his garden, goats that belonged to various neighbors, and he decided to only release them back to the neighbors if they paid 10,000 shillings each time (less than $3). But he surprised the neighbors by using the very money he was given to buy ropes for the neighbors to use with their goats. So while initially the neighbors complained about him asking for money, eventually they appreciated him for helping to create a new culture, a culture of taking better care of animals and caring for each other's gardens. Peter and his wife were also able to share vegetables from their garden with their neighbors during the difficult time of the lockdowns.

Jackson was able to counsel two youths who had been under church discipline. One repented and came back to church and is involved in ministry again. One however has not repented.

Sam couldn't do his original action plan because of the lockdowns, but he went through the "Loving Your Neighbor in the Covid-19 Pandemic" TLT manual with his neighbors. They really appreciated it. Sam was so touched when later on he happened to see a neighbor mopping another neighbor's balcony. 

Isaac, along with two other choir members, cleaned the home of a blind church member. They were able to help him in several practical ways to make his life a bit easier and they also helped him to be able to join the church choir.

Job and Robert were able to visit Christians who had formerly left their church, and two people were restored to church fellowship and are worshiping with them again.

Karen and Moses built a database for a local church so that they can know each other's homes and birthdays. They are also helping the church to build a website.

The participants really enjoyed the action planning process and just about every person had a completely unique idea of what they would do to carry out what they learned in the Stewardship manual. Moses, a participant, says - "I have now seen so many things to be done, so many gaps to be filled, yet I've just been sitting there. Now I've gotten enough plans, so many plans that I probably don't have the time to do them all!"

I want to share with you some of their action plans in a very brief way so that you can be praying for them. Remember that each action plan has one goal and many activities so that each is about one page long. I'll share below just the summary of some of the plans. Here is a photo of people praying for their action plans:

New Action Plans:

1. Some people will be planting trees at their churches.

2. Some plans involve helping their local church to begin making income reports and expense reports, budgeting, and putting in place accountability structures.

3. Some participants want to train other church leaders from various churches on annual church plans, record keeping, budgeting, and financial accountability.

4. One member wants to start a piggery project with several church members to raise money for the church ministry.

5. One pastor plans to help a widow plant a garden to help provide for her.

6. Some people will be teaching their churches about tithing and giving.

7. One participant plans to get a metal rubbish bin for his church, and find a sustainable way of emptying it. He will train the church in how to use it as right now people just litter on the church grounds.

8. One person is going to train youth on stewardship and managing finances.

9. One participant wants to train a group of church leaders about managing time well in the church services.

10. One participant will teach women of her church about how to make kitchen gardens in town, and hopes to utilize Sara in this action plan as well.

11. One usher wants to make matching church uniforms for all the ushers in her church.

12. One participant is going to try to get clean piped water for the village community she grew up in.

13. One participant is going to visit and support elderly church members with food.

14. One person is going to train women on how to take care of their bodies and how to have good hygiene.

15. One person is going to start a youth savings group.

16. Some ladies are going to work to have their church compound cleaned and beautified with flowers and trees.

17. One participant is going to train youth so that they can join the church's worship team.

Unfortunately a bunch of people had to leave before we took the picture, but here is most of the group holding their action plans.