by Paul Lindberg
Currently Agape Europe is sending people, resources and humanitarian aid to the world. We thank God for what He is doing, yet at the same time we are asking Him to accelerate and increase our contribution to the 
world – a priority we call Global Contribution. For this reason, Agape’s Global Contribution leadership team (Klaus Dewald, Roland Kurth, Javier Garcia, Karin Lindberg and Paul Lindberg) invited mission and humanitarian leaders to a Global Contribution Forum in Giessen, Germany, this past summer.
At the Forum, Javier Garcia introduced Global Contribution’s three pillars:
Pillar One: Humanitarian aid and development
- Agape officially launched the Agape international Group (AiG), a network of humanitarian help organisations. Members are committed to making God’s love relevant through contributing aid, people, expertise, and other resources to areas of crisis and the poorest of the poor. AiG will provide a means for 1) communication, 2) sharing ideas, opportunities and resources, and 3) collectively building effectiveness and capacity. (Read Javier’s letter for a report of his efforts to set up such a project in Burkina Faso).
Pillar Two: Sending People
- Agape is sending people both short-term and long-term throughout the world. We estimate that currently about 100 people are serving outside of Europe. Whether it is a student project to a university, an AIA sports camp or an aid project, qualified people are needed to lead and participate.
Pillar Three: Sending Resources
- Although our Global Contribution increasingly involves humanitarian aid and usually involves sending people, Agape is increasingly sending other resources to the world. These resources include mobilisation for prayer, funds, providing expertise and know-how, sharing ministry principles and methods, special projects and partnerships, and more.
The Forum allowed participants to share from their experiences, learn from one another, and explore ways of cooperation that would increase Agape’s capacity to contribute to the world. As a result, two African countries and a Middle Eastern country were selected as joint Global Contribution projects. Each provides several avenues for cooperation.
Although each project is unique, they all bring together the three Global Contribution pillars of sending aid and development, sending people, and sending other resources. All projects are connected with the national CCC ministry, local churches, and other local organisations.
Global Contribution in Leader Training
Global Contribution is also being incorporated into the next round of leader development training – called Next Generation Initiative – which just finished in Ethiopia. The training includes classroom study, several days of humanitarian aid work and the challenge of living in crowded conditions.
Interacting with Ethiopian believers made a great impact. “The Ethiopians take their faith very seriously,” said Lehari Kaustel, an Estonian who participated in the training, “and they are passionate about it. They had nothing, they eat maybe once a day, but still they thanked God for what they had. This gives you a whole different perspective on life.”
Ethiopian staff asked Western Europe to help them build credibility by meeting people’s physical needs. Since evangelicals in Ethiopia do not belong to any of the major religious groupings in the country, they are often marginalized. Meeting needs can help open doors.
When several houses in a very poor area near the Ethiopian campus ministry office burned down, local staff saw this as an opportunity to serve the community. Staff members at the Next Generation Initiative are renovating six shelters in this neighbourhood. They also raised money back home to make it possible for 100 children in the community to go to school.
“These acts of love have created an enormous breakthrough,” said Damtew Kifelew, Ethiopian National Director. “People didn’t connect with us before and stayed away from our compound, even throwing stones at our building. But now they invite us to enter their shelters, drink coffee with them and give witness of our faith.”