In the City

You have heard me mention the beginning of the Barnabas Foundation. Our goal is to channel resources to help the marginal class (urban poor) become economically stable and form an adequate educational base for survival in today’s global economy, and thus become stronger more effective spiritual leaders in their communities.  Our two primary objectives are 1) to educate in basic principles of administration and to encourage and help them finish their basic education (high school diploma) and 2) facilitate loans to establish small business with which they can begin to grow a stable economic base for their families. 

Some of you have expressed interest in helping this become a reality which is awesome! Here are some things you may consider:

     1) Sponsor someone to go back to school: $50/year will cover tuition and books

     2) Sponsor a small business: Cost will vary depending on the type of business, most will fall between US$100-500.
Some of you may wonder what kind of businesses we are talking about. They could be as simple as buying someone a washer machine and/or iron so that they can do laundry for others in their community who don’t have a machine. It could be buying a refridgerator so that they person can make ice and ice cream to sell.  Buying a welding unit to set someone up in a welding business, etc. And then of course, some businesses, depending on the skill and training of the person involved might be a woodworking shop.

     3) Consider donating a new or used computer. Our goal is to establish learning centers in the barrios, allowing children and adults to gain survival skills in the computer age. We will have government training programs and technicians giving classes (for free!) in basic computer skills and programs.  Please contact me about how to help us with this program. We need at least 6 computers per learning center (to make giving classes possible) and we can establish at least 10 learning centers alongside our Baptist church planting ministries!

I am happy to talk with anyone about these needs and would love to hear your suggestions and comments.  You can contact me directly to see about how to contribute. marsha.davidson@macregion.org 

For those who have read my blog for some time or have been here and worked with me, you know that I have been trying to figure out how to bring community development into the mix of church planting among the urban poor. Through experience, I have seen that the chaos of the barrios- economic instability, lack of education, hope, empowerment are tremendous obstacles in developing leadership and planting new churches. So, after much prayer and experimentation, we are going to create “The Barnabas Foundation” (Acts 4:36) which will be the right arm of our church planting efforts. Basically, the foundation will work with the following goals:

1) help people become financially stable by
     a)providing micro-credit for the start of small business’ and
     b) encouraging and helping people finish their education.

2) develop a sports ministry that will involve sports camps and on-going sports activities that will enable our Baptist churches and church plants to form relationships with the young men and women of the barrios. The goal is to nurture saving faith among these young people through their participation in sports.

3) continue providing special funds to people who find themselves in medical crisis. In the past, we have helped provide for a cochlear implant, an open heart surgery along with several other surgeries.

4) continue providing special funds for church planting projects. Over the past several years, volunteers have provided resources to help buy land and simple structures in which the new churches meet and carry on their ministries.  We are hoping to build a basketball court in Villa de Yaque this Spring. Also, soon I will be sharing some news about water purification ministry plans.

There is a lot yet to be done- how all this will work is yet to be determined. I have a lawyer who is drawing up the legal papers to submit to the DR government, establishing us as a non-profit foundation. By law we have to have 11 members of a Board of Directors.  I spent this past weekend recruiting people to form the Board of Directors- I am excited with the qualities and experience they bring to the table, especially their heart for the Baptist work.  Above all, we want the foundation to be the engine for the development of strong healthy leaders who will lead many others to Christ through the planting of many churches all around the city.

How can you help? Pray, pray and pray some more for God’s guidance and direction for the Board of Directors. Also, if any of you have special skills in any of the areas listed above, please call me or email me (marsha.davidson@macregion.org).  I want to hear from you!!