Genesis Global Community Development Network
IDENTITY
Genesis is a Christian agency engaged in the process of Transformational Community Development (TCD). We are headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia with support offices in England, Holland, Northern Ireland, and Sweden. Presently we work internationally with impoverished communities in Romania and Zambia. Future goals include networking relationships that would partner together for implementing TCD methodology that is church-based, among marginalized urban communities within the United States.
MISSION
We improve the quality of life in impoverished communities by enabling those
communities to break cycles of poverty and injustice. We help the poor (1) restore their identity as children of God and (2) recover their calling as stewards in His Kingdom.
METHODOLOGY
Genesis projects in underprivileged communities are:
• Transformational – Our goal is true community transformation that is systemic and sustainable.
• Holistic – We address physical, spiritual, relational, economic, political,
educational, social, and other issues.
• Community-owned – Our development projects are initiated and owned by
members of the community itself.
• Sustainable – Solutions must be sustainable by the community without
depending on long-term support from outside professionals or resources.
• Networked – We work with local and national governments, non-governmental organizations, educational institutions, church and mission groups,
development professionals, the business community, and more.
• Global – Our process principles are designed to work in any national or cultural context.
• Accountable – Well-defined, measurable objectives are agreed upon by
community representatives and by Genesis. Outcomes are continuously
assessed, evaluated, and re-evaluated.
• Realistic – We understand that no single individual or agency has all the
answers, and that prosperity alone does not make a community healthy.
Our methodology rests on a 5-fold platform:
1. Restored relationships
Our view is that poverty is not merely a lack of resources or skill sets. If this were
the case the millions of dollars spent on relief would have produced greater
impact. Rather it appears related to a combined and interrelated series of failed
relationships that rob the disadvantaged of their ability to break free from their
circumstances. This will include relationships with God, family, neighbors,
community, and nation.
2. General well being
This is a combined tension between a felt needs lack of resources and skill sets
and the creation of a self-sustaining ability that empowers for permanent
solutions and avoids dependency models. The transformational process goes
beyond issues of relief and redirects social action initiatives towards a community
participation learning exercise.
3. Developing agents of transformation
One of the detriments of outside efforts is the continuous “us” and “them”
perception that tends to evolve when effort is made on behalf of a community.
This is addressed by many organizations in a relocation program in an attempt to
integrate agency principles into community. While incredibly helpful, our
approach, in an effort at multiplied impact, has been to train teams that work
directly with community organization members, enabling them to become the
agency. Our long- term, multi-generational approach to community involvement
must incorporate agents from within the community to not only drive the process
but own it as well.
4. Creating networks and links for sustainability
All marginalized communities will require outside assistance in the process of
pursuing the pathway of what we call expanded transformation frontiers. This is
generally true in areas of education and economic development. A large part of
our process is to assist the community through facilitating these relationships.
5. Systems and structures
Any work of gospel application and witness among the poor must take a holistic
approach that recognizes the need for redemptive influence in the power centers
of social, religious, political and economic systems that unwittingly participate in
the poverty trap as a result of their fallen ness. This is not a “kingdom now”
approach, but an attempt at kingdom influence in areas of oppression and
injustice through advocacy on behalf of the community and capacity building
within the community.
Process
Effective church based development is predicated on a proper definition of
church that goes beyond a local congregation. It also assumes that this correctly
defined church understands its full mission and mandate to disciple nations,
versus using programs of social action as a strategy for individual conversions.
A city church concept with trained volunteers can establish a relationship with
targeted communities on the basis of vision casting and surveyed felt needs
analysis. The result of this is a representative community organizational
committee that works in process with the volunteer staff. Annual Planning,
Community Mapping, Bible to life exercises, Appreciative Inquiry and
Participatory Learning Actions are all part of the volunteer involvement that walks
with the community organization strategically through various applications of a
four-phase process identified as Discovery, Dream, Design and Delivery.
This process is not merely a series of events. It is a comprehensive and
committed approach to bring salt and light into a community. It is a gospel
message that is affirmed by our life, our deeds, and validated by the Holy Spirit.
The result is a kind of relevancy on the part of the church beyond attendance and
program invitations that will provoke questions to which the proclamation of good
news becomes the answer. The spoken gospel is no longer a matter of
competing stories but has become validated by the love of God being
demonstrated with no agenda beyond improving the quality of life among the
poor…or to put it in Biblical terms, loving your neighbor as yourself.
It is a long-term, or multi-generational approach that does not look for instant
gratification, short-term relief, or a quick fix bundle of projects. In most
communities around the world this will represent a 12-20 year engagement. It
will require commitment, dedication, training and patience. It will produce a
community that is no longer dependant. Evangelism within the community will
become a lifestyle. The goal is a total systemic change that is reflective of
Ephesians 3:10-11 and Isaiah 61:1-4.
“To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the
church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the
eternal purpose, which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord” (NKJV)
"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who
are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of
vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in
Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of
praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. And they shall rebuild the
old ruins, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair
the ruined cities, the desolations of many generations.” (NKJV)
