Pastors Trained, Students Back to School.

 September issue 

                                    Pastors Training 

This week marked our fourth cohort of pastors' training, held in partnership with Apollos Training. Most church leaders and pastors in our region lack access to basic theological training, and as a community project, we recognize that our community's needs go beyond the physical; they stem from the wholeness of who people are at their core. That's why our education, health, and community development work must be paired with an honest spiritual assessment of our community's foundation.

Two years ago, we began offering training for pastors from the wider Busia community. Since then, we've developed a curriculum aimed at providing not just quality training, but training that is contextualized to our setting. When pastors and church leaders are equipped, the ripple effect reaches their congregations, members of our own community who then receive sound biblical teaching in a country where cultic and distorted forms of the gospel are common.

 We're also grateful that these trainings have strengthened unity among the 93 pastors who now meet regularly to learn from one another. Our commitment remains the same: to see shalom restored in our community.

Farming Training for Pastors. 

Alongside the pastors' training, we also concluded a farming training for pastors, most of whom are farmers themselves. Many church leaders in our community depend on their farms as their primary source of livelihood, yet they've had little access to modern, sustainable farming practices that could help them make the most of their land.

Our goal with this training was to help these pastors improve their farming methods so their families can enjoy a more stable and reliable income. A pastor who is not weighed down by constant financial strain can better focus on shepherding his congregation. When a pastor's household is stable, he is freer to devote his time and energy to his calling, visiting the sick, counseling families, preparing sound biblical teaching, and leading his church well. In this way, strengthening a pastor's farm is not separate from strengthening his ministry; it directly enhances his capacity to serve as a leader in the church and in the wider community.

We believe caring for the whole person, spiritual, economic, and social, reflects the kind of holistic transformation we're committed to seeing in our community. Just as we equip pastors theologically so their churches receive sound teaching, we're equipping them practically so their families can thrive, and so they can lead from a place of stability rather than survival.

Back to School 

As the school year kicked off last week, we conducted an assessment with the teachers during our capacity development program. Most identified absenteeism as a major hindrance to learning, a concern that continues to weigh on us, especially since most of our students have no sponsors and we require parents to contribute at least toward their children's meals and administrative needs.

For Instance: Two students have not been able to attend school, and when the school called to ask why, we learned they were working in a quarry to earn money. As sad as this is, it exposes a great need for our school. We long to offer quality education to as many children in our community as we can, but the needs are often overwhelming.

These two boys (pictures in quarry and in school) deserve to be in school learning, but they are looking for means to support their families and even themselves. We invite you to join us in prayer for them and for others who come from underprivileged families, that they would find sponsors. 

This year we are also prayerfully trusting God for the completion of Shalom Care School. Please join us. 

We would appreciate it if you would pray for the students as they continue to learn and grow, and that they would be shaped into the people God intended them to be. 

Even so, we remain excited about the ongoing equipping of our teachers and the impact this will have on learning. Pray for our efforts as we seek to develop the teachers' capacity. 

Our invitation remains to come alongside our community as we seek to be part of what God is transforming. 

Watch a video on farmers' training for pastors here. 

For giving options: 

For USA Donors 

1. To mail your donation, please make your check payable to Christian Ministry Alliance, with a notation for Fund FS3045, and mail to: P.O. Box 7735, Goodyear, AZ 85338

2. If you are giving from a Donor-Advised Fund or Private Charity: Follow these steps:

 Find "Christian Ministry Alliance" in your grant portal. (Goodyear, AZ|EIN: 46-3408177)
In your grant portal, designate the gift by including the name of the associate or FSO, with a notation for Fund FS3045

3. Checks through director:  payable to “Robert Ngolobe”  Mail to: 1423 Wesley Court, Mundelein, IL 60060

4. Venmo to @Robert-Ngolobe

5.PayPal to ngoloberobert@gmail.com

6. Zelle-ngoloberobert@gmail.com or 6084492247

7. Wiring instructions to give to our Ugandan bank:

Equity Bank Uganda LTD

Equity Bank 

Plot 34, Kampala Road,

P.O. Box 10184 Kampala, Uganda

Account Name: Shalom Namutere Project

Account Number: 1044200926314

SWIFT: EQBLUGKA

Yours faithfully 

Robert Edube 

Executive Director