MMS & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Rev Derrick Lau, Executive Director of MMS.

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion—to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified. They shall build up the ancient ruins; they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. Isaiah 61:1-4 ESV

Over the past three decades, MMS has operated on a twin pronged mission strategy of Church Planting and Community Development. In the recent issues of Harvest Force, articles were written on the planting of indigenous churches in the mission fields. Concrete examples of Church Planting efforts are the development of preaching points and local churches together with the enlistment and equipping of national leaders to serve as pastors, small group leaders, and administrators. MMS missionaries often play a secondary supportive role in terms of encouraging, mentoring, and coaching the local leaders; supporting their endeavours in nurturing; and growing disciples of Christ in the respective local entities.

The other key mission strategy is Community Development. It is a ministry developed by the professionals and laity to bless the people whom the Lord has called us to minister. Its goal is to witness the transformation of lives in fulfilling the biblical mandate… “to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound, etc.” Specifically, MMS set up educational institutions such as schools to provide high quality Christocentric curriculum to improve the educational standards of the students while at the same time, introduce the message of Christ to them. The educational goal is to teach, train, and nurture the local boys and girls, generally from the poorer communities. We develop capacity for learning and academic development and at the same time, inculcate Christian values where appropriate. The years of exposure to the school environment will, with much prayer, impact their lives and motivate and inspire them to develop an insatiable thirst for learning even after their formal education has ended. All the while, the seeds of the Gospel are sown directly and indirectly via accessible means such as chapel services, Christian fellowship, and the observance of Christian festivals such as Good Friday, Easter, and Christmas.

MMS’s goal is to witness the transformation of lives in fulfilling the biblical mandate.

Other community projects include the setting up of and/or supporting Children’s Homes, Student Hostels, and Income Generating Projects. The first two community projects seek to address the educational and social development needs of children (as their schools are typically located far away from their homes) and the third focuses on the equipping of skills and the provision of seed monies to assist in the development of financial self-sustainability in the fields.

In the next issue, we shall explore some key ingredients that set community development apart from other forms of social and/or political development.