Monday, October 19, 2009

Relational Ministry Training

This week, Gallatin County Love INC will take a significant step in its life: it will receive training from the National Headquarters to become a Level II affiliate. In other words, it will be receive the tools to prepare for, launch and implement Relational Ministry in our area.

Relational Ministry is a longer-term ministry involvement with clients that includes teaching and mentoring on a variety of life-skills topics while holding clients accountable and supporting them through our faith, prayer and material means. It is all accomplished by volunteers from partner churches, so it can develop in Gallatin County only according to the goals and desires of our partners.

For many years, Gallatin County Love INC has been working hard to have the pieces in place to implement Relational Ministry. This year, after a self-assessment against best practices, after an examination and approval by the National Headquarters, and after much prayer, we have been given the green light to take the next step. The training this week is the culmination of the contributions of many hard-working and generous Christians (volunteers, donors, pastors, board members and staff) and partner churches that want to do more.

Relational Ministry is important, because it can transform the lives of the Christians involved in it, as well as the lives of hurting neighbors who need churches to lead them to wholeness.

The training, held in Hudsonville, Michigan, will be attended by Nancy VanDyken (Executive Director), Jim Good (Coordinator of Volunteers), Joyce Kamp (Board Member) and Rev. Bryan Clark (Gallatin Valley Presbyterian Church). Please ask God to bless the training and Relational Ministry as it develops in Gallatin County.