Session Four | Your Team

(Length: 120 minutes)

It’s so important for us to spend time considering and discussing our bias, assumptions and tendencies in our relationship with the poor. Much harm has been done throughout history. We desire so much to see restoration and healing in the communities in Africa and in ourselves and our own communities. That starts with searching our hearts and asking God to humble us. You will have watched a series of videos – Helping Without Hurting – and worked through the questions. Take this time to share together what you heard, how you are processing it personally, and how you can use this team opportunity to align yourself more with God’s heart and his ways.

• What assumptions do we have about poverty, people who are poor, and Africa? What perpetuates these assumptions?

• How do these assumptions affect the way we respond, serve, and participate?

• How does it feel to be challenged about our own brokenness and the crisis in our own nations? In what ways are we and our culture broken?

Hands at Work believes that our mutual brokenness can be a way we find solidarity, connection, and can care for one another. How can we be intentional about these things whilst in Africa, entering the community with wisdom and humility and serving with great

Hands at Work believes in the interdependence of Christ’s body, and the way we need one another to grow more into His likeness. Hands at Work believes in the power of teams and has seen the impact in both communities in Africa and the international Church. Watch this Welcome Teams video by George Snyman about this special invitation to come and unite with the Church in Africa to serve the most vulnerable.

Let’s take a moment to remember the purpose of teams:

1. To respond to and obey a personal call from God to go.

2. To personally encounter God’s heart among the vulnerable and grow in faith, as well as be encouraged and impacted by the core values and way of life of the Hands at Work community.

3. To encourage the work of local Christian volunteers on the ground.

4. To further the goals of the partnership between the local Church and the International Church and to stir up momentum to further this partnership when the team returns.

Pause for questions or comments: has your understanding of these purposes changed from when you began this journey? 

Read through and discuss this case study together: an illustration of the relationship between a church in San Francisco and a community based organisation (CBO) in Zambia.

Case study: Relationship between Sunset Church and Kachema Musuma CBO

Sunset Church in San Francisco was introduced to the community of Zimba, Zambia, through Hands at Work in 2012 by former US Director Lauren Lee, and Hands Advocates Abe and Suzette Lee (no relation). Since 2013, Sunset has sent annual teams to Zimba, consisting of 2 to 11 members, to build relationships with the Care Workers and children at the Kachema Musuma (The Good Shepherd) CBO. The church has grown its donor base from supporting 50 to 150 children. Many Sunset feet have walked the dusty roads of Zimba with Care Workers, who have become friends, while investing in the lives of and praying for the children who are known to them by name. 

When these team members returned to America, the impact of their time in Africa was so deep that it led some individuals to start caring for the most vulnerable in their own city. Sunset sends regular teams to participate in City Impact’s Adopt A Building ministry to do Holy Home Visits with residents in the underserved Tenderloin neighbourhood of San Francisco. A family of team alumni launched ‘“Coffee for a Cause’” at the church, a monthly after-service cafe that serves donated homemade savoury and sweet treats, with all proceeds given to Hands at Work and other ministries to the vulnerable.

In the Fall of 2018, Abe and Suzette, called to Chicago, left Sunset Church and were called to Chicago and have since made a home with another congregation. They trusted that God would be faithful to continue the work that had been started at Sunset. God answered those prayers and one year later, an advocacy team was formed at Sunset, strengthened by the Hands at Work North America webinars and supported by Hands at Work US members. Due to COVID travel restrictions, the 2020 team trip to Zambia was postponed. In response, those team members met online every night online in order to deepen relationships with each other, go through training, and pray for the Care Workers and children of Zimba by name. 

Hildah, the identified ‘Mother Theresa’ in Zimba community, started caring for the orphaned and vulnerable in her community in 1996. In the same year, George Snyman, co-founder of Hands at Work, visited Zimba and shared his heart for the poor with Hildah and a few other women in the community. According to Hildah, George’s visit brought so much hope and encouragement into the Care Workers’ lives, it inspired them to continue caring for the orphaned and vulnerable children around them. Hildah’s dream for Zimba is to see transformation, especially in the lives of the children who seem to have no hope for the future. Zimba's Care Workers have given themselves wholly to care for the vulnerable children in their community. The Care Workers in Zimba are very poor themselves, surviving by doing temporary odd jobs such as gardening and selling sugar cane. They lead very sacrificial lives in order to care for those who are struggling in their community. They are examples of true servants who are committed to caring and bringing hope to those around them. Hands at Work started a partnership with Zimba in 2012 and began to provide essential, life-giving services to the most vulnerable children. Today, 200 of the most vulnerable children are receiving support in the form of a hot, nutritious meal every day, access to education and basic health care. 

The Care Workers of Zimba community feel encouraged when they receive teams from Sunset Church, because relationships have been built, and they look forward to seeing their friends year after year. The Care Workers know that their photos are on fridges and in homes in America, and that they and the children are prayed for by name. They, in turn, also pray regularly for Sunset Church, remembering their generosity and friendship. In 2018, the highlight for Zimba was doing Holy Home Visits together; people from different corners of the globe bringing the presence of Christ into each home, as part of one body. 

This year, in the absence of a trip, videos were sent back and forth between Sunset Church and Zimba CBO. Click here to view them: 

• Sunset video to Zimba: https://drive.google.com/file/d/18fTAlSDDfYc6qXWJ9o_pnAIUQ1eElk_D/view?ts=5f25bf79

• Zimba video to Sunset: https://vimeo.com/423947208/80f731e95e

Kitson, who leads the Kachema Musuma CBO, had this to say about missing the Sunset Church team during the pandemic:

“We have faced so many problems, and we feel the absence of the Sunset teams, with their presence we feel at home. We feel happy. We feel encouraged. We feel encouraged and up held because of their presence and their help in our community.

In the past two years, when they have not been able to visit Zimba, so we have missed them a lot. We are praying to our great God that this pandemic comes to an end so they can start coming. I am sure Sunset knows that we are mature, we care for the children, and we have everything in place.”

Hands at Work believes in teams as a vehicle to God’s two-way transformation: in communities in Africa and in our own communities. But they are only effective in a long-term committed relationship, as one part of ongoing prayer, and encouragement and financial support. In order for the depth of God’s work to happen, it takes many years and faithfulness are required - this can’t be forged in a one-off trip.

Share the history of your church or community’s partnership with Hands at Work as well as your vision and goals:

• How were you first introduced to Hands at Work?

• What are your partnership activities to date? (including giving to 3 Essential Services to support children)

• What are your dreams and goals?

• What do you hope to be inspired by and changed by through partnership?

Discuss: How can we as a team help support and further these goals? Take time to brainstorm and make commitments.