New Development!

INVISION GLOBAL NETWORK, or IGN, is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing strategic partnerships that help people reach their full potential through education, empowerment and short-term serving experiences. We provide wholistic training for under-developed communities and serve as advocates connecting those who have resources to those with who lack them as well as mobilizing volunteers to help meet physical, mental, emotional and spiritual needs throughout the world.

IGN has been going through a process of transformation; a time of determining how we can truly realize the full scope of our calling. Until now, our primary focus has been on short-term serving trips but the greater part of our mission is developing strategic partnerships, empowerment and education.

Recently, Cindie and I were invited to participate in a missions’ conference in Arlington, Illinois. A young couple was speaking at the conference and shared a little about their mission in Southern Africa. After the conference we got together for lunch and talked more about their work, a program or development tool called “CHE”. We were mesmerized; totally drawn in by the stories and testimonies of the lives impacted and changed through the philosophies of this program.

“CHE” stands for Community Health Education. It’s a multifaceted, community-based, development strategy that deals with the whole person: physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually.

It’s about:

Equipping Nationals for Ministry
Long Term Development, not Relief
Local Ownership / Control
Emphasizing Local Resources
Integrated “Wholistic” Discipleship
Sustainability

Basic CHE Training Lessons are in:

Evangelism / Discipleship (how to share Christ, Pray...)
Disease Prevention (vs. cure)
Emotional Care
Appropriate Technology (water purification, solar & mud stoves)
Agriculture (home gardening)
Animal husbandry (raising chickens, goats, odorless pig pens)
Family Planning
Addictions

Cindie and I have always felt that we’ve needed a stronger concentration on development and we believe that “CHE” will provide that. What does this all mean for IGN – for us? First, we would like to spend 75% to 85% of our time on the field doing training and partnership development. As we develop these relationships our goal would be to connect under-resourced churches from all over the world with churches wanting to come alongside them, partner with them and to help alleviate poverty and suffering at all levels.

We would continue to work with teams, providing training and tools (on-line) to help get them on the field and since we would already be on the field, the costs of short-term serving trips would be significantly reduced.

This new strategy also requires a big step of faith on our part. We would have to develop a support team; partnerships with churches and individuals who recognize that this as an investment into God’s Kingdom.

We are in the process of defining what partnership means and how that might look. Our desire is to serve the whole Body of Christ, helping all people reach their full potential in life. Helping individuals discover their true purpose, how God specifically designed us and how we can employ His gifts and talents for to make a difference in the world.