Micah and the Great Commission

The Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.Matthew 28:18-20

Micah’s mission has always been to be a catalyst for transforming mission through the promotion of integral mission. In the Micah Declaration on Integral Mission (September 2001) integral mission is defined as:

Integral mission or holistic transformation is the proclamation and demonstration of the gospel.

In many places people have preferred to use the term holistic mission as opposed to integral mission: holistic referring to meeting the whole of human need. Although different needs will be prioritised in different contexts, the central focus remains on meeting human need. The integral mission terminology helps us to broaden that and to root it in God’s Mission, out of which flows transformation.

The Kingdom of God and the Reign of God: “All authority in heaven and earth has been given to Jesus.” This is the Good News. The Kingdom of God is here now.

Proclamation is letting people know that God’s mission to restore all things in heaven and on earth is in process through Jesus. In light of the terrible atrocities we are hearing almost daily in the news, people need to hear this Good News. People are hungry for truth and hope, that only the Gospel can bring. Do we believe that the Gospel has the power to break through the pain and destruction and be light to our hurting world?

Discipling Nations: teaching, modelling, mentoring, guiding, supporting, enabling, training, warning, correcting and speaking truth to power. All of this is a part of discipleship.

Micah takes hold of this command through our national Micah expressions gathering together in integral mission conversations to learn, to act, to unite, to articulate and advocate together, so as to disciple our respective nations. An integral part of this is to share the amazing truth of the Good News in Jesus. We only have to look at how Jesus did this daily in the public square to recognise the importance of speaking truth, giving hope and showing love to our nations.

Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded: What has God commanded? Is it not to love the poor, set the oppressed free, care for the stranger, the widow, the orphan? To act justly, love mercy and walk humbly? Is it not to seek fair wages, expose corruption, heal the sick, care for the vulnerable? Is it not to care for creation? Reading through Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, there are clear commands to demonstrate the love of God through our actions. In Micah we seek to work together on a united and effective action, showing the uniqueness of the Kingdom of God approach in all aspects of life. This is transforming mission – bringing the change we long to see in our world.

Baptising them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit: our shared goal of transformation is that every nation, every community, every family, every workplace, every person will experience and respond to the Lordship of Christ because they see evidence of His reign in us and hear the life changing Good News of the Kingdom of God.

Micah and the Great Commission – this affirms our shared vision: communities living life in all its fullness, free form poverty, injustice and conflict.

As you read through the April Newsletter, may I invite you to join in and invest your gifts and energy in this shared vision.

Sheryl Haw
International Director

Joel Edwards Receives Award

We are thrilled to share the news that Joel Edwards (former International Director of Micah Challenge) was awarded the Langton Award for Community Service on 31 March 2016. The award was given by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.

Re-live the Lima Global Consultation!

Crowd of delegates at Lima Global Consultation

The full collection of exciting videos, songs, talks, images, papers, and presentations from the 6th Global Consultation is now available in three formats:

· On DVD, playable on computer or DVD/Blu-ray player

· On USB (thumb drive) for computers without an optical drive

· On digital download

For full details and links to order, please go to the website page here

Call2Compassion Uganda Gathering

Passionate about transforming your community?

Dates: 2nd to 6th May 2016

Location: Jina, Uganda

Tearfund, in collaboration with the Call2All Network and YWAM, organises several gatherings each year to inspire and equip people to do integral mission in the places where they live and work. Micah Uganda will have a special meeting within this event.

For more information and to register see here

Masters' in Transformational Development: New hub for Middle East, Africa, Europe

Are you passionate about justice for the poor, committed to a faith-based, biblically-informed response to the needs of those who continue to be violated by poverty? Yearning for an opportunity for thoughtful reflection relevant to your calling and vocation as an aid and development practitioner?

This Master of Transformational Development (MTD) course may suit you!

The international MTD learning community provides both a “safe place” in which to grapple with the complexities and challenges of integral mission and a rigorous academic framework in which to learn and innovate. Together we explore the interface between theology, development theory and the practitioners’ experience.

This course, currently offered by Eastern College Australia from centres in Melbourne and Kuala Lumpur, is starting a new hub for the Middle East, Europe and Africa, with one-week intensives twice yearly at the beautiful Anafora Retreat Centre, Egypt.

Interested in applying? Write to the course director or see full details on the Eastern College website.

ISAAC Asia Conference 2016

ISAAC (International Substance Abuse & Addictions Coalition), is an international network of Christian organisations and individuals working in the areas of Substance Abuse, Addictions, and HIVAIDS.

Theme: 3rd SAAC Asia Regional Conference

Dates: 10th to 14th October 2016

Location: Yangon, Myanmar

For more information: http://www.isaac-international.org

Climate Stewards

Climate Stewards provides voluntary carbon offsetting to NGOs, mission organisations, churches, businesses and individuals. We believe that Jesus’s command to love our neighbour gives a strong mandate to Christians to take action on climate change, which affects our global neighbours first and worst. Many organisations have already taken steps to reduce their carbon footprint, for example by using Skype and video-conferencing to replace face-to-face meetings.

However, they recognise that it is sometimes necessary to travel, and so they invite people to ‘reduce what you can and offset the rest’. Using their own data, information provided by travel agents or their carbon calculator, organisations and individuals can offset the carbon emissions from their flights (as well as land travel and office utilities).

For more information see here.

Micah Advocates

Micah Australia: Draw the Line
Australia’s government keeps cutting the aid budget. Micah Australia has initiated a campaign to advocate to their government to draw the line on further cuts to programmes which help communities and countries overcome the barriers that entrench poverty.

Côte d’Ivoire – the Country We Want

From the 17th to 19th March, over 60 of us met daily to deliberate over how we can be a blessing in Côte d’Ivoire. Weighing heavy on our hearts and minds was the recent atrocities at the tourist resort of Grand Bassam where 18 people lost their lives when gunmen opened fire. A number of thematic working groups were convened looking at transformation of health services, education, creation of jobs for the young people and re thinking the type of church of Côte d’Ivoire needs. Our first Micah young people gathering was held one evening with over 40 attendants looking at how inequalities can be address in the country. Well done to Chantal Tehe-Yoa (national coordinator) and her team.

Micah Events

All Micah events at National, Regional and Global level are advertised on our events page. Micah also facilitates events with members and other organisations. We encourage you to take part in these important gatherings as often as you can.

Moldova: Integral Mission Conversation: 8th to 9th April 2016

Germany: National Conversation: 22nd to 24th April 2016

Uganda: Call2Compassion and Justice gathering: 2nd to 6th May 2016 (this is faciliated by YWAM and Tearfund with Micah. Micah Uganda encourages all members to attend and will look to hold a soecial session together.)

CCD Conference: Doing Church God's Way: re thinking faith and development: Europe Regional Event held in Germany: 30th May to 3rd June 2016: Note: special simulation for younger generation.

Cameroon: Integral Mission Conversation: 7th to 9th July 2016

National Coordinators Workshop: UK from the 8th to 12th August 2016: for Micah National Coordinators.

Rwanda: International School of Reconciliation: 9th to 26th August 2016. This is faciliated by Mercy Ministries and Micah encourages members to take part in this essential training.

Honduras: Latin America Regional Consultation: Integral Mission in Violennt Places: 5th to 9th September 2016

Thailand: Asia Regional Consultation: 7th to 11th November 2016

Vacancies at Micah Global

Are you interested to work with Micah Global?

Two new part time roles are being recruited this month.

1) Communication Manager

2) Executive Assistant to International Director

For more information and to apply see here. Complete application form fully and return to info@micahglobal.org

Deadline for submission of application: Friday 29th April 2016