Combined Christian Ministries to the Poor

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Derek Chambers
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1 Combined Christian Ministries to the Poor (NPO ) Profile February 2009 ISAIAH 58 Building bridges, meeting needs & restoring lives. Simply getting on with the Job! 1

2 Contents History 3 The Need 4 Key People 5 Our Vision 6 Our Mission 6 Core Values 6 Objectives 7 Ministry Overview 8 Activity Details 9 Volunteers 10 Sustainability 11 Monitoring & Evaluation 11 Expected Outcomes 12 Conclusion 12 Contact Details 13 Banking Details 13 References 13 Pictures

3 History Combined Christian Ministries to the Poor (CCMP) has been in existence as a Christian mission since 1995, in the beginning distributing donated food, clothing and other basic necessities to needy people, communities and other missions in the greater Port Elizabeth area. In1998 the then directors of CCMP were able to purchase premises on Salamntu Street, Kwazakhele, Port Elizabeth, as a base from where to serve the needs of the poorest of the poor from the surrounding community and establish programs that would develop beneficiaries spiritually. CCMP has however remained actively involved in other communities by supporting community initiatives with donated food, clothing, etc. The need to go beyond basic poverty relief and into areas of developing people and their communities, helping them break the curse of poverty in their lives, was acknowledged and the time came to enter a new phase of ministry, building on what was already established, that would focus on developing and equipping the poor to function productively in this world. The need to establish the ministry as a legal entity was also realized and the first binding constitution was adopted and signed in 2005 and CCMP was registered with the South African Government Department of Social Services as a Non Profit Organisation (Reg: NPO ). At the core of the ministry is a group of people who have a heart for the poor and have committed themselves to developing Combined Christian Ministries to the Poor as a vehicle to be utilised by those of means to positively and meaningfully affect the lives of the poorest of the poor within its reach. As a faith based organisation, the primary motivation for the work of Combined Christian Ministries to the Poor comes from the biblical book of Isaiah 58 vs 6-12 and the many other Biblical scriptures calling believers to reach out and care for the poor. The work of CCMP is guided by a Ministry Management Team which has a multidenominational and multi-cultural representation of members of society from both contributing and beneficiary groups. This Team is responsible for the design, delivery and evaluation of activities. 3

4 The Need An extreme disproportionate distribution of wealth, education and resources is a characteristic legacy of the Apartheid system of governance that has caused untold affliction for all South Africans with many scars lingering still today. Diseases like HIV/AIDS and TB also decimate poor communities leaving their children destitute and a lack of spiritual and moral values leave many without the ability within themselves to remove the afflictions that dominate their lives. Many, however, have high hopes for the future of South Africa and desire to contribute towards building a country where the injustices of the past are put right, diseases are eradicated, people are restored spiritually and live lives guided by values that benefit all. Hindrances to building this future include: 1) Uncertainty of how best to go about doing so, 2) A lack of a framework wherein the average person can participate and contribute and, 3) A lack of basic life-skills needed (on the part of the poor) to be positively contributing members of society. Since the arrival of democracy to South Africa in 1994, the legal divisions between people have been removed, but many of the physical, economic, educational and social conditions remain. CCMP seeks to work towards addressing these issues through three broad objectives: 1. Building bridges between people of means and poor communities bringing life, hope and capacity to those who need it. 2. Support of community based projects (CBO s) through the collection and distributing donated goods. 3. Empowering people through focused community development projects that will become self-sustaining. In working to build a better future, the focus of our activities is primarily the positive development, sustenance and protection of orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC s) found in our poor communities. Yet not forgetting to assist parents, caregivers and other adults in poor communities, with basic necessities and foundational life-skills enabling them to provide more stable, secure and safe environments in which their children can grow. 4

5 Key People Nine people from across the Christian denominational and South African cultural spectrum form the CCMP Ministry Management Team. Within this Team there is a group of full-time staff/volunteers who manage the daily activities of the ministry forming the CCMP Operations Team. The CCMP Ministry Management Team includes: Mark Lawler Chairperson John Fielden Vice Chairperson Janet Ablort-Morgan Treasurer Sindile Vezile Secretary Nondumiso Langa Member Julian Pledger Member Hamilton Matomane Member Vuyisile Nkomombini Member Mabhelandile Mafuna Member The CCMP Operations Team currently includes: Mark Lawler Ministry Director Nondumiso Langa Community Development Project Manager Vuyisile Nkomombini Project Manager Mabhelandile Mafuna Community Development Project Administrator As we are able to raise our budgeted funding, we look to add two more members to the Operations Team: 1) Administrator and 2) Project Manager. 5

6 Our Vision To be a well equipped and resourced cooperative organization reaching out to poor communities through the love of Christ and developing people to become self sufficient and live productive lives. Our Mission To the glory of God, the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom of love, justice and mercy and in accordance with sound Biblical and community development principles, our mission is to motivate, mobilize, guide, assist and coordinate a combined Christian ministry addressing the needs and aspirations of the poorest of the poor, the most neglected and underprivileged peoples in our city. Core Values As a faith based organisation, these values are at the core of our work: 1. We value the restoring of all people to a relationship with God through the person of Jesus Christ. 2. We value the Word of God as it calls us through the Biblical scriptures to be coworkers with Him reaching out to those who are lost. 3. We value the people of our city and our country and our shared future. 4. We value the coming together of the divergent people of our nation developing sustainable links between the wealthy and the poor. 5. We value a simple yet strong work ethic dedication and a sense of responsibility. 6. We value love that expresses itself through these values. 7. We value each other as part of a team. 6

7 Objectives 1. To live out and share a practical expression of God s love and call to redemption for all people, particularly the poor, that is inspired by the life, work, message and redeeming sacrifice of Jesus Christ. 2. Develop sustainable working relationships with local and international churches, missions organizations, volunteer placement groups and other charitable organizations. 3. Develop sustainable working relationships with community based organizations, schools, churches, community clinics and local government offices within poor communities. 4. Create awareness of definable and quantifiable needs in poor communities. 5. Facilitate activities that allow benefactors to meaningfully and continually contribute to the development of the poor through established working relationships with community organisations. 6. Support the work of qualifying community projects in their efforts to meet the challenges of poverty and killer diseases such as HIV/AIDS and TB through the distribution of donated goods (particularly food) and the support of skilled working hands through term volunteers. 7. Develop more focused partnerships with identified community projects where possible, assisting them to grow into self-sustaining developmental community based organisations. 8. Maintain an independent platform registered as a legal entity with the appropriate levels of management, administration and accountability to facilitate all activities. 9. Develop and maintain sustainable support. 7

8 Ministry Overview Broader Christian Community Churches, institutions, groups, individuals, etc CCMP Ministry Management Team Registered Non-Profit Organisation CCMP Operations Team Full/part time staff & volunteers coordinating activities Volunteers Groups & individuals Activities Service Office & Project Room All administrative functions Resourced venue for meetings, training, project planning and review. Community Project Support Collection & distribution of donated goods to community projects that serve relief and development to the poor. Awareness Creation & Bridge Building Create awareness of opportunities to benefit the lives of the poor in the city. Facilitate opportunities for volunteers to work within these projects & communities. Community Development Developmental partnerships with community based organisations. (see Ubomi Obutsha Centre Profile) 8

9 Activity Details All ministry activities are provided for through the following programs: Points in italic blue indicate activities not yet fully developed 1. Service Office & Project Room: - Providing resources and a supportive framework on which all activities can operate. Providing an equipped workspace for fulltime staff. Administrative functions. Meeting venue for training, planning, preparation, reviews and official management meetings. Secure storage of vehicles, equipment and donations for distribution. 2. Awareness Creation & Bridge Building : - Creating awareness of ministry opportunities to benefit the lives of the poor in the city and facilitate opportunities for volunteers to work within these communities. Developing working relationships with local and international churches, schools, businesses and charitable and volunteer organisations informing them of involvement/contribution opportunities. Developing working relationships with local community based organisations, churches, and schools in poor communities and identifying and quantifying possible projects and venues for charitable involvement. Training/education of groups and individuals regarding cross cultural work and the history and social makeup of the city of Port Elizabeth. Maintenance and regular updating of information boards to be displayed at venues that will create interest (supporting stores, churches, etc). 3. Community Project Support: - Collection & distribution of donated goods to community projects that serve relief and development to the poor. Identification and assessment of community based projects in poor areas according to predetermined criteria to determine their level of need so as to meet it with an appropriate level of support from donated goods. Only projects with a developmental (not just feeding) program are supported. Continually broadening the pool of possible donors (stores, churches, businesses, etc) of food, clothing, etc to be distributed to supported community projects. Storage of non-perishable goods for distribution as needed. 4. Volunteer Program: - Providing a supportive framework for local and international term volunteers. Providing transport, accommodation and other support for individuals and groups who wish to give a fixed amount of time working with CCMP as fulltime volunteers. Facilitate placement of these volunteers into existing programs within community based projects. 5. Community Development: - Developmental partnerships with community based organisations. (see Ubomi Obutsha Centre Profile) 9

10 Volunteers All those volunteering under the banner of Combined Christian Ministries to the Poor do so without the expectation of payment but for the benefit of the communities that the ministry serves. 1 Volunteer Opportunities 1.1 Fulltime Volunteer: Someone who participates in the daily running the ministry s activities. 1.2 Contract Volunteer: Someone who commits to a defined period of time to participate in the ministry s activities. 1.3 Part-time Volunteer: An individual who contributes when they are able to the ministry s activities. 2 Volunteer Compensation 2.1 Volunteers may where possible, where budgeted for, and only when funds are available receive some financial compensation in the form of a stipend or honorarium for costs incurred. 2.2 Stipends and honorariums will only be paid where budgeted for and when funds are available. 2.3 Any volunteer wishing to not receive stipends or honorariums due to them may so decline. 3 Volunteer Code of Conduct 3.1 As an organisation based on the Christian faith, ideally volunteers are to be disciples of Jesus Christ and his teachings and this should be evident in their lives. 3.2 CCMP does not however exclusively accept Christians as volunteers but does expect non-christian volunteers to: 1) Respect the generally accepted fundamentals of the Christian faith & those who live by them, 2) Not propagate the views of any other faith or philosophy as a representative of the organisation or while conducting work on behalf of the ministry. 3.3 All volunteers must be of sober habits. 3.4 All volunteers need to be willing to work freely for the benefit of others. 3.5 All volunteers are encouraged to be proactive and drive action, approved by the Management and Operations Teams, themselves. 3.6 All volunteers need to be teachable and willing to work within a team. 3.7 All volunteers are expected to provide reports of their work according to the requirements of the different activities. 3.8 All volunteers must communicate intended absence from their commitments to the Ministry Director. 3.9 The Ministry Management Team reserves the right to reprimand, restrict participation or dismiss any volunteer due to behaviour that reflects poorly on, or affects negatively the operation of the ministry Volunteers are to acknowledge their acceptance of this code of conduct and their duties as laid out in their relevant Volunteer Participation Forms by signing them in duplicate. 10

11 Sustainability 1. Over the past few years in particular, active participation and support by new individuals, churches, businesses and granting organisations has enabled CCMP to grow and develop a proven track record and an interconnected framework to sustain and expand its activities. 2. The past few years have also seen growth in the commitment by individuals to the Ministry Management and Operations Teams which provides greater stability for the ministry s sustainability. 3. As CCMP has grown, some part-time volunteers have become fulltime volunteers viewing the work of CCMP to be their calling. 4. A comprehensive activity plan and operating budget has been formulated with the purpose of raising the funding necessary to sustain the work of the ministry. 5. CCMP has been constituted as a Non Profit Organisation (NPO Reg: ) with the South African Government Department of Social Services which inherently requires systems and checks that promote sustainability. Monitoring & Evaluation 1. As a registered NPO, CCMP is required to have an annual audit performed on its finances and systems ensuring transparent accountability. 2. Update reports are produced monthly / bimonthly which include highlights and statistics as they are available. 3. Management meetings are held quarterly where monitoring and evaluation of activities, systems and impact take place. 4. An annual general meeting is held where a report is presented to all parties involved and the floor is open for feedback and input. 11

12 Expected Outcomes 1. That the restorative work of God through the love given in Jesus Christ will be demonstrated through practical actions and not just rhetoric. 2. That there will be an organic healing of past wounds and injustices through the cross interaction of people from all walks of life. 3. That entrenched cross-cultural perceptions and fears from the past will be overcome resulting in a greater participation from the more affluent average members of our society (particularly from among the Christian community) in the development of the lives of the poor. 4. That through partnerships, poor communities will develop the means to lift their own children out of the self defeating cycle of poverty, enabling them to become healthy, balanced and capacitated contributing members of society. 5. That, through the support given by donations of basic necessities, projects working in poor communities will be able to shift their focus from predominantly survival activities to developmental ones. Conclusion Combined Christian Ministries to the Poor is a faith based social welfare and development organisation. To be a part of the solution to the many problems in our city, and in our country, we need to accept responsibility for them and how they are addressed. We believe the starting point to be the extension of salvation through the Gospel of Jesus Christ in addressing the fallen nature of mankind, and the follow through of restoring dignity to people s lives through the provision of basic needs, lifting the burden of disease, passing on the privilege of knowledge and ability to those who need it and giving of ourselves to accomplish this. There are many who wish to do something for the poor and through the managed platform of CCMP we are delivering real opportunities for those who align themselves with our approach to take up and work together, contributing to each other s efforts, to affect real restorative change in the lives of the poor in a continuous and sustainable manner. 12

13 Contact Details Phone Mark Lawler (CCMP Director / Project Chairman) Nondumiso Langa (Project Manager) Land line Fax Physical Address Salamntu Street, Kwazakhele, Port Elizabeth Postal Address PO Box 7348, Newton Park, mark@ccmp.org.za Banking Details First National Bank Account Name: Combined Christian Ministries to the Poor Account Number: Branch Name: Newton Park Branch Code: References St John s Methodist Church - Senior Minister Barry Marshal Lighthouse Family Church - Missions Pastor Themba Ndhambi Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality - Ward 27 Councillor Mr M. Seti

14 Collection & distribution of donated goods to community projects 14

15 Pilot Community Development Project The Ubomi Obutsha Centre Providing basic needs for orphaned & vulnerable children 15

16 Disaster relief Building bridges 16

17 Restoring broken lives 17

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