Here is what I have so far for section one of the project. Please let me know if there is anything else needed. I think we should get together again to work on putting this all together. My phone # is 503-7947 if anyone needs to contact me.

Blessings, Tony Dodd

Holistic Mission Project - Guatemala
Biblical/ Theological Reflection
Woven throughout the biblical text is God’s plan for the Church to engage in holistic mission to a fallen world (Gen. 1: 1 – Rev. 22: 21). Holistic mission is in fact the mission of God, Missio Dei. It is holistic in that it addresses all the needs of fallen humanity, i.e. the spiritual, social, and physical needs of human beings. This plan can be evidenced through four stages of biblical/ theological reflection in which God determines to bring glory to Himself through His people engaged in holistic mission. The four stages are Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Consummation.
Creation
The beginning point of a biblical/ theological reflection originates in the comprehension that God is the Creator. As the Creator, He has brought all things into existence in the natural world, was the architect of human beings, and was the initial designer of human societies and institutions (Gen. 1: 1 – 28).
As the zenith of God’s creation, human beings have been created to worship the Creator. We were also designed by the Creator to live in relationships and community with others. Having been created in the image of God, human beings were also delegated with authority to manage the order of creation. In turn, these three roles of humanity identified three areas of human need. Human beings must have a right relationship with God (spiritual), with others in community (social), and with the created world (physical) (Gen. 2: 18 – 25).
A relevant holistic mission theology addresses the three roles of humanity given to them by God through the creation process. By addressing each area of need, the Church in mission to the world reflects God’s original plan for His creation. Although salvation at its core is a transformation of the human heart, it also has strong social and physical aspects as well.
Fall
Because Adam and Eve chose to rebel and disobey the commandment of God, the result of their choice was that they died spiritually and lost their life sustaining connection to the Creator. As a result of the Fall, humanity became alienated from God and one another. After God’s curse, humanity became alienated from the creation itself. Since humanity became alienated from God and one another, this alienation continued to carry over into societies and human organizations as they developed. Not only did humanity suffer alienation but it also suffered moral corruption as a result of the Fall. This moral corruption taints humanity’s relationship with God, one another, and with how we manage and care for the creation (Gen. 3: 8 – 19).[1]
Redemption
The redemption plan of God through Christ takes into account the three areas of need for humanity: spiritual, social, and physical. God reconciles each human being to himself as they place their faith in Christ as savior (2 Cor. 5: 18 – 21). Humanity is united in fellowship and in family through Christ’s redemption (Eph. 2: 14 – 22). Finally, the church is called to remember and to care for the needs of poor, whether the poor be of the household of faith or of the unconverted mass (Gal. 2: 10). In fact, the world along with the multitudes of the poor will at some point in the future be delivered from the bondage of corruption (Rom. 8: 19 – 22).
The salvation of the New Testament is broader than that of just the spiritual needs of human beings. Jesus himself ministered to all three areas of need for humanity. The salvation brought to the world by Christ is redemption for humanity’s sin and its affect upon all of its relationships. It also reinstates humanity into its original holistic role in God’s kingdom. Christ’s teachings, commands, and example make known to the Church its responsibility to engage in holistic ministry that will alleviate the affects of sin in the spiritual, social, and physical realms of humanity.
Consummation
The doctrine concerning Christ’s return to the earth to restore all things at the end of time is God’s promise to bring about total restoration to all three areas of need: the spiritual, social, and physical (Rom 8: 21). Until his Second Advent occurs, Christ calls the Church to faithful stewardship in his kingdom of restoration. Christians are not to forsake or doom creation, humanity, and human institutions to destruction, but are to act as agents of reconciliation, redemption, and restoration (2 Cor. 5: 18). The mission of the Church to the whole of creation is to faithfully love that which has fallen as God has commanded. By looking to the example of Christ in scripture and his promises for the future, the Church must train and equip its members to engage in holistic mission to a fallen world that is dire need.[2]
Biblical/ Theological Mandate
In light of the evidence provided through the four stages of biblical/ theological reflection, the Church recognizes that the world is corrupt and without hope, falling short of God’s intended glory. By engaging in ministry that is holistic in approach, the Church brings salvation to the world that includes the forgiveness of sins, personal conversion, healing of the body, provision for physical needs, the reformation of social and economic associations, the transformation of communities, and the renewing of the entire creation.
By applying a holistic view of mission to the ministry of the Church, the Church uncovers the practical benefits of a holistic approach. Spiritual, social, and physical ministry united together in the mission of the Church creates a relationship that mutually reinforces one another. Evangelism mobilizes the forces of a concerned, motivated, and empowered body of believers from which to commence social action initiatives and physical (body) ministry. Social action initiatives and physical (body) ministries penetrate to the spiritual needs of people through meeting the real life social and physical needs of the poor, brokenhearted, suffering, marginalized, sick, and depraved.[3]
CHUVA Project – Guatemala
Socio – Political and Economic Trends
In particular to this project, the spiritual, social, and physical needs of the churches of Guatemala and their pastoral families in particular are addressed. The Churches of Guatemala are currently in great need due to an unstable socio-political environment having resulted from a 36-year civil war. Although the civil war ended more than a decade ago (1996), Guatemala is still a politically turbulent society consisting of a weak democracy and outdated public institutions. The poor have suffered the most due to the social, political, and cultural suppression they have endured throughout this time. The country continues to be threatened by a high crime rate, drug trafficking, gang violence, and migrations. Also, it has been affected recently by natural disasters including devastating tropical storms, flooding, earthquakes, and landslides that swept away entire communities.
Current socio-economic trends indicate that out of the four million people in the labor force, more than fifty percent work in the low-wage agricultural industry. Over sixty percent of Guatemalans currently exist on less than $2 a day. Many poor farming families have been driven either to large plantation farms for seasonal work or into the city where they earn very poor wages. More lingering evidence of Guatemala's social poverty is evident in some disturbing trends. “As a result of historical inequalities and the lowest health and education spending in the region, Guatemala struggles with some of the lowest social indicators in the hemisphere: the fertility rate is the highest in the hemisphere (3.9 per woman), infant and maternal mortality are unacceptably high (39 per 1,000 live births and 153 per 100,000 live births, respectively), and chronic malnutrition is the worst in the hemisphere (49 percent of all children under age five). More than two million children do not attend school, and most of these are indigenous girls in rural areas. Only three of ten children graduate from sixth grade and only one of 20 enter high school. Less than half of rural residents have access to running water, only 25% have electricity at home, and less than 10% have modern sanitary facilities.”[4]


Biblical/ Theological Response
In the second epistle to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul wrote to the believers at Corinth encouraging them to minister to the needs of the believers in Jerusalem. A year prior, the Corinthians had committed to doing this very thing and now Paul desired for them to prove their love for the poor in Jerusalem. Through war, famine, and persecution, the Christians who were living in Jerusalem at this time were suffering tremendously having fallen into tribulation and deep poverty. As an example of Christian charity, Paul exhorted the Corinthians to consider the gracious gifts given to the Christians in Jerusalem by the Macedonians. Indeed, the Macedonians had first dedicated themselves to the Lord and proved themselves by going far beyond their responsibility to the believers at Jerusalem. Also, Paul reminded the Corinthians that Christ himself embraced a life of poverty in order that they might become rich through his sacrificial giving. (2 Cor. 8: 1 – 14).
As Paul encouraged the Corinthians to prove their love, the churches in the U.S. are asked to prove their love by partnering together with the churches of Guatemala to form Sister Church relationships that provide a holistic response for their needs. Much like the poor Christians in Jerusalem, Guatemalan Christians are facing extreme hardship due to the many adversarial conditions that have arisen. Through partnership, the churches in the U.S. can bring the available funds, volunteers, expertise, and ideas needed to these churches.
In particular to this mission, one of the focuses of this holistic response will be to minister to the many needs of the Guatemalan pastoral families. Many are enduring much hardship as they attempt to shepherd, feed, and tend to the needs of God’s flock. Since many of their churches are located in poor rural areas, these families are not able to receive much in return for their faithful service to the Lord. Their spiritual, social, and physical needs are not receiving the ministry required. The Apostle Paul in his first epistle to the Corinthians taught that ministers of the gospel should be adequately compensated for their ministerial services. (1 Cor. 9: 7 – 14).
By looking to the example of Christ and to the challenges made by Paul to the Corinthians, the CHUVA Project seeks to be a biblically/ theologically relevant address to the crisis faced by the Guatemalan churches. It is a holistic response that addresses the three areas of need of the churches; the spiritual, social, and physical needs. Ultimately, holistic mission is the work of the churches of God and should not be left to secular agencies. The biblical/ theological overview provided thus far has shown us that the churches response to this situation should be one that brings a holistic message of salvation to the churches and pastoral families of Guatemala.
[1] International Teams East Asia – Cambodia Team, 2008, What is Holistic Mission, Available from Internet, http://cambodia.iteams.org/, accessed 21 November 2008.
[2] Ronald Sider, Philip Olson, and Rolland Unruh, Churches That Make a Difference, (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2002), 52 – 56.
[3] Ronald Sider, Philip Olson, and Rolland Unruh, 52 – 57.
[4] USAID: Guatemala, History – Four Decades of Development Assistance, Available from Internet, http://www.usaid.gov/gt/history.htm, accessed 21 November 2008.