Networking to Improve the Christian Response

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Networking to Improve the Christian Response

• The Approach and Experience of Viva Network
• Dick Stellway

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• Together for Children

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The problems impacting children are vast

• 27,000 children dying each day from preventable
  hunger and disease
• 100 million children living or working on the
  streets
• 1.2 million children trafficked each year
• 2.3 million children lt 15 infected with HIV
• 15.2 million children lt 18 orphaned by AIDS
• --UNICEF UNAIDS statistics

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The Christian response is also vast

• A six country study of the response of FBOs to
  OVC in Africa reported on by Geoff Foster (2003)
  revealed
• over 7800 OVC initiatives
• supported by nearly 140,000 volunteers mostly
  through
• community based initiatives involving
• spiritual, material, educational, and
  psychosocial support

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But Christian workers are often isolation and
poorly prepared

• Ian de Villiers informal study of ministries to
  children in India -
• more than half had never heard of projects very
  near to them.
• many workers appeared nearly as traumatized as
  the children they served.

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• In the six country study noted above, Dr. Foster
  observed
• most had never visited or read a description of
  another congregations initiative
• community responses were initiated without
  literature reviews, situation analyses or
  fact-finding visits to model programs

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• Based on his observations of childrens programs
  around the world, Patrick McDonald concludes
• as many as 75 of indigenous ministries collapse
  within the first 24 months
• the death and closure can be traced back to
  mistakes made in the first couple of years of
  existence

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Pressing Questions -

• How can we end the isolation and
• shore up beleaguered operations?
• How can we improve the quality, quantity,
  efficiency and scope of the Christian response?

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By Networking!
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Whats a Network?

• A network is a group of individuals and
  organizations who come together around one or
  more clearly defined commonalities to exchange
  information and/or undertake joint activities and
  who organize themselves in such a way that their
  individual autonomy remains intact. --Viva
  Networking Manual

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A Three Stage Process

• Exploration
• Formation
• Operation

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Exploration Stage

• An Exploration Team is formed with people who
  agree to conduct the Exploration Stage in a
  specific geographic area and time frame.
• The team should be made up of individuals who see
  the value of networking and are able to inspire
  and rally others to join the cause.

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Outcome of a good exploration stage

• --documented information on what is being done to
  help children at risk
• --what still needs to be done to help children
  at risk
• --deeper relationships between Christians helping
  children at risk in the local area
• --understanding of the potential of a network
• --desire to meet together to discuss further

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Formation Stage

• The activity of bringing individuals and groups
  together to plan to develop a network

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During the Formation Meeting participants will

• --Realize the wider context within which they are
  working
• --Discuss the potential and benefits of working
  together
• --Prioritize common objectives that they would
  like to work together on
• --Reach an agreement on whether they need and
  want to develop a network.

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If they decide to develop a network, participants
will need to

• Appoint a Steering Group, responsible for the
  overall administration and logistics of the
  network
• Appoint a coordinator to facilitate the process
  of developing a network on behalf of those
  present
• Agree on details for the next meeting of the group

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Network Operation

• The implementation of joint strategies
• and objectives and the developing of
• the network to its fullest potential.

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The Operation Stage is where all of the different
players participate in

• --Networking Linking members to each other for
  mutual benefit, and then to others beyond the
  network who may be able to help and contribute
  skills
• --Network Support Services Services that the
  network members have agreed are needed in order
  to sustain and hold the network together.
• --Network Projects Joint activities that members
  agree are needed in order to serve their common
  aims and objectives.
• Note Members can carry network Projects out as a
  whole group, though usually they are designated
  to Working Groups.

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Lessons Learned about Effective Networks

• God focused
• Share commonalities (passions) and recognize
  common need
• Clearly define their objectives
• Carry out concrete (visible) activities
• Enjoy member ownership and participation

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• Secure necessary resources
• Engage in thorough planning, monitoring and
  evaluation
• have functioning structures in place to
  facilitate their operations
• Maintain trusting and open relationships
• Enjoy credibility in the wider environment

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Viva now has

• over 40 local networks
• in 40 countries
• involving over 7,000 local projects

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