Could you use your skills to join a team in Chad, working among the unreached Neem* people? You will show them Jesus’ love as you communicate the gospel with them through your words and through your actions.
Background
The Neem* people are largely subsistence farmers living in hundreds of villages around a regional centre in the north of Chad. The regional centre, a major market town, is also a very influential centre for Islam in the country. The identity of the Neem* people is strongly linked with being Muslim although many folk practices persist. There are a few individuals who have become Christians but we have yet to see a more collective movement of Neem* people towards Christ. Churches which exist among the Neem* people are almost entirely made up of southern Chadian Christians who have moved north for work. There is little in the way of outreach although some attempts are being made to reach the Neem* people through Christian schools.
Vision & Strategy
The aim is to see reproducing, Bible based, self-sustaining churches throughout Neem* people communities, being led by the Holy Spirit, sharing the gospel, making disciples, and working hand in hand with other local believers. The team will seek to make disciples of Christ among the Neem* people through bold proclamation of the gospel, intentional discipling to spiritual maturity, encouraging the formation of reproducing Neem* churches, and catalysing local believers to do the same by encouraging missional living.
Ministry & Type of Work
There are countless opportunities available for workers to serve in this team, all of which would be carefully engaged in with the ultimate goal of blessing the community with both the love and message of Jesus Christ. A few examples:
- Local community centre – team could help teach and train young people in English, French, music, sports, drama, basic healthcare or anything else that the community would find useful. There could be the possibility of starting a library as there are so few books available in the community.
- Teaching English – English is in huge demand in Chad. Opportunities exist to teach in local schools including government-run and Christian schools.
- Healthcare – There is currently a small government hospital in the team’s town that would be an ideal location for medical work in the community, providing a way to build relationships with the local people. Through working in the hospital (including mental health services), health in the community – working with children with special needs, teaching informally in homes and (perhaps) in a community centre and helping in the church school, the team will seek to develop relationships with local Neem* people that lead to opportunities to share the gospel and engage in the study of the scripture.
- Agriculture – the vast majority of people in this area live off the land, there would be opportunities for people with experience and understanding in the area of agriculture or development to come into the community and work alongside local people to help in this area.
The team also seeks to help catalyse and mobilise the believers in local churches to think and live missionally where they are, among the unreached people groups around them.
All workers will seek to actively participate in the local church – to encourage, challenge, teach, motivate and provide missional opportunities for the believers. Local churches are aware of and have welcomed the team’s desire to come and do this work.
Qualifications & Experience
All personnel on this team will be required to be at a Level 3 in French prior to arrival on the field. Study of the language of the Neem* people will follow once team members reach a Level 3 in Chadian Arabic. Team members will need the appropriate professional qualifications to fulfil their assignments and have the support of a sending church.
