Unity in Action
Festers mused, “Since Life Groups started, churches have started to work together. One church needed a new building. All the churches came to give and help them. In other areas, they would not do that.”
Dignity team members Festers and Miyambo (pictured left and right respectively) recently visited Kapwila, a large village in Muchinga province, northwestern Zambia. It’s a typical rural community with many day-to-day challenges for those who live there. Festers and Miyambo were struck by the proactive work being done by Life Groups in the area and reflected on this visit together.
What transformed the situation in this village? There were three factors. Firstly, people studied Dignity resources encouraging discipleship and care for those in need. Secondly, people understood that God has placed and equipped them to bring his love to their community. And thirdly, they made the decision to help each other out.
From simple beginnings
In 2018, Dignity ran a discipleship training course with community members in Kapwila. Over time, four Life Groups from different areas formed and started meeting regularly. People from at least three different churches, CMML (a Brethren congregation), the United Church of Zambia, and Jehovah’s Witnesses all became involved. As they studied the materials, they were challenged to care for those around them. The Life Group leaders and members began meeting together every second month for fellowship: sharing how they are doing and encouraging one another. They prepared food together and prayed for their group effort.
Charles Simukonda and Judith are two Life Group leaders who are active in coordinating the wider movement of Life Groups. Festers and Miyambo spent time with them understanding what is happening in the area now.
“People are growing there,” Festers reflected, “they are always inviting other people to come.”
“The Dignity discipleship resources are helping them to grow,” Miyambo added, “because the teaching of Dignity is different from the teaching in the church. Dignity is practical, church is theory. Dignity resources like Love Your Village or Foundations help a person to do practical things and have ideas.”
Charles and Judith shared how Blessing* had recently been helped by the groups. Blessing lives near one of the Life Groups. She’d never been to the group and didn’t attend church; she had yet to find faith. During the rainy season, her home had collapsed. At a recent bimonthly gathering of all the groups, her situation was shared by the group who lived near her. The four Life Groups agreed to help her. They went on to work together to rebuild her home.
Locals were surprised that their Christian neighbours were helping people who weren’t Life Group members and impressed that believers from quite different churches were prepared to collaborate. As a result, they became interested in the Life Groups, and three more were quickly formed. Blessing joined one of them.
“All of this was made possible because the villagers came together,” Festers said. “If they’d stayed apart, they wouldn't have done it, they wouldn't have been capable of it. But they did come together. That place is growing!”
Some of the increased unity in Kapwila went against expectations. There was a little surprise, for instance, that the Jehovah’s Witnesses are involved. However, one woman in the local Kingdom Hall told Charles that she wanted to host Festers and Miyambo when she heard they were visiting. She demanded it!
“I want their blessing!” she said.
Miyambo said, “It was a miracle. We even stayed with them. They only had one room, which they used a curtain to divide, then we slept on one side, and they slept on the other.
Learning from Kapwila
Festers and Miyambo shared their account of what is happening in Kapwila with Jon, Dignity founder, and Royd, the Zambian translation coordinator.
“The example of Kapwila is key.” Jon said, “Dignity could send leaders to go and instigate the sort of community initiative that has been happening in Kapwila, but then, when they moved on, it would stop happening. In Kapwila, local people have taken the work on and enabled the transformation themselves. It’s not something that we’ve done. It's what they’ve done. They’ve been using some of our materials, and, yes, we have supported them, but they’ve done all the real work themselves.”
Royd reflected, “They’ve taken Dignity’s ideas and localised them, using them in their own way. It’s working for them which is good.”
Miyambo and Festers agree that Kapwila is a village distinguished by its growth, and by the new life that can be seen there. The evidence is that the four Life Groups that emerged a few years back have empowered local people, and helped raise up leaders. The groups have become autonomous. If Charles were to move on, there are locals who would pick the work up.
“In terms of practical things, Kapwila is number one,” shared Miyambo, “when we went to see them, the villagers told us what had been happening. They looked forward to people coming to see what they were doing. They never asked for funding from Dignity, but they did say that its discipleship resources had led them to do good things.”
Join us in praying that the example of the Kapwila Life Groups will inspire unity amongst Christians and practical care for those in need across many more communities.
*Name changed for privacy