Community Development

Applying God's Word Holistically

Carole and church group posing for a photo in front of their new church building.
Carole together with a church moving into its new building.

Twenty-five years of war in northern Uganda and sixty years in South Sudan have torn apart the social fabric of generations. Communities now in war or postwar are often missing ways to walk through the emotional trauma, adequate access to medicine and physical care, and opportunities to attend to their spiritual needs through a healthy church family.

Favor’s community development model has been informed by almost 20 years of work and recognizes the church as the hub of the community and the Word of God as center of sustainable, ongoing community development. Full community development includes a crusade, discipleship, trauma healing, a Portable Bible School, a church building, women's empowerment, a village learning center, a well, and mobile medical clinics. Community development starts with nothing less than transformed lives surrendered to Jesus and then extends to holistic transformation of the entire community.

We could comfort those in emotional pain. We could bandage every wound. We could build beautiful buildings. We could even pass out thousands of Bibles, but if not one heart is baptized in the love of Christ, then we have not accomplished what we came to do. Our foremost mission is guiding hearts to Jesus, but we also recognize that without a demonstration of God’s love in meeting people where they are at emotionally, physically, and spiritually - as Jesus did - the former won’t happen.

“The suffering church knows what it means to be the sacrificial church. We’re worshiping in war zones. We’re turning mercenaries into missionaries.”

- Carole Ward
Read Recent Testimonies & Updates from this ministry

Media

Five men joining their right hands together in the middle of their circle.
Muslim-Background Believers share a special bond with each other that helps them work through past trauma.
Soldiers on their knees with hands lifted in prayer.
Our Trauma Counseling program has gained such a reputation that even soldiers and government leaders request it.
Woman in soldier uniform holding up certificate at front of classroom.
A South Sudanese soldier receiving her Trauma Counseling graduation certificate.
Man and woman sit on edge of bed praying for mother and baby who sit across from them.
In our medical centers, we pray with each of our patients.
Man in room with hospital beds leaning over to lay hands on and pray for woman.
In our medical centers, we pray with each of our patients.
Woman crouching down to put medicine in someone's eye.
Mobile medical clinics allow us to serve those who can't come to our medical centers.
Believers sitting in chairs under a tree praying.
Eight new believers receiving Jesus through the Calvary Chapel in Juba.
Large group of people worshiping God together out in the open.
In many rural communities, small churches sometimes start by meeting in a hut or under a mango tree.
Nine believers sitting outside on mats in the shade of building.
The Wedweil Refugee Camp church plant in its beginning.
Long hut-style building with thatch roof.
The old Calvary Chapel Building in Pabo, Uganda.
Several hands holding scissors together to cut ceremonial ribbon.
Ribbon-cutting on new Calvary Chapel building in Pabo, Uganda.
Church group standing outside new building rejoicing together.
The Pabo Calvary Chapel congregation rejoicing together over the new building.
Stories of Transformation
Transformed Hearts Transform Nations