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I.  Course Description

This course introduces students to training slum dwellers in biblical economics, cooperative economics, savings cooperatives, micro-enterprise, entrepreneurship with reflections on global economic systems.

II  Expanded Course Description

This course relates biblical and theological perspectives on human development to the theory and practice of community wealth building. Special emphasis is given to considering how working men and women in the slums might use micro-enterprises and individual development accounts to create a better environment for asset building and ownership.

This course will build from reflections on Kingdom economic principles throughout the scriptures.  It will expose the students to theory, policy and practice in community based economic development and to help them read and think critically about these ideas.  Students will develop internal organizational processes for registration of churches, quality bookkeeping, and deacons development processes for their ministries.  The candidates will be able to plan and initiate small business programs as transformational mission, such as: establishing revolving loan fund, micro-enterprise programs; cooperatives, and the techniques related to strategic business planning among the urban entrepreneurial poor.

III.   Course Rationale

Do not be hard hearted or tightfisted towards your poor brother. Rather be open handed and freely lend him whatever he needs. (Deut 15: 7-8)

The need to come up with strategic, sustainable and transformational poverty alleviation program for churches and faith-based organizations cannot be denied nor be met with just talks and scholarly dissertations by theologians and urban poor workers. The vicious cycle of poverty in the country must be cut to its throat and uproot the very cause of this social cancer not tomorrow but today.

This course will examine the root causes of poverty and theory and practice of community economics that lead people to have a poverty mentality. Candidates will be able to understand the relationship between the Redemption Mandate and Creation Mandate in fulfilling the Great Commission by re-examining  Stewardship Theology applied in Community Economic Development.

The creation narratives of Genesis provide the essential pre-suppositions relating to God’s original design for mankind to control, have full dominion over creation, the animal, plant kingdoms, aquatic resources, and minerals derived from living and non-living things around the world.

Biblical economics involves an understanding of triad of powers in society such as the Government (law-maker & law enforcer), the Marketplace (the economic influence ), and the Masses (the low-income market, cheap labor force, and the electorate) versus the Power of the Most High God manifested through the Church.

This course reflects the following values

  • Participation by the poor, which will open their minds and equip them to take responsibility for their lives, choosing the gospel in freedom, not in desperation or as a crutch.
  • Enabling them to see themselves not as victims or oppressed, but as people made in God’s image and, accordingly assume responsibility for their future.
  • The church is an instrument that opens the world to its destiny in the kingdom. Through their activities, Christian MED / MFI can strengthen the church by restoring people to their identity and enable them to realize their role as stewards of creation and as servants of others.
  • To show proven MFI & MED as an effective method of assisting people to escape the lowest levels of poverty. The ultimate concern of Christian MED / MFI is to open the community to experience the kingdom of God.

The practical part of the course will enable the candidates to see the community through the eyes of the Redeemer by means of holistic community needs assessment tools.  Through an internship, students will be exposed to models of successful community economic development programs being operated by faith-based organizations yet empowering the real target urban poor community folks.

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