In the context of our ministry a community is a group of people with common spiritual principles and ready to sustain a common vision. We don’t exclude the possibility for some members of our community to live in a certain proximity to one another, but this is not a defining element in our context.

We underline that those in need are encouraged not to invest solely or directly in their future, but to invest through this community, understanding that in this way they will invest in their future. This is not easy, because they will need to see on every step that it’s worthwhile to invest in this project, because this project continues to invest in them.

It’s like in that story of the man in the desert, finding a pump and a little bottle with some water and a note saying that the water from the bottle is warm and not enough for his thirst, but it is enough to prime the pump and bring fresh water from that spring that never dried up. Will you pour the water into the pump, to get fresh water? In other words will our disciples invest their resources through our community, or will they consume it, or keep it? This will be a very important question for the candidates we would like to work with.

Why do we talk about poor people investing? Often this word associates in the mind with money, but the truth is that we all have a variety of non-monetary resources (time, energy, knowledge, things of spiritual value). Each person makes choices how well they will invest the resources they have been given.

Even though our candidates may have a special potential, the needs and problems in their lives may be overwhelming, creating barriers which don’t allow them to free themselves. We are not talking here about  selfish desires, personal preferences or wants, but rather real, evident, profound needs which block their growth and progress.

Without taking care of peoples’ spiritual needs it is impossible to speak about a real effectiveness of the investment we are making. This is why the most important aspect of our ministry is and will be the redemption of souls for Christ. Our desire is to direct the attention of growing disciples towards lost souls so that together we can bring more souls to the light of Jesus Christ’s Gospel.

Other needs such as economic, social, emotional or medical needs will also be part of our investment. These will be an important part in our selection process. We will aim towards fulfilling these needs step by step, in harmony with God’s plan, understanding that some gaps must be filled with patience, from the interior to the exterior.

God planted a huge potential in each human being. It’s like a huge amount of energy that needs to be wisely released in the life of a disciple, but many times it is necessary to open a blocked tap in their lives, or to grease a rusty valve.

Our candidates need to understand from the very beginning that the simple fact that they are poor, doesn’t mean they need to accept a second hand plan for their life. It doesn’t mean that God is limited in using their life for a special purpose; actually the fact that they are weak in finances is a good reason for God to reveal His power through them. It means that God wants not only to give them a future and a hope, but to use them for helping others as well, to fill their lives with blessings that will overflow in many other lives. This is the kind of future in which we want to invest together, for the glory of God.

What does an investment mean? I would say it is the use of resources with the purpose of obtaining long-term benefits. In our case we have in mind the spiritual, social and material benefits for our disciples and for other people who can be touched by them.

If you have a wheat grain and let it to become mouldy you are wasting that grain. If you cook it for a meal, you are spending it and if you plant it on the ground you are investing it, because your hope is that one hundred other grains will grow from that seed.

Applied in the charity domain, our example would say that you may waste a bag of wheat if you offer it to someone who doesn’t want to work. You may spend it for a good cause if you give it to a hungry person, to cook it. However if you teach that person to plant a part of that quantity and also to share part of the production and teach other people in need to do the same, that means that you invested in the domain of charity, creating a long term result in many lives.

During His earthly mission our Lord wisely SPENT some of His time and energy healing people and preaching. He could have reached more places and people during that period if He had chosen to go alone, or maybe with just another companion, but He also decided to INVEST part of His time and energy, preparing the 12 disciples to multiply this process and teach others to do the same.

Investments involve patience and sacrifices, this is why many people prefer to wisely spend their resources, to get tangible results. But investments also involves risks, this is why we considered it important to introduce another concept in our statement and this is reflected in the word “effectively” (to invest effectively). Read more in the next tab.

In order to be effective in our investments we are asking God to lead us to young men and women with a certain spiritual openness.

Our Lord carefully chose the 12 disciples, one by one and the Apostle Paul wrote in 2Timothy 2:2 to “entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also”. We can notice here not only the principle of spiritual reproduction, but also the principle of extra investment in faithful disciples who will become future leaders.

When we speak about the FUTURE of our disciples this reminds us about a long term investments. Going a step even further we see these investments from the heavenly perspective. There will be many moments of pressure when we will see immediate needs and we will want to consider certain crisis situations. In time we will probably have more ability to meet urgent situations. However, our attention has to be focused to the future we are looking towards, because even if the future is far away, it is full of hope.

The future of our candidates has to be strongly connected to the heavenly perspective. They too are called to invest in the future of other people, in a discipleship cycle which will advance the ministry by those who take over and carry forward with passion, the baton of our mission. Thus, we will see people who find their fulfilment in their personal relationship with God, who will Himself entrust them with great things until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ

One of the most frequent challenges for someone who lived in poverty is to avoid jumping from a life lived in dependency to the other extreme, of a life lived in the mirage of complete independence. The right balance is to enjoy a life of inter-dependence, to rely on God’s promises and to co-work with other trustworthy people as members of a united group for the progress of the cause that God has called them to.

Although this will involve some sacrifices, or maybe a certain level of risk, God wants us to live as social beings, not isolated in our own shell. He wants to carve in our character, in our lives, the image of Christ and our shells would not be helpful from this point of view.

The life lived in inter-dependence with other team members is a life that will bring challenges and satisfactions, strength and vulnerability, tears and joy, but above all, the fulfillment of the mandate we were created for.

Also this word “together” strongly connects us to our partners, those that support us by volunteering, by praying, by giving financially for the advancement of the work. For example some of our students will remain in the area where they grew up; to be a support for their family and friends. Others will probably move to other communities, some of them maybe will go even in the community of our partners, where they will be a blessing.

The dream we are working for has in mind the day when our supporters will say: “We received from these young people more then we gave to them. I believed I was making a donation, only to realize that I made a surprising investment”.

This word “together” binds us also to the most important partner of our ministry – God. We began this ministry with the desire to take every step by faith. There are many unknown factors and challenges, but we know that He is the Initiator and the Sustainer of these projects. We want to accept His rhythm and solutions, to risk, to advance by faith and to be honored because He is the most important partner for us.

An important part of our ministry will be to continue our investment in the life of these disciples even after they become mature Christians, and after they have a secure job. It is these mature and faithful disciples who will see the God-given outcome of their investment as they provide important leadership and example to the younger ones.  This is a cycle with deep implications for our future

It would be a blessing for us if our mission is able to help poor youths to become independent, but if they become inspired to reinvest their resources in our ministry and become part of a community that is growing for the mutual benefit of its members and others, that would be much better.

Every person wants to invest himself into something significant, because “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts.20.35). We have to challenge these youths, showing that they HAVE a value that God placed in them, encouraging them to invest the resources they have (time, energy, hope, faith, etc.) together with us. This will give them dignity and more determination in changing their life direction.