IN Sees Community Transformation Presenting Itself in at Least Four Key Ways

A BRIEF SKETCH OF IN July 2015

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PROFILE

International Needs is a worldwide partnership of Christian organizations fulfilling the commission of Jesus Christ, supporting each other to see lives transformed and communities changed through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

IN sees community transformation presenting itself in at least four key ways:

1CHURCHES: Worshiping God together, declaring the truth, and offering refuge.

2EDUCATION: Everyone has access to truthful learning, reading, writing, and skills based knowledge.

3LEADERSHIP: Qualified leaders engaging in family, business, church and society.

4INTERVENTION: The community demonstrates capacity and will to intervene against conditions that stress its physical, cultural, social and spiritual environment.

HISTORY

International Needs Inc. was founded in 1974 when Ray Harrison, then World Director of Youth for Christ International, attended the World Conference on Evangelism in Lausanne, Switzerland. God directed him to a new and wider form of ministry that partners Christian “nationals” around the world. This revolutionary concept positioned International Needs as a pioneer in the missions arena. Because this approach has been so successful, it is now an accepted standard for reaching the world with the message and love of Jesus Christ

It all started at a Bazaar in India. Ray Harrison was conducting a mission with Youth for Christ in the early 1950’s when street vendors seeking to sell him some oranges affronted him. “Taste it for yourself, Sahib!” He began using “Taste and See” imagery at his crusades, and wrote an evangelistic tract titled “Taste and See” which has being used by God all over the world. It was distributed by outreach teams at the Tokyo Olympics (1964) and again in Mexico City (1968). Every home in Iceland received a copy. Millions of copies have been printed in many different languages with one print run in Japanese alone for half a million copies. (Editor’s note – The INNZ office still has some copies of “Taste and See” if you would like one at no cost.)

People started sending money to help print this booklet so a small committee was formed under the watchful eye of a young accountant named Malcolm Taylor. Behind all this activity was a solid prayer base with prayer meetings each week Rays father was among those early supporters.

In the mid-60s, Ray was appointed Central Asia Vice-President of Youth for Christ International, and moved to India with Lorna and the family. The work grew and as Ray and Laura spoke of the huge needs of Asia funds began to flow not just to cover the cost of printing ‘Taste and See” but to help those in Asianeedingsupport. He made a promise to his supporters. “There will be no more than three needs presented to you a year and I can promise you three things-

1. The need is genuine.

2. Every penny will get there.

3. We will preach the gospel to those we help”

Trevor Wyness looked after the interests of this work, which became known as International Needs.

In 1974, at the world congress on evangelism in Lausanne in Switzerland, delegates were asked to say what they thought was the best way to reach the world for Christ in their generation. Having travelled the world for many years with Youth for Christ, Ray was in no doubt, empower national Christian leaders to reach their countries for Christ!

At a meeting of YFC world leaders,following the Congress, Ray resigned from YFC and became International Needs first staff worker. Forty years later, an estimated 1200 national’s work for International Needs in church planting and helping meet their nations deepest needs.

International Needs is now involved in over 30 countries on six continents.

OUR VISION

Our strap line – ‘transformed lives – changed communities’ expresses the vision of International Needs. Our threefold passion is to see Education and Community Development express the compassion of our Lord Jesus Christ which leads people lives to be changed by the Gospel and local communities influenced for good by Christ’s message of good news for the poor.

These aspects of our work are to be done primary through local churches and other Christian leaders who are at one with this vision.

The Church community is the vehicle through which Christ has chosen to witness to our world and we are stronger when we work with a local church in a locality. However, we recognise that in some parts of the world that may not be possible.

We are convinced that our world needs a savior and while for some of our global partners it is appropriate to hold evangelistic campaigns for others it is necessary for a variety of reason to develop a more subtle approach to reaching and teaching disciples of Christ.

We reognise that it is also the calling of Christians to provide for people in need and so our partnership has a wide variety of ‘projects’ that help local stakeholders meet the needs of poor people around the world while at the same time seeing that ‘doing good’ enables us to create an opportunity to explain the Christian Gospel.

Our primary emphasis is on teaching and child sponsorship is a major activity to help children gain a Christian education. This has outcomes far beyond education and includes helping families of the child sponsored, enabling communities to develop with quality citizens, an educated work force some of these outcomes reach beyond a local community.

Within the role of a General Secretary will be the opportunity to develop this vision.

OUR STRATEGY

The key to our strategy is gifted indigenous leaders and organizations. They build strong, trusting relationships because they know the language and the culture of the people they serve. They know the need. By maintaining a lifestyle similar to their peers, they are able to reach areas closed to outsiders. They have a passion to minister to their own people. This strategy is highly effective and cost-efficient.

To this we add an international partnership model. It mobilizes and connects the hearts, skills and resources of partners around the world to touch the lives of people they may never meet.

OUR STRUCTURE

International Needs is a federation of qualified global partners who as owner/members agree around purpose, plans, policies and practices. Each has corporate registration in their country of operation. Global partners co-operate in seeing that the broader purposes of International Needs are well served.

International Needs Incorporated is registered as a Charitable Society under New Zealand law. Eighteen qualifying Global Partners as members of IN Incorporated may send a delegate to an annual Congress. (Expanding this to 2 delegates per member is under consideration.) Congress is the final authority on all IN matters and meets annually to do it business.

Congress has delegated its day-to-day business to an executive committee of the 4 officers of IN Inc. elected annually from its delegates at Congress. This Executive Committee (EC) typically meets via skype monthly and semi-annually face to face.

There are several other committees and working formed to deal with specific issues.

The EC operates a Not For Profit Corporation registered in Canada which retains a part time CAO and Bookkeeper. With the emergence of a General Secretary this center is called the Secretariat.Until March 2016 Congress has appointed a part time Interim General Secretary.With the appointment of a full time GS this structure will be adjusted and may be relocated.IN is a member of the World Evangelical Alliance. (WEA)

OUR PARTNERSHIP MODEL

IN recognises Global Partners and Associates of those global partners. IN regulates its brand, its corporate role and the conduct of its global partners through Constitution, Covenant, Policy and Practices. While each partner organization is autonomous,with it’s own board, administration, strategic plan and select projects, each global partner is committed to its responsibility as a member of IN.

Global Partners are equal. Global Partners may take on Associate Partners. Global Partners and Associates are classified further as either Lead or Project Partner on a project by project basis.

There are 12 plus Associates, and 18 Global Partners (several carry a dual role in project delivery).

GLOBAL LEAD PARTNERS are found in the following countries :

Ghana

Uganda

India

Philippines

Egypt

Nepal

Bangladesh

Czech Republic

Slovakia

Romania

Columbia

Bulgaria

Zambia

SriLanka

GLOBAL PROJECT PARTNERS

Canada

Czech Republic

Slovakia

New Zealand

United Kingdom

United States

OUR ORGANIZATIONAL ACCOUNTABILITY

There are 9 specific document based exercises called the "accountability documents” of IN. These must be completed by each Global Partner and filed with the Secretariat and related partner/s. Templates and advisory support are made available for this. The Governance Capacity Building Committee is currently processing an advanced exercise for #1 to fast track governance capacity in our global partner organizations, and identify training opportunities.

1.ANNUAL Board re-affirmationof compliance with IN constitution,covenant, agreements, policy and practices, within 4 months of year end.

2.ANNUALAudited Financial Statementsincluding income & expense summary and management letter for each funded ministry, and balance sheet, within 6 months of year end.

3."General Review and Capacity Assessment”every 7 years.For non global partners the expectation is identified in the Bilateral Agreement.

4.Strategic Planin consultation with partners. For non global partners the expectation is identified in the Bilateral Agreement.

5.Co-Ministry Agreementfor each global partner and its partners.Bilateral Agreementbetween a global partner and its sponsored non-global partner when applicable.

Also, each project undertaken between partners which include at least one Global Partner must be recorded in our formal web served system called Ministry Project Management System, or MPM.1,2,&3 are via MPM.

1.AMinistry Proposalfor each new designated ministry. When started each designated ministry requires a "Profile".

2.QUARTERLY Report for each Ministry. Within 1 month of end of Quarter.

3.Ministry Monitoring and Evaluationis to occur both onsite and in MPM.The timing and nature is identified in the MPM Profile.For non global partners the expectation is identified in the Bilateral Agreement.

4.DEPUTATIONReport. (See IN Practice and templates regarding Tours)

The Secretariat maintains the document and project records of IN in user accessible software. One website is called the “IN Library” withy folders as follows;

IN GENERAL DOCS

IN Committees
IN Internet Services
IN Addresses
IN Brand
IN Calendar
IN Constitution 2012
IN Delegates , EDs and Chairs
IN MPM (Ministry Project Management)
IN Partners (GPs & Associates)
IN Secretariat
POLICY 1. IN Structure
POLICY 2. IN Accountability
POLICY 3. IN Resolves Conflict
POLICY 4. IN Protects Children

POLICY 5. Sponsorship & Assistance

POLICY 6. Conflict of Interest
Practices of IN
Ray Harrison Awards
Statement of Faith
Studies & Articles
Templates
Training aids
ZZZ Archives of IN

CONGRESS 1 - London 2012
CONGRESS 2 - Accra 2013
CONGRESS 3 - Turkey 2014

IN PARTNER DOCS

Associates
Global Members
Global Partner & Associate Profiles
GP DOCUMENT REGISTRY

OUR PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Over 200 projects are currently active in a separate software element for our Ministry Project Management or MPM. The MPM first guides the project proposal, then building the project team as the full proposal is built, then as the project is activated; the profile, quarterly progress reports and detailed fund tracking (budgets/funding and expenses). We are still learning this state of the art mgmt. system.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Our purpose statement sees people and families in community. Elementary education of children, while vital, is only part of the story. If we want to widen our sphere of influence for good, and demonstrate God’s love for all people, we need to help empower the local community. We do this through strategic projects focussed on one or more of the outcome areas identified in our purpose statement.

IN sees community transformation presenting itself in at least four key ways:

CHURCHES: Worshiping God together, declaring the truth, and offering refuge.
EDUCATION: Everyone has access to truthful learning, reading, writing, and skills based knowledge.
LEADERSHIP: Qualified leaders engaging in family, business, church and society.
INTERVENTION: The community demonstrates capacity and will to intervene against conditions that stress its physical, cultural, social and spiritual environment.

This suggests that beyond schooling there may be a need for medical services, water wells, animal and farming projects, micro credit etc. Focussed projects have seen us helping release child slaves in Ghana, developing small businesses in Philippines and training women in basic life skills in Nepal. There are over 200 projects presently active across IN partnerships.

CHILDREN ARE CENTRAL

OVER 50% of ourchild assistance program (INCAP) portfolios serves children and their education. We see Christian based education as not only a way out of poverty for local families but also as an essential way to influence sustainable communities.

Education gives children and young people the tools to make correct moral decisions to face the challenges of HIV/AIDS, Child slavery, and exploitation.

We are committed to an outcomes based child assistance programme, which enables us to monitor the child’s progress in several outcome areas besides day school.

END.