EFICOR (Evangelical Fellowship of India Commission on Relief), is a national Christian relief and development organisation and serves the poor, underprivileged and marginalised communities, irrespective of caste, creed, religion or ethnic identity in situations of poverty, injustice and disaster in India. EFICOR has also pioneered in shaping a Christian perspective on social issues in the country among various individuals, groups and churches.
Students Summer Programme is one such initiative of EFICOR to influence Christian perspective. The programme seeks to sensitize young students with a biblical basis about social issues and provide a wholistic understanding on mission for involvement in various capacities. Teaching sessions, bible study, exposure and reflection run right through the programme. Across the country there are several programmes to influence young people to consider mission either as a calling to be fully involved or as prayer partners and support financially. But there are very few programmes that seek to influence young minds to consider the wholistic calling of the gospel and there are many Christian student groups that are committed and seeking relevant issues to be engaged with. EFICOR provides this opportunity to reflect alongside other fellow Christian students and grapple with issues concerning faith and action in the context of deprivation and marginalization thus combining practical field exposure with reflective thinking. The programme is basically intented to address mature Christian students at the graduate or higher level, so as to motivate them to address issues of justice and mercy in the country and to consider different forms of action and involvement that will be responsive to the immense need in the country.
The programme has been conducted since 2009. We have had students from across the country participating in the programme in the last two years that we have conducted. The programme is for a period of three weeks which combines teaching and reflection from the Bible on wholistic mission and to consider the reality of issues of underdevelopment and deprivation in our country and across the globe with a Christian perspective.
Initially we have four days of teaching and urban exposure in Delhi. The students are also given a firsthand experience of urban poverty and its related issues by field visits to various programmes by different organizations and programmes like Emmanuel Hospital Association’s SHALOM project for HIV&AIDS, Church run Children’s home and other slum initiatives. This will be followed by about 10 days of field exposure in the Malto field in Sahibganj District in Jharkhand. They will also be engaged in visiting the various project sites and engage in voluntary service as required in the field. The programme also gives exposure to the ministries of Emmanuel Hospital Association, Friends Missionary Prayer Band and EFICOR besides those of other small groups who work in Sahibganj District. The students also get the opportunities to worship along with the villages churches and live in the village and experience their hospitality. All of these visits are combined with times of Bible Study and reflection every morning and evening.
Holding this programme in the field is for students to experience the reality of working and living in the field and to practically know the deprivation and marginalization which is the lot of majority of the Indians. This will help the students to go beyond their comfort zones and broaden their views on various issues particularly on matters of Christian commitment and calling. EFICOR thus seeks to place before them the possibility of being engaged in different capacities to address these issues.
A few of our participants response to the programme is given below.
“I got a biblical perspective to social issues and learned about our God of justice. I would like to thank EFICOR once again for this opportunity that they gave us students to actually hear the cry of the downtrodden. It has made a huge difference in our perspective as well as stirring in us a feeling of needing to do something. You can rest assured that we will not sit still. Would once again like to thank the entire EFICOR team for all their time as well as the resources they spent on us.” Robin Thomas
“Every part of the programmed touched me deeply, sensitizing me towards the issue of poverty; HIV infected, commercial sex workers, etc. My perspective and my frame of thinking have changed a lot. Now whenever I see poor persons, I will not look down on them, but will interact with them as a friend, providing their needs by sharing what God has given me in abundance. Instead of being busy with myself I will think of innovative ideas and plan ways to improve their condition. I will also make others sensitive towards poverty issues.” Pratibha Harrison
“I learned about God as being a God of justice. The programme opened my eyes to reality and made me very uncomfortable and I'm thankful for that. Now I know how much work is there to be done and what is required. I'm now zealous to do something, it might be small in the beginning but I want to make a difference and now I know ways by which I can be a difference in people who need a different life. I am going to share about this with my church and I'm going to try to get the church to own up to its responsibilities.” Rachel Thomas.
Students Summer Programme is one such initiative of EFICOR to influence Christian perspective. The programme seeks to sensitize young students with a biblical basis about social issues and provide a wholistic understanding on mission for involvement in various capacities. Teaching sessions, bible study, exposure and reflection run right through the programme. Across the country there are several programmes to influence young people to consider mission either as a calling to be fully involved or as prayer partners and support financially. But there are very few programmes that seek to influence young minds to consider the wholistic calling of the gospel and there are many Christian student groups that are committed and seeking relevant issues to be engaged with. EFICOR provides this opportunity to reflect alongside other fellow Christian students and grapple with issues concerning faith and action in the context of deprivation and marginalization thus combining practical field exposure with reflective thinking. The programme is basically intented to address mature Christian students at the graduate or higher level, so as to motivate them to address issues of justice and mercy in the country and to consider different forms of action and involvement that will be responsive to the immense need in the country.
The programme has been conducted since 2009. We have had students from across the country participating in the programme in the last two years that we have conducted. The programme is for a period of three weeks which combines teaching and reflection from the Bible on wholistic mission and to consider the reality of issues of underdevelopment and deprivation in our country and across the globe with a Christian perspective.
Initially we have four days of teaching and urban exposure in Delhi. The students are also given a firsthand experience of urban poverty and its related issues by field visits to various programmes by different organizations and programmes like Emmanuel Hospital Association’s SHALOM project for HIV&AIDS, Church run Children’s home and other slum initiatives. This will be followed by about 10 days of field exposure in the Malto field in Sahibganj District in Jharkhand. They will also be engaged in visiting the various project sites and engage in voluntary service as required in the field. The programme also gives exposure to the ministries of Emmanuel Hospital Association, Friends Missionary Prayer Band and EFICOR besides those of other small groups who work in Sahibganj District. The students also get the opportunities to worship along with the villages churches and live in the village and experience their hospitality. All of these visits are combined with times of Bible Study and reflection every morning and evening.
Holding this programme in the field is for students to experience the reality of working and living in the field and to practically know the deprivation and marginalization which is the lot of majority of the Indians. This will help the students to go beyond their comfort zones and broaden their views on various issues particularly on matters of Christian commitment and calling. EFICOR thus seeks to place before them the possibility of being engaged in different capacities to address these issues.
A few of our participants response to the programme is given below.
“I got a biblical perspective to social issues and learned about our God of justice. I would like to thank EFICOR once again for this opportunity that they gave us students to actually hear the cry of the downtrodden. It has made a huge difference in our perspective as well as stirring in us a feeling of needing to do something. You can rest assured that we will not sit still. Would once again like to thank the entire EFICOR team for all their time as well as the resources they spent on us.” Robin Thomas
“Every part of the programmed touched me deeply, sensitizing me towards the issue of poverty; HIV infected, commercial sex workers, etc. My perspective and my frame of thinking have changed a lot. Now whenever I see poor persons, I will not look down on them, but will interact with them as a friend, providing their needs by sharing what God has given me in abundance. Instead of being busy with myself I will think of innovative ideas and plan ways to improve their condition. I will also make others sensitive towards poverty issues.” Pratibha Harrison
“I learned about God as being a God of justice. The programme opened my eyes to reality and made me very uncomfortable and I'm thankful for that. Now I know how much work is there to be done and what is required. I'm now zealous to do something, it might be small in the beginning but I want to make a difference and now I know ways by which I can be a difference in people who need a different life. I am going to share about this with my church and I'm going to try to get the church to own up to its responsibilities.” Rachel Thomas.
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