MicCE

For our purpose, a microenterprise is a very small business run to produce income for the owner and its employees, which are usually a few in numbers (5 or less). A microenterprise may also be defined by the loan size or capital needed to get it going. For instance, World Vision which works in poor and developing countries says this amount varies from $50 to $5,000, and most typically is in the $100 to $2,000 range. The activity of a microenterprise will depend on the social and economic context in which it operates and includes catering, printing services and graphic design in an urban context, to farming, sewing, carpentry, handicraft in a rural context. Businesses may also focus on the provision of clean water, healthcare, education or food.

Vineyard MicCE’s objectives are to create opportunities for beneficiaries to enjoy sustainable income and eventually own or co-own the enterprises, at the same time ensuring our own financial sustainability. Accordingly, while we may give grants, Vineyard Micce’s priority is to adopt a disciplined investor’s approach that releases the entrepreneurial spirit and yield both financial and social returns.

In the last couple of weeks, I had an exciting time meeting with the guys at Vision Network Society, which is a local NGO whose founders have a relationship with David Bussau. Check them out. I want to work with these guys as they are doing such a super job in researching and developing Intergal Community Development concepts and are focused on equiping the key man, the CD facilitor, once he is identified. This week I will hang out with them some more to learn the language of CD, which we can use for our church planters.

NLV Missions

NLV and Vineyard MicCE will also seek to expand our partnership with itinerant or trans-local Vineyard pastors and missional organizations who share the same focus on church planting and advancing the Gospel into the countries of Asia. The trans-local pastors will function in apostolic roles, or as missionaries, connectors, trainers/coaches to churches/church planters whom we are relating with. The partnering organizations will serve to gather resources and people for outreach and mission to Asia, deploying volunteer workers in short-term teams as well as engaging in long-term assignments to establish and sustain the church plants.

We hope to work with Tim and Esther Schultz as missions partners. They have been in ministry for 20 years with the Baptists, YWAM, and the Vineyard. In January of 2008, Tim and Esther resigned as pastors of Faith Vineyard in Calgary after 15 years, sensing that coming into the New Year they were to “let go and go for it”. Tim and Esther will join the team at EPIC Vineyard, Calgary, to be part of a community where they are “known”, and sent out from. They will continue to serve on the Regional Development Group, and facilitate Canadian Vineyards to teach in the Vineyard Mobile Bible School in the Himalayan region of India and Nepal. Tim is also continually being invited to encourage and equip our Vineyard family of churches in Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore and Norway.

Micro-businesses alongside missional communities: Our vision for addressing the twin issues of financial lack and advancing the Kingdom