赋能，为偏乡原住民带来转化Empowerment, brings transformation to the rural indigenous people

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In  2014, Holistic  Integrated Services Bhd. (HISTEAM) received a vision from God to "Serve The East' (STE),  to mobilize the Chinese churches to care and serve the marginalized people group in our country - the Indigenous. Taking on this mission, we started to lead the Chinese churches towards the Indigenous communities in Sabah. We organized and led mission teams and visitation teams for Chinese Christians, into Indigenous villages in the rural areas, allowing them to personally witness the needs of  the Indigenous people. We also connected churches with villages which are in need of financial support for their preschools and the teachers' salaries.

From a long-term perspective, the greatest need is not for the rural indigenous people to receive constant, endless support; rather, it is for them to be empowered to be self-reliant, to be given respect and dignity, and develop confidence, and to be freed from long-term dependence on external assistance. With this in view, the  long-term strategy and direction for our STE Ministry is empowerment,   focusing on community development that brings transformation to the communities and helps the people to be out of poverty. The empowerment strategy of STE focuses on three aspects:

• Spiritual
• Education
• Economy

​Empowerment in Yuan-Han Journeying Together
​

To achieve the strategy of empowerment through community development, we are in need of a greater number of people to go into the indigenous communities, committed to long-term development works among and with the people. This also signifies the Chinese churches must not  only look to "serve", but must be willing to "journey", to walk alongside the indigenous people.  This is the true meaning of "Yuan-Han Journeying Together".

In 2018, Micah Centre was established with the aim to train and equip more Chinese Christians, especially the  emerging generation, to commit themselves in journeying together  with the indigenous, to take part in the heavenly mission of bringing empowerment to the indigenous people.

I would like to suggest three principles of empowerment in community development: Process, Potential, and People - to help us in empowering the Indigenous communities  as we walk and journey with them.

Empowerment Principle 1
We emphasize   the process, not just the outcome (product)

Too often we focus more on the end result but not on the process. This principle reminds us that process is of paramount importance. The focus is not on how successful our projects and plans are, but on celebrating the growth and development we (the Chinese and the Indigenous) achieve during the process, even if we fail to see the results we are expecting.

Ways for Yuan-Han Journeying Together: accompanying, listening , involvement

Focus: build trusting relationship

Empowerment Principle 2
We discover potential, not problem

It is easy to be fixated on the Indigenous people's lacking and the multiple problems they face.  Instead, we should learn to view them with a godly lens, discover the porential and resources of the individuals and communities, that we may encourage and guide them to use these resources wisely, empower them to find resolution to their problems and fulfillment of their own needs.

Ways for Yuan-Han Journeying Together: encouraging, participating, cooperating 

​Focus: build confidence 

Empowerment Principle 3
We care for people, not about project

This principle is a  vital reminder that it is   the people who are at the centre of our empowerment effort; the ultimate goal of our ministry is to see the indigenous people being raised and built up, to be leaders of their own community, and bring blessings to other indigenous communities.

Ways for Yuan-Han Journeying Together: coaching, training, empowering

​Focus: build missional disciples

From the principles above, Yuan-Han Journeying Together is, in essence, discipleship - and it involves building relationships, promoting potentials, and making disciples. This is no doubt a monumental task, a process which demands extensive time and devoted efforts, one that call for our patience, faith, longing, and dedication. I pray that the Chinese churches in Malaysia can see the vision of  Yuan-Han Journeying Together, to dedicate ourselves in walking alongside our Indigenous counterparts, and committed to the empowering ministry of community transformation.

2014年，全人关怀团队（以下简称 “全人”）领受 “向东服务” 的异象，即上帝要全人动员华人教会去关注和服侍大马被边缘的群体 —— 原住民。于是，我们开始动员华人教会走向沙巴原住民。我们借着短宣与访宣带领华人教会拜访原住民偏乡，看见他们的需要；我们也连结华人教会去支援乡区学前教育的教师薪金。

若从长远目标来看，偏乡原住民最大的需要并非不断被支援，而是被赋予能力得以自立自足，活得有尊严和自信，不再需要长期依赖外界的援助。因此，赋能 (Empowerment) 是向东服务一个长远的事工策略和方向，盼望透过社区发展 (Community Development) ,  为偏乡原住民社区带来转化，脱离贫穷。向东服务的赋能计划锁定在三个层面：
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• 灵性 (Spiritual)
• 教育 (Education)
• 经济 (Economy)

原汉同行的赋能

若要藉着社区发展达到以上的赋能目标，我们需要有更多人愿意走进原住民当中，长期委身于当地的社区发展工作。这意味着华人教会不只是以 “服务” 的方式，更是愿意以 “同行” 的姿态，与原住民走在一起。这就是 “原汉同行” 的意思。

2018年，我们开始了弥迦学院，为要培训和装备更多华人基督徒，尤其是年轻一代，委身于原汉同行，参与原住民赋能的工作。

在这里我要建议社区转化的三个赋能原则 (Process, Potential, People)，帮助我们与原住民的同行中，赋予能力给原住民群体。
​

赋能原则 （一）

​ 我们看重 『成长过程』(Process)
​而不仅是 『计划成果』 (Product)

许多时候我们看重 『成果』多于 『过程』，但这个原则提醒我们：过程才是最重要的。重点不在于我们的计划是否成功，而是即使计划最终失败，我们（原住民与华人）是否在过程中有所学习和成长。

原汉同行的方式：陪伴、聆听、同在
​焦点：建立信任关系

赋能原则 （二）

​ 我们看重 『发掘潜能』(Potential)
​而不仅是 『发现问题』 (Problem)

我们不该过多聚焦在原住民的缺乏和所面对的种种问题上，而是要以上帝的眼光发掘他们个人或社区所拥有的潜能和资源，鼓励并帮助他们发挥和善用这些资源，去解决他们的问题，满足他们的需要。

原汉同行的方式：肯定、参与、合作
​焦点：建立自信能力

赋能原则 （三）
​
​ 我们看重『栽培人才』(People)
 ​而不仅是 『完成事工』 (Project)​

这个原则提醒我们，人本身才是赋能最重要的目标，因为事工的最终目的，乃是要看见更多的原住民被建立和兴起，能领导他们的社区，并且成为其他原住民社区的祝福。

原汉同行的方式：教导、训练、授权
焦点：建立使命门徒

从上述原则来看，『原汉同行』的赋能其实就是一种门徒训练 (discipleship），在当中涉及到信任关系、发挥潜能、建立门徒。但这项工作并非容易简单，因为赋能是一个耗时耗力的过程，它需要我们的耐心、信心、等候、坚持。我祷告大马华人教会看见原汉同行的异象，愿意委身于原住民同行，参与社区转化的赋能事工。