Integral Mission in Chad

I have just returned from the country of Chad, where I have been incredibly impressed by an initiative that is best covered by the term ‘integral mission’.  In other words it is an expression of mission that encompasses both an active demonstration and a proclamation of the Gospel.

In terms of an active demonstration, the hospital is bringing healing to people from whom otherwise there would be no hope.  Help is being brought to combat preventable illnesses such as tetanus which are rife in the area leaving many dead or suffering from the consequences.  Other people are now able to be treated as never before, and women are assisted in child birth.  Chad is also significantly impacted by malnutrition that hits the youngest hardest, and the hospital is able to develop a programme to help the weakest.  All this is inspirational, but the hope offered is more than just physical, but also spiritual. 

The hospital is openly Christian, but this means so much more than just the identity.  A Chadian chaplain seeks to share his faith in gentle ways within the hospital and the staff meet regularly for prayer together and also to offer prayer to the patients.  Opportunities are taken to speak of the love of Jesus regularly. 

The example of the Chadian hospital brings a challenge to the practice of mission in all settings in terms of how we adopt an integral approach that involves both actions and words.