They Will Know We Are Christians by Our Love

World Renew has been serving and walking with communities in Tanzania for over 25 years. Partnering with the local church, the African Inland Church Tanzania, World Renew seeks to see God glorified, churches strengthened, and people moved out of poverty.

Not far from the shores of Lake Victoria in northern Tanzania, World Renew has joined Reconciled World as they equip churches and communities to respond to their needs with their own resources. This kind of development work focuses on Truth Centered Transformation (TCT), a wholistic training and discipleship program centered on God’s essential and powerful role in transforming lives.

As rural churches are discipled by trained local facilitators, they learn to apply God’s truth to their lives and serve communities. Through this service to their communities, churches are growing in both size and depth of faith.

The church of Mwembeni began TCT training and moved to engage in what the TCT program calls “acts of love,” often simple, one-day projects accomplished with resources the church already has. These are powerful exercises in obedience, dignity, and service.

Before embarking on TCT, church members did not understand or demonstrate acts of love to community members or church members who were not attending Sunday services. The church evangelist focused on prayer and preaching, not visiting or serving those who were in need.

As the church focused on the truths of God’s Word, members began to understand the importance of caring for others and decided to start showing acts of love to their families and neighbors. They began visiting house to house and provided food, including maize and cassava, to vulnerable children, widows, and the elderly. They donated clothing, carried water from water sources, and repaired a widow’s house that had been damaged by rain.

Not surprisingly, the Mwembeni church began to attract new members. Membership grew from 30 to 45, and the offerings also increased. Church members testify that showing and receiving acts of love brings people to God.