[5 minute read]

Hello EMCC,

We invite you to join us this week in celebrating what God has done through our international partners and the initiatives they're facilitating to see the gospel lived out in action among their communities.

Our Scripture this week will focus on David's song of praise from 1 Chronicles 16. David sang this song after the Ark of the Covenant, which had been in Philistine territory, was returned to Israel again.

"Thank God! Call out His Name! Tell the whole world who He is and what He’s done!" (verse 1, MSG). Yesterday, today and forever God is the same. God had made a promise to the wandering nation of Israel, and God always keeps his promise for a thousand generations. They finally received the land of promise. They may have sown in tears but as they observed the laws of God, they reaped with joy! Now, King David invited the people who had wandered away again to gather in the house of the Lord. David provided bread, meat and raisins to all those who participated, and then invited the people to worship God. Extol the Lord…Remember His miraculous deeds of the past and let (even) the earth be joyful!

To begin our week, we share some stories from Ethiopia. Many people continue to be displaced due to war, drought and injustice there, but through the partnership of EMCC with the Canadian Foodgrains Bank, our partners are able to provide people with access to land for farming, and provide teaching around principles and practices for transforming the land and, thereby, communities. 

This week, would you take a few minutes every day to read, listen and reflect on the stories of collaboration and integral mission? We invite you to join us for just one hour on Friday, February 7th, and let us extol the Lord together, remember His deeds of the past, intercede for those who weep and are vulnerable, and celebrate the God who keeps His promises! Register for the Friday morning prayer time below to receive the Zoom link.

Thanks for participating with us this week,

David Benjamin

World Partners Church Engagement Facilitator

P.S. I would love to connect with churches around their global mission strategic plan. Reach out to me at dbenjamin@emcc.ca to begin a conversation.

Among the Zala People

The Zala Woreda region in Ethiopia faces serious food insecurity issues. EMCC in partnership with the Ethiopian Kale Heywet Church Development Commission and Tearfund Canada, is working on a project to improve food security and empower women in the region.

Farmers in Zala can only feed their families for about half the year due to poor crop yields and other challenges like environmental degradation and inadequate storage. Conservation Agriculture (CA) practices, which include minimal tillage and crop diversification, are being promoted to improve soil health and increase crop yields.

CA participants have seen better crop yields even during droughts, and women have become more economically empowered and active in community leadership.

Among the Tigray People

EMCC and the Canadian Foodgrains Bank are working on a project to help improve food security and livelihoods in Raya Alamata, a disputed area in Ethiopia that is also prone to drought conditions.

• Project Objective: The goal is to boost food security and livelihoods for 1200 households in Raya Alamata, Tigray by teaching conservation farming practices to 150 male and female farmers and providing resources like green manure seeds.
• Community Support: Community strengthening is also a focus, with trauma healing for women affected by war and providing support and access to small business opportunities.
• Success Stories: Participants like Kobor Mesele and Meseret have benefited from the project by receiving seeds and improving their agricultural output, despite previous displacement. CFGB reports that those that underwent training in conservation farming practices have seen greater productivity and there is greater respect and cooperation between male and female farmers.

World Partners invites you to join with us in an EMCC Connected Across the Globe event on Friday February 7th (11 am ET/9 am MT).

#IDW2025