Most of our ministry is focused on indigenous people groups which are minority groups. They don't have growing economies because of the majority groups who have suppressed them. Farming and handicrafts are their trades. One rarely tries to pursue any other type of career. So we have focused in on those two key trades in their culture to see how we can actually build their communities and economy in a way that establishes discipleship and followers of Christ.
We came to the realization that if our ministry doesn't empower who we minister to, then it is void.
One of the ways that we have found to empower a community is to help them develop tools to become sustainable. One example is of a group that we have been ministering to called the Tigwahanon Manobo. In 2010, we formed a group of instrument makers and helped them develop the tools to take pride in their own God-given, indigenous sound. Now there are around 15 instrument makers who are also discipled followers of Christ and have craftsmanship skills to grow in their own careers and destiny. They have been able to develop their own business in making native instruments and other types of handicrafts.
We are actually taking this same principle and using it many places we go. It's a way of re-inforcing cultural dignity, building the local economy and making disciples in a real impactful way.
Watch their video below.