Strategic Partnership with Careforce International

Neil Ostrander, CEO of International Teams Canada (ITCA), and Philip Chester, CEO of Careforce International (CFI), are excited to announce a strategic partnership that will benefit both organizations as they work together to care for those in need in Canada and around the world.

Effective September 29, 2011, this partnership represents a bold next step for the International Teams partnership strategy, and one that will help ensure the long-term future of Careforce International. The agreement sets out a path where ITCA will run all the back-office functions, with a special emphasis on Online Services, while CFI continues as a separate charitable organization. CFI and ITCA will partner in program delivery and both organizations are expected to see an increase in participation and donor support over 12 months.

Philip says that the partnership will not only allow CFI to focus on the initiatives that are at the heart of who they are as an organization – providing resources to project partners, and sending short-term teams to assist those partners in the work they are doing – but will also assist in growing their constituency of supporters and establishing new programs. “Our research shows that sharing our resources will enable us to maximize and improve impact for our partners through increased efficiency in our operations. Biblically-based collaboration with ITCA will allow Careforce to transfer and share, to the benefit of both organizations. This will mean that Careforce and ITCA will be able to invest a greater percentage of donations directly to the programs and projects.”

Neil and the Board of Directors of ITCA have leveraged their experience, gained from ITCA’s other partnerships, to identify a number of benefits to this unique arrangement. “Nothing is being lost. In fact, we all have a lot to gain through increased efficiency. Partnering with Careforce allows ITCA to increase our program and operational capacity further and faster.  Together, we will help more churches who in turn help more widows, orphans and refugees.”

Both Neil and Philip are confident that the future of Careforce programs, partners, teams and overall vision is solid, thanks to a sustainable operational model that will be focused, lean and effective. They are available for more in-depth discussion of this partnership and encourage supporters of either organization to contact them directly with any questions.


Philip Chester
CEO, Careforce International
philip@careforceinternational.ca
905.639.8525

Neil Ostrander
CEO, International Teams Canada
neil.ostrander@iteams.org
519.669.8844

Repost: Streams In The Wasteland

Ptrs Gani and Henry

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." Isaiah 43:18-19 (NIV)

Today, is a new day. While each day in reality starts afresh, more than that, today is truly a new beginning. New beginnings owe their significance to the fact that they are very liberating. Our human desire to move forward and chase after the light of hope is always hampered by the mud of the past that bogs down our progress to the future. If you have slogged through muddy paths, you know how frustrating and tedious it is. It can wear you down. It can immobilize you as you sink deeper into the mud. Therefore, to be free today from the things that bind us to the past liberates us to witness the wonderful fulfillment of God's plans in the future.

Streams in the wasteland will constantly remind me from this day onwards on how God brings freshness to the Calling He has for each one of us. Streams in the wasteland will stir up the sense of anticipation on what He will do among the people who waste away in hopelessness.

Today, I would rather be swept away in that stream to the wasteland than be bogged down and sink in the muddy past.

Well said Pastor Henry. Follow his blog Streams in the Wasteland.

WHAT CAN I DO?! Making a Global Difference Right Where You Are

Guest post by David Livermore: Great leader and researcher. Great friend with a great challenge!

My newest book, What Can I Do: Making a Global Difference Right Where You Are just released. I wrote this primarily for Christian readers who want to make a difference globally but aren’t convinced that a two-week trip overseas or an occasional donation is enough.

I rarely meet someone who doesn’t give a rip about HIV-AIDS, freedom in the Middle East, poverty and disease, human trafficking, or any number of other global challenges facing our generation. But all too often, we’re shamed with another series of statistics about how sweet our lives are compared to most people around the world.

I’m all about seeing our lives in perspective. And I start the book out in that very place—seeing ourselves in light of our global neighbors. But all too often, global types like me stop there. We rant and rave with a global chip on our shoulder trying to get people to care about poverty, disease, and war and we don’t offer people practical steps for what they can actually do about it.

Having sometimes seen those tendencies in myself (apologies to those of you who have been subjected to my personal and public rants), I embarked on this project a few years ago. The book stems from research across many different disciplines and professions.

The main section covers dozens of stories and practical ways we can all make a difference globally—in our families, through our jobs (with chapters devoted to how individuals are doing so through business, art, education, science, health care, etc.), at school, in our communities, etc. It was deeply inspiring to work on this project because I learned so much personally from the many people I interviewed and the stories I encountered.

A more complete review of the book will be available on this website soon.For now, you can download the introduction and a couple sample chapters here: What Can I Do Sample. Feel free to share them with others or use them however you wish. And I’d love to hear your own stories of ways you’re learning to play your part in our global village. The book is available at Amazon and bookstores everywhere.

Impact Christmas

The beginning of this year’s Christmas season has given the program staff of International Teams Canada a new reason to celebrate:  the launch of the Christmas Catalogue, a brand new initiative designed to provide an opportunity for ITCA supporters and weary Christmas shoppers to purchase more meaningful Christmas gifts.

Neil Ostrander, CEO of International Teams Canada, says that the story of how Sharon's family transformed their Christmas traditions really touched the hearts of staff at the national office.  “Her personal testimony of what it means to give a more meaningful gift – including doing the research and finding that perfect charitable cause that connects with each family member – helped inspire us to do likewise. I'm following Sharon's lead this Christmas and I encourage everyone else to do so as well.”

The catalogue, officially launched in the middle of November, contains over 100 unique items specially selected by program leaders to make a lasting impact by providing education, healthcare, food, clean water, or vocational opportunities to widows, orphans, and refugees around the globe.  Gifts are available from each of the twelve Impact programs, and include everything from ice cream for street kids in Iraq and sewing training for widows in the Philippines, to milk and bread for orphans in Kenya-Nyahururu, medical insurance for refugees in Rwanda, and Bibles for pastors in Sudan.

Marcee Groen, the Co-Director of International Programs, believes the magic in the Christmas Catalogue is the insight it provides into what is really happening around the world.  “It shows the practical, hands-on activity that is taking place and will increase understanding of what International Teams is doing.  With increased support, program leaderss will be able to keep their projects and initiatives strong and consistent.  The items I really love are the ones that build micro-enterprises or supplement the incomes of workers in the countries.  By purchasing a sewing machine and materials for a woman, we increase their income and their dignity.  Providing food and nutrition for students is fantastic too.  It's such a simple way to increase a child's chances at academic success while promoting good health at the same time.”

Brett Ostrander, Host Country Program Leader in the Philippines, says the variety of items and the wide range of price points will allow people to engage specifically with their passions this Christmas.  “People can pick items closest to what’s in their hearts, or to the heart of the person receiving the gift.  The whole idea is very simple, yet very powerful!  Small regular donations to something like the catalogue are a really great way to engage with a program’s key focus, opening doors that might otherwise remain closed.”

To make a purchase from the catalogue, visit www.iteams.ca/catalogue or click the link below.  Simply add one or more items to your cart, click checkout, and check your inbox for a confirmation email and the opportunity to send a Christmas e-card to friends and family.

Check out the Christmas Catalogue!

Celebrating a New Kind of Christmas

For Sharon Wallace, International Teams Canada’s new Director of Organizational Development, a new family tradition began when she realized she was struggling to find meaningful gifts for her family. Christmas shopping had become a frustrating and exhausting experience.  “Just going to the mall and choosing something for which the recipient has no real need, seemed a bit empty. Why buy more for people when we were all trying to live more simply and declutter our homes? So I thought that doing something where I match a gift to my family member’s values and interests, while also blessing someone in need, would truly make Christmas more special for all.”
Challenged and inspired by the number of charitable requests she received each year at Christmas time, Sharon spoke with her family to get a sense of their willingness to change how they celebrate Christmas. She suggested that they draw names and set a spending limit, half of which would go toward a book or magazine, with the other half going to a charity.

After just one year of this new kind of Christmas, Sharon’s entire family was on board for making this a tradition in their family. “Everybody loved it. It has changed the tone of our celebration – it is much calmer, more reflective. The book or magazine is wrapped, so there’s still something to unwrap, and people are very creative with the other part, even writing poems to explain why they’ve chosen that particular charity!”

Sharon believes – and thinks her extended family would agree – that the thoughtfulness and meaning behind the gifts is often the most touching part of the gift exchange. “I was a little bit surprised by how it felt. I guess I thought it would feel good because it was the right thing to do, but now I would not give up doing this for the world. It is so meaningful and is really bonding our family together in a lasting way.”

This year, Sharon expects she will do the majority of her shopping from the newly launched International Teams Christmas Catalogue (Click here for the full story).“I looked at the items in the catalogue and could see something for everyone in my family, like glasses for widows at a sewing school on behalf of my mom, who recently had cataract surgery, or soccer balls for refugee children on behalf of my sports-loving dad. And my daughter never goes without breakfast and a hug from her parents, so I will likely give a gift of fresh fruit for orphans in her name. I get to have the fun of picking out unique gifts without having to negotiate crowds and lineups!”

Sharon’s only regret is that she wishes she had thought of this idea years ago. “God has entrusted us with abundance and to be able to share it in a meaningful way is a real gift. I can’t imagine doing Christmas any other way. We haven’t lost anything by this – we have only gained.”<

Check out the Christmas Catalogue!

Hate (to Hope)

Hate: by Julie Slagter

Where’s the love? I’m beginning to wonder where the love has gone in the country which I live. Everytime I flip on the TV lately, I see hate… I hear hate on the radio and read about it in the news… I witness hate in face-to-face conversations and in public areas….

Hate is all around… government candidates are running hourly ads about how evil their opponent is, talk shows and people in the coffee shop are enraged about the potential of a mosque going up near ground zero, journalists and celebrities are slurring racist comments, people are being bullied, relationships are being torn apart by hurtful words and actions, and the list goes on and on…

I don’t want to live in a culture of hate. I want to live in a culture that listens to each others opinions… respects each other and extends grace. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not looking for a fantasy world and I’m well aware that life isn’t roses all the time. But let’s stop this culture of hate, this extreme dislike of one another.

Consider Jesus Christ, he didn’t give into a culture of hate. He lived a counter-cultural life. In John 4:1-29, Jesus, a Jew, meets a Samaritan woman at a well while traveling through her village. Samaritans and Jews disliked each other, a culture of hate existed between them. This makes it very odd that Jesus would engage the Samaritan woman in any kind of humane conversation. Besides her Samaritan label, she also has a shady reputation. She’s had several husbands in the past and wasn’t married to her current lover. And it’s obvious her own village gossips about her because she was at the well at a non-rush hour time of day.

Despite all these factors and perceptions, Jesus talked to her AND listened to her. In addition, Jesus offered her everlasting life! And then he goes further to break down her stereotypes of worship. He conveys to her that God can’t be confined to a place. He tells her it doesn’t matter where she worships or what she’s called. Economic status, denomination, race, age, political party… doesn’t matter. What matters is ones relationship with Jesus Christ and how one lives his/her life.

And one more thing – the Samaritan woman goes back to tell the village about Christ. She tells them that he knows us all inside and out. God simply wants us to be in relationship with him and for us to trust him, love him, and repent. By grace alone he forgives.

I don’t want to give in to a culture of hate. I want to strive daily to live counter-culturally like Christ. I hope you will too.