Reconciled World is going through a time of tremendous growth and seeing God do wonderful things across the world. With all the busyness that growth brings, we have not had a chance to tell you the incredible stories we are hearing from the field. But we’ve decided they are too good not to share! So stay tuned for stories that show how churches are being strengthened, communities transformed, and God glorified.

To kick it off, here are a couple stories about how TCT-partner churches are addressing gang violence in their communities. 

Many villages in Democratic Republic of Congo are plagued with crime and violence because of poverty, lack of employment opportunities, and unrest. Youth are especially at risk of getting into trouble.

In one village there was a gang of young men causing unrest. They often stole money and property and attacked women with machetes. The whole community lived in fear of them. As the church studied TCT, they learned that God created work, not as a curse, but as a way for people to glorify Him. They began to view the youth through this new lens and believed that they too could bring glory to God if they had work to do. 

The church began praying about how they could help these gang members. They decided to use their own resources to buy a brick-making machine and then taught the young men how to make and sell bricks. Many of the gang members took up this profession and are now respected and valuable members of the community. Crime has decreased in the community and people are glorifying God for this transformation. 

In another area facing a similar problem, the youth in the church started a football (soccer) team and invited boys from the gang to join them. They also began holding a movie night for the community once a week. Now about 200 young people come to weekly movie nights and participate in the football games. Additionally, the church started a tutoring program for gang members and the pastor met with families to encourage them to get their sons back into school. The community no longer has a problem with gangs, more youth are in school, and many of the families have become Christians. 

None of these acts were complicated, but God used them to bring healing and change the course of young men’s lives. At Reconciled World, we see over and over how small Acts of Love can bring big transformation and glorify God in beautiful ways. We are excited to share more stories with you in the coming months.