In order to communicate the Good News of Jesus Christ in word and deed, STM accepts grant proposals in two categories: Missionaries and Outreach Projects. Whenever possible we seek to supplement local funds that are already being provided by African believers in support of their own missionaries and their outreach projects. In this way we partner with them and follow the demonstrated priorities of these faithful African believers. They know the culture, the history, and needs of their communities better than we ever will.
Currently our Nigerian partner organizations are Agape Missions and Evangelistic Network (AMEN) and Bege for Gobe (B4G). You can watch an interview with Naomi Famonure, the founder of B4G, here. It describes some of the work B4G does and why.
Missionaries are at the heart of STM. Without missionaries on the ground, there is no one to make the long term connection between good deeds and the Good News. Indigenous West African missionaries are strategically skilled and placed to share the gospel in their rapidly growing and often desperately needy region.
By giving $60/month, we can make a significant difference in the capacity of these missionaries to carry out the vital work God has called them to do. They will still be supported by African believers, but we can be partners to help these missionaries more effectively spread the Good News about Jesus' Kingdom.
STM joins with respected mission organizations, primarily in Nigeria, who oversee these missionaries and send us grant proposals to supplement their monthly support for one year. In some cases, these grants cover basic necessities like food and transportation. In other cases the grants may allow them to raise vegetables or small animals for longer term sustenance, or may assist them with their children's school fees, or to purchase evangelistic materials.
"It has been such an encouragement to me to correspond with this dedicated missionary, to get to know their heart and to pray for them in the difficult work they are doing."
The purpose of an outreach project is to link the words of the gospel that the missionaries proclaim with the works of the gospel that Jesus also calls us to do. Jesus came healing, feeding, restoring, and calling for the care of those who were overlooked by society. In this way those who hear the gospel can also see what it looks like in the community of believers. Some outreach projects will focus on the needs of believers and some on the needs of those yet to believe. Both are vital to the witness of the church.
Project Date: begin March '25
Funding Goal: $20,000
Kauna Home was founded in 2016 to provide safe shelter, food and education for children orphaned due to the violent attacks on Christian villages in Central Nigeria. In many cases there are no longer functioning villages for the children to go back to and no relatives that can take them in. Without Kauna Home, these children often end up on the streets of Jos, the major city in the region.
There are several thousand fatherless children in need of care that are currently living in IDP camps in the region near Kauna Home. The leadership of the home has the vision to bring in 1% of the most needy children but this will require an expansion of their facility.
You can donate online via the button above. If you would like to donate offline, it is easy and efficient. See details here. Any funds raised beyond that required for the expansion will go to the care of the orphans.
Project Date: May 2024 - ongoing
Funding Goal: as many as possible
Kauna Home, founded in 2016, provides safe shelter, food and education for children orphaned due to the violent attacks on Christian villages in Central Nigeria. In many cases there are no longer functioning villages for the children to be returned to and no relatives that can take them in. Without Kauna Home, these children would typically end up on the streets.
We are looking for partners to provide $30/month for a year, which is the approximate cost of food, housing, education and various other needs of these children. For our partners, we will provide a brief bio, a photo, a first name, an annual update, and a way to exchange encouraging notes a couple of times per year with one of these children. Learn more.
Currently there are around 5 dozen young children living in Kauna Home, and additional older students at Messiah College where they are fed, clothed and cared for by Christians house parents in a Christian community.
Project Date: Fall/Winter 2024
Funding Goal: TBD
We were recently able to help our partners in Nigeria purchase a 32 acre farm in the Kwali district just outside of the capital city of Abuja. The farm is already being cultivated, and you can see the cassavas beginning to grow in the photo above.
The first goal is to develop a sustainable source of funds for missionary work in West Africa. The capital city continues to expand as does the demand for food. The prime location of this land, its access to water and its relative security in the region give it great potential.
The second goal is to be a training/demonstration facility. Most African missionaries must be bi-vocational to support the work that they do. They often have small farms and live among people who farm. But Nigeria is not currently able to meet its own food needs and to some extent this is due to unproductive agricultural practices. The Kwali farm would be a place where missionaries and others could be trained in modern sustainable farming practices which provide both good yields and profits, but also have an eye toward nutrition and soil conservation. To have such a farm located on the outskirts of the capital city could be very advantageous.
We are currently receiving funds toward the development of the farm to its intended purposes of providing income for the mission and for being a training facility. You can donate online via the button above. If you would like to donate offline, it is easy and efficient. See details here.
This video of Dr. Jason Streubel describes how agricultural projects like the Kwali Farm can make a difference in the Kingdom.
"Knowing that the support I am providing goes directly toward food for children in a specific IDP camp, even in a specific location that I can find on a map, helps me be more engaged in the work."
Project Dates: November - December 2024
Christmas is usually a time of celebration, but due to the continuing violence against Christians in Nigeria, many are homeless, hungry and destitute. In some regions the Christmas celebration has turned to mourning due to the deaths of fathers, husbands and parents.
In response, Bege for Gobe (B4G) has been organizing annual one-day Christmas events for widows. The purpose is to offer spiritual encouragement, a good meal, the provision of staple food supplies, and clothing for the women and their children. This year these events were held in 2 different states and served around 1000 women. STM partnered with B4G to make these events successful.
This video shows the gathering of widows at the conference held at the main AMEN Mission Base where 700 women gathered.
Project Dates: August 2024
We were privileged to be able to help fund the Widow's Conference in 2024. Thanks to our generous donors, we were able to double the amount of funding we had committed to. Well over 400 widows attended the conference and were encouraged greatly, even though many who had hoped to attend were unable to do so as a consequence of the curfews related to the nationwide protests against their economic hardship. Numerous women made first time commitments to Christ.
Each year, hundreds of widows gather for several days of spiritual and physical nourishment. The stark reality is that many of these women have become widows as a result of the persistent attacks on predominantly Christian villages in the area. They stay together in a place of safety, gather multiple times each day for worship and Bible teaching, they are fed well, provided with staple food items and clothing to take back home, and often receive medical care, all at no expense to them.
These widows often struggle to make ends meet. Many also have to support children. These times of gathering allow them to network with each other and to be encouraged and regain hope for the future. In some cases, stipends and start up loans are given to help widows create a source of income or attend training or apprenticeship programs. Many are our Christian sisters already, and others commit their lives to Jesus in these conferences.
This video shows some of the activities from the 2024 Widow's Conference
This video shows some of the activities from last year's Widow's Conference
Widows attending the 2023 Conference from Benue State are interviewed. Their home region has been especially hard hit in recent years.
Project Dates: May to August 2024
STM accepted funds to complete the purchase of a 32 acre farm in the Kwali district near Abuja, the capital of Nigeria. The purchase of the farm was Phase One of the project. We were privileged to be able to provide funds to cover a substantial portion of the purchase cost. We look forward to being able to continue supporting the development of the farm to reach its potential.
The first goal is to develop a sustainable source of funds for missionary work in West Africa. The capital city continues to expand as does the demand for food. The prime location of this land, its access to water and its relative security in the region give it great potential.
The second goal is to be a training/demonstration facility. Most African missionaries must be bi-vocational to support the work that they do. They often have small farms and live among people who farm. But Nigeria is not currently able to meet its own food needs and to some extent this is due to unproductive agricultural practices. The Kwali farm would be a place where missionaries and others could be trained in modern sustainable farming practices which provide both good yields and profits, but also have an eye toward nutrition and soil conservation. To have such a farm located on the outskirts of the capital city could be very advantageous.
This video of Dr. Jason Streubel describes how agricultural projects like the Kwali Farm can make a difference in the Kingdom.
Project Dates: January 2024 through May 2024
STM accepted funds to provide food as part of an outreach to victims of the recent attacks over Christmas.¹ Tens of thousands of people were displaced to IDP camps² located at Bokkos and Mangu in Plateau State, Nigeria. Funds raised provided food for those living in the camps, at times their only meal of the day. During the 4 months of the outreach, we funded about 13,000 meals - mostly to children. These outreach efforts also resulted in ongoing Bible studies in the camps and new testimonies of faith in Jesus.
¹ Documentation: MorningStar News, America Magazine, Acton Institue
² IDP = Internally Displaced Persons. These are refugees within their own country that have been forced to move from their homes due to violence and insecurity, or due to natural disasters. Currently there are estimated to be 3 million IDP's in Nigeria.
Sometimes needs arise quickly before we have time to raise funds, sometimes other donors are unable to continue with the support that they have committed to. If you would be willing to stand in the gap, it would be a tremendous blessing to our work. If you would like to trust Sharing the Mission with an unspecified gift for use as needs arise, you can do so here.
"Thanks for making it so easy to get funds to the work in Nigeria."
Donors and potential donors sometimes want more details about how we do what we do. Here's a brief overview of our process.
The STM Newsletter is emailed out quarterly to anyone interested in missionary efforts in West Africa. So that the STM Newsletter can be widely shared, we will not provide detailed names or places, and we will never ask for donations. You can opt out easily at any time. Subscribe HERE.
When you donate to a specific missionary or outreach project, you can choose to receive more detailed information about how those funds are being used.
Photos & Video: ©Azigbo Dafe Samuel, ©AMEN, or ©Sharing the Mission - all used by permission. More info.
