LIA Global Institute

What Does The Institute Do?

GOAL: Unleashing the capacity of national/indigenous churches and Christian organizations to pursue wholistic impact

At the LIA Global Institute, we believe that national/indigenous Christian organizations, churches, and leaders are well positioned, full of potential, and capable of addressing local community needs, as well as playing their part in fulfilling the Great Commission globally. The role of the Institute is to be a catalyst for program innovation, so that churches and Christian organizations can be empowered and capacitated to fulfill the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20), the Great Commandment (Matthew 22:36-40), and the Great Concern (Matthew 25:31-45). 

How Is This Accomplished?

  • Unleashing the capacity of national/indigenous Global South churches, missional leaders, and organizations.
  • Facilitating and advancing the understanding of Global North churches, organizations, and leaders as to the changing global missiological landscape.
  • Promoting and expediting equal partnerships between Global South and Global North entities built on mutual trust and confidence in the pursuit of wholistic impact for the global glory of God.

Therefore, the LIA Global Institute has been established to:

Address The Need For Missional Innovation

We live in a rapidly changing world and the Institute serves as a catalyst for program innovation as to how to empower and capacitate the Church and Christian missional organizations to serve the poor with wholistic impact in the 21st century.

Address The Emerging Realities and Challenges On The Missional Landscape In Africa and The Caribbean

They have global implications. Some of the issues that LIA will continue to address but with greater intentionality include capacitating churches, national mission agencies, and national relief and development organizations to pursue wholistic impact and work with them to unleash their capacity to be a megaphone for the cause of mission. LIA will facilitate their growing understanding of the importance of the role of the Global South church in missional enterprises, specifically Africa, and the Biblical mandate to produce fruit that will last and how that can be done. 

Address The Remnants of Paternalism and Post Colonialism

Paternalism and post colonialism are still present in missiological conversations; establishing criteria for accreditation of the many smaller but fruitful “fragile” national missions that have the potential to excel in collaborative partnerships with Global North Christian entities in fulfilling the Great Commission and the Great Commandment.

Address The Need For Collaboration and Breakthrough Answers As To How Best To Pursue Wholistic Impact

Address the need for collaboration and breakthrough answers as to how best to pursue wholistic impact in fragile states and Christian minority settings: strategizing and developing praxis that will facilitate the spreading of the whole gospel to unreached and unengaged people groups. 

Support The Church In Reclaiming Her Legitimate Place and Role In Missions:

Support the Church in reclaiming her legitimate place and role in missions: continue to innovate with the implementation and promotion of a church-centered wholistic mission strategy [contextualizing the LIA Model] to meet the need of traditional mission agencies that are seeking to incorporate the Great Commandment seamlessly into their ongoing work and the need of traditional Christian NGOs that are looking for ways to seamlessly integrate the Great Commission in their ongoing work.  

The Primary Focus Of The Institute Is The Capacitation Of National Churches and Missional Organizations

The primary focus of the Institute is the capacitation of national churches and missional organizations so they can pursue wholistic impact and use their knowledge and experience to unleash the capacity of other national churches and organizations. Life in Abundance has been pursuing wholistic impact and the building of the capacity of national and local Global South Christian leaders for almost three decades.  Since 2020, the Institute has taken on this responsibility through a growing number of activities unleashing and trusts God to do this in an exponential way that will result in scale.

Core Programs

The Institute is a unique space rather than place for mutual learning and exchange of ideas to address the new realities of missions in the 21st century and fulfills its purpose and calling through various platforms and vehicles.  The LIA Training centers in Nairobi and Jamaica play an important roles, as do virtual conferences, occasional webinars and the growing annual Global Mission Conference. The Institute can also be hosted in the US, Great Britain or Europe by a partner 

Through a variety of trainings, collaborations, workshops, and occasional think tanks, the Institute uses LIA’s well-refined training curriculums, effective local church empowerment model, and two residential training centers to unleash the capacity of national organizations and churches.  

Organizational Capacity Assessments Training (OCAT) is one of the main tools used in the capacitation process. The OCAT is an accredited two-year capacitation and mentoring process/training focusing on 7 domains of organizational health and help national organizations and churches to identify their strengths and areas of growth.  

Diploma Programs

Two diploma programs under the direction of Mr. Eliud Wasike eliudwasike@lifeinabundance.org  are currently available, a two-year Diploma in Wholistic Ministry and a 3-year Diploma in Wholistic Community Development.  So far 5 students have graduated though the Institute’s accredited program and received their diplomas for Africa International University. This is a fledging program designed for busy Christian leaders who desire to unleash their capacity in the pursuit of wholistic impact and is engendering great interest. For more information and enrolment please contact Florence Nzau Nzau.Florence@lifeinabundance.org    

Partnership

Through the Global Institute, LIA is committed to facilitate healthy partnerships between Global North and Global South partners so together they can pursue wholistic impact through their missional efforts and so fulfill the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. To that end, the Wholistic Development Network has been established.  If you are interested in connecting with the GMNA please complete this INTEREST FORM.

GMC 2023 Registration

FAQs

OCAT Interest Form