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C2C Frequently Asked Questions
What are the basic requirements of a C2C relationship?
We ask for four simple commitments… First, the church nominates a Church Advocate to be the primary contact between the church, FH and the community. Second, the church commits to promote the C2C initiative to the body at large, regularly praying and communicating updates from the chosen community. Third, the church commits to sponsor children each year. Fourth, the church commits to sending at least one short-term team to the partner community. We also ask that C2C churches participate in 6:8 Sunday every year.
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How do we select a community?
Your church, FH international staff and an FH Regional Manager will work together to find a community that matches your church’s specific geographical interest, how often your church wants to send short-term teams, and the goals for child sponsorship. FH may be able to present your church with several options of communities from which to choose. When deciding between communities, be sure to consider the calling and limitations of your particular congregation. For example, some communities suffer from outbreaks of malaria or are affected by internal political unrest. The church may or may not be able to work creatively alongside of FH staff in such challenging situations. Travel restrictions in certain seasons, accessibility to lodging, travel distances, preparations, vaccinations and finances are all factors a church must consider. Your Food for the Hungry Regional Manager will help you walk through this process.
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Will we be expected to finance all the work in the community?
No. While there are opportunities to contribute to the ongoing work through child sponsorship and special projects, the church will not be expected to solely financially sustain the work in the community.
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Can groups other than churches partner with communities in the C2C program?
Yes! Universities, Christian schools and other groups are invited to partner with international communities through the C2C program.
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Where can a church partner with a community?
Currently, community partnerships are possible in the following countries: Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, Burundi, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Peru, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Philippines, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Indonesia.
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Can more than one church partner with a community?
Yes. In order not to overburden one church, FH allows several church partners to connect with a particular community abroad. We base decisions on the church’s vision, their ability to promote child sponsorships, the size and needs of the community, and the capacity of the community to handle teams. Large churches can request to be the sole C2C partner with a community.
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How long does the C2C relationship with a community last?
It is most helpful if the relationship lasts until Food for the Hungry exits the community. However, we recommend an initial commitment of three to five years. This will allow your church to build relationships with field staff and community members, earn the community’s trust and respect, and get involved in the life of the community. FH does not permanently establish operations in any one community. We stress self-sufficiency and teach the community to utilize local resources to avoid the negative repercussions of long-term dependency. Once a community is ready to be self-sustaining, we’d invite you to consider transitioning to enter into a relationship with a new community.
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What if a child sponsor wishes to stay in contact with the child and his/her family after FH has left the community?
The unique strength of the child sponsorship program is the relationship fostered between the sponsor and the child (and the child’s family). Sponsors become very interested and committed to the well-being and success of the child. However, closing a child sponsorship center also closes this relationship, but this means that the community is self-sustaining. Both sponsors and children need to know and understand in advance that when FH leaves a community, we close the child sponsorship center. This is good news, because it means the community has become self-sustaining. FH takes care to give sponsors and children the opportunity to say goodbye when it comes time to close the center.
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Does the church have direct contact with the community and field staff?
The church will have the opportunity to build strong ties to the field staff as well as the community during short-term team trips, but should always communicate logistics and other business matters through FH Regional Managers and Field Liasons. This keeps the field staff free to do their job on the field, and keeps them from being overwhelmed with communication and expectations from multiple churches and individuals. This also minimizes the opportunity for well-intentioned but inappropriate requests from the field. Although personal relationships can and should develop amongst the field staff and churches, with so many different teams, and C2C churches, it is important that your Regional Manager and Field Liason handle logistical communication to minimize misinformation.
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Who is the Food for the Hungry representative churches work with?
For all short-term team issues, the church will work with the Field Liason that specializes in the country with which they have chosen to partner. For all other aspects of the C2C partnership, the church will work with the designated Regional Manager from our Advocate Ministry Department.
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What about giving donations to help with special needs in the community?
When the American church visits their community, it is only natural that members from the community will want to directly share needs with the church. We have found though, that although direct financial gifts to community members may take care of immediate needs, such gifts contribute to long-term dependency, and discourage the community from learning to solve its own problems. Therefore, we do not allow team members to give financial donations directly to community members or field staff.
Requests from the community for special projects must always be approved first by field staff. We will present an approved potential project to the church as a written proposal, which the church can review and pray over. If the church decides to accept the proposal, they will work with FH on the timing, investment and scope of the commitment. The field will enfold the project into their overall plans and will report on progress through FH.
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Can a C2C church help with emergency medical needs of children in the community?
Yes. The Food for the Hungry HEART Fund (Health Emergency Access Response Team) is an emergency medical fund set up to provide help for catastrophic or life threatening medical aid for children. Churches can donate to this fund, which is capped at $25,000. Field staff can submit a request for funding for a particular need for any child in the community (not just sponsored children). Qualifying needs are heart surgery, appendectomies or other life threatening illness. Although the fund can be used for wheelchairs and prosthetic devices, the fund does not cover non-emergency needs such as glasses, funerals costs or hearing aids.
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Who has the final responsibility for making decisions? What is the role of FH?
The partnership between the church, FH and the community involves trust, respect and submission to authority. The FH field staff are the experts and the ones who minister on a daily basis in these communities. They must make the final decisions regarding ministry needs, timing of projects in the community and trips to the field. FH acts as the conduit and liaison during the partnership process. FH provides opportunities, information and resources to educate and prepare your church for ministry with your community.
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What is the strategy for exiting a community?
FH’s commitment to working with a community is typically seven to twenty years. Over this time period, FH seeks maximum impact to significantly decrease long-term dependency issues. This time frame allows the field staff to build into the lives of the people in the community and offer wisdom, spiritual training and a Biblical worldview while demonstrating the love of Christ. We clearly communicate to the community that the C2C church will exit with FH when the program is completed. The U.S. church may consider transitioning into a new relationship with a nearby community or perhaps with a community in a different country. If the new community is in close proximity to the original community, team visits can include trips to both communities for a transition period. When the work is completed in a community, the field will send a celebration report which will include the progress made in the hearts, minds and physical surroundings of the community.
To talk with a Food for the Hungry Regional Manager about the C2C program, call 1-800-2-HUNGERS, email advocates@fh.org or submit the more information request form.
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