ALLIANCE MINISTRIES is a ministry of the Africa Inland Church Tanzania, in partnership with other evangelical churches in Dar es Salaam. It is an associate member of International Christian Youthworks. Alliance is headed up by 3 staff members who oversee and co-ordinate the ministry. The Alliance volunteer team regularly teach Bible in 10 high schools as well as organising training seminars for Christian Union leaders and outreach events for students. In an average week the team touches the lives of 1,500 high school students.
For more details contact http://www.allianceministries.org.uk/
TAKE 12 is a unique training programme for between 3 and 12 months in cross cultural schools ministry run by Alliance Ministries in Dar es Salaam Tanzania. It is an international team who will train and serve together for one year. The training given in TAKE 12 will pay equal respect to both theory and application. We are neither just learning theory or just doing. Rather, Take 12 seeks to apply theory to a local setting in high schools with the result that each participant will begin formulating his or her own personal philisophy of cross cultural ministry . If you successfully complete assignments and exams you will be awarded a certificate which is certified by International Christian Youthworks.
WEEKLY TEAM DAYS Two days a week the team will meet together for prayer, Bible study, seminars and discussion of the unit being studied. This is also a time where any team business is done and where team members can meet with Alliance Staff to review issues arising from cross cultural
ministry
.
SCHOOLS MINISTRY Three days a week the team will be ministering to high schools students in Bible lessons , organising outreach events and seminars for students who are coming to faith. We are particularly interested in receiving applications from people who are gifted in drama and who are willing to train others to write drama appropriate for schools in Tanzania. We are also interested in team members who are qualified in Teaching English as a Foreign Language who could assist our national team members to improve in English.
APPLICATIONS are invited from people:
Who have a living relationship with Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour
Who have a conviction that God is asking them to serve cross culturally
Who are fluent in English
Who agree with the core values and attitudes listed below.
CORE VALUES OF TAKE 12
1. Reaching and Discipling High School Students with the Saving News of Jesus Christ
2. Commitment to the Local Language and Culture
3. Relationships to God, Relationships to team mates, Relationships to local people
4. Lifestyle and Proclamation Evangelise
5. Living Among Those to Whom We Seek to Minister
6. Bringing Learner Attitude
7. Adopting a Simpler Lifestyle
8. Teamship
9. Prayer is Ministry
10. Training is for a Lifetime
11. Ministry Flows Out of Being
12. High View of the Local Church
TEAM LIFE - Eight Attitudes You Should Pack
Flexibility This is a watchword for African missionaries where almost nothing goes according to plan. Planes, trains, and buses don't come when they say they will. People usually don't come when they say they will, and then others come when they never told you that they would. Plans change on a moment to moment basis. It's enough to drive an organized westerner to distraction - if he or she is not prepared for it.
Stubborn Joy Change is stressful! Humans generally do not like wholesale change but prefer incremental change; unfortunately, you will be going in for the wholesale variety. Your attitude towards these changes will largely determine your physical, emotional and spiritual health. Cheerfully embrace the changes in food, language, friends, living situation, role, etc. You can't be cheerful all the time, and you will still get depressed, but you will survive more easily than if you get dragged into each change "kicking and screaming". Initially, you may not be able to choose many of the circumstances you find yourself in while on Take 12, but you will always be able to choose your response to those circumstances. Choose stubborn joy.
Teachability Many first term missionaries return from the field and say, "Father God worked more on me than through me." The Lord, no doubt, has much to teach you during your one year on Take 12 - are you willing to listen? Much of your continuing education will be taught by those whom you expected to come minister to. Are you willing to be taught lessons of life by Africans? Are you prepared to be shown your weak points by the Holy Spirit, your team members and nationals? Look for the lesson. Come with an open and expectant heart.
Commissioned by the Lord
One day you will be stuck on the side of a road in the rain with a broken down bus
or one evening you will be laying in bed staring at the ceiling because your neighbors are fighting, and you will think, "Now, how is it that I got myself into this?" These are the moments to recall the gracious acts of our Lord toward you. Remember how He opened the right doors, remember how He moved your heart and motivated you, remember how your financial support came in. Our God is not a capricious God; He did not send you to Africa with Take 12 on a whim. He knew what He was doing, and He still does.
My Expectations Will Not Be Reality
The degree of disappointment and disillusionment one experiences in life is directly
proportional to the size of the gap one has between expectations and reality. This little handbook is an attempt to shrink that gap, but there is no substitute for experience, and your experience will undoubtedly be different than what you now envision. Hold your expectations loosely, and when some of them must die, let them go without rancor.
Respect
There is a stress on the need to show respect in most African cultures that is largely foreign to the west. In this regard, Africans are much closer to the cultures of the Old and New Testament - and perhaps also closer to God's will. Consequently, this is an area where our cultural background can chop us off at the knees in our attempts to move forward in relationship. Open disagreement is dangerous territory. Older people need to be honored and greeted first and deferred to. Flaunting of social customs is tantamount to "dissing" or showing disdain for the culture. We will still make silly errors, but if we genuinely value and seek to honor each person we meet, that attitude will be evident to our hosts.
Forgiveness
Your sending council will blow it, the leadership of Take 12 will disappoint you, your team leader will undoubtedly mess up and hurt you at times, your fellow team members will sometimes be extremely irritating, the national church will get under your skin, and the people you are serving will occasionally be the biggest pack of miserable ingrates you have ever seen. Forgive. Not only in obedience to Jesus do you need to do this, but for your own sanity you need to do this. At times your stress level will be off the charts and you will want to blame someone, anyone, for your unhappy state; there will always be a likely candidate. Forgive. To forgive is our duty, and it is our privilege - an ability given by the Holy Spirit who demonstrates His presence in us. Forgive. Besides, you aren't exactly perfect, yourself.
Perseverance
Come with the thought that no matter what you will persevere to the end of Take 12. Those marriages that succeed are those that begin with the presupposition that divorce is not an option. Bring that same attitude to the team.
Dar Es Salaam Factfile
Dar es Salaam is by far the largest city in Tanzania although not its capital. The city is located at sea level on the Indian Ocean coast and occupies 90 sq km. The hottest months are December to the end of March with long rains from March to May and short rains during November and December. The best season is June to October.
Dar es Salaam is by some measure the largest city in Tanzania and has grown rapidly since independence in 1961. Almost all administrative, political and business activity is concentrated in the city although some government bodies and main parliamentary sittings are in Dodoma.
The first impressions of the city are of the heat, shabby buildings and dilapadated infrastructure. There are often water cuts and power cuts as well as congested roads. There is a marked contrast between the living standards of ordinary people and the bureaucratic, business and international community. On closer inspection, Dar es Salaam is full of surprises such as its beautiful location on the Indian Ocean and the warmth and friendliness of the local people.
As with any large city in a developing country there are many urban problems however you will meet God here in a new way as well as yourself!
Africa Inland Church Tanzania
Africa Inland Church Tanzania is the denomination started by the first missionaries from Africa Inland Mission. It is just over 100 years old and has grown to be the 3rd largest Prodestant denomination in Tanzania. It is organised into 5 dioceses each with a bishop and its headquarters is in the city of Mwanza in the North West of Tanzania. The denomination is largely evangelical with an emphasis on Bible teaching and evangelism.
Alliance Ministries operates under this denomination and specifically under the Christian Education Department of the Coastal Diocese. There is an interdenominational board which overseas the running of the ministry.
Religious Studies Policy in Schools and Alliance Ministries
The Tanzanian Constitution states that the government has no religion but everyone is free to practice his own faith. The Ministry of Education has made religious studies in schools a compulsory subject which means that every school in the nation has two periods for religious studies every week.
During religious studies students are divided into three broad groups:- Prodestant, Catholic and Muslim. Alliance Ministries provides teachers for the Prodestant students who teach from a curriculum written and developed by Alliance Staff. The curriculum is called Road to Life and has the aims of improving the Biblical knowledge of the students, enabling students to relate and apply the Bible to their lives and bringing students to faith in Jesus Christ.
In addition to regular teaching in secondary/high schools Alliance teachers and volunteers are involved in discipling and training Christian student leaders, outreach in boarding dormitories organising other outreach events.
The Cost
The costs of being a part of the team are $375 a month. This includes your rent, food and travel around. To this you will need to add perhaps $20 a week pocket money and maybe a bit more for special occasions such as safaris, maybe a holiday in Mombasa on the Indian Ocean or other trips. We would also like you to take Swahili lessons and this will cost you about $15 a month. So if you come for six months, you will need to raise $2860. You will also need to raise money for your flights, insurance and visas.
| One off costs approx. | Dollars | Pounds |
| Flight from UK/US to Dar es Salaam | $1700 | £600 |
| Insurances | $200 | £150 |
| Visas | $50 | £35 |
| Totals | $1950 | £785 |
| Monthly Costs | Dollars | Pounds |
| Board and lodging per month | $375 | £200 |
| Pocket Money | $90 | £50 |
| Language School | $15 | £10 |
| Totals | $480 | £260 |
What to do now……
If you think this is for you, then you should first of all email Colin and Melissa at ICY HQ. You might even like to send them an on line application. This doesn’t commit you to anything but does help Colin and Melissa as they try to make sure this is the right thing for you and in deed if you are right for Alliance. If everyone is happy then to proceed, we will take up references, and your application and references will be sent to Kyle to see if he can fit you in on the team.
So if you are still interested, either:
Complete an on line application form apply
here.
Visit our Alliance Ministries Frequently Asked Questions Section.
If you still have a question, email Colin and Melissa
Visit the Alliance web site by clicking here.
