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Food for the Hungry/UK
Registered Charity 328273

Vision of a Community (VOC)

The Vision of a Community, or VOC, is the focus of all that we do. Here is the statement itself:

The community and its people are advancing towards their God-given potential by:
  • Being equipped to progress beyond meeting their basic needs, and
  • Having a growing group of Christians:
    • Loving God and one another
    • Manifesting the fruit of the Spirit
    • Reaching out to serve others

Here is a brief explanation of the different terms contained within the statement:

The community and its people: In order to encourage positive change in the community, FHI targets three key groups of people: churches, leaders and families. As these 3 groups increasingly function as God intends them to function, they will influence others in the community to do the same.

are advancing: The VOC is a process of change. It seeks to create a self-sustaining process that may eventually result in the surpassing of any pre-determined achievement targets.

towards their God-given potential: The VOC is not only a self-sustaining process, it is also a process with a definable goal in mind - the God-given potential of the people of the community. This must include reconciliation with God, with each other, with their environment and with themselves.

basic needs: Here we are referring to the entire range of human needs - basic physical, spiritual, social and mental needs. This is consistent with FHI's corporate values, "Love for the whole person."

Being equipped to progress beyond meeting their basic needs: In order to bring focus, FHI has established 3 key objectives that are crucial to seeing a community and its people equipped to progress beyond the meeting of their basic needs. These objectives are:

All of FHI's efforts are focussed on seeing these three objectives achieved in the communities where we work.

Having a growing group of Christians (Loving God and one another, Manifesting the fruit of the Spirit and Reaching out to serve others): This phrase highlights the important role of the Church within the community.