A Ride to Share God’s Word

World Renew works with Resonate Global Mission to support church leaders in West Africa* through a program called Timothy Leadership Training (TLT). As part of the program, participants explore the material gifts God has entrusted to them and ways in which they might use those gifts to honor God and serve others. Participants are also invited to attend small-business management training.

One pastor, Paul,* shared how the TLT training on Christian stewardship, along with the small-business management training, helped him to realize not only that he could run a small business to provide for his family but also that it could help him build relationships with others. 

Paul said that he also learned how to increase his earnings by diversifying his income-generating activities. “I continue to sell products that I make myself – frozen candy, curdled milk, or a local juice and ice – in the various markets near my home,” he said. “TLT helped me learn to vary the sales products that can go together, and that has allowed me gradually to increase my income.”

Paul went on to share how a difficult situation also became a blessing. “I used to conduct my business with a motorcycle, but I had an accident a few years ago,” he explained. “After that, as a family, we decided to save money to replace the old motorcycle with a motorized tricycle.” 

Paul later discovered that the decision to switch to a motorized tricycle had an unexpected and significant benefit. “This machine has helped me to increase my income. On market day, I load up my things to sell in large quantities,” he said. “I can earn a lot more profit than I could before, because I can transport more to sell on a tricycle than on a motorcycle.”

In addition, Paul has diversified how he generates income using the motorized tricycle. “I also work as a transporter on the way to the market and back,” he explained. “Some passengers pay in cash, while others do not have the money to pay. For some passengers, they pay later, but other people I transport for free. Thanks to this, my relationships with people are good.”

As he transports people, Paul said, he has not only been building relationships but has also been sharing about God’s love and abundance. “One day, a young man came to my house. He wanted to learn more about Christianity. He knew me because I had once transported him on my tricycle,” Paul said. “Now we meet regularly to talk, and I give him Christian materials to read—and when he comes back, we discuss them.” 

Thanks to TLT, there are more church leaders, like Paul, who are able to provide more efficiently for themselves, allowing them to stay in ministry when they might otherwise have had to stop because of insufficient income. 

*Locations are generalized and names have been changed to protect identity.