GOSPEL OUTREACH MINISTRY

Mission

The Mission of the GOM is to reach out to the poor, the vulnerable and the youth of in Africa by providing them with adequate training and leadership direction that would enable them live a desirable Christian life.

Vision

To create a culture of caring for the needy in our society.

Motto:

“A safety net for the marginalized”

Objectives

GOM has a conviction that every human being irrespective of age, gender and social status deserves a dignified living. The intervention therefore covers the following areas:

1. Training church leaders on basic counseling skills
2. Establishing bible study groups as a way of enhancing Christian knowledge and ethos.
3. Establishing reliable mechanisms for sustainable plan of action.
4. Sensitization of the people on the need for change of attitude towards education, gospel, and lifestyle
5. Embracing the concept of the sacredness of creation
6. Equipping the people with skills and motivation to shoulder task of reaching the unreached in the region
7. To educate students and leaders on the benefits of utilization of green resources for economic gains
8. Promote rehabilitation of Lake Victoria beaches for economic and environmental development

What is GOM?

Gospel Outreach Ministry (GOM) is a social entity that was founded ten years ago as a mission outreach department of Bishop Okullu College. The GOM is the nerve center of evangelistic ministry of the college. It is managed by a team composed of both members of the faculty and the students. The goal of GOM is to reach out to as many people as possible with the transforming message of Christ. It is our belief that once people are grounded in the Gospel, they will find a reason to cherish love and care for each other, they will also reflect the image of Christ in their daily life. Africa generally suffers from both economic and social marginalization of great proportion. Even though the primary role of the college is to prepare the church ministers who aspire to serve in the ordained ministry, the Great Commission factor compels us to begin from Jerusalem before we precede somewhere else! Bishop Okullu College is our Jerusalem. The continent of Africa expects the gospel to have a meaning for her people. The local community provides the college with the field for practice.

The challenges

The HIV/AIDS in this region stands at 16.3% in the national scale. Solitary approach to poverty reduction has failed to create meaningful impact. The region has a deficit of human resource especially the young energetic people who can actively participate in economic activities namely food production. Our research shows that the young people of between 35-50 constitute to only 3% of the areas total population! The implication is that most young people have succumbed to HIV/AIDS infection whereas majority of older people have become the bread winners for the orphans and the aged. It is for this reason that GOM seeks to establish mechanisms of helping the most needy people along the lake region.

The challenge which has become irresistible is how to first, appreciate the local community who are so tied to traditional beliefs; secondly how to live harmoniously with the community that is experiencing poverty of the worst scale. The expectation of the local community was not just how to embrace modernity, but also how the gospel of Christ can change their attitudes and subsequently their entire life.
The third challenge, apart from addressing the expectations of the community, is how to identify and prepare young people for Christian ministry. Majority of young people who have expressed the desire to join the ministry cannot meet the training cost. As of now, there are numerous certificates which are yet to be collected by our former students. These belong to students who could not pay for the cost of their training thus landing the college into serious debts.