Definitions
A response here is defined as assistance to affected, awareness raising, or mobilising and here this response should be a new initiative to tackle a new particular need after a unforeseen disaster.
It might be that existing active CCT churches have existing initiatives to help the vulnerable which continue after the onset of a particular disaster, but the response should be particularly aimed at those most affected from the disaster.
Local church is defined as Local communities where Christians congregate to worship. This may be the local congregation of a denomination or it may be an independent church without formal denominational ties or the local cell group within a larger church congregation who meet together around community needs.
How?
Determine the indicator’s value by reviewing the following sources:
Keep a tally using database or a simple spreadsheet counting church response as you hear about or are informed of initiatives taken.
This should include churches who respond Covid-19 after our intervention (training etc) but also that of allies where we have played a catalytic role and churches are responding.
Source:
- Refer to regular project reports if a partner or denomination are funded and reporting back.
- If you played more of a catalytic role, use relationships with partners, denominations, networks or churches to collate data. Gathering the data is helpful for Tearfund but also to understand the wider role of the local church in responding, and therefore is in the interest of partners etc to share the changes they have seen and be able to learn and improve in the future.
- If actions are online there may be online tools that can track numbers.
- Do not automatically use the originally planned number of churches – use the number of churches who have taken up an initiative following Tearfund’s 7 recommended roles of the church
- Keep a record of initiatives by local churches, and verify each quarter.
- If your role is catalytic, it can be helpful to keep a record of any influencing, even informal conversations.
