Strategy To Develop Small-Scale Income-Generating Programs among Seventh-day Adventist Lay Members in Ghana

The call for self-reliance and self-support in the operation and mission of the SDA Church worldwide presents a great challenge to the churches in developing countries. Many of the members in developing countries such as Ghana are unemployed and fall within the low-income bracket. In order for such membership to contribute to support the church, there must be a program to improve members\u27 standard of living and their contributions and commitment to the church. Making the church in Ghana self-reliant and self- supporting is not a matter of how to motivate members to sacrifice and give, but how to empower them to earn in order to sacrifice and give. To address this problem, this research project proposes the establishment of church-facilitated and church- supervised small-scale income-generating programs by the lay members of the SDA Church in Ghana. Small-scale incomegenerating programs (SSIGPs) are tools of development. They are proven methods of empowering people in developing countries to improve their livelihood and the standard of living of their communities. This research project report deals with the concepts of SSIGPs from a development perspective. It uses development principles as a foundation in developing a strategy to improve the living standards of the members of the SDA Church in Ghana. It brings out the fact that development principles are Bible-based and are reflected in various themes of the Bible. Models used in both the Old and New Testaments to assist the poor and needy are in line with the principles of development. Case studies of SSIGPs of both SDA and non-SDA Church members and groups in Ghana are given to show the impact of such programs on the lives of individuals, their communities, and their churches. Based on all of the above, a strategy is developed to enhance the abilities of the members of the SDA Church in Ghana and to empower them to establish their own SSIGPs. The aim is that the church members would be able to increase their income, improve their standard of living, and contribute to making their communities and the church self- reliant and self-supporting