Village Ministries

Bethesda's on-site ministry is comprised of childcare and quality, God-centered education. In addition to the village, Bethesda is seeking to assist and encourage local churches by providing training in childcare.

Childcare
At Bethesda, we hold the family as one of our core values. We believe that the biblical family is God's design to train and nurture children, all of whom are created in God's image. Because of this, each child that comes into Bethesda is placed into a family with a father, mother and siblings.

Bethesda employs national Christian couples who evidence spiritual maturity, are strongly recommended by their pastor and are actively involved in their local church. Prior to placing children in their care, Bethesda requires each couple to participate in a formal training process. This training covers many areas of biblical parenting as well as topics addressing the health & developmental needs of children. Each couple operates their home autonomously while relating closely with a houseparent supervisor who works to encourage and support the family.

Bethesda places up to eight orphaned children with each couple, giving careful attention to the individual needs of each family. The children are selected on the basis of need, and it is Bethesda's goal to care for children who have no living relatives able to meet their needs. Most of the children in Bethesda's families are free of HIV/AIDS; however, a small percentage of our children are infected with the virus. With proper medical treatment, many children with HIV/AIDS can live into their adult years.

Education
Bethesda's school, Jabulane Christian Academy (JCA), exists to guide students in the discovery of truth. The school opened in January, 2004, operating under the oversight of Anchor Christian Academy in Pretoria, and is currently pursuing legal registration as a private school. JCA's student body is comprised of the orphans in Bethesda's care as well as staff, children of missionaries and houseparents.

JCA uses a Christian curriculum in a conventional school system with teachers instructing at each grade level. The school currently teaches children in Grade R (Kindergarten) through Grade 6, with plans to expand through High School grades in the future.

As JCA continues to guide students in the discovery of truth, it is imperative that we have Christian teachers in place who are growing in their understanding of God's Word as it relates to all aspects of life. The teachers must then encourage that God-given understanding among their students and challenge them toward a life-long pursuit of truth.

Hands of Mercy Ministry
Bethesda's Hands of Mercy Ministry has a two-fold goal, that of 1) encouraging others that reside in communities and countries in need to begin their own orphan care ministries, and 2) acting as a resource in training and guidance for orphan care ministry.

Bethesda seeks to encourage others to begin orphan care ministries because we realize that more individuals need to be involved in order to provide care for some of the millions of orphans that have been left on their own as a result of AIDS. Bethesda does this by forming relationships with churches and other organizations that may be able to begin their own orphan care ministry with some encouragement. Bethesda enjoys taking opportunities to share the needs with churches and other organizations.

Besides encouraging orphan care, Bethesda seeks to be a resource in training and guidance, and carries out this goal in a variety of ways. Bethesda provides quarterly mini-seminars that are open to the community, which explore issues affecting the Christian family and those caring for orphans. Bethesda also has a formal training program geared toward Christian couples who are being trained to take children into their home. It covers various topics and takes place over a 2-3 week period. Some subjects explored in this program include: The Biblical Home Environment, Biblical Communication & Problem Solving, Love & Relationships, Confidentiality, Cleanliness & Hygiene, Caring for those with HIV/AIDS, Nutrition & Meal Planning, Care of the Home, Child Safety, First Aid, CPR & Airway Obstruction, Placement of Children, School, Household Monthly Budgets, New Children in the Home, Medication Administration, Record Keeping & Documentation, Relief Workers, Shepherding a Child's Heart (Biblical Discipline), & Family Worship. This program is open to the teaching of houseparent couples and individuals who desire to be trained so they in turn can train others.

Bethesda's Hands of Mercy program also helps individuals and churches/organizations to think through their own best options for carrying out a ministry in their area. The program is tailored to the individuals/organizations involved, as different areas have different needs. In some instances, if approved by the Board of Directors, Bethesda may be very involved in overseeing and funding the new child care ministry; in other instances Bethesda may provide only guidance and training, after which those beginning the new ministry will be equipped to carry out the daily operations on their own.

Bethesda does not wish for the first Children's Village to be the fulfillment of its ministry, by rather that it be a model to be taken to other parts of the country and the world to assist in the orphan crisis that has resulted from the AIDS pandemic. It is Bethesda's goal to assist many more children than those who come through the Children's Village, by training others to care for orphans within healthy Christian family settings.