Educating, Training and Discipling Servant Leaders Page 1 COMPASSION WEEK REPORT FROM 12TH-17TH FEBRUARY 2012 AT UGANDA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY –MAIN CAMPUS BY: WALUGEMBE SEBASTIAN. LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM STUDENT’S REPRESENTATIVE COURTESY OF ‘SAVE A BUDDY’ Educating, Training and Discipling Servant Leaders Page 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 Appreciation .............................................................................................. 3 1.1 Dedication................................................................................................. 3 2.0 Introduction ........................................................................................... 3 2.1 Compassion week review ........................................................................ 4 2.3 Background ........................................................................................... 5 2.4 Opportunities ......................................................................................... 6 2.6 Recommendations .................................................................................. 7 2.7 Future plans .......................................................................................... 7 2.8 Accountability ........................................................................................... 8 2.9 Conclusion ............................................................................................. 8 3.0 Appendices ............................................................................................... 9 Educating, Training and Discipling Servant Leaders Page 3 1.0 Appreciation It’s greatly an amazing opportunity that we are glad to embrace with two hands appreciating the Gracious Lord who has blessed us all and above all the fortune to serve him in the different capacities as his workmanship; we humbly ascribe all the glory and honor to his name for his loving-kindness, grace and above all his presence. We are sincerely grateful to God too for our sponsors in Leadership Development Program and Compassion International, words can never appreciate enough, to our specialists and Compassion staff worldwide, you remain a great inspiration. Also great gratitude goes to the Community of Uganda Christian University led by the Vice-Chancellor, Dr.John Ssenyonyi, The LDP Patron Dr.Joellyn Fountain, Aunt Faith, the Financial Aid Officer thank you for building our professional lives, all the good fruits come forth because of the great seed you are planting in us, we pray that God blesses you most abundantly. 1.1 Dedication This report is highly dedicated to the Lord Almighty, not by power, or by mighty but only by his Holy spirit (Zechariah 4:6) that today once again a dream is steadily unfolded to become a reality. This work is greatly dedicated to our dear sponsors, the Leadership Development Program worldwide, all compassion staff and to all our fellow LDP students and Compassion sponsored children, may the Lord grant us a greater fortune that we do exploits for the glory of his name. 2.0 Introduction  At a time like this we look backwards at the far God has brought us as the Leadership Development Program-Uganda Christian University chapter and express our heartfelt gratitude to Him for his favor and loving kindness. Educating, Training and Discipling Servant Leaders Page 4 o At the beginning as the leaders of leaders at Uganda Christian University, we met and planned for how we shall progress to serve as LDP fellowship in our community and that is when the dream of carrying out compassion week was also tabled, and we definitely believed that we shall give it a go-forward! o Through the entire time, God granted us favor and grace to share it with our Patron Dr.Joellyn Fountain and the Scholarship Officer who greatly received the thought, led by Sebastian, the campus representative and the leadership team. o We planned the activities drawn from a concept written last semester and scheduled the week to be from 12th-17th February 2012, it was then a dream, today it is fulfilled and like a new born baby, it is growing rapid fast. We are extremely grateful to the university community for the opportunity to serve this way and giving us all support to make this aspiration true. 2.1 Compassion week review  Compassion week was inaugurated following a commissioning by Our Patron, Dr.Joellyn who ushered us in the week’s activities with the blessing in worship on Sunday 12th February before the congregation and was so happy about the proposed ministry and campaign.  On Monday 13th February, the LDP family clad in our attires, started off the fundraising at the different university entrances by carrying out shoe polishing, with the driving slogan, serving to save a buddy. (Friend) On Tuesday, 14th February, the team ushered in Community worship in our university Chapel and Sebastian, the representative presented and sensitized the community about the week’s activities and why.  On 15th February, the family served lunch and mobilized for contributions in the University dining hall where people generously contributed to the noble cause of helping to save a buddy, under the drive, serving to save a buddy, still clad in our LDP t-shirts.  On 16th,the team once again in a special arrangement ministered in community hour in conjunction with another ministry team- KAYM in Educating, Training and Discipling Servant Leaders Page 5 worship and gave a sensitization of contributing to save our friends from dead semesters which attracted a lot of support, LDP students ushered and others ministered in the choir, the worship was a blessing.!!!  On 17th, the team finally organized a great evening in the compassion week, the Compassion week Music extravaganza which attracted the entire Uganda Christian University community for the talent night where ministry teams and choirs in the university and LDP alumni were invited, these included chapel choir, and Mustard Seed worship team, Touch Life Ministries, Survivor and dignitaries. o 2.2 About LDP Leadership development program, is a student sponsorship programme and affiliate of compassion international which targets to equip greatly the beneficiaries through a holistic approach with servant leadership skills that highly benefit the people in the community and also a great platform to witness for our lord Jesus Christ through servant leadership Demonstration. LDP fellowship UCU chapter is a Christ focused team that brings together all students sponsored by compassion International, the team has survived for pretty a longtime within the university Community and is highly reputable for the several ministries in which the students under this umbrella have participated and are continuing to minister in different capacities. 2.3 Background Compassion week is birthed from the truth that we appreciate as LDP students how God has lifted us from hopeless lives and given us an opportunity to impact other people’s lives through service and sharing God’s heart, many friends and colleagues that we go together have been seen missing out to meet their tuition challenges at the university which has forced others to get dead semesters and others entirely drop out of school, as the fellowship we have continued to stand with them and Educating, Training and Discipling Servant Leaders Page 6 mobilize resources though not enough for many members in this umbrella, with this burden, we believe that because God has given us a story to tell because of where he has brought us from, we believed that though there are platforms that exist, we could be a special voice and advocate for our colleagues and avail ourselves to serve others for this noble cause. 2.4 Opportunities A good name is better than rupies, it is a great honor to thank God for compassion International, with the skills ventured into us as LDP students to serve others, we thought it wise with an ultimate purpose of advocating for our friends using our skills, abilities and resources within our reach.  We analysed the potential personnel who could primarily help us echo our voice through service and found the Financial Aid Office where we are graced to be attached for our sponsorship at the university, with good advice from our Patron and the Chaplaincy, we found favor that the dream was shared by co-leaders, and truthfully, it’s now real.  Appreciate the generosity of the Uganda Christian University community where members are receptive and supportive to any family member pertaining challenges to; when they get to know about it, this family heart, encouraged us to go forth to pursue this dream.  Commitment to follow after Christ‘s command, help carry one another’s burdens and in this way you shall obey the law of the Lord (Galatians 6:2)  Leadership is equal to influence, an inspiration from John.C.Maxwell, as LDP students we believed that God will help us to influence the community to realize this dream true by speaking out the voice to reach out to our friends through service. o 2.5 Challenges Some leaders are afraid to take on responsibility. Educating, Training and Discipling Servant Leaders Page 7 2.6 Recommendations  Let compassion week since its inauguration and reception by the university community, it would be so glad if it is carried on at least once in a year for different causes not only tuition fundraising but also active evangelism, community rehabilitation among others.  Our affiliates save a buddy, a platform that helps support friends with tuition challenges is greatly encouraged to have a regular voice, this definitely will help more people to know about the entire agenda so that we can join our hands early enough not only to support a few individuals but several.  Since tuition fees increments will less likely be curbed down as university development and progress continues, it would be so greatly appreciated if more people get to participate in this noble task of helping our friends, this can be achieved by setting out departmental bags in the different offices represented at least a month that would contribute every month, this pool would help many lives and students who sadly drop out of this university. 2.7 Future plans  After the inception of the God given dream of being our brothers and sisters keepers in Compassion, several parties have become interested and are definitely willing to come in and partner with teams that dream great, we are anticipating in the nearby future that companies are going to take interest and come to venture and support education at UCU to provide complete education to a complete person.  As long as opportunities exist, using the platform like this and others that can be birthed, extensive activities for holistic transformation will be carried out around the university and other places. Educating, Training and Discipling Servant Leaders Page 8 2.8 Accountability In Matthew 25, Christ challenges us as stewards and it’s an ultimate principle that we stand up for, we greatly appreciate the generous contributions of the community in the compassion week, the week was a success and we raised Four hundred forty thousand, six hundred fifty (440,650/=) Ugandan shillings which we officially handed over to the Save a buddy platform, a scholarship that supports up friends with tuition challenges, affiliated to the Financial Aid office. 2.9 Conclusion It is a great honor once again to express our heartfelt gratitude for the opportunity to birth this dream of helping to keep at least one ‘buddy’ in school by mobilizing financial resources, we greatly appreciate the earnest contributions of all the members and the expatriate community, we believe that together we can do exploits, trusting God and exhibiting his love to all people, may God continue blessing you. Success is never ending………let it be that we continue seeking to make the world a better place as God’s stewards. Compiled by Walugembe Sebastian-student’s representative-LDP –UCU-Chapter E=mail:waluseba@gmail.com Educating, Training and Discipling Servant Leaders Page 9 3.0 Appendices I. Some Photos of compassion week, serving to save a Buddy Sebastian, at the Music extravaganza Educating, Training and Discipling Servant Leaders Page 10 Educating, Training and Discipling Servant Leaders Page 11 LDP choir in worship on 17th February, thanking God for his beauty unto Us. Educating, Training and Discipling Servant Leaders Page 12 LDP choir leads in Praise and Worship, during the music extravaganza. Educating, Training and Discipling Servant Leaders Page 13 The students who attended the music extravaganza in worship, Friday 17th February 2012 Educating, Training and Discipling Servant Leaders Page 14 II. The Music Extravaganza, LDP does it for God, Friday 17th February in the chapel. Educating, Training and Discipling Servant Leaders Page 15 During the Community Worship Thursday 16th February Educating, Training and Discipling Servant Leaders Page 16 Worshipping during community worship, Thursday 16th February. Educating, Training and Discipling Servant Leaders Page 17 After worship on Thursday, 16th February,, LDP students helped the people who were contributing funds to meet the tuition fees of our friends using boxes we improvised……wow!!!!!!! Educating, Training and Discipling Servant Leaders Page 18