As we stand at the start of a new year, we’re excited about our plans to help more churches transform their neighbourhoods. And the work we carry out in 2022 will become a springboard that helps NAYBA achieve an ambitious seven-year goal.

While we launched as NAYBA in the middle of last year, we were built on the strong foundations of Cinnamon Network International. But the new name was not just a simple rebrand: it was our goal to help churches double down on their efforts to be transformative in their neighbourhoods.

With new programmes introduced, such as the Spirit of Enterprise, 2021 was a landmark year that gives us a platform to provide churches with the tools they require to be the change our world needs.

Before we introduce our seven-year global goals, we’re excited to reveal our plans for 2022.

Replicate

Church-led community projects are making a difference to the lives of many around the world. Such programmes can reach even more people if they are replicated. Many churches hear about projects and try to copy them, but without experience they can often fail to achieve.

NAYBA’s Replicate initiative allows churches that have already successfully implemented a programme coach other churches globally deliver the same high-quality project. In 2022, our goal is to coach 30 church-led projects.

Measuring impact

How effective is your church at transforming its neighbourhood? If you’ve ever implemented a project which has reached its conclusion, it can be difficult to know if it has had the desired impact.

Like any organisation, if you do not measure your effectiveness, you’re relying on guesswork. In 2022, NAYBA wants to help churches in 10 cities measure their social impact. This will help local governments and decision makers understand the vital contribution churches provide to local neighbourhoods.

Enterprise Course

As the world largely locked down for a second time at the start of 2021, our founder challenged the church to step up to spread hope in the pandemic. With many people facing unemployment, Matt Bird wrote an article in The Times of London outlining the unique position churches are in to encourage enterprise.

The Spirit of Enterprise was born and Enterprise Courses began, which has resulted in encouraging a new generation of entrepreneurs. In 2022, we want to support 25 churches to run Enterprise Courses. And, we are almost there: 20 churches are already preparing to run courses – and before the end of January.

Seven-year goals

While we are excited about this year’s work, NAYBA’s goal is always to look at the bigger picture. These plans are just the beginning of a challenging but exciting seven-year global goal.

By 2029 we want to:
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• Partner with 35 nations
• Help 35,000 local churches
•Impact 3.5 million beneficiaries

Nations

At the heart of our international outreach is what we call our Man of Macedonia Strategy. It is based on the dreams of the Apostle Paul while he was travelling. During this time he dreamt that  a man asked him to ‘help us in Macedonia’. Like Paul, NAYBA is waiting to see who invites us to their national to mobilise churches to impact neighbourhoods.

Churches

Jesus invites us as his church to love God and love our neighbour. So, churches are ideally placed to transform their communities by putting Christ at the heart of what they do.

Churches make a bigger impact when they mobilise with the intention to spread love and hope through their work. With a host of resources and recognised projects, NAYBA wants to help 35,000 local churches do just that by 2029.

Beneficiaries

According statistics from the World Bank, extreme global poverty rose in 2020 for the first time in 20 years. The pandemic has had a devastating effect and created hardship for many people who have worked in usually buoyant industries.

Figures from the Development Initiative report that more than 9% of the world’s population lives in extreme poverty. That is why we want to help churches impact 3.5 million beneficiaries globally to a brighter future.
 

Can we ask you to pray for the work of NAYBA and all the churches and individuals that will join us over the next seven years? These goals may seem ambitious, but we believe God is calling the church for a time such as this.

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