Foot Washing to Fellowship: How One Ugandan Church is Serving Their Community
In 2003, with a calling to serve but little theological training, Pastor Laston founded a church in the remote community of Butimbwa, Uganda. “I started with only two widows and some orphans and one blind man,” Pastor Laston recalls. “We saw the number of saints increase and wanted to build a permanent church. We built it with offerings and answered prayers.”
Although Pastor Laston was dedicated to teaching and serving his congregation, he desired real training to equip him in his pastoral position. Water Mission was founded with the vision that all people have safe water and an opportunity to experience God’s love. Not only do we work toward providing safe water for people in need, but we also partner with local churches worldwide to share the Living Water message of Jesus Christ.
Our Living Water staff travel from community to community, visiting churches and equipping leaders through our Church and Community Mobilization Program (CCMP). The CCMP is a nine-module training that covers the topics of God’s mission of reconciliation, servant leadership, church unity, gospel-sharing methods, discipleship, Bible study, and integral mission plan development.
When Water Mission arrived in Butimbwa, we started a safe water project so that residents no longer need to walk long distances to collect water that make their families sick. As our engineers worked to get safe water flowing, our Living Water staff equipped local church leaders to proclaim and demonstrate the gospel.
“I participated [in the Living Water training] with my church,” Pastor Laston shares. “We learned about discipleship…and caring for others. We did door-to-door evangelism, which also helped us find and care for the needy. We learn[ed] to be good Samaritans.”
The third CCMP module delves into servant leadership. During the training, Living Water staff demonstrate servanthood to the attendees by washing their feet, replicating the Bible story of Jesus washing his disciples’ feet. This activity illustrates to church leaders the importance of humbling themselves, like Jesus did, to serve their communities.
"When we start washing their feet, the entire dynamic changes,” shares Joey Garner, Water Mission’s Living Water Program Director. “Each time, it immediately becomes a solemn, holy time. It'll get you. This really takes up most of our training. Jesus sat down and washed the feet of a group of guys that hadn't listened to him, that couldn't understand him, that misrepresented him, and that were going to not only deny him but reject him.”
“‘If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.’” —John 13:14-15
The last module of the training encourages pastors to create an integral mission plan for their community. Pastor Laston and his church took to heart the lesson of servant leadership and put it into action.
“One day we were out and saw a blind man,” Pastor Laston says. “His only house was a covering of banana leaves. My church decided to build him a home. The members brought bricks [to build it]. One woman from our church now checks on him every day. People in the community thought this man is nothing, but in the eyes of God, he is His child.”
The global water crisis is large, but another urgent crisis exists: More than 3 billion people have heard but not responded to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and more than 2 billion have had no exposure to Jesus. “I am thankful for the Living Water training,” Pastor Laston rejoices. “These have helped us serve God with a joyful heart.”
Your generosity provides Living Water staff with resources to partner with churches to proclaim the gospel. Thank you for continuing to give so that people around the world can have access to safe and Living Water.
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