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 Belief in a flat Earth went out of style centuries ago. But a bestselling book inspired a new ministry endeavor by putting a new spin on an old idea.
Thomas L. Friedman's book, The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century is making people look at the world differently. No, he doesn't reallybelieve the Earth is physically flat, rather technology has connected the distant corners of the Earth so almost anyone can do business and communicate ideas to billions of people with little or no hindrance. He says that is changing dramatically how people live and interact across the globe.
An interconnected world has ministry implications as well.
As a result, Reach Ministries International and REACH Philippines established the Reach Outsourcing Center (ROC) to provide technical services for a U.S. company and to employ REACH graduates.
An office was set up in Quezon City in the Philippines in August 2006 to retrieve information off the Internet for Vox Technologies of Dallas, Texas.
RMI Director of Administration and Finance, Guy Chiattello visited the Philippines in June 2006 to explore how holistic ministries such as RMI and REACH could benefit from an interconnected world and proposed the joint venture.
Guy is also Executive Vice President of Business Development and Alliances for Vox Technologies.
The ROC currently employs nine people and could hire additional people in the coming months as new services are provided for Vox.
Vox Technologies distributes parts for an electronics manufacturing company. ROC retrieves information about these parts on the Internet and places it in a spread sheet for Vox's use.
This is one part of out-sourcing, a growing field in the Philippines. Outsourcing is most often connected with call centers. However, the term is much broader. Many business processes performed in Western corporations can be performed more cost effectively in the developing world with its growing supply of technically trained graduates and lower labor costs.
The convergence of East and West was made possible by the over abundance of fiber-optics crisscrossing the globe and opened the Internet to the masses.
Guy says, "These changes can provide profound and revolutionary opportunities for those involved in world-wide ministries that are concerned with economic development."
Outsourcing is already making an impact on the Philippines through jobs and increased tax revenues. Only time will tell whether this new phenomenon will help reverse the "brain drain" that is siphoning off the country's brightest and best as they leave the country for jobs abroad.
The exodus of this educated and skilled class has social and political implications on nation building. Christians bave also joined the exodus and could have an equally devastating spiritual impact as well.
RMI would like to stem the social and spiritual time bomb by helping young graduates, brought to Christ and discipled, find hope and stay in the Philippines.
Guy says the new venture is consistent with Gene Tabor's holistic vision demonstrateed in the early 1970s when REACH established the Pandi Farm as an economic activity and as a venue for instilling values in young disciples.
RMI provided the initial set up costs to secure office space and purchase the necessary equipment. REACH Philippines provides oversight and employees drawn from its ministry areas, and Vox provides the monthly operating costs, training, and salaries.
Besides information retrieval, the ROC in the near future may also provide computer programming, web page development, and sales augmentation by answering questions and providing information for sales representatives.
RMI believes people are its most valuable resource in spreading the gospel in holistic and culturally relevant ways and to build a brighter future for the community of disciples and society at large.
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