Learning Technologies

MAF-Learning Technologies (MAF-LT) enables Bible and ministry skills training for church leaders in the developing world by providing technology, expertise, consulting services, and synergism in digital publishing and distance education. Through partnerships with other organizations, MAF-LT fosters cooperative efforts and enables the transfer of skills and knowledge to nationals.

The Need

More than three million dedicated church leaders throughout the developing world have received little or no formal biblical training.¹ Danger, cost, distance, and lack of resources prevent traditional leadership training methods from meeting this need.

Compounding the problem, when leaders must leave their area of ministry to attend distant Bible schools, congregations struggle on their own without pastoral oversight and care. Between 80 and 90 percent of those who do leave for formal training and schooling do not return.

¹Ralph Winter, U.S. Center for World Mission 

The Solution

Computer technology has changed the face of education and training in industrialized nations. Since 2000, MAF-Learning Technologies has used this same technology to help partner ministries train emerging church leaders in developing countries. 

MAF-LT is unique in the mission world, and fills a critical void in five distinct areas:

• Overcoming Isolation—MAF-LT overcomes isolation caused by geographical, cultural and spiritual barriers.
• Contextual Challenges—Because educational traditions differ around the world,MAF-LT assesses needs and provides customized courses and learning tools.
• Cooperative Partnerships—MAF-LT collaborates with ministry partners on every project to both meet immediate needs as well as multiply the created resources.
• Enabling National Leadership—MAF-LT provides tools and counsel to enable nationals to develop independent, self-sustaining educational programs.
• Multiplying Effectiveness—With the assistance of MAF-LT, national pastors and ministry partners extend their reach and multiply their impact.

Mission Aviation Fellowship fills a key leadership role in providing distance learning tools and technology to help meet the critical need for trained Christian leaders. MAF-LT helps establish training centers, provides consulting services, collaborates with, and trains, other groups such as Moody Bible Institute and Greater Europe Mission in developing digital courses and resource materials. In partnership with other missions and organizations, MAF enables the development of foundational courses in Bible study, theology, and ministry.

MAF-LT has developed a number of software tools to facilitate distance learning in places where Internet connections are either expensive or unreliable, and where commercial software is cost-prohibitive. To date, these tools include …

• DigiStudy—Bible study tool on CD. DigiStudy features 19 versions of the Bible in multiple languages, as well as four dictionaries, three Greek-Hebrew lexicons and three commentaries.
• DigiResources—A digital training library equivalent to 800 CDs. Originally introduced as the Russian-language Bibliologia Pastors Library CD, this resource is now is 800 times larger and encompasses articles, books, courses, entire curriculums, audio, video, graphics, and web materials, as well as Bible training notes and Islamic study guides. DigiResources materials are available in 12 languages:  Albanian, Arabic, Chinese, English, Farsi, French, Indonesian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai, and Vietnamese. Some additional items are available in other languages.
• DEScribe—A tool that creates, collects, and organizes course content in an easy-to-use, multilanguage format for developers of distance education courses.
• DEViewer—A tool that allows students to experience the benefits of online learning without the necessity of continuous connection to the Internet. Beyond online delivery, in remote areas where connections are typically slow, DEViewer also delivers courses on CDs or from servers in remote learning centers.

Today, MAF-LT supports 27 ministries in 20 countries. Requests for assistance in new course development steadily increase every year.

 

Impact 2007 Highlights

In the past 12 months, MAF-LT…

• Trained some 70 nationals and five expatriate missionaries worldwide in course design, development and deployment. 
• Assisted 19 existing partner ministries in developing and deploying distance education (DE) courses. Established working relationships with eight new ministry partners.
• Opened an MAF-LT Regional Center in Costa Rica. 
• Completed eight distance education courses in French and eight in Creole for use in Haiti. Completed phase one of course usability testing. Translated the DEViewer tool into French and Creole.
  
• Built on the proven effectiveness of its distance learning tools and technologies in North Central Asia...
  • Trained 70 doctors and nurses in course design and instruction. Began work on 12 medical courses for distance delivery.
  • Provided ongoing assistance to a local seminary by teaching a class in Adult Teaching Methods. Created a website and initiated distance education programs for the organization.
  • Created and hosted websites for two ministry organizations.
• Using software developed in-house, created real-time maps illustrating church growth in North Central Asia. These maps significantly assist the church planting movement by combining ethnic group information, church information and census data.
• Founded the Thai Church Resource Center in Thailand to gather and disseminate church related data.
  • Developed relationships with the Thailand Evangelism and Church Growth Committee (TEC) as well as with numerous church leaders and organizations throughout Thailand.
  • Recruited and trained five tribal women as employees.
  • Began work on an online digital database, including preparation of more than 500 Christian resources.
• In partnership with UNILIC (the Costa Rican association of rural pastors), developed a plan to establish two regional learning centers in 2008, with an eventual goal of 20 centers serving an estimated 2,000 rural pastors. Began digitizing pastor training materials.
• Established a partnership with the Extension Seminary to the Nations (SEAN) and began digitizing their material for inclusion in the DigiStudy tool.
• Assisted SETIEL seminary in Sao Paulo, Brazil, in formulating plans for five regional learning centers.
• Provided online training to the staff of Campus Crusade for Christ International in Russia. Supported online delivery of their courses.
• Assisted the Latin American training network, ProMETA, in developing courses for online delivery to Latin pastors. Created an instructional design course in Spanish. Provided training in the use of the MAF DEViewer for course creation. Digitized resources to support the online program, and provided staff support for ProMETA projects.
  
• Assisted with the expansion of the learning center of the Baptist Convention of Kenya.
  • Facilitated the planning of discipleship training for 2,000 Kenyan pastors.
  • Assisted with the development and implementation of a pastoral training curriculum and in the planning of two regional training conferences.
  • Helped learning center staff to partner with God’s Story Project for increased effectiveness, self-sustainment, and self-reliance.
  • Facilitated the selection and training processes for 22 national discipleship trainers to serve pastors throughout Kenya.
• In partnership with Open Doors, supported expansion of Sudan leadership training by providing audiovisual equipment and DigiResources. Helped initiate the use of God’s Story Project materials and orality training at the Bible school in Goli, serving 190 students.
• Provided ongoing support to Partners in Compassionate Care in developing a community learning center in Bor, southern Sudan.
• Assisted International Gospel Outreach in establishing a Bible school in Liberia. Provided computers, MP3 players and an LCD projector. Conducted orality training and provided linkages to God’s Story Project partners. Implemented financial accountability systems for the school.
• Began consulting with an orphanage serving 6,000 children in a refugee camp in Kitgum, Uganda, regarding the establishment of a learning center and a vocational training center. Provided training in the use of DigiResources and solar technology.
• Completed the translation of stewardship and family courses into French, for use in MAF computer centers (CAPs) in western Africa.
  
• Implemented leadership training in Zambia using DigiResources and the orality method.
  
• Supported Here’s Life Inner City by hosting delivery of three online courses.  Assisted in the development of follow-up materials.
  
• Assisted Bible.org in its effort to design online Bible software and Islamic study tools.
  
• Provided training in course development to Living Oasis Ministries, which develops Islamic outreach training for North American churches. Also provided audio and video capture and editing.
  
• Provided instructional design and technical support to Greater Europe Mission and Horizon International Schools for the development of 10 online courses. Hosted a training conference regarding online tools.
  
• Provided consultation in the use of technology to DAI, supporting the online delivery of an MA degree in Leadership throughout India and several countries of Africa.
• Provided training in online course delivery and support for course development to IICC/World Link Graduate Center. This organization is developing an online MA degree in Foundations of Intercultural Leadership for developing world missionary trainers.
  
• Established a relationship with Africa Nazarene University in Kenya, laying the groundwork for future partnerships.
  
  

Key Goals 2008

1. Complete 30 projects, as per schedule and budget.
2. Assist 29 partner ministries in developing and deploying training programs for pastors and leaders in remote areas.
   
3. Train 30 to 40 national and expatriate missionaries in course design, development and implementation.
4. Develop Bible resources in French, Arabic and Spanish.
5. Expand online training and resource tools to include...
   • Easy-to-use course authoring
   • Online facilitator training
   • Bible resource cataloguing and research
6. Expand the regional LT team in Costa Rica.
7. Impact 1,000 pastors and church leaders through MAF-LT learning centers, consulting and training services, distance education courses, and digital resources.
   

 

Countries served by MAF-LT:

• Asia (4 countries, PACTEC subsidiary)
  
• Brazil
• Costa Rica
• East Asia
  
• Haiti
• India
  
• Kenya
• Liberia
• Russia
• Sudan
• Uganda
• U.S.A.
  

Learn more at www. MAFLT.org