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The Mission Covenant Church of Sweden (SMK) starts, in collaboration with The Russian Church of Evangelical Christians, a mission project to develop small business. The aim is to create jobs for former drug addicts.
Background
SMK has a longstanding collaboration with The Russian Church of Evangelical Christians (RCEC) including the work of national evangelist Göran Holmberg's and formerly Jan Erixon. This church, in Sweden often called "the Pentecostal Union", has a great social work among drug addicts and prisoners. Nationally the church runs about 800 rehabilitation centers, of those around 50 in the Urals region. The local Church in the town of Asbest in southwestern Siberia, runs three own care centres, encouraging former drug addicts who become Christians to start their own companies to make income for themselves and others. SMK and RCEC will therefore start a project called "Business Incubator" as an attempt to develop a network of small business among Christian in Asbestos. It is a pilot project to provide a ripple effect and spread to other cities and regions in Russia.
Swedish entrepreneurs as mentors
Development Consultant Torgny Veibäck who is one of the Swedish project leaders, has identified 13 current companys in Asbest and has established an development profile. Based on these needs the project now seeks appropriate Swedish Christian entrepreneurs willing to become mentors to one or more of the Russian entrepreneurs. This fall the Russian entrepreneurs visits appropriate Swedish companies and meets their mentors in Sweden. The mentors plans to visit Asbest in spring 2011.
The project also includes a seminar series for the Russian participants to give them a base in business and inspire them to develop a positive spirit for small business in Russia.
An evaluation of the project will be undertaken in 2012.
Sponsoring businesses and churches wanted
No fees are paid. Both Swedish and Russian entrepreneurs entirely covers their own expenses. Still the Mission Covenant Church of Sweden needs funds for this project in order to pay expenses.
For more information contact the Project leaders
Torgny Veibäck, +46 (0)142-164 00, veiback@assist.nu
Göran Holmberg, +46 (0)371-174 86, goranholmberg@crossnet.se
National evangelist Göran Holmberg is also Russia manager at Covenant Mission Church of Sweden - mail address goran.holmberg@missionskyrkan.se
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National evangelist Göran Holmberg meets an entrepreneur in the city of Asbest.
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