About SWIM

Our Mission

Serving in Solomon Islands with compassion through Biblical teaching, equipping, and support in Jesus’ name.

Vision statement

As a mission community of Christ-centered people we will provide effective, practical, compassionate support and Bible based teaching and equipping ministries to build up Christians and establish self-reliant communities in Solomon Islands using our base facilities, resources, and the talents of our long and short term team members.

 

What is SWIM?

SWIM stands for Supporting Work in Ministry. It is a mission arm of the Christian Reformed Churches of Australia (CRCA). SWIM is a Registered Charitable Trust in the Solomon Islands and is an associate member of Solomon Islands Christian Association (SICA).

Key Ministry Areas

  • Teaching and Equipping Church Leaders
  • Know Your Bible (KYB)
  • SWIM short term mission teams
  • Community Development and Assistance
  • Practical Aid and Disaster Relief
  • Days for Girls Program
  • School Sponsorship
  • Conference Centre and Accommodation
  • Prison Ministry
  • Media Ministry
  • Bethesda Disability Centre Support

Our Core Biblical Values

The Bible contains numerous values which shape decision and inform ministry priorities. These biblical values form not only the framework for Christian life but also all the ministries in Solomon Islands. The following eight Biblical values have been selected as the foundation of all our ministries that drive our mission and motivate our vision.

Biblical Teaching – We value the Bible as God’s authoritative and accurate word for salvation and service (2 Tim. 3:16-17; Deut. 4:19-14). Therefore, we will strive to teach God’s Word with integrity and authority so those seeking will find Christ and believers will mature in him. We believe that the Bible is God’s written revelation to humanity and the 66 books of the Bible given to us by the Holy Spirit are inspired equally in all parts. (1 Cor. 2:7-14; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

Unity – We value unity focusing on the things that unite us, not the things that divide us. We are all united in our Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 4:3-5; 1 Cor. 1:10). Refusing to give audience to a spirit of complaining, we will instead be courageous in solving every problem in a way that honours God and builds biblical character. We value healthy relationships by protecting the unity of the Spirit in our ministries (John 17:21; 1 Peter 3:8; Rom. 16:17; Psalm 133:1).

Teamwork – We value everyone and believe that “doing ministry as a team” is God’s design for effective ministry (Ephesians 4:11-16; 1Peter 2:4-9). A Spirit-empowered serving with the willing hearted involvement of every person is vital to God’s plan being accomplished. We are stronger together than apart. (1 Cor. 12:14-30; Eccl. 4:9-12).

Godly Leadership – We value godly servant leadership and believe that a godly ministry can rise no higher than its leadership (2 Tim. 4:1-5; 1 Peter 5:1-4). It will be our goal to have men and women who possess servant leadership characteristics and can lead with godly wisdom, character, integrity, productivity, accountability and promote unity and biblical moral values (1 Cor. 3:5-23; Rom. 12:8).

Loving People – We value biblical community where people have opportunity to minister to and love one another. We believe no individual is ever more or less important than another. (1 Cor. 13; 1 John 4:7-12). We also believe one of the main roles of our ministry is to serve and care for the poor, oppressed and marginalized in our villages, communities, and ministry contexts (Micah 6:8, I John 3:17, Matthew 25:31-46).

Prayer — We value prayer as a discipline that should precede and permeate our work. We believe that prayer should consume a significant part of our daily lives. Without prayer we are disconnected from God – our hearts and minds are at loose ends, doing what we think is right, instead of listening to God and doing what He says is right. Without prayer it is impossible to please God or succeed in ministry. (Acts 2:42; Matthew 6:5-13; Eph 6:18-20; 1Tim 2:1-4).

Spiritual Growth – We value a commitment to consistent spiritual growth with honest accountability (2 Peter 1:5-9; Eph. 4:15-16). A genuine love for God is always the first priority. Every Christian should yearn for continual spiritual growth. Therefore, discipleship through small groups, accountability, and open honesty is critical to maturing in our faith. (Mark 12:29-31; Acts 2:44-47; 1 Peter 2:2)

Cultural Relevance – We believe that while God’s message is timeless, forms and methods must adapt to those we are seeking to serve. (1 Cor. 9:22; 2 Cor. 5:14-21) We believe it’s important to speak the language of our culture while not compromising biblical truth. It ispossible to guard the truth of the gospel and live holy lives while at the same time speaking and ministering in a manner which the culture we are trying to reach can understand. (Luke 5: 36-39)