Why Mustard Seed?

Meltham Mustard Seed has its roots in the parable of the Mustard Seed as told in (Mathew 17 vs. 14-20)  where we are minded to have ‘faith’ in all we do. 

Jesus Heals a Boy with a Demon 

When they returned to the crowd, a man came to Jesus, knelt before him, and said, "Sir, have mercy on my son! He is an epileptic and has such terrible fits that he often falls in the fire or into water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him."

Jesus answered, " How unbelieving and wrong you people are! How long must I stay with you? How long do I have to put up with you? Bring the boy here to me!" Jesus gave a command to the demon, and it went out of the boy, and at that very moment he was healed.

Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked him, "Why couldn't we drive the demon out?"

"It was because you haven't enough faith," answered Jesus. "I assure you that if you have faith as big as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Go from here to there!' and it will go. You could do anything."

The Vision

During 1996 a goodwill mission from Meltham (UK) travelled to Kyema (Uganda) to open a Community Centre. The mission made a short trip to Hoima the Diocesan Headquarters of Bunyoro Diocese of the Church of Uganda. A brief visit was made to an orphanage set up by the diocese. A member of the travelling mission Jacqueline Gee, was reminded of the orphans she had heard about in Masindi; who were not cared for. Jacqueline brought the concern with her back to England (Meltham) where she broke the news to an ecumenical body of Meltham Churches Together. After considerable mind searching Meltham Churches Together adopted the concept of caring for the orphans in Kyema, not in an orphanage but in foster homes.

Philosophy

AIDS, civil wars, poverty and preventable diseases have caused African children to be orphaned or displaced. The Mustard Seed Project seeks to claim children back into a family setting with foster parents to forge a family bond which provides personal and loving care, gives guidance in morals, health and education.

This mode of approach instils confidence, cements family values, develops cohesiveness, therefore defining community common purpose for responsible citizens with a vision of bright hope for a full and productive future. 

The focus lays emphasis to the whole person, and the projects are targeted for the care and improvement of the family and village where members of the community design, plan and run the schemes and are therefore keen to own and be members of successful projects.