Vuku Family 

How it began 

The Vuku Family Ministry is a small group-style discipleship training process initially designed for the Xhosa people in South Africa. Its primary purpose is to help individuals who have attended church but have not truly experienced Jesus due to their indigenous religious beliefs or superficial faith practices. It aims to provide a cultural approach to such individuals, allowing them to experience the genuine love of the Lord, not just doctrinal or emotional experiences, and to draw closer to God. Over the years, the ministry has worked to address the indifference and the broken relationships caused by distrust and degradation of human dignity among African people. This is achieved through sharing the love of Jesus and witnessing His work. Building on years of research and experience, a pilot group started in the Nomzamo region in 2016. 

 The Vuku Workbook 

The Vuku Family Ministry is conducted using the Vuku Family Workbook, which was written at the end of 2019 by Jung and Helen. This book was written by them based on our previous experiences and research. They also published a meeting manual for leaders at the end of 2021. The Vuku Family meetings consist of 30 meetings and 6 outings, and they are held once a week with leaders and two members. Over the course of approximately one year, these meetings cover the contents of the workbook over 36 weeks.

The meetings are divided into Bible study and practical activities, and the true value lies in the sincere sharing between members, a practical understanding of Jesus based on real-life situations, and the exploration of Jesus' character through His love by the three members together. The first 15 meetings focus on personal spiritual growth, while the remaining 15 meetings revolve around serving and loving the people around them, ultimately leading to the formation of their own groups, resembling a multiplication model, towards the end of the book. 

Furthermore, the 30 meetings are based on the relationship between Jesus and His disciples as described in John 16, and they aim to motivate maturity not through compulsion or dedication but through joy, as disciples and Jesus spiritually grow closer together. This stage is referred to as the '7- Step Discipleship Model,' and it is explained in the leader's manual in details. Currently, the Vuku Family Workbook has been translated and written in five languages: Korean, English, Xhosa, Afrikaans, and Chichewa, and preparations for translations in other languages are in progress. 

To Last and To Be Last 

 It's about telling the story of how Jesus made a difference through the ‘I'm Precious to Jesus’ campaign and how it transformed us as well. This book is all about sharing that journey and what we've learned, like telling a story. The Vuku Workbook’s 30 meetings are based on a 7-Step Discipleship process we derived from the relationship between Jesus and His disciples. Through this book, we want to introduce this 7-Step Discipleship process and show how people in our ministry have progressed over the years. The stories you will read are structured to illustrate each of the 7 steps. We hope this book helps you understand what Vuku Family truly is and find your own meaning of true discipleship. 

 So they may hope in Christ.