Geographic Expansion Strategy

The Geographic Expansion Strategy is a newly established department within GCME, focusing on regional bureaus within the country. To avoid confusion with the Africa region, these regions are referred to as local area clusters. The department collaborates closely with regional/area cluster leaders to achieve its objectives. It is led by a team of five individuals: Kibru Tadesse (Geographic Expansion Director), Desta Samuel (Leadership Development), Hanna Habtemariam (Geographic Expansion Admin Assistant), Getachew Mohammed (Leadership Member from Area Clusters), and Sebsibe Elias (also a Leadership Member from Area Clusters). The team convened its inaugural meeting from August 22-24 at the Pacific Hotel to discuss and plan their initiatives. In this regard, the team embarked on journeys to Hawassa, Bahirdar, Hosanna, and Arbaminch to engage directly with area cluster leaders and staff members. During these visits, various activities were conducted, including budget transfers among regional offices, staff transfer processes, addressing requests and listening to reports and challenges from the team, fostering fellowship, meeting with area advisory committees and Church fellowships, conducting assessments of the areas, and other related tasks. Furthermore, the team personally traveled to oversee and facilitate the official inauguration of the new offices in Arbaminch and Hosanna. This effort involved mobilizing national leaders such as the national director, student-led strategy team leader, church-led strategy team leader, and two media team members, along with four members of the Geographic Expansion Team leadership. GET organizes monthly online meetings with area cluster leaders to stay updated, address requests, provide guidance, foster fellowship, share experiences, and exchange prayer requests. In addition, GET has been assisting local area cluster offices by sending letters from the national GCME office as required, delivering prayer requests from branch offices to prayer leaders on office fasting and prayer days, and providing support for assignments assigned by the national director. Furthermore, the team has been actively involved in documenting significant events such as the Durame fireseed and the official inauguration of new offices.

Key Activities:

• Coaching and mentoring regional leaders for healthy ministry growth
• Assisting existing offices in achieving self-sustainability and effectiveness
• Launching new regional offices in alignment with national strategies
• Facilitating day-to-day operational needs for regional offices
• Ensuring seamless integration between national and regional strategies
• Supporting national project implementation at the regional level
• Coordinating adequate staff support with Operations/Fund Capacity
• Facilitating planning, reporting, and evaluation processes at the regional level