ABOUT COMPASSION
In response to the Great Commission, Compassion International exists as an advocate for children, to release them from their spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty, and enable them to become responsible and fulfilled Christian adults — all for God’s glory. We also speak out for the needs of children in poverty to compel Christians worldwide to respond to God’s call to “look after orphans and widows” through advocating for children (James 1:27).
ADVANCING GOD'S KINGDOM
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10 NIV) True life and hope are found only in the redeeming gospel of Jesus Christ. Fighting poverty is more than providing economic resources — it is defeating the fatalistic lie that we are unworthy of God’s love. At the heart of all Compassion’s work is our commitment to releasing children from spiritual poverty. We pursue this commitment with as much fervor as we approach any other type of poverty.
Planting a New Church
Compassion’s church-based efforts are key to its effectiveness. Our goal is to reach a greater number of children in extreme poverty in order to offer them Jesus’ love and mercy. Our ministry depends on the efforts of frontline local church partners.
The local church identifies nearby communities that would benefit from ministry and begins to build a reputation there. Compassion comes alongside this “mother church” to support its efforts to establish a permanent “daughter church” in the new community. The mother church continues to mentor and support the new church until it matures enough to support itself. The church grows through its community involvement and its commitment to meet real needs.
Compassion International is seeking donors who are passionate about planting new churches and can provide needed funds to help establish daughter churches. Your gift would fund construction of a permanent facility for the new church and enable it to begin offering Compassion programming for up to 200 children.
Child Development Through Sponsorship
How does church planting relate to Compassion’s desire to help release children from poverty? The new church becomes the center for child development and the life-changing experience of child sponsorship. The local Compassion staff members offer a holistic development plan to registered children, aiding them in spiritual, physical and educational growth. The children are linked with sponsors who provide support, love and encouragement.
Members of your church may wish to expand their own ministry to children in Mexico by personally sponsoring children who will be registered in the new Compassion student center as a result of this church plant.
New Partnership Opportunity in Mexico
Compassion Mexico has recently identified an area in need of an accessible Christ-centered church that preaches and lives God's Word in partnership with the established First Baptist Church in Santo Domingo, Chiapas, Mexico. The church plant will be located approximately 6 miles away in the community of Unión Juarez, Chiapas, Mexico — close to the Guatemala border.
Nearly all the adults in the region are unemployed, and those who do find work are day laborers. Average household income for those who do find work is the equivalent of $95 per month. Most of the homes here are made of wood with cement floors and tin roofs. Among the challenges faced by families are malnutrition, lack of employment, and lack of community services for the entire population. Click here for more detail
The people of First Baptist Church - Santo Domingo share a strong desire to expand and replicate their ministry throughout the region. They have recently secured land (pictured right) through a donation by members of the mother church. There are limited facilities on this land that will be repurposed if possible.
Your Investment
An investment of $76,923 will fund the construction of essential core facilities for the daughter church and provide the infrastructure for the establishment of a Compassion-assisted student center at the newly constructed facility.
Your gift will provide the basic church facilities needed by the new congregation and child development center, such as:
- one large meeting room / sanctuary which seats 200 adults
- three classrooms
- kitchen / food preparation space
- restrooms
- electricity and water
Will You Join Us?
Thank you for your interest in partnering with Compassion International on this strategic missions opportunity. We are helping grow God’s Church in an area that greatly needs the message of Jesus Christ and the accompanying care that is best delivered through the personal nurture of a loving local church. Together, we can build, plant and enable a new church for effective Christ-centered ministry among the impoverished families of this community.
Church Plant Timeline
Below is the typical schedule of establishing a new church partner. Specific details of each church plant will be scheduled and communicated as construction plans develop.
- Month 1: Donation received by Compassion International
- Month 2: Proposal matched to donation; bids solicited from screened vendors for construction
- Month 3: Funds sent to Compassion field office
- Month 4: Initial fund disbursement to vendors; construction begins
- Month 5: Initial neighborhood visitations and child registrations begin; construction continues
- Months 5-11: Construction continues; child development center staff training; caregiver orientation
- Month 12: Dedication and launch of ministry at new church
The proposed church plant in Unión Juarez, Chiapas, Mexico:
Elements of our approach to planting churches:
Our Ministry Model
Three distinct foundations of how Compassion works:
We focus exclusively on children — “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Luke 18:16, NIV) All programs are aligned with developing children holistically (pre-natal through young adulthood) by addressing physical, spiritual, socio-emotional, economic and educational needs.
We work exclusively with the local church — Compassion believes that the Church is God’s agent for change in a broken world, which is why our programs are only offered through partnership with churches in the developing world that have the same passion for prioritizing and ministering to children.
We keep Jesus at the center of all we do — Children and families are not required to profess Jesus as Savior to participate in our programs, but we want children to hear the gospel, see living faith and be discipled in the ways of Jesus. To this end, every mother and child registered in our programs receive age-appropriate Bibles, which are replaced as children mature and develop.
“Compassion International started with one man's obedience to God's call of 'What are you going to do?' The question for us today is, 'What are we going to do?'”
— Wess Stafford, President Emeritus, Compassion International
Compassion Stats at a Glance
Numbers current as of June 2018
Total Gift Requested:
$76,923
Thank you, First Baptist Church, for prayerfully considering partnering with Compassion International. I would welcome the opportunity to talk with you about your goals for the kingdom, or any interest you may have in experiencing Compassion's work first-hand. I would be honored to connect with you.
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