The Local Church

As the cornerstone of Compassion programming, local churches are best positioned to share the love of Christ with their neighbors. The local church is God’s plan for engaging the world and bringing hope, healing and the gospel of Christ. Fighting poverty is more than providing economic resources — it is defeating the 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.

Planting A New Church

Compassion’s church-based efforts are key to its effectiveness. A 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.

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. Children are then connected with sponsors who provide love and encouragement.

Partnership Opportunity in Mexico

Compassion Mexico recently identified a target area in need of an accessible local Christ-centered church that preaches and lives God's Word. After thoroughly investigating the opportunity, Compassion International has agreed to help raise funds for this church plant. We present the information below for your consideration.

The mother church, Iglesia Cristiana Bautista Dios es Amor una Bendición para tu Familia, desires to plant a daughter church approximately 15 miles away, called Iglesia Bautista Cristiana "Verdad y Vida." The new church will be in the Col. Loma Bonita community of San Pedro Ixtlahuaca, on the Oaxaca border with Monte Alban, Santa Maria Atzompa and Cuilapan de Guerrero. The mother church established a mission in this community 10 years ago and there is a lot of need. The majority of the people in the community are immigrants who arrived looking for work.

Pastor Timoteo Hernandez Jarquín (pictured right) will pastor the daughter church. The daughter church is currently working with more than 60 children in the community. They are also serving women and youth and offer marriage and family counseling. Pastor Timoteo is a graduate of the Baptist seminary in Oaxaca and certified as a "LEISI" Baptist seminar instructor. He and his wife have two children. The daughter church has land with a building that includes bathrooms (pictured right). To fully serve the community, they plan to build 6 classrooms, a kitchen and dining room. For more information, click here.

Your Investment

An investment of $75,187.44* will fund the construction of facilities for a Compassion-assisted student center. The construction plan includes six classrooms, a kitchen and food preparation space and a dining area.

*This budget covers all program, administration and fundraising costs commensurate with Compassion’s corporate guidelines.

Join Us

It is our privilege to present this strategic missions opportunity to help 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 beautiful country.