God's Heart for the Poor

Across the globe, countless communities struggle with the effects of poverty while lacking the healing presence of a vibrant local church. Children and families face desperate circumstances without the liberating hope of Jesus Christ and the caring hands of a faith community. In response, Compassion is working alongside existing local church partners to help them establish new congregations. Compassion partners with more than 8,100 frontline churches in 25 countries to serve more than 2 million children and their families.

You are invited to join Compassion and a frontline church partner in Peru to show the love of Christ to children in a community that needs the hope of the gospel. Please prayerfully consider this proposal to build a new church. The new facility will also serve its community as a Compassion child development center. Your partnership will enable the church to meet the pressing needs of hundreds of children and families.

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 new church. 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.

Partnership Opportunity in Peru

Compassion Peru recently identified an area in need of an accessible, Christ-centered church that preaches and lives God's Word.  A trusted Compassion partner (Alianza Cristiana y Misionera) is ready to plant a new congregation in a community in the Sanchez Carrion province of Peru. The new church, Iglesia Alianza Cristiana y Misionera del Perú, is located in a strategic area that lacks a Christian church. By planting a church in this area, the gospel will also reach many families from surrounding areas.

Pastor Franck is leading the new church. Five years ago, Franck and his wife Zurisadai were sent by the mother church to live and minister in the community that is home to the new church. Moved by the spiritual needs of families in extreme poverty, the couple left their jobs and have been ministering to families. They are currently serving a core group of 70 children.

The mother church will provide ongoing support through by sending evangelistic teams, helping with child development activities and mobilizing a medical team for initial checkups as children enter Compassion's program.

The church has secured land on which to build the new facility and the land is ready for construction. After thoroughly investigating the opportunity, Compassion International has agreed to help raise funds for this church plant and presents the information below for your consideration.

Church Plant Timeline

Depending on location, the average construction of the church building takes between 8-14 months. Many variables will influence the timeline including availability of materials, road conditions and weather.

• Stage 1: Gift funding received by the national office.
• Stage 2: Existing church staff members begin soliciting bids for construction, materials are purchased, and planning is finalized.
• Stage 3: Construction begins. Church leaders from the new church conduct activities in the community to build awareness and excitement. Church leaders identify children who are eligible to register with the child development center.
• Stage 4: As construction progresses, church staff members hire child development center staff. Training takes place and preparation for child registration continues.
• Stage 5: 150-200 children are registered with the center. A caregiver orientation is held.
• Stage 6: Construction concludes. The new church opens its doors to the community and the center begins ministry to children.

Your Investment

The presence of a vibrant church and child development center has the potential to make a lasting impact in a community and surrounding areas. Your gift could change the lives of hundreds of vulnerable children in the first year and thousands more in the years to come. An investment of $75,187.97* will fund the construction of essential core structures for the new church and needed facilities for a Compassion-assisted student center. The essential core structures typically include:

• one large meeting room / sanctuary which seats 200 adults
• classrooms
• kitchen / food preparation space
• sanitation facilities or latrines
• electricity and water (when feasible)

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

Compassion's Impact in Peru

Compassion's work in Peru is especially critical during the pandemic as many families have slipped further into poverty. The video below highlights the vital difference that Compassion's church partners are making in Peru.

 

 

Join Us

First Evangelical Free Church, thank you for considering this important opportunity to build a new church in Peru. The church will spread Jesus' unconditional love throughout a community that desperately needs hope.