Redeemer Church, thank you for your generous support of Filadelfia Baptist Church in Bolivia. The church has very active in community outreach and made construction progress. Construction was paused due to the pandemic, but leaders expect to resume construction soon. Currently, 80 children and 17 adults are attending church activities.
In the photo above, construction workers prepare cement.
An Overview of Progress
During April and May, bleachers were poured and the construction of the first floor was completed, the first floor includes spaces where the bathrooms and classrooms will be installed. When possible, the church tries to involve the members of the mother church as well as the daughter church in construction activities. In June and July workers planned to build 23 columns, complete chaining on the second floor and pour the slab for 175 square meters.
Due to the pandemic, construction had to be stopped. It was also difficult to carry out fundraising activities with the restrictive measures imposed by the government due to a third wave of COVID-19 cases. Thankfully, restrictions are lessening and the church expects to resume construction soon.
During this time, the daughter church developed house-to-house evangelism activities for families, and biblical teachings were given to children in the community through the Children’s Bible Club. The church shared that two teenagers have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and three children accepted Jesus in the Children’s Bible Club. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the church temporarily paused baptisms.
-
- Workers remove construction materials from the warehouse. (March 2021)
-
- Construction workers pour cement in the footings of the building. (May 2021)
-
- Workers prepare the concrete columns and steel chaining for the first floor. (May 2021)
Challenges
The church’s biggest challenge was the effect of the pandemic on raising the local contribution for the construction. The church’s tithes and offerings decreased as some members lost their incomes. A number of church members lost their jobs due to personnel cuts in the companies they worked for, and some are facing a financial crisis in their families. The church continues to raise funds through food sales and garage sales.
Impact on Beneficiaries
This church plant has had a positive impact in the lives of children, adolescents and adults, and the larger community. Lives are being transformed as people of all ages are learning biblical principles and values. Children are learning to make wise choices and resist negative peer pressure. Thanks to the church’s ministry to children, youth and families, many people have changed their way of thinking and started to follow Christ.
-
- An apprentice prepares to lay the subfloor of a classroom. (May 2021)
Progress in Meeting Objectives
The main objective of the church plant was to build facilities for a church and child development center that will offer initial education, nutritious meals, school support, skills development and spiritual development for children in the new Filadelfia II church. To date, the intervention is 50% complete. In the next few months, the church plans to complete the main work and start the final work, in addition to continuing with evangelism and registering children in the program.
Construction objectives include building:
- Four classrooms.
- A multipurpose room.
- A kitchen.
- An office for the project.
- Bathrooms for men and women (each with three toilets, a shower and a sink).
Workers have completed four classrooms with capacity for 40 children, offices and bathrooms.
The second objective was to register children and implement Compassion’s holistic child development curriculum. Due to the pandemic, the registration of children for the child development center has been delayed. The church is ministering to children in the Children’s Bible club and Sunday school, hoping that these children will officially enter the program. Thank you for your partnership in releasing children from poverty in Jesus’ name.
