Planting a new church partner
Compassion partners exclusively with local churches to implement our programs in the world’s poorest communities. We believe the Church is uniquely called, commissioned and equipped by Jesus Christ to continue His mission of “proclaim[ing] good news to the poor” (Luke 4:18). Building relationships with more local church partners allows Compassion to open more child development centres and reach more children who otherwise may not receive the practical care and exposure to the gospel provided by Compassion’s holistic child development model.
Compassion Canada is seeking an investment of $90,000 to fund the construction of essential core facilities for a new church plant in Peru and the launch of a Compassion child development centre at this new church.
Name of church plant:
Iglesia Evangelica de los Peregrinos del Peru de Monte Grande
(The Pilgrims Evangelical Church of Peru in Monte Grande)
Location of church:
Monte Grande, Jaen, Cajamarca, Peru
Initial proposal
Compassion Peru recently identified a need for a local Christ-centred church that preaches and lives God’s Word in the community of Monte Grande in Jaen, Cajamarca, Peru. This high, mountainous city sits near the edge of the Amazon region of Peru. The community’s population of 9,000 includes approximately 2,700 children, and the primary language spoken is Spanish. Agriculture is a key source of income for families in Monte Grande, but this is heavily dependent on the rains. Most people earn about $136 a month. Other sources of income include construction and transportation services. Typical houses are constructed of adobe or bricks, with corrugated iron roofs. Major health issues in the area are mosquito-borne diseases, typhoid and other infections.
This church plant was proposed to Compassion by Iglesia Evangelica de los Peregrinos del Peru de Jaen (The Pilgrims Evangelical Church of Peru in Jaen), which will serve as the “mother” church. It has 160 members and is 2.5 kilometres from the proposed church plant site. The mother church plans to send a team of 15 members to support the establishment of the new church. The mother church has previously planted two churches, including one that is a Compassion partner. They have a vision to plant three new churches in the region over the next 10 years. The denomination has over 300 churches in Peru, and has partnered with Compassion Peru since 1997. Currently, 17 churches of this denomination are Compassion church partners in Peru.
Pastor Wismar Chinchay Camizan will serve as pastor of the church plant. His call to ministry is made evident by his steadfast commitment to the Great Commission and love for the Lord. He has experience serving in children and youth ministry. Pastor Wismar has been married for three years. He is a welder, which will provide income for him alongside a monthly offering from the mother church.
After careful investigation and consideration, Compassion sees this as a strong opportunity to invest in the Church and extend the reach of the gospel.
Once this new church registers children in the child development centre, Compassion will present the opportunity for your church to become individually involved by sponsoring these children in Peru. You can empower this new church to minister to children and their families, beginning a personal relationship with the children that will point them to the love of Christ!
An investment of $90,000 will fund the construction of essential core structures for the new church and launch a Compassion-assisted child development centre at the new church. Your funds will help build basic church facilities needed by the congregation and child development centre. The land on which the church facilities will be built was donated, and the church holds formal documents to the land.
It is our privilege to present this strategic missions opportunity to Trinity Church Kelowna. This investment will contribute to growing the Church in an area that greatly needs the message of Jesus Christ and the care that is best delivered through relationships built in the context of a loving local church. We believe you will be a prayerful, effective partner with Compassion and Iglesia Evangelica de los Peregrinos. Together, we can build, plant and equip a new church for effective Christ-centred ministry among children and families living in poverty.
Progress Report: May 2019
The total area of the land is 2,500 m² (26,910 ft²), of which 700 m² (7,535 ft²) will be used for construction of the church building. In addition to levelling the land and plotting the precise location of the building, the construction team has been working on providing the necessary infrastructure for the building. Water and electricity service are now in place as the team prepares for the next stages of construction.
In the meantime, the church community has been meeting regularly at a neighboring building. The Pastor makes frequent home visits to the parishioners for spiritual guidance, as well as providing childcare guidance to parents in the community.
Currently, there are 15 adults and 8 children attending the church. In addition to the regular service on Sunday, the group meets for Bible studies on Friday and hosts Sunday school for children in the community.
Pastor Wismar Chinchay Camizan writes:
We are deeply grateful to the Lord for our donor brothers and sisters because together, we are extending God’s kingdom, especially in vulnerable zones in our community. We thank you for having a generous heart, for thinking and giving with open-handedness to children [in Jaen]. We are praying for abundant blessings from the Lord in your lives; also may God allow us to meet in person to express our gratitude with a big hug.
Elizabeth Montoya Acuña, the mother of a child who will attend the Compassion centre writes:
We feel happy for the construction of a place for our children, at first moment we thought that it would be a school, but they have explained us that it will be a church where children will receive spiritual and material support, we are thankful to God for giving us a closest place for hearing the word of God.
Challenge
- Frequently changing weather due to rainy season in the area
Opportunities
- Excitement in the community now that the construction is underway
- Blessing and caring for the children in the community
In the next 60 days, the construction team expects to complete the drilling for the footings and columns and have all of the footings poured. They anticipate having the foundation for the building poured by then as well.
The church will work towards implementing the Compassion program for the children who were recently enrolled and made available for sponsorship. The church is also planning to launch their first Vacation Bible School this summer.
Progress Report: June 2019
Since the last report, the outer walls have been completed, doors and windows were positioned and the placement of the roof beams is underway.
Church staff have met with many families whose children will attend the Compassion center to gather personal details and health information of the children and their caregivers. They have also started to prepare for the sponsorship launch by having children write their first letter to their sponsors.
The church community has grown substantially in the last month, with 30 adults and 70 children regularly attending the church’s programs. In addition to a Sunday service, the church continues to offer Bible studies on Friday for adults and Sunday school for children.
Pastor Wismar Chinchay Camizan writes:
New leaders are being raised up to work with the children, the community is seeing [the church] in a positive way because [they] will benefit children in the social and spiritual areas of development.
The church is deeply grateful for the donation, since it allows us to fulfill the mission of the church to grow and expand the gospel and to release children from poverty. We request your prayers to complete the construction with the contribution of the church. Please pray for the uprising of leaders who understand the vision of working with children.
This experience of having the church planting is beautiful because it allows the church to have a building for assisting children in extreme need.
The cost of the water and sewage connections were higher than anticipated because of the building’s distance from the municipal services.
In the next 60 days, the construction team plans to complete the interior plumbing and electrical work, install the bathrooms, paint the building, pour sidewalks and build fences around the property.
Final Report: August 2019
Since the last report, the church building is complete! Several neighbours were involved during the construction phase. Pastor Wismar has supervised the construction. He has visited the families, and children are registered and participating in program activities.
Currently 40 adults and 70 children are attending the church. To date, three individuals have made statements of faith, and the new believers are receiving discipleship and preparing for baptism.
Amado Fernandez Benavides, a member of the church says, “We are very thankful to God, to the Central Church, and to the brothers and sisters of Compassion for this new construction. The church will have a strong impact in our community, and friends and neighbours are thankful the church is here. The local people tell me that the church teaches good things”.
Pastor Wismar Chinchay Camizan writes:
“As Evangelical Church of the Pilgrims we are deeply thankful to donors, since without your support it would have been impossible to construct this infrastructure. We believe that God has encouraged your hearts to give generously, selflessly and willingly to this purpose.
We see an impact on the children who never have never before attended a place so comfortable, where people speak about the love and grace of the Lord. We see the joy on their faces and the desire to know more about our God.”
Milagros Vega, wife of the pastor shares,
“The church has impacted the children, especially with the teaching in the four areas: spiritual, physical, cognitive and socio-emotional. Children are happy with the new comfortable environment. Parents are impacted by teaching of values for both themselves and their children. The community sees the presence of the church as fundamental in the area.”
A current challenge is to convince adults in the community to use the church facility as a place for meetings. We have given open access to the site and the church is close to market, school, and health center. We can work together with these institutions to develop programs. Please pray for the community to adopt this as a place for meetings.
Compassion’s work in Peru began in 1985. Currently, more than 78,700 children participate in more than 230 child development centres across the country.
As one of the world’s leading child development organizations, Compassion partners with the local church in 25 countries to end poverty in the lives of children and their families. Today, nearly two million children are discovering lives full of promise and purpose as they develop in all the different aspects of their lives—minds, bodies and relationships, while discovering God’s love for them in the gospel of Jesus Christ.