Small Church + Missional Vision + Body of Christ = Huge Impact On TheCommunity

Yesterday we visited the church where Lucero attends the Compassion program.  It's on the side of a mountain in a very poor town.  It has only 30-40 attendees.  And yet, the church has a vital ministry to 250 children in the surrounding neighborhood.  We were struck at the size of the ministry this small church was able to have.

I wanted to jot a few notes about how this small church with limited resources was able to have such a big impact on kids and their families.  

1.  Missional vision 

It became apparent that the church has a strong missional focus - they want to reach their community.

2.  Focus on children 

While the church wants to reach people of all ages, they are focusing on reaching children.  Intervention at an early age is more effective than later trying to repair damage done by malnutrition, hardened hearts, poor health, lost educational opportunities, abuse, etc.  They also know that children that become Christ followers also often invite their family and friends to church.

3.  Committed members 

The children's ministry is owned by the members and pastor of this church.  Each person has a role they are responsible for, and they are committed to do that role with excellence.  

Some serve as kitchen workers who cook for hundreds of kids each day.  Some tutor the children after school. Others teach Bible classes.  Some teach the children income generating skills.  Some visit children's homes to understand the issues the child deals with at home, and whether there are any safety/abuse risks.  The list goes on and on....

4.  Drawing on outside expertise

The church did not have the expertise to build this ministry alone.  So they partnered with Compassion International, who provided training, curriculum, connections to medical staff, administrative controls required to ensure the program was well run with integrity, etc.  Compassion all also provides ongoing expert oversight and coaching to ensure the program is effectively achieving the intended goals, and that the children are being faithfully taught the Gospel.

5. Connection to the Body of Christ at-large.

The church clearly lacked the financial resources to do this type of ministry on this scale. Compassion provided connections with sponsors in other countries who help fund the program, and who develop encouraging relationships with the children and share Christ with them through their letters.   This relationship helps reinforce the work of the church workers who minister to the kids and share Christ with them on a daily basis.

With these partnerships, the church was able to put feet to their ministry.  

We learned that Lucero became involved in the local church's Compassion program because a neighbor knew Lucero's family was in great need.  The neighbor brought it to the attention of the church, who initiated a relationship with the family and invited Lucero to join their program.  They explained that as part of the program, Lucero would receive supplemental nutrition, Bible teaching, tutoring in school subjects, etc.  Her parents agreed she should attend.

We asked Lucero's parents how the program has helped.  They said they are not home during the day, and the church has given Lucero a safe place to be during the afternoons. They said it had helped her become more sociable.  And, they are very happy that she is learning about God.  

But that is just Lucero.  There are 250 other children of varying ages just like her, who have a church showing them the love of Christ in a very tangible way, pointing them to faith in Christ, and helping them develop to their full potential. 

All because a small church in a poor town on the side of a mountain had a vision of what God could do, and trusted God to provide help through the rest of the body of Christ.