Peru Church Plant
Christ Community has a special bond with the people of Peru. Over the course of the past several years, thousands of Peruvian people have come to know Christ and many new churches have been established all over the country. This, in part, is a direct effect of Christ Community's many short-term mission trips to the Latin American country.
A team of short-term missionaries recently returned from Peru. Here's a bit of what they experienced:
More than once, the thirty-five people from Christ Community Church heard the residents of Jicamarca, Peru, describe themselves as “forgotten.” While traveling the dusty streets surrounding Jicamarca, a shanty town outside of Peru’s capital city, these thirty-five people developed a more varied approach to ministry—one that communicated both the message and the compassion of Christ.
Five “resource teams” through Project Beyond Catalyst trained, served, and equipped the people of this remote village. While a medical team provided care for those who were ill, the clean water team educated the community about the benefits of drinking purified water and the construction of the bio-sand filter. North American teachers and volleyball players developed relationships with the children, a women’s ministry team held daily conferences, and an evangelism team devoted themselves to prayer and preaching God’s love.
After several days of serving the people of Jicamarca, one of the local community leaders approached two mission trip team members. He invited them into his home because he wanted his family to hear more about this “gospel” that he had seen in action. Having never heard anything about Jesus, they were excited by the possibility of having a personal relationship with God the Father.
The team also visited El Niño Emanuel Orphanage. While most team members played with the children, the women’s ministry team served the orphanage staff with massages and beauty treatments to underscore their beauty before God. While the children at the home face many challenges, they reach out to their own community in creative ways.
By the end of the trip, one area of Peru had been saturated with the gospel. The people of Jicamarca were grateful—and they will never be forgotten.
Project Beyond Catalyst funds support the travel and material needs for national-led outreaches. The Peru Church Plant team is also hoping to establish micro-business groups which, in time, will become self-supporting.
For more information or to get involved, contact Doug McMurren at dougmac@frii.com.