Churches Helping Churches
We are thrilled that so many churches have felt God’s call to serve families in need in Mexico alongside us during these 15 years. In fact, because of our partnering churches, ministry continues to happen throughout Puerto Peñasco and more recently in the community of Miguel Alemán!
I wouldn’t be able to mention everyone, but I do want to share a few examples of how churches have faithfully partnered with 1MISSION over the years.
I’m thankful for the support of Pure Heart Church in Phoenix, who have helped us with community outreach for a number of years and have many times stepped up to help us care for practical needs in the community, particularly during the COVID shutdown. Through that challenging time their support not only was very timely, but it led to the creation of a Saturday morning kids program that has since evolved into a congregation!
Yes, if you didn’t know, God has worked through 1MISSION house recipients to raise up a church in one of the neighborhoods we serve in Puerto Peñasco that officially launched in 2016. Unofficially, God began to develop this fledgling congregation more than a year prior and he also raised up a godly team of people from that community to give it leadership. One of our partner churches that has been supporting this young church in a big way from the beginning has been Mountain Park Church in Ahwatukee. Their ministry to children and to serve the church every time they visit has been very special and impactful.
Christ’s Church of The Valley, Pantano Christian Church, and Broadway Christian Church have been long-time partners. Through our entire history they have sent teams, supported our Community Health Education projects, and are assisting in the construction of a new worship center for the church in Peñasco. That’s right, this young church plant that has been renting a retail space for worship is in the process of constructing their own church campus! Progress is being made and the structure is going up as funds come in. Pastor Chuck Foreman from First Christian Church in Phoenix has been instrumental in providing leadership on our Church Advisory Board, tasked with helping the church plant in Puerto Peñasco to develop, and to one day plant other churches in the community.
Image: Members of Gold Canyon Community Church work side-by-side with the Leyva Ochoa family on their new house in 2010.
Image: Since the beginning, churches of all sizes have partnered with 1MISSION. More than merely providing resources, they have built relationships.
Image: A group of high school students from Christ’s Church of the Valley work on a house build in 2018.
One of the privileges of getting to know the churches and pastors that partner with us is discovering that those churches, being all different sizes and flavors, are committed to the Gospel and are expressing that the ministry brings mutual impact. For instance, Mountain Vista Community Church—a small church in Buckeye that doesn’t own a building or have a full time pastor—have found build trips to be a vital part of their ministry, taking a trip on average twice a year starting in the fall of 2013. Scott Lowe, the church’s missions leader, gets very excited for every trip, expressing his belief that it will have greater impact on his team than they will have on the people they’re serving.
So to every church and to every pastor and member who have participated in this incredible story of transformation over the years, I want to say thank you! You’re an encouragement to me and the entire 1MISSION team, each and every day.
Image: Construction is underway on the new church building in Puerto Peñasco, as seen in this photo from April 2023.