Who we are.
We are a non-denominational Christian organization that seeks the people who are outcast by the Church. Our heart is for the vulnerable and unseen in the urban poor communities of Mexico City. We meet people where they are at, both culturally and spiritually, by spending time together in living rooms, tattoo parlors, Zumba classes, and in the streets playing fútbol.
We see this continual investment in relationship represented as a large part of Jesus’ ministry as he “dined with tax collectors and prostitutes.” Our heart is to show rather than tell people that they are valuable to God, that he cares about every aspect of their lives, and wants a personal relationship with them.
What we do.
We spend quality time in the communities we work in, visiting families in need and following up with new contacts in order to build individual relationships and listen to the concerns and goals that locals have for their communities.
We offer secular extracurricular music and arts activities for children and youth that promote cognitive development, literacy, confidence, and build relationships within the community.
We offer faith-based programs by leading small groups, youth groups, children’s clubs, and planting home churches.
We fight hunger through sustainable community led projects like aquaponics.
We offer secular workshops that support families and community development like parenting classes, small business trainings, marriage mentorship, and money management skills.
We collaborate with local Pastors and Pastoras to support and expand their ministries with resources, complementing programing, and live worship.
We collaborate with ministries and churches in Mexico City’s center as well as in the United States to provide resources for the communities we work in like Bibles, trainings, and counseling.
We host short term mission trips, worship retreats, and interns.
We volunteer with The Crucible Project Mexico and dream to launch urban men’s soul groups and urban weekend experiences.
We write worship and children’s worship to resource Mexican ministries and we create spaces for urban artists to create secular and faith-based music and art.
Where we work.
Currently, we work in three urban poor communities (urban slums) on the outskirts of Mexico City: Chimalhuacán, San José Las Palmas, and San Sebastián.
The people who live in these highly populated urban communities have literally been marginalized to the outskirts of Mexico City where they commute 3-5 hours a day to seek work in the City.
Mexico City is one of the largest cities in the world and its population continues to grow rapidly as it attracts immigrants and refugees from rural Mexico as well as Latin America and the Caribbean.
The poorest and most vulnerable seek to build a life for their families in urban poor communities on the southeast of the city.
Goals for 2024
Feeding the Poor:
“Abundant food is in the fallow (uncultivated) ground of the poor. But it is swept away by injustice.” Proverbs 13:23
The Problem: Food security and extreme poverty
The Approach: We don’t want to simply answer to spiritual needs in the communities we serve, but also address the physical. By collaborating with Emerge Aquaponics, we hope to build sustainable systems that produce edible fish as well as abundant vegetable gardens in urban neighborhoods. Aquaponics spreads dignity as local leaders will learn to cultivate, cook, and sell their own produce and fish. Aquaponics honors the history of Mexican agriculture dating back to the Aztec empire.
2024 Goals: Our goal is to build one large-scale aquaponics system in the community of Chimalhuacán to support the ministry of Gente de Compasión, a collaborating church that is dedicated to serving their community. This greenhouse will serve as a training ground for future projects and raising up future leaders.
Music Classes and Literacy for Children:
The Problem:
Public Schools that do not provide music and art classes.
Low literacy.
No toys, crafts, or places for children to play in homes or parks.
Lack of knowledge concerning child development.
The Approach: The culture of these urban poor communities puts a very low priority on creativity and play. We offer secular and faith-based weekly programs for children that provide a safe place for kids to be kids through play, music, and hands-on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) projects. We also offer workshops for parents on child development, abuse prevention, nutrition, screen-time, and literacy promotion.
2024 Goals: To carry out a 6-8 week Family Storytime in the park in the community of Las Palmas. If this Storytime is a success we can look into continuing and how to raise up local leaders for expansion.
To sustain and grow weekly music and arts programs for children in the communities of San Sebastian and Las Palmas.
Extracurricular Youth Programs:
The Problem:
No options for extracurricular activities or enrichment for youth and teens.
Due to danger in the streets, young women between the ages of 12-25 live their lives in one-room homes, without friendships or activities aside from coming and going to school. This leaves them vulnerable to depression, sexual abuse, and teen pregnancy.
The church is not reaching or serving young people.
The Approach: By collaborating with parents, schools, and local businesses, we will host secular workshops, youth clubs, music classes, and faith-based youth groups that appeal to the interests of this underserved demographic. Our goal is to expand their worldview, and to thereby expand their vision for what is possible for their own lives. Teens will be empowered as they learn about the Bible, about culture and the world, about music and the arts, as well as about sexual abuse and healthy relationships.
2024 Goals: This year we are starting a girl’s youth group in the community of Las Palmas. This youth group would meet weekly and would serve 20-30 young women in its first year.
Reaching Men:
The Problem:
The church is not reaching men, instead, the only meaningful community for men can be found in gangs
Alcoholism, abuse, and affairs
The Approach: Although there are many in-tact families, fathers are largely absent from the homes as they work and commute long hours 6-7 days a week to provide for their families. Because of this, we rarely see men or fathers at our weekly programs or in church services. Instead, the men spend their time congregating at the local soccer field or drinking beer on street corners. We want to bring faith-based men’s small groups to the places where they feel comfortable. We want to see tattooed, motorcycle-driving men, eating tacos and drinking beer together, learning and talking about Jesus, fighting for their families and for justice in their communities.
2024 Goal: This year we plan to start two small groups for men outside of the church. Our first men’s group will be in a tattoo shop/cafe owned by a friend and local leader in the heart of Chimalhuacán. The second group will be in the community of Las Palmas.
Serving Women and Mothers:
The Problem: Women are isolated, vulnerable, and are given a low value in society.
The Approach: Create faith-based communities where women and mothers are given a space to be heard, to learn simple Biblical truths, to be encouraged and empowered by community. These groups would begin in school dropoff or at Zumba classes or storytimes offered by Convivir Int, at times and locations that are accessible for mothers and wives.
2024 Goal: There is no shortage of women who want to get involved in a women’s small group given the opportunity. This year we hope to start, develop, and pass off leadership of one small group in the community of Chimalhuacán, serving 8-15 women.