Recently, John Jairo Leal, Impact’s Community Church Planting Director took a team to Venezuela to encourage and support this incredible movement of God taking place amidst a beautiful country deeply in chaos.

After seeing Venezuela firsthand, John Jairo said, “It was a very shocking reality…the gulf between the poor and rich is huge. There is a very small group living in incredible luxury. Some restaurants you easily pay $40 for dinner – and some people can pay that – but the majority of people live on $40 a month. It was gut wrenching to see.”

But then John Jairo said what really moved him – how God is working in Venezuela. “In the midst of everything happening in the country, it is amazing to see how fast the church is multiplying and developing leaders.”

Another visiting Impact team member, Esteban Venegas, witnessed something similar, “In many places, youth don’t want to grow up. There, the youth want to be old enough to be a leader.”

In fact, the Community Church Planting movement in Venezuela is fueled with the energy of the next generation as most leaders are between 20-25 yrs of age.

Training events were held in Maturín and Caracas. In Maturín, nearly 300 people attended the trainings, all of whom are implementing Community Church Planting in their contexts. In Caracas, John Jairo and the team could see how people are using CCP’s biblical principles to reach those who are struggling with addiction or homelessness amidst the chaos and crisis in Venezuela. The team visited some Houses of Peace called, “Refugio de Paz,” or “Refuge of Peace.”

These five shelters each care for the vulnerable in different ways. One is for the elderly, another is for those recovering from drug or alcohol addiction and so on. For many of these residents, it is not safe for them to leave the shelter, even to attend church. And so, each “Refugio de Paz” gathers together as a House of Peace weekly, guided by the principles of Community Church Planting.

Although this movement originated and continues within the Free Methodist Church, Impact has been developing connections with leaders outside of the FMC for some time. One of those denominations now has 18 Houses of Peace.

Alejandro Zamoro, a pastor within that denomination, was thrilled that the team came to visit. He is pictured below with John Jairo and Ynelitza Sanabria Evans, CCP Director for all of Venezuela. Pastor Zamoro was impressed that Impact does not just stand far off, sending them information but rather accompanies new leaders and works alongside them.”

Despite busy schedules and limited time, the team was able to meet with all the pastors and leaders with whom they have been cultivating relationships. They were able to encourage new leaders in their mission, offer guidance and mentoring as well as with provide several trainings, pictured below.

Through the multiplication of disciples, leaders and churches, Jesus’ territory is quickly expanding in Venezuela. Astoundingly, despite being a movement held in the context of a country in chaos, one visiting team member said, “It was pretty close to my idea of heaven. Everyone is committed to worship God and work so others know about God…and everyone is empowered and encouraged to lead.”

This is what you support when you give to Impact Latin America. Leaders who face incredible daily challenges are doing much more than survive. With your support, they are instilling hope and equipping the next generation of leaders and expanding Jesus’ territory in places of desperate need.

If you are not already a donor, please consider becoming one today. We need your help to offer ongoing training, mentoring and support to these ordinary men and women, bravely planting God’s peace in Latin America. Thanks for your support.

Impact Latin America is planting God’s peace among people and communities that have little hope. Watch the video below to find out how.

Latin America is a beautiful continent full of rich culture and wonderful people. It also contains the world’s greatest income equality, the world’s highest Covid mortality rate and is home to the fastest growing source of displaced persons.

Impact Latin America is planting God’s peace in regions – like Guajira – that are in desperate need. Would you help us support these Latin American leaders by becoming a one-time or monthly donor? A gift of $50 a month will be multiplied many times over in the life of a new believer, a growing leader and a struggling community.

Join us today to support this movement.

Impact Latin America’s Community Church Planting Director, John Jairo Leal and the team traveled to Mexico recently to introduce community church planting to pastors and leaders. At first, they thought they might have 40 people. By the end, they held three events in three days and introduced a total of 200 lay leaders and pastors! Watch the video below to hear about the exciting events of this trip. God is pursuing Mexico with his love!

Help support events like these by becoming a monthly donor to Impact Latin America. Your donation allows us to offer extensive training, materials and support to lay leaders and pastors free of charge.

Join us by becoming a donor today!

We believe sustainability happens through relationship and connection. Impact Latin America groups every new leader and House of Peace into cohorts with a designated network coordinator who offers ongoing training, resources and mentoring. Leadership summits or ‘cumbres’ offer further training and foster community by sharing stories, worshipping and praying together like the ones recently held in Nicaragua and Venezuela, pictured below.

VENEZUELA

In the midst of a country in crisis, over 300 leaders arrived in Maturín, Venezuela recently to share their passion for planting God’s peace and to receive comprehensive care.

Over the course of the day, leaders received training in topics like Balanced Life, Family Life, Care Groups, Strategic Intercessory Prayer, and Mentoring and Being Mentored.

We’re multiplying disciples, leaders and churches – without using gimmicks, incentives and statistics. Instead, we’re training leaders how to be effective. Effective leaders balance family, health and ministry and model for others to do the same.

It’s simple. Healthy leaders plant healthy churches.

NICARAGUA

There are 22 Houses of Peace in Nicaragua but these small community church leaders are far from isolated. The ‘cumbre’ held in Nicaragua provided an opportunity for the network to connect themselves to a larger community by sharing stories, praying and worshipping together.

Despite being spread across 17 countries, Impact Latin America is a community of people, devoted to planting God’s peace by multiplying disciples, leaders and churches.

This is what healthy leaders look like. A community of women and men that is welcoming, prayerful, passionate, receptive and enthusiastic. These are the Latin American leaders that you support when you give to Impact Latin America. Thank you!

We need to build our community. Although 99% of these leaders are bi-vocational, a handful are critical to the sustainability of this movement. These highly effective leaders train, mentor and support hundreds of other leaders – making an impact on thousands. There are thousands more to come.

If you’re not already a supporter, would you consider becoming a one-time or monthly donor? Join this growing community of faithful leaders, planting God’s peace in Latin America. Thank you for your support!

Leadership Support Structure

One of the keys to the success of this movement is that no one does it alone. There is an organic, relational infrastructure to provide training, encouragement, accountability, and care. As Impact’s Executive Director, Dr. Ricardo Gómez, has said, “Unless we ourselves are healthy and transformed, we cannot expect to participate in God’s transformation of people and communities.”

We develop five types of leaders, investing in the formation of head (knowledge), heart (character) and hands (ministry skills). Multiplication is built into this support structure with each one seeking to raise up others, following the pattern of 2 Timothy 2:2.

Sowers

It begins with a simple biblical model. Believers are trained to share the good news of Jesus through Disciples Making Disciples (DMD) and encouraged to pray for God to lead them to people whose hearts He has prepared. God is bringing great results as 4725 people have come to Christ in less than two years. Most are involved in ongoing relational and holistic discipleship through the Houses of Peace.

Planters

As sowers grow in faith and use their gifts, many feel called by God to intentionally start a House of Peace. At this stage they are invited to become planters and join a cohort. A network coordinator mentors and coaches them in holiness and healthy life balance in addition to training in how to begin, lead and sustain a House of Peace. Multiplication is in the DNA as each House of Peace is encouraged to start other Houses of Peace. Currently, there are 539 planters leading 775 Houses of Peace.

Network Coordinators

Planters who demonstrate fruitfulness in multiplying disciples, leaders, and Houses of Peace are invited to coach a cluster of planters. Where possible these cohorts are grouped by location and have an average of 10-15 participants. Network coordinators receive ongoing training to multiply leaders and churches. And they are mentored to establish healthy rhythms of life amid bi-occupational ministry. The coordinators are featured in a rotation in Impact Latin America’s monthly Prayer Calendar with prayer requests for their networks.

Regional Mentors

The 64 local networks like those described above are spread across 16 countries, spanning the length of the continent. Regional mentors and trainers support network coordinators in one or more countries. Usually former network coordinators, they receive training on growing leaders and movements and are placed within a relational pastoral care group of other leaders.

Movement Leaders

Finally, to provide overall guidance there are movement leaders. These are people who have internalized and implemented the biblical principles of multiplying disciples, leaders and churches. They have the gifts and abilities to keep the whole movement on track by reinforcing the mission, vision, and values. They also introduce the model of Community Church Planting to other associations and networks. Although they have a high level of perspective and knowledge, they are also supported with ongoing training and pastoral care. The movement leaders include Dr. Ricardo Gómez, John Jairo Leal, David López, Jenmira Sánchez; and Andrés Agudelo.

In this community of over three thousand men and women, 99% are bi-vocational. These Latin American leaders devote countless hours to implementing CCP’s revolutionary and biblical model, not for money, but because they believe that through it, God can transform families, neighborhoods, and countries. The less than 1% who receive funds from Impact Latin America, whether full or part time, are those whose leadership has been proven and whose responsibilities require that they be freed up to devote themselves to the movement.

These are the leaders that you support when you donate to Impact Latin America. Your prayers and financial support help ensure that this rapid multiplication is sustainable and will continue to multiply to the 3rd and 4th generation.

This leadership support structure is more than strategy and training materials; it is relational at every stage. According to Dr. Ricardo Gómez, “It’s about lasting relationships. Pastoral care is about traveling together toward holiness.” This is more than leadership development; it is community development. Thank you for being part of this community that is planting God’s peace in Latin America.

Last week, a strategic group of key Community Church Planting (CCP) leaders from across Latin America met in Medellín, Colombia. For some, it was a reunion long delayed by the pandemic. For others, it was their first time meeting team members they had, so far, only been working with virtually. Either way, as one member said, “It’s strange,” she said, “we just met but it feels like family.”

Impact Latin America’s CCP Director, John Jairo Leal planned and led the group through four days of instruction and inspiration, prayer and worship, encouragement and team building. Across the group, there was a remarkable unity of vision and a high commitment to the cause. Each leader’s sense of calling, energy, and sacrifice was palpable.

One thing is clear, God has gathered a remarkable group of people from nine countries across Latin America, all captured by a common vision: planting God’s peace by multiplying disciples, leaders and churches.

THIS MOVEMENT IS IN GOOD HANDS.

When you give to Impact Latin America, these are the leaders who receive your support.

We are entering 2022 with gratitude for all that God is doing – and with renewed vision and anticipation for all that is yet to come! We are so glad you are on this journey with us!

Thank you for all your prayers and support! We could not do this without you!

Because of your support, our 2021 budget was fully funded, despite the pandemic. This investment is bearing remarkable fruit.
Click the link below to hear the Year End Report.

Like you, we invest in sustainability. In order to sustain this growth, we have added coaches and mentors to support hundreds of new leaders and community churches…

…and we’re still growing. There are five new training centers to multiply Houses of Peace and we are continuing to introduce CCP to new groups and associations.

In 2022, our goal is to train 2,770 people in discipleship, double those in ministerial formation and grow to 1,770 active Houses of Peace. To prepare for and sustain this growth, our 2022 budget is growing by 50% from $250,000 to $375,000. As you consider where to give this year’s end, please consider supporting the hundreds of brave women and men who are devoted to planting God’s peace in Latin America.

Give the gift of God’s peace.

At 96 degrees and 70 percent humidity, it had been a typical sweaty night in Valledupar, Colombia, just on the other side of the Venezuelan border. Sixteen students were gathered in the new CCP training center. Despite the climate, air conditioning is extremely rare, so they had left the windows and doors open to catch the evening breeze.

Terrified, the students slowly began to comply with his demands. Despite being terrified, Miguel heard God’s voice. “Give him your phone and tell him I love him.” Miguel cautiously approached the man, handed him his phone, and said, “God loves you.”

Immediately, the man’s eyes widened. “Are you Christians?” he asked. “Yes,” said Miguel. The man started visibly shaking, the gun quivering in his hand. He handed back Miguel’s phone. “Shut the door,” he said, and then he turned around and walked out, leaving all their valuables behind.

Five years ago, Miguel was also a Venezuelan migrant. He too struggled with the hunger and homelessness that may have led this man to desperation.

Due to Colombia’s generous border policy, nearly two million Venezuelan migrants have crossed the border, many undocumented and unable to work. Valledupar, so close to the border, has received a significant share of those migrants.

When Miguel relayed the story to John Jairo Leal (Impact Latin America CCP Coordinator) he said, “Pastor, it’s just like the bible says, God is taking care of us.”

These days, at 26, Miguel lives Pereira, the coffee growing region of Colombia. Although beautiful, many workers in the region are vulnerable to exploitation and trafficking, particularly undocumented migrants.

Miguel and his wife Yoleidys lead a network of Houses of Peace started by “Pastor Jenny.” Like most CCP networks, it is composed almost entirely of new believers.

Together they are supporting and discipling the struggling youth and children of the community and through this, God is touching the hearts of families.

Miguel has also taken on the responsibility introducing CCP to leaders and organizations in the region. Once introduced, he trains and mentors them as they grow.

In his personal life, Miguel’s mother and brother Jesús, have come to live with them while his father and brother, Diego still live in Venezuela and, just this month, Miguel and Yoleidys discovered they were pregnant with a baby boy.

Amidst his growing responsibilities, CCP has given Miguel a front row seat to learning about God.

“CCP is a way of living, practicing and witnessing what God can do,” he said, perhaps most powerfully witnessed on that hot night in Valledupar. Despite being the teacher that night, Miguel learned something critical: God takes care of us.

It’s our joy to be able to bring you this good news from Latin America. Miguel is one of scores of young leaders who are training others how disciples make disciples. He is one of the faithful and fruitful leaders you help to resource when you give to Impact Latin America.

Impact Latin America helps to fund the work of fruitful leaders like Daniela, surrendered to the Spirit of God and devoted to God’s mission of restoration for the world.

Read on to hear more of Daniela’s story.

Growing up as the children of pastoring parents, Daniela’s and her younger brother were the much adored and pampered children of the congregation. But when her parents were called to mission work in neighboring Paraguay, she was heartbroken. She said, “I suffered terribly. I was small, but I still remember sitting on my bike in the outside hall of the church crying. My desire to stay was even stronger than the thought of having to separate from my parents.”

The family arrived in Paraguay knowing no one, with no financial support, only her parent’s firm conviction that the Lord had sent them. Suddenly, Daniela had gone from being at the center of a loving community to being an outsider.

Unsurprisingly, they were very difficult years, full of scarcity. Despite circumstances, her parents remained faithful. Step by step, they won families to Christ and started churches. Meanwhile, for Daniela, “the Lord was my place of refuge and safety, I sought after Him fervently.”

As she grew older, she began to discover a passion for ministry and evangelism. At 16, she led a highly successful street theater group. As an adult, she left Paraguay to train with YWAM. For years, she participated and led missions in Uruguay, Bolivia and Chile.

Even as her passion grew, something in her heart hesitated to give herself fully to ministry. The wounds from childhood were still there.

Even so, at each stage, God was slowly healing her. Eventually, God brought her to a place of total surrender. “Things that I thought were already healed came to light to be fully restored,” she said. “After that time, I began to witness the Lord’s restorative power. People came to me to be restored as well, even strangers from other countries. When I preached, many people came to confess sins and seek help. I could fill many pages with stories of restored lives, people freed from spiritual, emotional and physical chains.”

Three years ago, Daniela met Pastor John Jairo Leal who told her about Community Church Planting (CCP). “It was perfect timing,” she said. “Our local church was very discouraged and was crying out to the Lord.” They wanted to grow, but, instead, their congregation was shrinking.

The church wasted no time. They immediately started training 23 people in the biblical principles of Community Church Planting. So far, they have reached 92 people for Christ, three neighboring cities, started 16 Houses of Peace and currently have 30 leaders in training.

These days, Daniela’s heart is fully given to missions, freed from the pain of the past and emboldened by the success of the Community Church Planting model. As proof, Daniela has followed the Lord’s call to leave her home and community behind and return to Uruguay, the place of her childhood.
She intends to practice the Community Church Planting method in Montevideo, Uruguay’s capital city with a population of 1.7 million. It will not be easy. Montevideo, like the rest of Uruguay, is one of the most secular places in Latin America but she is not alone. She will partner with Sebastian and Vanessa Carballo who lead a growing network of Houses of Peace in Durazno. Even so, Durazno is four hours from Montevideo by car, something which neither one of them owns.

In a strange turn of events, Daniela is again in the place that once deeply wounded her, leaving a loving community behind to be an outsider, ironically in the place where she once longed to stay as a child. “I feel like a foreigner here,” Daniela said, “but, here I am, eager to meet my person of peace, starting from scratch once again, with the confidence that the Lord brought me here for the purpose of seeing many lives being reached by his love, healed and restored for his glory.”

Daniela herself is a testimony to that restoration, saying, without fear, “I only seek to witness His work, my heart is willing; I have said to Him “Here am I, send me.”

As a leader whose fruitfulness and commitment has been proven over many years, we are glad to financially support Daniela in her mission to reach Montevideo and beyond. Please join us in supporting Daniela, and many leaders like her, as this multiplying movement of disciples, leaders and churches spreads across all of Latin America.