CHURCH PARTNERSHIP

Iglesia Jesucristo Rey

Through the Home Based Care program, this church will help meet the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual needs of 20 families caring for orphaned and vulnerable children.

Guatemala City, Guatemala

Iglesia Jesucristo Rey

AbOUT THE CHURCH

Iglesia Jesucristo Rey was launched in 2008 in a small room in Pastor Eli’s house. Nobody attended the first service, but within a few years, forty people were regularly attending the services, and Pastor Eli no longer had enough space for them. In 2016, the church relocated to AMG School. The church now serves nearly 100 people, with a focus on caring for people and providing a place for people to connect. Firmly believing that discipleship is one of the most important ministries offered through their church, Jesucristo Rey provides women’s ministry, men’s ministry, youth group, and an outreach program. The women’s ministry is focused on making disciples and finding healing through God, while the men’s ministry focuses on discipling men towards godly leadership within their homes. Through “Fe en Acción”
(Faith in Action), the church provides wholistic care to at-risk women and children through the provision of food and counseling.

Leadership

Pastor Eli and his wife, Nancy Bello, have been married since 2006. They started Iglesia Jesucristo Rey two years later in their home and had to move to a bigger space which now serves nearly 100 people in their community. Pastor Eli and his wife feel called to disciple and serve the community full-time.

Born in Nicaragua, Eli lost his father at a young age and came to Guatemala to live with another family member. Since then, he has always had a deep desire to help at-risk families and children, so they can know the love of Christ. The church started a ministry for single women with children, especially those who have experienced trauma and pain. Nearly everyone in the church is involved in the program, and they visit families and bring love baskets including various food staples. Children in this community are greatly in need of love, attention, and spiritual tools that can provide identity in Christ and hope for a better life.

Home Based Care

Program Overview

The Goal

The goal of the Home Based Care (HBC) program is to equip, inspire, and mobilize churches to build relationships with at-risk families within their communities. Relationships grow through frequent visits to families in their homes to offer prayer, biblical training, counseling, and overall encouragement. To empower this wholistic approach to orphan care, World Orphans and US churches connect with Guatemalan churches to provide Gospel-centered training and funding.

Funding

Funding for the HBC program comes from a combination of church partnerships and fundraising campaigns. This funding ensures that these children receive the following:

Food

Meals served with the families and at school on a daily basis

Medical Care

Access to medical services and monitoring for specific health needs

Education

Assistance with school fees, school supplies, and tutoring

Emotional Care

Counseling and mentoring through relationships with church members

Spiritual Care

Fellowship, prayer, discipleship, and encouragment

How it Works

Vulnerable Children Identified

ChilD Selection Process

The HBC committee works to identify 20 orphaned or vulnerable children in the community who are in the greatest need. From there, they meet with the caregivers to determine if the family is a good fit for the program. The due diligence process includes completing a Child Intake Form, informing World Orphans about each child in the selection process, discovering the family/caregiver history, and providing reasons for the program selection.

Home VisitS Per Family Each YEAR

Home Visits

Each family in the program receives at least one monthly home visit from the HBC committee. These visits ensure each child is receiving proper care and meeting pre-determined milestones in his/her development. Families and children receive encouragement, discipleship, life skills training, financial support, and prayer during these visits.

Impact reports each year on church, child, and community

Program Accountability

With long-term care of each child as our goal, World Orphans is serious about ongoing accountability. World Orphans staff members frequently communicate with the Guatemalan pastors and HBC committee to monitor and assess each child and the overall structure of the program. The pastors are required to provide monthly financial reports on how funds were apportioned, as well as quarterly reports assessing the overall HBC program as it relates to the impact on the church, the children, and the community.

Partner with Iglesia Jesucristo Rey

Why Church Partnership?

Most children living in orphanages have at least one living parent. Working together, we help keep families together, strengthen them, and help them toward independence.

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