There are a number of types of ministry that fall under this category. We work with churches, as well as various types of homes, where people are lost, addicted to alcohol or drugs, forgotten, or have very little. Be the hands and feet of Jesus as you love on and serve these people. Serve a meal. Organize activities. Share worship songs, testimonies, teaching, and the gospel. Pray with the people.

Community Ministry Options Include:

CHILDREN'S HOMES (ORPHANAGES): There are several homes in the area where the children would benefit greatly from your time – play some soccer, share a meal, and more. Needs will vary between the different homes; however, food and school supplies are usually high on the list.

FEEDING PROGRAMS: There are a lot of churches that sponsor feeding programs for children to be able to get some proper nourishment. Many times, children have difficulty in school due to hunger, and may even be sent home. Feeding programs are often underfunded and sometimes find themselves without enough food. Provide and serve a meal to the children, spend some time with them, and share some teaching and worship time.

CHILDREN'S MINISTRY (VBS): A Vacation Bible School ministry is a great way to reach out in Mexico. After flooding the community with invitations, you’ll have the opportunity to teach the children about Jesus and love on them through Bible stories, dramas, songs, games, crafts, verse memorization, and more. A typical VBS is about 3 hours per day for 3-5 days and is always through a local church. We will often do a children's outreach at a park near the church we are working with. Some teams will do a carnival event (games, prizes, popcorn, face painting, balloon animals, etc.), water games (inflatable water slides, water balloon toss, dunk tank, etc.), or other themed event. We always spend time before every outreach inviting people in the community. Parents are always welcome to stay, which gives a great opportunity to offer prayer and have one-on-one conversations with the parents. Your team may decide to take that a step further and offer a craft table for the women, worship/testimonies/message/gospel for the adults, hair cuts, or just a separate space where they can relax and fellowship with free coffee or beverages. Everyone at the outreach is introduced to the pastor so they can get plugged into a local church. We always recommend offering a snack for everyone, such as chips, cookies, etc. Providing a meal is always a huge blessing to the people, and a great attraction as well!

WOMEN'S MINISTRY: Take it a step further when doing children's ministry, and hold a Bible study for the women. Along with your Bible lesson, you can offer crafts, an instructional teaching on something useful for the home (such as hair cutting, sewing, basic home repairs, etc.), and baked goods with coffee are always a big hit!

SOCCER CAMP: Soccer is, of course, the most popular sport in Mexico! Structured sports training with at least one break where testimonies and/or a short teaching are shared, along with the gospel message. This is usually followed up by soccer games or a tournament. You could also do some organized games with soccer balls, such as obstacle courses or dribbling competitions. All it takes to run a soccer camp is an experienced soccer coach or player to run drills and teach different playing techniques. For your tournament and games, consider bringing some soccer balls or other prizes.

ROSARITO DUMP MINISTRY: You may not be aware that there are about 50 people that live and work at the garbage dump in Rosarito. These people make a living by searching through the garbage to find any items of value that they can sell or recycle. Many of them have drug or alcohol addictions. Your team may provide worship as well as a drama or human video. You will then share a message, testimony, and of course, the gospel. Afterwards, your team will provide a picnic-style lunch and spend some time with the people and praying with them.

TEACHING & TRAINING MINISTRY: Conferences are a great tool for teaching, training, and equipping the local people. Training conferences for teachers, pastors, youth ministry, children's ministry, and more, are a great way to help equip local servants for ministry. Conferences for youth, women, men, or marriage are perfect for outreach and for strengthening their walks with Christ. Men and women who have a deeper relationship with God will be better prepared for serving in ministry.

RETIREMENT HOME: There are local retirement (or senior) homes where many of the residents have been abandoned by their families or do not have anyone that can care for them. Just spending time with them, serving a meal, playing a game or two (such as Bingo with prizes), praying with the people, and sharing from the Word can go a long way here.

REHAB FACILITIES: Connections House works with a couple of Christian-run rehab facilities. Teams visit these facilities and bless them with a meal. There is a number of different types of activities you can do while visiting, but it will always include worship, a teaching, testimony, 

Construction ministry is such a great way to use your gifts and abilities to bless a family, church, or community! That said, we cannot stress enough that construction ministry is centered around evangelism. Our focus is to build relationships, whether its the family and their neighbors when building a house or the pastor and congregations of a church. However, our goal is always to share the gospel with others. There should be a specific evangelistic plan for your team, or a designated portion of your team.

WHERE?

There are a number of possibilities for this type of ministry. Possibilities include, but are not limited to, working at a church (including our local church plants), feeding kitchens, orphanages, and family homes (i.e. roof repair, building or adding an addition to the home).

WHAT?

This will depend on the time your team has and its budget. It may be repairs, like fixing a roof, replacing electrical wiring, or pouring a floor. However, it may also include constructing a new building, home, or church! 

HOW?

Connections House provides all of the tools your team will need for your construction projects. We have everything from shovels, work gloves, hammers, and drills, to ladders, jackhammers and generators. If you have a special project that requires a certain tool, there may be an extra cost, but this is rare. 

HOW MUCH EXPERIENCE DO WE NEED?

None! Connections House will provide experienced leaders to head up all projects. Especially with youth teams, some leaders think that all their team could contribute on a construction project is painting. However, we have worked with many youth teams with no experience to build homes, construct block walls, and more! So, don't let a lack of experience hold you back if you feel the Lord prompting your team to serve in construction ministry!

WHAT IS THE COST?

The cost of your construction projects will vary greatly. It will depend on what your budget looks like, as well as how much time your team will have. Planning well in advance, as well as individual and team fund raising, will help greatly. A good minimum budget is $25/person per day.  

HOME BUILDS:

It is very common in Mexico for families to own land, but to have no means to build a home. Many have no alternative than to rent whatever they can find in their price range, which is more often than not a moldy, wet house/apartment that is not insulated or weatherproofed. If they don't have the means to rent, they may be forced to live on their land in a "house" with a dirt floor, built out of materials like wood pallets and tarps.

Check out our Home Building page for detailed information about building a home for a family in need.