In 2023, Prescott Community Church (PCC), a small but vibrant church in the mountains of Arizona, embarked on a journey that changed the way we think about missions. Previously PCC gave ten percent of our budget to various missions, some to the Iglesia Reformada en América—the denomination our church belongs to—and some not, but our church had never been really involved or invested in most of the missions we supported.
The leadership team decided we needed to be more focused in our giving and our connection with missions, and that is when we connected with Scott Engelsman with Misión global del ACR to engage in intentional mission. Through in person and online meetings, Scott helped a group of people from across our congregation to look at our history in missions, our present in missions, and our passions and concerns in order to develop a vision of what we wanted for our future in mission involvement. Ultimately, we adopted a vision based on the calling given by Jesus in Acts 1:8:
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Our new mission focus was three-fold, including local (Jerusalem), regional (Judea and Samaria), and global (to the ends of the earth).
The global focus we chose was Uganda and Kenya, since we had an established relationship through RCA Global Mission, as well as a woman who is connected to our congregation who serves in Eastern Africa. We focused our work with Words of Hope to emphasize their ministry in Uganda. We have focused our education, prayers, and giving to this part of Africa. We are soon going to launch a class on the culture and faith life in Kenya and Uganda to help our congregation understand better the needs we are trying to fill. We also have an ongoing offering for “Bras and Bibles,” which has impacted dozens of women, as well as laptops for leadership training. Through Words of Hope, we have been a part of the translation of the Bible into Kuku language—an exciting ministry!
The regional focus we chose was Indigenous ministries in New Mexico, particularly through Mescalero Reformed Church, another church in our denomination. In addition to monthly financial support, we held a Bible campaign to purchase new Bibles for the congregation, which exceeded the number requested. Four women from our congregation took part in the Sankofa Journey to Mescalero, which deepened our connection with the congregation and our understanding of the ministry in that area.
The biggest impact on our congregation has been our local focus. After much prayer and discussion, we chose the challenge of homelessness as our local mission focus. It was initially our plan to help one family or individual at a time on their journey to having a stable, permanent place to call home. For a few years following this decision, we tried to partner with related ministries that were already taking place in our community. Each time we seemed to hit a wall; they wanted our money but not so much our involvement. But we were committed to doing more than just giving money; we wanted to actually be involved hands-on in changing lives with the love of Jesus.
Relacionado: Un cuento de aventuras: El viaje misionero de una iglesia en pos de Jesús
Then, one day God brought a man to our congregation and led us to start our “One Life at a Time” ministry. A group of dedicated people in our congregation worked tirelessly to help this man—and his beloved dog—get off the streets. There were many challenges and lots of closed doors as we continued to fight on his behalf.
One thing we discovered is the system is set up to make it almost impossible to get a job and a place to live if you live on the street. For example, to get a place to live, a person has to provide their credit history as well as references from past places of residence. Job applications require an address and past employment history that is recent. Time after time, we ran into closed doors and dead ends. But we didn’t give up.
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After quite a while, the man was able to get a part-time job, and a family donated a trailer to the ministry. And finally, we found a trailer park that was willing to take a chance on him. Long, long story short, this past spring, the man (and dog) God sent to us moved into his own permanent home and is supporting himself. We provided a “welcome home” banner to mark the occasion (with some joyful tears), and he shared that it was the first time in a long time that he felt safe. The church is still walking with him to provide direction, encouragement, friendship, and most of all God’s love.
And we are committed to continue this ministry—helping one person or family at a time. Along the way we discovered how essential this ministry is, as too many people fall through the systemic cracks as if they don’t matter, but they do matter immeasurably to God. Through this process we also found some organizations that we can partner with in the future.
We are grateful for all the ways God has led us to see how we can be used by him to give hope. And it all started with the decision to be more intentional about our mission involvement!
Want to become a missional church?
Inspired to be intentional about mission as a congregation? Consider this free video series as the next step. Together, your leadership team (or full congregation) can explore what it means to be a missional church through a Reformed lens—because mission is more than a program. It’s our identity. Rooted in relationship and theology, it shapes who we are, how we live, and how we join in what God is doing—both locally and around the world.
Rev. Corinne Ellis
Rev. Corinne Ellis is an ordained minister of Word and sacrament in the Reformed Church in America and currently serves as the pastor of Prescott Community Church in Prescott, Arizona.
