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A land in need of the gospel

Psalm 96 Ministries

Psalm 96 Ministries is active in planting churches, caring for the needy, and developing leaders to help make disciples along the Cayapas and Onzole rivers in Ecuador.

Planting churches

Church planting is the primary means by which P96M hopes to spread the gospel throughout the region of the Cayapas River and beyond. Our goal is to have each church pastored by a local minister (native to the area), trained with a seminary education, and supported through the tithes of their church.

Caring for the needy

Jesus often ministered to the physical needs of the people as well as their spiritual needs. Physical needs abound along the Cayapas River, and P96M seeks to evaluate those needs and meet them when possible in an effective and responsible manner.

Equipping new leaders

Leadership is a critical factor for growing churches. This includes not only a senior pastor, but church planting teams and lay leadership as well. P96M works to identify those with the gift of leadership, encourage them, and equip them with the tools they need to become mobilized ambassadors for Christ.

Our core focus areas

Church Planting

As God opens doors, we aim to plant new churches in villages along the Cayapas river. Mission trips (from USA churches) have spread the gospel to over a dozen villages along the river, and these seeds have led directly to the two most recent church plants in the area.

Discipleship

Church plants and sharing of the gospel are important, but do not stand to last without proper training and discipleship of new believers. P96M takes an active role in training believers and equipping new Christians to follow Christ through the study of the Bible and biblical materials.

Mercy Ministry

A team on a short-term trip with P96M taught church leaders the practical details of running a mercy fund. Since that genesis, a mercy team in the church has been faithfully collecting and disbursing funds, clothing, and food to those who are most needy and can’t provide for themselves.

Seminary Training

Ordained pastor Angel Aguirre visits Pichiyacu every other week to conduct seminary classes using curriculum from Reach Beyond. The 12 students attending are likely candidates for pastors and church leaders of tomorrow.

Community Development

P96M is directly involved in many aspects of community growth in Pichiyacu, from educational assistance to offering economic opportunities, to healthcare seminars. We hope to provide similar efforst in other villages along the river.

Short-term Mission Trips

P96M typically organizes 2-3 short-term mission trips each year, focusing on topics as varied as construction, VBS, and elder training. The benefits of short-term trips are generally bidirectional, as many missionaries find their involvement to be a life-altering experience.

A field ripe for the harvest

In a historically spiritual culture - with a long history of witch doctors - many in the Cayapas region are seeking the truth. Church-goers in the area devour the Word and have a thirst for Bible knowledge. Unbelievers have a strong curiousity and openness to learning about Jesus.

It's an area ripe for harvest, but the workers are few. The primary challenge to the spread of the gospel along the river is the limited supply of well-trained and theologically sound leaders. Life Changing Ministry is working to train leaders from among those who live on the river to lead local congregations and future church plants.

So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.

1 Corinthians 3:7

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