Sister Church Ministry Group
In Partnership with
Buenas Nuevas (Good News) Lutheran Church
Mission Statement:
We are dedicated to Jesus’ teaching that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves, and this teaching extends beyond the artificial boundaries set by denomination, community, or even nation. We believe to love our neighbor includes loving the poor, the disinherited, the oppressed, the outcast, and the imprisoned. We are working to change the conditions, the material circumstances, and even the political structures that limit and oppress.
Goals & Objectives:
In order to fulfill our mission, Covenant United Methodist Church, through the Sister Church Ministry Group, in 1989 established a sister parish relationship with the Buenas Nuevas Lutheran Church in El Paisnal, El Salvador. The goals of this relationship are to implement an active and prayerful interchange with our Christian sisters and brothers in El Salvador and to accompany them in their pursuit of economic and social justice.
The goals of the Sister Church Ministry Group include, but are not limited to:
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Educating our congregation and community about El Salvador and the role of the Church in meeting the spiritual, economic, and political needs of its suffering people. |
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Addressing the needs in El Salvador by direct action and by partnering with other organizations that embrace similar objectives. |
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Living our faith by learning and striving to be peacemakers in our families, church, and community |
Expressing our solidarity,
support, and encouragement through delegation visits to El Salvador,
educational scholarships, communication, prayers, and material aid.Sister Church in El Salvador:
El Salvador is a country still
struggling with the effects of decades of war, poverty and oppression. In El
Paisnal, the town where Buenas Nuevas Lutheran Church is located, most families
live in mud or concrete block homes without electricity, clean water or
sanitation.
Disease, malnutrition, illiteracy, and crime are prevalent. Due to the many years of war and the deaths of over 75,000 people, real social and political changes are slow in coming. There are still many challenges in El Salvador.
There is also a great light,
because the Salvadorans are people of enormous faith. They believe that Christ
is revealed in the lives of the poor and suffering. They also believe that
Christ is present today in their struggles for dignity and justice. They have
hope for reconciliation, forgiveness and healing that can only come through
Jesus Christ. Even the country’s name, El Salvador, refers to the savior. The
name of their church ‘Buenas Nuevas’ at El Paisnal is "Good News"
– radical, life changing, transforming good news. We have much to learn from
this relationship with our brothers and sisters in El Salvador.
Invitation:
We invite anyone with a
compassionate heart and an adventurous spirit to participate in this outreach
ministry. We operate as a small fellowship group and welcome individuals who
would like to help with material aid projects, participate in delegations to our
Sister Church or would like to know more about our ministry.
Please contact Gary Proctor (325-6426) for further information.
Projects
In 2003, the Sister Church Ministry Group provided funds to assist in the drilling of a well for a village in El Salvador. Here are some pictures that were sent to us at the celebration of the start of drilling. The people of this village had to endure a four hour walk for water.
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The celebration gathering. |
Music is part of all celebrations |
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The water committee |
The drilling rig |
Covenant
United Methodist Church
15515 N. Gleneden Drive
Spokane, WA 99208-9743
509-466-1768