“All Collective member churches partner as ‘the Church’ in Ottawa with ‘the Church’ in Guatemala.”

Allen Macartney
Special to Spur Ottawa

Jesus established one Church. Despite the many denominations and distinctions among believers, His Church is still one, as the Ottawa Compassion Collective shows.

“The Ottawa Compassion Collective helps Ottawa churches partner, through Compassion Canada, with churches in Guatemala,” says Jeff Scott, pastor of the WestVillage Church. “Together, we raise awareness and support among our Ottawa churches for sponsoring poor children, as well as championing other projects in their communities.”

The Collective started in 2018, when Compassion invited teams from four Ottawa churches, along with One Way Ministries, to go to Guatemala.

“We wanted Ottawa church leaders to see the country’s ministry need firsthand,” explains Alain Landriault, regional manager for Compassion Canada. “We also wanted them to get excited. And it certainly generated plenty of enthusiasm.”

Only a few months later, the new collective comprised nine Ottawa churches.

“They have a proven commitment to empowering and working through the local church, in the field.”

“All Collective member churches partner as ‘the Church’ in Ottawa with ‘the Church’ in Guatemala,” Landriault states.

Compassion programs all run through local churches in the communities where sponsored children live. This model ensures the development work has indigenous support and buy-in. It also creates a holistic child-development strategy to break the cycle of poverty and share the love of Jesus.

“While there are many great mission agencies deserving our support, we chose to engage with Compassion,” states Jeff Jantzi, pastor of The Gathering. “They have a proven commitment to empowering and working through the local church, in the field. They don’t want to send a bunch of Canadians down to ‘save the day’.”

Instead, through their global reach and network, Compassion works with Guatemalan churches to identify and prioritize community needs. Compassion then coordinates practical steps to ensure the activities are carried out on the ground by the same local churches and leaders who originally conceived them.

“God gave these resources to us to strengthen the universal Church’s shared Gospel mission.”

“The Western Church doesn’t lack physical or financial resources, though we have other challenges,” Scott says. “God gave these resources to us to strengthen the universal Church’s shared Gospel mission. As we partner with Guatemalan churches, we learn from our brothers and sisters who may not have what we have, but may have what we need. [Together] we seek to reach the world for Christ.”

Joining the Ottawa Compassion Collective doesn’t cost Ottawa churches anything directly. Instead of simply cutting a cheque, each church participates in an annual Compassion Sunday child sponsorship drive.

“We encourage our members to sponsor Guatemalan children from a group of churches Compassion Canada has identified as most in need,” Scott explains. “Individuals who sponsor a Compassion child commit to donate $40 per month, for each child. They also promise to pray for their child.”

“It’s a wonderful way to model the Kingdom of God, working in unity with churches of different denominations.”

The Collective holds two meetings per year to give member churches updates and reports. These meetings also help build joint vision and tighten the bonds between the Ottawa and Guatemalan churches.

George Sinclair, pastor of Church of the Messiah, says connecting with churches in Guatemala is a great way to move congregations more toward compassionate lifestyles.

“It’s a wonderful way to model the Kingdom of God, working in unity with churches of different denominations,” Sinclair states. He adds that it encourages leaders to set aside secondary doctrinal or ministry convictions for the greater benefit of the Kingdom.

“Project Guatemala began in earnest just over a year ago, right before the COVID-19 turmoil,” Sinclair says. “We can’t wait to see how our Ottawa-Guatemalan church connections grow when restrictions are lifted.”

As the initiative continues gaining momentum, Compassion hopes to start similar Ottawa collectives focusing on a range of other countries.