In 1999 a Cuban Christian named Benito was visiting his aunt in Manitou Springs. He walked all the way to First Pres to be able to worship with brothers and sisters in Christ. A fellow worshipper greeted Benito and invited him to Sunday School. Through Benito, we met First Reformed Presbyterian Church of Havana, now our partner in Cuba. 

PARTNER INFORMATION 

First Presbyterian Reformed Church of Havana 

This sister church has demonstrated their resilience and faithfulness despite many political, social, and economic challenges. We gain insight and perspective about what it means to live out a life of faith in a place that is difficult. God has used our partnership to help develop a prison chaplains program in Cuba, as well as a ministry to the elderly, and an English class outreach. Our yearly trips have allowed significant relationships to develop, which provide mutual encouragement and respect. 

Egypt is our most longstanding global partnership, launched in 1995 out of the Holy Spirit’s prompting to take key mission relationships deeper. Leaders from the congregation committed to participating in a worldwide prayer movement—Praying Through the 10/40 Window: 100 Gateway Cities—which led us to a focus on Cairo, Egypt. With help from friends and Presbyterian Frontier Fellowship, our leaders identified and met ministries, organizations, schools and individuals in Cairo. First Pres regularly sends teams to serve in mission alongside our Egyptian brothers and sisters. Most recently, we have chosen to focus on a church-to-church partnership with Heliopolis Evangelical Church. 

PARTNER INFORMATION 

Heliopolis Evangelical Church 

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The members of our congregation identified our need for a new global mission partnership with shorter travel distances and opportunities to invest in justice-focused mission work. After two years of discernment, in 2018 we decided to initiate a new partnership in Guatemala. Our connection is with a network of young adults who work in grassroots, holistic ministry in their local communities. 

PARTNER INFORMATION

K’aslem Ala’ Youth Network and Soccoro 

These brothers and sisters focus on creating new, local opportunities for Guatemalans that can alleviate poverty and hopelessness and help to deter migration. Some of the exciting avenues our partners are exploring to create change in Guatemala include a formal entrepreneurship program, an income-generating water treatment plant, and one-to-one ministry with families. 

When Communism fell in 1991, there were only a handful of Mongolians who followed Jesus. Today, there are more than 32,000 Christians—about 1% of the population. That number is down from a high of about 60,000 in 2010, indicating a crisis of leadership in the Mongolian church and a need for church leaders to receive the biblical education and leadership development needed to lead and disciple their flocks of young believers. 

PARTNER INFORMATION 

Mongolian Campus Crusade for Christ 

Mongolia Campus Crusade for Christ (MCCC) is a key partner for First Pres, and we send several teams each year to teach, mentor, encourage and walk alongside the staff of MCCC as they reach out to various professionals, Nomads and college students. Young Life is affiliated with MCCC in Mongolia, and we regularly send members to train and encourage their team. First Pres has supported six MCCC staff studying for Masters of Divinity and Theology degrees. In 2016 First Pres and MCCC celebrated ten years of formal partnership.