GCI: GCI Churches and Work in the Caribbean

For Caribbean nations, see
the website: http://caribbean.gci.org/

Charles Fleming
is the Missions Director for the Caribbean region. Within the region, the
desire is to see each congregation become missional – joining other WCG
congregations as well as Christians from other denominations in sharing the
love of God with those around them. For those looking for mission partners,
here are three values that shape who we seek to become:

• Mission
  is personal service. Experiencing God’s patient yet insistent determination to
  set our denomination free from self-imposed legalism has left us with a desire
  to patiently, but persistently serve others with the hope that they too will
  come to know the life-changing love of God. We wish to partner with those who
  understand that mission involves entering into personal relationships with the
  people we serve.
• Mission
  is part of life’s daily rhythm. Recognizing that Christ’s life was a life on
  mission, we wish to make mission a natural part of the rhythm of our lives –
  individually and as congregations. We wish to partner with others for whom a
  mission is a sustainable part of their own life-rhythm.
• Mission
  is joint-effort. Having experienced the way the diverse gifts of the Spirit
  come together in the Body of Christ to express God’s love, we welcome opportunities
  to do ministry with committed Christians of different denominations.

We have 23 congregations in 15 of the 27 nations that make up the region. For those
interested in joining Caribbean congregations of the WCG in mission work, here
are a few of our current mission-efforts.

• In
  the Bahamas, in June 2007 a group upgraded the Bahamas church building to better serve members
  and the community. A summer VBS camp was held for two weeks in July 2009.
  On-going activities: the Nassau congregation is involved in a weekly soup
  kitchen to the local community. This ministry especially focuses on members of
  the Haitian migrant community. The church is also involved in refurbishing the
  facilities of the Simpson Penn School for Boys. There is a sustained effort to
  reach out to youth in the community, and an annual basketball tournament has
  been a popular feature.
• In
  Trinidad our campus has become a service center to the larger body of Christ.
  Dozens of Christian groups – from a wide range of denominations – along with
  para-Church agencies – rent the facilities for seminars, retreats and
  celebratory activities. The campus is one of the official training centers for
  Evangelism Explosion and for Kids’ EE. It is also the base for the United
  Methodists ‘Walk to Emmaus,’ a retreat weekend committed to strengthening the
  discipleship process of local churches. It is also a site for training persons
  involved in Prison Ministries. On-going activities. There is a major effort to
  serve economically challenged families in a nearby community, addressing family
  needs and providing educational opportunities.