Discipleship Based Church Planting
Shalom Mission Cambodia is committed to transforming the lives of Cambodian people through personal, relationship based discipleship.
As an organization we create opportunities for discipling relationships by building and running programs that provide value to our local communities.
Starting and growing a church in Cambodia requires gaining the respect and trust of the communities we are working in.
Our church planting efforts begin with community involvement, our pastors work to provide value and leadership to the community through our kids clubs programs, assisting neighbors and community members with agriculture projects and being a knowledge resource for their communities.
The overwhelming need outside of a steady income for most families in Cambodia is safe, quality education for their children. Access to education is difficult for families. Families must pay fees for public schools, and in rural areas these schools are often only able to provide the basics.
The opportunity to learn English, even a few words a week is something most families and children are eager to take advantage of.
For this reason we start our church planting work in a community with a kids club program. These kids club programs offer value to families and give our pastors the opportunities to build relationships. Over time these relationships can move from friendship to discipleship.
Community Outreach Programs
Shalom Kids Clubs
Shalom Kids Clubs offer a chance to sing songs, have a brief english lesson, do a craft, play some games and possibly have a snack.
The average age of the population of Cambodia is very young, around 24 years old according to United Nations estimates. For comparison the average age in the United States is 37.8 years old, and in Australia it is 37.5 This means that there are an amazing amount of children and youth in Cambodia who are hungry for knowledge and need to hear the story of Jesus.
Currently Shalom is operating 27 Kids Club programs serving 600-800 children per week depending on attendance. The clubs offer programs two day a week on Saturdays and Sundays.
The Kids Club Experience - click to see more pictures
Shalom Children’s Centers
Shalom Children’s Centers are the natural extension of our kids club programs in communities that have enough children to sustain the program. They provide a safe place for children to gather and play while their parents work, taking pressure off of the families.
Shalom currently operates two children’s centers that serve a total of 150 children.
The Children's Center Experience - click to see more pictures
Shalom International School
Shalom International School provides supplementary English education to rural village children on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.
The English learning cirriculum is designed to introduce the children to Jesus and his love for them, along with basic conversational English practice that increases the students vocabulary and improves their pronunciation.
The school was started in 2015 and currently has an enrollment of 220 students who are taught by 7 teachers.
Classes are taught 5 days a week after classes at the public school are finished. Shalom international school provides transportation to and from the school for a small monthly fee.
The English classes taught by Shalom International school provide value to the community by increasing the children’s ability to speak English. As Cambodia becomes more international and multicultural due to foreign business investment and tourism the ability to speak and understand English is become a required skill to get good jobs that pay well and have room for advancement.
Children in rural communities often do not have access to quality English education. By providing quality English training we are able to offer value to the community while teaching the children about the gospel and Jesus love for them. Songs and stories sung and told in English are easily remembered and later shared with family members. Over time these ideas of hope, love and redemption grow into opportunities for our pastors and members to share these stories and the gospel with adult family members.
The tuition from the school also supports the greater mission of Shalom by providing an occupation and salary for the local pastor that oversees the operation of the school. His connection with the school gives him the opportunity to meet the parents and families and build relationships within the community.
Shalom International School - click to see more pictures
Soccer Youth Outreach
Each skill training is based around a bible story, with a principle or life lesson that the boys can take away at the end of the day.
Youth Soccer Outreach - click to see more pictures
The Bible lesson for this week was about David and facing your fears. The coaches worked with the group on physical fitness, basic warm up skills, passing and dribbling drills. After which they divided into groups to work apply what they learned in the lesson by practicing heading the ball.
