Key Ministries
- Ethnic ministry
The core vision is to see ethnic peoples in the Philippines come to Christ. This ministry focuses on building relationships within unreached communities where there is little Christian witness. Practical service and community engagement are vital, including creative ministries with children, youth, women and men. Livelihood projects, crisis response, values education, friendship evangelism and discipleship are all integrated into these efforts.
- Migrant inistry
With rising migrant populations in the Philippines, this ministry builds relationships particularly with Indonesians, Chinese, and Indian communities. SIM workers engage with Indonesian and Chinese diaspora groups, while local church partners reach out to international students, mostly Indians.
- Mobilisation
Although the Philippines is called the ‘only Christian nation in Asia’, only about 10 per cent are evangelical, and many have yet to catch the vision for reaching ethnic peoples and migrants. The mobilisation team equips churches, groups and individuals to participate as senders or goers in local and global missions.
- Member support services
This includes leadership development, care for workers through member care, training of missionary kids via Faith International Academy, and strengthening governance and administration. As a new signatory entity, SIM Philippines is focusing on building capacity and leadership.
Spiritual Landscape in the Philippines
The Philippines is an archipelago of over 7,100 islands divided into Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. It has a history of more than 300 years under Spanish rule and nearly 50 years under American rule, gaining independence in 1946. Although often called ‘the only Christian nation in Asia’, the country is predominantly Roman Catholic. About 11 per cent of the population belong to ethnic groups, with around 10 per cent identifying as evangelical or other Protestant groups. Poverty affects roughly 18 per cent of the population, many living on less than USD1.25 a day.
Despite the Christian majority, fear and prejudice have limited local evangelical churches from actively supporting or engaging in ethnic ministries.
Please pray
- For supernatural and miraculous encounters in every family and community that will open doors of opportunity to spread the gospel
- For churches and individuals in key cities to have the vision to reach out to Muslims
- For more Filipino churches and individuals to engage in Muslim ministry and in sending, supporting and caring for mission workers
- For our team’s disciple-making efforts and the maturing of a fellowship of Muslim-background believers. Pray these believers will grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus
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