The Cayambe Plan

Short-term (1-5 Years) Vision: Primero de Mayo

The strategy of this team represents the steps necessary to realize its purpose.  The work in Cayambe is presently concentrated in the neighborhood of Primero de Mayo, located about 1km to the south of the city of San Pedro de Cayambe.  Over two years ago, the Evangelical Berean Church in El Quinche, under the leadership of Pastor Marco Cruz, began a kids club in this neighborhood.  A ministry team made up of several ladies from the church continued in the work, going through many trials and with very few resources.  They met in an open lot in the cold and rain of winter and the sun and wind of summer. As fruit of their perseverance, the kids club today consists of more than 80 kids, and is meeting in the community use area with two cement athletic courts and a classroom.  The club has grown so much that it has been divided into three classes during the lesson time: the toddlers, the school-age kids, and the adolescents.  Currently, a new church has been formed in the barrio.  Every Sunday, around 25-35 meet together for worship and Bible study.  The goals of the ministry team for the next year are the following: 1) Increase the frequency of special events for men and ladies, 2) Become even more integrated in the daily life of the neighborhood by participating in community work days and social events, 3) Have more evangelistic events in the neighborhood, 4) Improve and expand the weekly meetings in the form of services and home Bible studies for the whole family. 

Long-term (5-15 Years) Vision: Cayambe and Beyond

Although the ministry team is currently focused on the neighborhood of Primero de Mayo, they also have a future vision to plant churches in other parts of the canton.  Specifically, the next target is the city of Cayambe itself.  Since Cayambe is a city of over 45,000 residents, it was prudent to do a study of the city to determine the best location to begin a church-plant.  It was discovered that a growing area to the west of the Pan-American highway was virtually devoid of churches.  Further, the area is in a part of the city that is growing rapidly.  There are new houses being built everywhere.  As a result of this information, the Meyers choose to make their home in a new housing development called Victor Cartagena.  Living in a condominium in a neighborhood filled with young families about the same age is the perfect environment for starting another church plant.  The current strategy for reaching this part of Cayambe involves a lot of relationship building.  Living in the neighborhood itself opens to doors to many conversations and relationships.  The goal is to eventually start a Bible study in the Meyer home and possibly others in nearby areas.  Currently, Dave is teaching two English classes, one for the Chamber of Tourism and the other for the Hostería Jatun Huasi, one of the largest hotels in Cayambe.  These classes have built good friendships and excellent contacts as we enter into the society.  As we work together to build contacts, some of those contacts will accept the Gospel and form other new churches.  The work is just beginning, but the potential is limitless.