DEVELOP
Local, Regional, & Global
If aid (mercy) ministry is giving a hungry person a fish, development is teaching that hungry person to fish. Development means working with individuals and communities toward a place of greater capability and sustainability.
Local - Sioux City, Iowa
Classroom Volunteers
Some teachers simply need extra hands in the classroom to assist the students and help with daily activities. Therefore, individuals from the church congregation volunteer 3-4 hours per week to spend time in a school classroom. This also allows students to get to the know the individual and may open a door for a possible mentoring relationship.
Please contact Megan Grooters at 712-276-5814 or via email ( megang@sunnybrookchurch.org), if you are interested in getting more involved.
Teacher Support
Teachers are hands on with the students every day of the week and are our main connection to the families. We see value in connecting with these teachers to not only organize events for the school, but to acknowledge the needs of the school and to support the staff as well.
We meet on a quarterly basis throughout the school year with a group of Liberty staff who also attend Sunnybrook Church.
Please contact Megan Grooters at 712-276-5814 or via email ( megang@sunnybrookchurch.org), if you are interested in getting more involved.
5th Grade
Our goal for 2016 is for the first time to transition the graduating 5th grade class at Liberty Elementary to West Middle School. This transition process will involve getting to know the students and their needs as they adjust to middle school.
Our vision is to have classes outside of the normal school day to minister to these 5th grade students. This vision also involves creating an on-going relationship with the administration at West Middle School. Ultimately, we would see this class of students all the way through their high school graduation day.
Please contact Megan Grooters at 712-276-5814 or via email ( megang@sunnybrookchurch.org), if you are interested in getting more involved.
Children’s Ministry Program
In Fall of 2016, we envision the kickoff of a weekly night program for the students to attend. Through this program, students will explore God’s Big Story and experience faith, fellowship, and fun.
Our goal is to touch base with these students on a weekly basis in hopes to build long-term relationships while sharing the Gospel with them.
Please contact Megan Grooters at 712-276-5814 or via email ( megang@sunnybrookchurch.org), if you are interested in getting more involved.
If you are interested in getting more involved with any of the local opportunities above (or others on our Sioux City page), please fill out the contact form!
Experience Sioux City!Regional - Haiti, Caribbean
Education
At both UCI and Touch of Hope there is an elementary school which are host to 660 and over 1,000 students respectively. Currently, about half of the children in Haiti do not have the opportunity to complete a primary education.
Touch of Hope believes every child in their community should be able to attend school and therefore charges a nominal fee (if the parents can afford it). Breakfast and lunch are provided daily and for some it may be the only meal they get that day. At UCI, the parents are encouraged to work once a month at the school to help pay back and invest in their child’s education. The University at UCI is host to one of the leading medical programs in the country along with seminary students, agriculture, business, etc. On all levels of schooling there is a scholarship program that allows students the opportunity to go to school.
All university scholarship recipients have work study, behavioral, and academic requirements. There is a science lab, computer lab, and internet in all the classrooms, dissection lab and clinic, and extension training to build up well-rounded, well-trained students.
Please contact Jason Jackson at jasonj@sunnybrookchurch.org, if you are interested in getting more involved.
Single Mothers
Touch of Hope has initiated the Starfish Mothers program for single mothers to become entrepreneurs and create a sustainable future for themselves and their family.
One of unique aspects of this program is that it helps the women realize what true hope looks like in their life and a lot of times leads to being able to have income for the first time. In a lot of cases, this program is crucial to keeping children with their mothers and out of an orphanage.
Please contact Jason Jackson at jasonj@sunnybrookchurch.org, if you are interested in getting more involved.
Agriculture
At UCI they do a female goat give away, educate on raising animals and simple economic program for investing. Water pumps are huge in irrigation of crops which 2/3 of the cost is paid back into the program in 2 years.
The pumps are used cooperatively with 5 farmers who all become educated, trained, and encouraged to develop an economic plan for how the pump will affect the growing of their crops. There is also a reforestation plan by putting some of the cost of the tree back into buying more planting sacks.
Please contact Jason Jackson at jasonj@sunnybrookchurch.org, if you are interested in getting more involved.
If you want to join us in being the hands and feet of Jesus in Haiti, please contact Jason Jackson at jasonj@sunnybrookchurch.org or checkout our upcoming trips and fill out the contact form!
Experience Haiti!Global - Ghana, Africa
Education
In Ghana, Africa we have focused on educational development in three particular communities: Asikuma, Tsipasi, and Cape Coast.
In Asikuma, Ghana we help to operate a newly developed school that focuses on educating youth from a particular part of the community that has never had educational access. Currently the school serves over 160 kids from the community.
The second community in which we are working is Tsipasi, Ghana. We first entered Tsipasi in 2013 to meet a need for clean water. In partnership with the Move Project two clean water wells were opened in January of 2015. As relationships were developed in the community we began to see the desperate need for education. Over 97% of the community is illiterate and has never received education above 5th grade. In January of 2016 we will be opening the first organized school in Tsipasi as we begin the process of educating the youth in this community.
The third community is Cape Coast, Ghana, where we partner with an already existing school called Blessed Kiddies International. Blessed Kiddies International supports education for orphaned and abandoned children. We have the vision to help Blessed Kiddies construct a new school structure by 2017 and to continue to help support them financially as they reach out to the most vulnerable youth in their community.
There are short term and long term mission opportunities available. Please contact Jake Sullivan at 515-291-1542 or via email jakes@sunnybrookchurch.org if you are interested in getting more involved.
Agriculture
In January of 2015 we began a partnership with Agrihope with the goal of making the Kingdom Cares Mission Campus in Asikuma, Ghana self-sustaining by 2024.
Agrihope has been working in Zambia over the past three years and has developed numerous leaders in a method of farming called, “Farming Gods Way.” This method of farming takes the natural resources and products that a typical African community would have access to and teaches them how to create higher yields of crops.
In August of 2015 Agrihope assigned one of their primary leaders in Zambia to move to Asikuma, Ghana for a five year mission to help develop agriculture on the mission campus and to also help the community with more sustainable farming methods. Currently we grow beans, maze, and a variety of citrus fruits. Agrihope is also helping to develop an operating chicken and goat farm.
There are short term and long term mission opportunities available. Please contact Jake Sullivan at 515-291-1542 or via email jakes@sunnybrookchurch.org if you are interested in getting more involved.
Small Business
Helping graduates develop small businesses is a major part of the rehab/discipleship program in Cape Coast, Ghana.
Not only do we focus on helping the graduates of our programs set up small businesses to provide a new life away from drugs and prostitution, but we also desire to create business development inside the Cape Coast Mission Center.
These businesses include catering, baking breads and cookies, and sewing programs for women that produce backpacks, satchel bags, and purses. These programs are in the infant stages but long term efforts could produce a self-sustaining model for future outreach programs in Cape Coast.
There are short term and long term mission opportunities available. Please contact Jake Sullivan at 515-291-1542 or via email jakes@sunnybrookchurch.org if you are interested in getting more involved.
If you want to go on a Mission Trip to Ghana with us, checkout our upcoming trips and fill out the contact form!
Experience Ghana!