Fundación Comunidad Viva (Viva Youth)

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Viva Youth is a Colombian foundation started by Jorge and Ginny Enciso. At the heart of Viva Youth are house churches (Casas Corazones) that collectively meet monthly as Ciudad Corazón.

The house churches are the protagonists in Comunidad Viva’s story. They are organic gatherings of the local community expressing their faith and hope found in Christ. Each house church is a community of faith where people eat together, share life, study the Bible in a participative way, and offer themselves to the needy as they grow in their knowledge of God and in relationship with his son Jesus Christ.

Viva Youth’s mission is to empower Christian churches and neighbors to become true agents of social transformation in their communities, by restoring and weaving their social fabric. The organization has recently focused its efforts on a specific and highly invisible population: the young people, who, having grown most of their lives as orphans under state care, exit the system when they turn 18, unadopted and unadapted to a life full of risks and vulnerability. In Viva Youth, these young people find a family—they are actually called Cousins— and have an opportunity to learn skills and heal emotionally.

Viva Youth is also shaping the narrative of peace in Colombian communities as the country enters a post-conflict era. As the Colombian government announced its negotiations with the FARC guerilla group, Jorge Enciso decided that Viva Youth would be an integral part of bringing peace to the communities. He wrote “If a peace treaty is accomplished, the civil society will face the challenge of forgiving and embracing thousands of ex-combatants. This is a task only possible within the Christian ethic of loving one’s enemies. Therefore, no one better than the Christian church, united and determined, can face up to this challenge.” Through the redemptive grace that the Gospel offers, the transformation of this society is possible.

Viva Youth and South America Mission are strategic partners, working together to see transformation as the church multiplies and the people of God embody His Kingdom. Through this ministry, we hope to see cities and towns all over South America transformed by the impact of local churches committed to the Christian ideal of love, community, and social justice.

 

Ministry Team: