our history
the story:
Iglesia Comunidad Cultural began in 2013 as a small group of people seeking Jesus and looking for ways to meet others deep spiritual and physical needs. Since that time ICM has met in different venues for our celebration gatherings and more and more have joined the ICM family.
Because we accept the mandate of the great commission and the heart of God to love and sacrifice for the discipleship of the whole world, we are burdened to plant other churches. Since our inception we have grown into a network of eight local churches locally and internationally and continue to send short term missionaries to share the gospel and partner with other churches.
Pontezuela, Dominican Republic:
Pontezuela is a small, but diverse community of Dominican natives and Haitian migrants. Diversity is not only seen in the languages spoken and cultural traditions, but also in socio-economic background and the very way of life. Years of life lived on the banks of the canal with a lack of educational resources and in economic poverty has left Pontezuela isolated from their neighbors and outside opportunities.
In 2013, the Philippe family experienced what can only be described as a call from the Lord to begin investing in the community of Pontezuela. After acquiring a piece of land and beginning to get to know their neighbors, they realized the community had deep spiritual and physical needs. With a desire to see their neighbors be transformed by Christ, they began meeting for worship on the small plot of land and spending time with people in the community. Iglesia Comunidad Multicultural (a church community with services in both Spanish and Creole) was born through those Sunday worship gatherings and still desires to see the Kingdom of God bring holistic transformation to the community of Pontezuela. After several years of meeting outside, the church decided to rent a different local space and began to develop plans for building a community center on the original piece of land.
Jubilee Community Center's hope is that it would be a place that provides a refuge where people experience the Gospel being lived out and are touched by the love of God. The Community Center currently offers a half-day preschool program, English classes, a health program, and an evening meal for the kids in the community. Our heart is to invest in people, fight against injustices, restore dignity, promote reconciliation and partner with God for holistic transformation.
Haiti:
In January of 2010, an earthquake we will never forget shook the nation of Haiti. People from all over the world came together on Haitian soil in effort to do something that would provide relief amidst the devastation. Stanley (of Haitian descent himself) and Amarfry packed into a tightly crammed van and crossed the boarder among the masses, hoping to share whatever they could and whisper the promise of Hope even in the middle of great pain. They spent the days translating for doctors who had come from the States and manning the pharmacy. Through their time spent in Haiti, God birthed relationships that would later result in partnerships and church plants across the nation. What began as various small groups and a deep hunger for the Lord has emerged into a network of vibrant churches and schools, serving their communities in beautiful ways. Read more...