Whether it’s South Africa or India, we leave our own neighborhoods to be in others. We don’t go as fixers; we go as servant-learners. And that’s how homes get built, victims comforted, children rescued and lives literally changed.

 

 

Kids Club Sidewalk Sunday School – This afterschool and Saturday program takes ministry right into some of Lakeland toughest inner city neighborhoods on a daily basis, reaching 300-400 kids each week, plus their families.  Volunteers conduct a combination Sunday school and kids' service to teach God’s life-changing Word.  Each child also receives a weekly home visit, so that we can pray for and offer assistance to the family as well.

The Freedom Center – We’ve invested about $500,000 in constructing this Christian community in Lakeland most difficult inner city area, known as “the bottom.”  Victory also contributes about $75,000 per year toward its operation.  At the Center, many volunteers tutor and mentor children in afterschool programs.  Parents are taught parenting skills, financial responsibility, substance abuse awareness, etc.  In every setting, people are prayed for and told about the love of Jesus.   

Circle “J” Summer Camp – For 12 years we’ve been hosting this 3-week camp that impacts 600 (mostly underprivileged) inner city kids each summer with the love of Jesus.  It cost $150,000 to construct and about $25,000 per year to operate.  Kids receive two balanced meals each day, VBS-type classes, a daily western show with a Christ-centered focus, a carnival at the end of the week, a T-shirt, and a whole lot of love and attention.

 

Community Festival & Auction – This biennial event raises $150,000 each time for community human service organizations, like Lighthouse & Talbot House shelters, Big Brothers & Big Sisters, Salvation Army, Lakeland Volunteers in Medicine, Volunteers in Service to the Elderly, Florida Baptist Children’s Home, Teen Challenge, and many more.

Salvation Army – This past Christmas season, the Salvation Army was struggling to raise the funds necessary to provide the food, clothing, toys, and assistance it usually provides to families.  God led the Victory family to step in to donate $60,000 in cash, raise $20,000 from area businesses, and $20,000 in bell-ringing contributions, for a total of $100,000.

 

Cuba Outreach – To-date, Victory has helped to construct three full-sized churches in this communist nation.  Through 2008, we’ve invested about $100,000+ and sent three construction teams.  We also sent approx. $20,000 for hurricane disaster relief.  This year we are contributing $50,000 to construct 12 or 13 house churches.  We will also send a construction team in the fall.

 

Dominican Republic Outreach – This past summer, Victory sent a team of about 70 volunteers to the D.R. to help construct a Latin America Child Care School, conduct a medical clinic, and do evangelism outreaches to children and adults.  Volunteers gave up a week of their vacation time and paid their own way to go.  The church family donated $25,000 for construction materials and medicine.

 

Madras, India Church – Victory is helping to raise $50,000 to construct a church facility to accommodate this New Life Church congregation of over 40,000 in this major India city.

 

Light for the Lost – Victory had previously helped to print the Chinese and Turkish Fire Bibles (Pentecostal study Bibles), to help Pastors and Christian leaders to understand and teach God’s Word to others. We have already raised $60,000 of a $100,000 commitment toward the printing of the Italian, German, and, most recently, the Hebrew Fire Bibles.

 

Romania Teen Challenge – In January, Victory contributed $30,000 to build a new facility to rehabilitate orphaned teens and young men who addicted to drugs and alcohol, and are being rescued out of the streets and sewers of Bucharest.

 

Bogotá, Columbia Outreach – This summer, Victory will send a team of about 70 volunteers to the poorest area of the country to help construct a Latin America Child Care School, conduct a medical clinic, and do evangelism outreaches to children and adults.  Volunteers gave up a week of their vacation time and paid their own way to go.  The church family donated $25,000 for construction materials and medicine.

 

***Other Missions – Above are just a few of our recent projects.  Victory's real vision for missions is found in its faithful monthly support of 150 home and foreign missionaries, and 25 mission organizations.  Victory is the 11^th highest foreign missions giving church in the Assemblies of God in the nation.  We are the 2^nd highest missions giving church in Florida.  Victory gives between $1.1 and $1.5 million to missions annually, with one-third going for home missions and two-thirds being invested overseas.  Our goal is to challenge every Victory attendee to develop a heart for reaching the lost at home and around the world.