Building Community, Homes, and Support in Pivotal Moments

This week’s roundup of ministries making a difference highlights Apartment Life’s neighbor-building work, Project Nehemiah’s home builds, and more.

At MinistryWatch, our mission is to help Christians become more faithful, generous, and effective stewards of the resources God has entrusted to them. It’s why we advocate for transparency, accountability, and efficiency in Christian ministries.

Because of that, we cover a lot of stories we’d rather not have to—stories of waste, fraud, and abuse. We do it unapologetically because, aside from exposing evil, we also believe these stories offer lessons and examples for ministries and donors to learn from. Just as important, we amplify ministries doing excellent work. God is at work through His people around the world, and this column exists to shine a light on that faithfulness.

I’m grateful to step into it following the excellent work of Christina Darnell, who for over five years, has set a strong standard for noticing and highlighting the good and important work being conducted in communities and towns nearby and across the globe.

We pray this weekly roundup is a blessing to you—an encouragement to keep going and a reminder that faithful stewardship is often simple and steady, and that for every story we publish about poor stewardship, there are many others prayerfully laboring to steward well.

With that, here’s this week’s roundup of ministries making a difference:

Photo via Apartment Life blog

Feeling disconnected? Many apartment residents barely know the people living next door. Apartment Life, a faith-based nonprofit serving apartment communities since 2000, exists to change that. Their Coordinators help build community through welcoming events, resident outreach, and care for both residents and staff. Apartment Life says everyone benefits: residents flourish, staff feel supported, and properties gain a healthier culture and stronger bottom line—proof that community is good for people and business. Apartment Life has a 5-Star Financial Efficiency Rating and a C Transparency Grade in the MinistryWatch database, and a Donor Confidence Score of 90.

Photo by Joe Gomez for the Christian Chronicle

When Salvadoran minister Armando Gámez saw families in his congregation living without adequate shelter—sleeping in spare bedrooms, makeshift structures, and overcrowded homes where children shared beds—he knew there was an opportunity to help. In 2017, he launched Project Nehemiah, a Churches of Christ-led effort in El Salvador that builds simple, sturdy homes for families who lack adequate shelter. Five local congregations pool monthly offerings until they have enough funds to build a home (about $5,000) and work side by side with visiting volunteers, including teams from Texas and partner U.S. churches. So far, it has completed 20 homes, four church buildings, and 18 renovation projects.

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Photo via Canva

RealOptions Obria Medical Clinics serves women (as well as men, youth, and families) in the Bay Area who are navigating some of life’s most vulnerable moments, often while facing limited access to quality healthcare and support. RealOptions says the Bay Area’s “complex and often emotional arena of reproductive health care” makes it especially important to provide a safe place to turn. Through five licensed clinics, the organization offers compassionate, holistic care for those facing pregnancy decisions, sexual health choices, or emotional healing after pregnancy loss—caring for patients physically, emotionally, and spiritually. RealOptions also invests in the next generation through RealTalk health education in schools and community settings. In the MinistryWatch database, RealOptions has 5 Stars, an A Transparency Grade, and a 92 Donor Confidence Score.

President Sally Burke

On February 26, Moms in Prayer International helped mobilize a global, multi-generational day of prayer for revival and spiritual awakening on college campuses worldwide. That day also marked the release of a prayer sheet for those who want to keep praying through May, with weekly prompts focused on a different campus department. Each section offers specific requests and encourages prayer for students, professors, staff, and administrators across campus. “Students’ hearts are tender toward the Lord, and this is our moment to pour out our prayers to God Almighty on their behalf,” said the organization’s president, Sally Burke. Moms in Prayer International has 4 Stars and an A Transparency Grade in the MinistryWatch database, and a Donor Confidence Score of 100.