Micah Mercy is the dedicated community ministry of the Micah Project that begins in 2027
After twenty-six years of ministry, it has become increasingly clear that Micah's relationships have grown far beyond the boys living in our homes. We have come to know children and adults through our downtown street ministry, young people from the community participating in programs like Micah Cooks, and many children and families throughout Villa Linda Miller who have become part of the everyday life of Micah. With those relationships have come real needs and people we have grown to care deeply about.
This raised an important question for us: How could we respond to these needs while remaining faithful to what God had called us to do?
We believe deeply in keeping our residential ministry small and relational, where every boy is known, loved, and surrounded by people who will walk alongside him for years. At the same time, we recognize that God has given us opportunities to care for many more people beyond our homes, and we wanted to find a way to do both.
For years, we have responded to these needs as they arose, often finding nooks and crannies in our existing budget to make room for them. We were grateful to help, but without dedicated funding or a clear structure for this work, there was only so much we could do.
That's why we're creating Micah Mercy. It will give this work a clear home, purpose, and dedicated funding, allowing us to extend freedom, family, and a future in Christ to more vulnerable people within the relationships God has already given us, while remaining faithful to the residential ministry at the heart of Micah.
What Does Micah Mercy Do?
Micah Mercy meets practical needs among vulnerable people we know in the communities outside our four walls.
This may include building and repairing homes, providing food and clothing, meeting medical needs, supporting education and vocational training, and providing access to programs and resources already available through Micah.
The specific work we undertake will depend on the needs we identify and the funding available to address them. Each opportunity will be considered individually, whether it involves helping a child continue their education or obtain medical care, finding housing for unhoused children and families, or addressing a larger community need.
As these opportunities arise, we hope to connect them with partners who want to help make them possible.
Over these twenty-six years, the Micah Project has been blessed by partners who have done far more than give financially. They have visited Honduras, built relationships with our boys and staff, and served alongside us. With Micah Mercy, we hope to create even more opportunities for our partners to participate in the mission and experience the ministry they are helping make possible.
How Will Micah Mercy Be Funded?
As needs arise through our existing relationships, we will evaluate each opportunity and determine whether it is something Micah Mercy can appropriately undertake. Once a project has been identified and approved, we will establish its scope, determine the resources needed, and raise funds specifically for that project. We will then invite our Micah community to come alongside us and help make it possible. Some projects may be small, while others will require greater support, but each will give our partners a tangible opportunity to respond to a real need.
Our hope is that Micah Mercy will provide opportunities for above-and-beyond giving, without diverting support from our residential ministry or existing programs. We want to continue faithfully supporting the work already taking place at Micah while creating additional opportunities for individuals, families, and churches to give toward specific needs as they feel led.
More Ways to Participate in Person
Many Mercy projects will also offer opportunities to participate in person. A church or donor might help fund the construction or repair of a home and then come to Honduras to serve alongside our team. Others may help provide food, clothing, or school supplies and have opportunities to join us as those resources are shared within the community.
We want our partners to have opportunities to do more than write a check. We want them to come, build relationships, and experience firsthand the people and communities they are helping serve. We've been tremendously blessed by the relationships God has given us in Honduras, and we believe our partners will be blessed through those experiences as well.
While not every project will be suitable for visitors, we hope Micah Mercy will give individuals, families, and churches meaningful new ways to participate in the mission of Micah.
How will it all work?
Our Boys Learning to Serve Others
One of the most exciting parts of Micah Mercy is the opportunity it creates for our own young men to serve others.
Our boys have experienced what it means for people to love them, believe in them, meet their needs, and walk alongside them through difficult circumstances. As they grow, we want them to have opportunities to extend that same care to others.
Through Micah Mercy, our boys will have opportunities to help repair homes, distribute food and supplies, serve alongside local churches, and use skills they have developed through Micah Works.
We believe learning to recognize the needs of others and respond with compassion is an important part of their own growth and discipleship. As our boys experience the joy and responsibility of serving others, they will continue developing into men who love their neighbors well and use their lives to bless those around them.
Defining Our Scope and Staying True to Our Core Mission
There are more needs around us than Micah Mercy will ever be able to meet, so we have to be clear about where we focus. We begin with children and individuals we already know through our street outreach who will not be entering our residential program. From there, we look outward to other vulnerable children and families within Micah's established relationships, including Villa Linda Miller, and then to needs identified through trusted churches, schools, and community partners.
The circles are meant to show that relationship guides our reach. Micah Mercy is not intended to become a general relief organization. It is an extension of the Micah Project’s core mission and the words that have guided us from the beginning:
“To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” - Micah 6:8
A Clear Process for Every Need We Meet
From identifying a need to reporting how funds were used, we want every Micah Mercy project to be thoughtful, accountable, and well documented.
Where this will lead us
These four areas give Micah Mercy a focused place to begin. During 2027, we want to learn how to identify needs well, use resources wisely, stay connected to the people we serve, and report clearly on what was accomplished.
As we learn, we hope Micah Mercy can gradually reach more children and families within the relationships God has already given us. We want to grow carefully, one relationship and one community at a time, while staying closely connected to the mission of the Micah Project.
A Clear Stewardship Promise
Gifts to Micah Mercy are designated for Micah’s community ministry and are kept separate from the Micah Project’s general operating budget.
Micah Mercy funds are tracked independently and held in a separate account so that we can clearly see what has been given, how those resources are allocated, and what each project accomplishes.
These gifts are intended to serve those outside of the immediate Micah Project community yet are connected to us-vulnerable children, families, churches, schools, and community partners.
As projects are completed, we will document the work and report back on how Micah Mercy funds were used.