Comunidad Cristiana Shalom
- Fraijanes, Costa Rica
Comunidad Cristiana Shalom (CCS) is a Christ-centered, missional church with an unwavering commitment to discipleship and to demonstrating Christ’s love through tangible actions that foster holistic transformation. Founded 27 years ago as a small group in Costa Rica, CCS has grown into a significant transformative force, both locally and through its thought leadership across Latin America. With a membership of close to 700 the church’s commitment, through its nonprofit arm, extends beyond spiritual growth to include extensive social, environmental, and developmental projects such as building homes, enhancing public infrastructure, and providing crucial social services. Prioritizing the empowerment of emerging young leaders and practical training for church leaders, through conferences, summits and its Leadership Academy, CCS also focuses on strengthening existing churches and planting new ones, aiming to establish self-sustaining churches that incarnate the Gospel by serving their communities. CSS’s enduring goals include deepening and replicating its model in Costa Rica and beyond to further its mission of demonstrating the presence of God’s Kingdom on Earth.
People Served
- Children & Youth, Entrepreneurs, Families, Leaders, Migrants, Vulnerable Populations, Women
Causes
Organizational Track Record
Over its 27-year history, Comunidad Cristiana Shalom (CCS) has cultivated a profound spiritual influence and demonstrated robust discipleship growth, leadership development, community transformation, and social responsibility in its home community of Fraijanes, Costa Rica. CCS has made substantial local contributions through infrastructure projects and environmental restoration efforts, including river and street cleanups. The ministry has also addressed housing instability by constructing 75 homes for low-income families and has provided vital support services to hundreds, including through elderly care, foster care for at-risk children, a women’s shelter, and assistance for migrants and people living on the streets. Furthermore, CCS has initiated sports schools for martial arts and self-defense, as well as a training center for farmers and entrepreneurs, to promote physical well-being and economic development, while building several business ventures to sustain the work. These efforts have supported not only the local community but also served as a model for hundreds of pastors and church leaders throughout the region. CCS champions an ecclesiology that integrates worship, pastoral care, discipleship, community outreach, and economic initiatives to sustain holistic outreach efforts. Through conferences, speaking engagements, leadership summits, writings, its Leadership Academy and other venues, CCS’s comprehensive approach has inspired thousands of church leaders across Latin America, while expanding the church to nearly 700 regular members who are actively involved in the church’s mission and service. With a dedicated team of 22 full-time staff and hundreds of volunteers, CCS is committed to advancing this holistic church model, aiming to come alongside many more church leaders who desire to make a lasting impact in their communities.
Key Leader Profile
Pastor Roy Soto is a devoted husband, father, pastor, and an unconventional Christian who passionately advocates for justice and community living within frameworks of equality and commitment to God’s kingdom. He is driven by a vision to see his King and Lord exalted in every sphere affected by injustice, discrimination, poverty, inequality, control, and authoritarianism, among many other challenges. As the senior pastor and founder of Comunidad Cristiana Shalom in Costa Rica, Roy Soto has been instrumental in fostering non-traditional church practices. His church is characterized by living out its faith and dedicating its efforts to serve the neediest. Roy holds a Bachelor’s degree in Theology and is a skilled business administrator and organizational consultant for churches and ministries. He is proficient in facilitating conferences, talks, workshops, and consultancies for faith-based organizations and churches seeking to embrace communal experiences of being and doing church. He also plays a significant role in the broader Christian community. Roy is a member of the Advisory Council of the National Evangelical Alliance, serves as the Coordinator for the “Mercy for All” Country Plan in Costa Rica, and has been an active member of the Red del Camino in Latin America. His diverse roles and deep commitment to his faith and community make him a respected and influential figure in the religious and social landscape of Costa Rica and beyond. He has traveled to over 60 countries, sharing about his journey and inspiring thousands of church leaders.
Gallery
Funding History with Camino Alliance
In 2021 Camino Alliance secured a first grant of $20,000 for CCS, to help establish the “Pesebre” – a foster care home for children and women at risk recognized by the National Child Welfare Agency (PANI). The project has yielded significant Kingdom benefits, providing women enduring prolonged abuse an escape from violence in a haven of safety, peace, and love. Over a dozen women have started jobs and gotten housing, while an additional 75+ have regularly participated in the programs of El Pesebre, improving their emotional, physical, spiritual, economic and legal health. The achievement through this grant highlights the transformative impact of providing practical skills alongside spiritual and emotional support.
In 2024, Camino Alliance was able to secure a second grant of $40,500 for CCS, this time focused on enhancing the effectiveness of leaders engaged in holistic pastoral ministries across Costa Rica. Through this project, CCS Academy aims to provide comprehensive theological and practical training to church leaders, equipping them with the skills needed to develop relevant, and sustainable missional practices and churches in their communities. The project includes organizing seminars, conferences, and a leadership summit to inspire over 1,000 leaders from at least 750 churches, offering online courses and a diploma in Mission and Regenerative Communities for 50 pastors, while facilitating internships and in-depth coaching for 50 emerging leaders and existing pastors. Through training and coaching of leaders, this initiative is expected to directly impact nearly 7,500 community members through various transformational projects. The long-term goal is to cultivate a network of mission-focused church planters and leaders committed to multiplying vibrant churches and community regeneration in Costa Rica and beyond.