Having just celebrated the 40th anniversary of its founding, it continues to grow the congregation and expand the scope of its mission.

At the core are the Sunday services, with the international gathering at 10:30am regularly filling the amphitheatre-like sanctuary’s 250 seats. The Portuguese service at 5:00pm attracts nearly 100 locals and there’s a Slavic service during the week for the refugees from the Ukraine war that IECA has supported for the last three years.

The site is in use every day of the week throughout the year, with activities including art classes, bible studies, a baby and toddler group, and even the Algarve Business Network for Christian entrepreneurs.

Reaching Out To Young People

At the core of the IECA mission is reaching to the next generation with the love of Jesus. As well as Kids Church on Sunday mornings, around 80 local youngsters come to the Friday evening youth group. The central plank of this outreach mission is Camp Sonshine, held over three weeks every July. Over 100 children and young people attend each week, with more than fifty volunteer leaders running a programme that mixes fun, sporting activity and bible teaching. The camp is so popular that places usually fill up faster than an Oasis reunion…

Training Leaders Of The Future

Many of the Camp Sonshine leaders are drawn from the ITLC Bible College also located on the church campus. This offers one and two-year programmes popular with gap year students who want to go deeper in their faith. The new academic year has brought young men and women from the UK, Ireland, Holland, Belgium, Spain and Portugal. Each week, lecturers from across Europe and America arrive to lead study in their area of expertise. It’s a joy to see the change in the students over the course of the programme.


Re-telling The Christmas Story

Early in December the IECA campus is transformed into Bethlehem Village, recreating the Christmas story so familiar to us all since childhood. As well as the congregation dressing as shepherds, innkeepers, angels and kings, there are live donkeys and a torchlit journey through the beautiful Bible Garden. After experiencing the tour, guests can hunt for bargains at the bric-a-brac stall and enjoy hot soup, coffee and cake in the marquee. Join us this year from 5th to 7th December.

Contact details:

www.ec-algarve.com

Address: IECA, Estr. de Vale Judeu, 8100-300 Loulé

Tel: +351 289 328 635

+351 965 320 946