Hispanics for Christ

8/11 – Fruit from Argentina

Geoff — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 01:20:41 +0000

This last June I visited numerous churches in Argentina and shared a vision for a church planting movement. One church was in Sunchales, south of Rafaela in central Argentina. Pastor Ezequiel has a wonderful church there and a big vision for planting new churches. Today I received a very encouraging email from Pastor Ezequiel. He said,

“I want to share with you that Sunchales has begun a new church on the other side of the city with two new families in a community called Colón. They were two families that we had in Sunchales when you came and were a motivator for us. I ask for your prayers as we believe this can be the beginning of a movement.”

This story illustrates the work of Hispanics for Christ. We cast vision, help with strategy and resources and follow-up to hopefully see many, many new churches started among Hispanics throughout the Americas.

7/3 – Connecting Churches

Geoff — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 01:39:43 +0000

Sharing the Gospel in Queretaro, MX.

Hispanics for Christ has connected three churches in the USA with Hispanic churches in Latin America this summer. Teams will be leaving in July and August to work alongside Hispanic churches in Mexico and Paraguay. Hillcrest Baptist in Sultan, Washington, The Table in Portland, Oregon and Grosse Point Baptist in Michigan will be serving what will hopefully become sister churches and lead to long term relationships.

Long term relationships are something Latin American churches are looking for. They are looking for sister churches to pray for them, send teams to help them with evangelism and discipleship in the course of planting new churches and simply to be an encouragement. Connecting these churches is one of the goals of Hispanics for Christ.

6/29 – New Work Beginning in Paraguay

Geoff — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 23:31:36 +0000

We have found in the city of San Lorenzo and all it’s communities and in Pastor Alcides Gonzales a welcome and openness to planting new churches on a large scale. I presented to a group of 50 pastors and leaders the idea of multiplying simple churches and they were very excited. We’ve done some initial planning and established some next steps for the work here.

I watched Paraguay beat Japan today in the World Cup play-offs and the city erupted in celebration with their win. As I watched people wave banners, flags and singing cheers I was feeling the same way about ministry starting here for us. this is going to be a big win for the kingdom of God!

6/20 – NEW OPPORTUNITIES IN ARGENTINA

Geoff — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 19:46:26 +0000

We have just completed our second presentation of six for this trip to Argentina. Eduardo Buldain and Geoff Hartt presented the seminar “Five Principles to Encourage a Church Planting Movement” in Salta in the north of the country and this is a ripe harvest field! All the ingredients for s movement of new churches are in place.

We can present the vision for a church planting movement but if the local church isn’t ready to embrace the model and the people aren’t open to the Gospel there won’t be success. But that’s not the story here. In Pastors Nico and his brother Lucio they have a great vision of planting churches in each of the hundreds of barrios in Salta but also throughout the state and this region of South America.

Lord willing we will be able to encourage, support and resource this movement and the result will be dozens if not hundreds of new churches over the next decade.

Tomorrow we go on south to teach in three more churches in Argentina and finish the week in Paraguay.

5/22 – Northwest Planting Team Meets

Geoff — Sat, 22 May 2010 23:33:48 +0000

Portland pastors planning over breakfast.

Today a new team of Hispanic pastors began meeting to begin working together to plant new Hispanic churches in the Northwest. We have eight pastors ready to start new churches around the Portland Metro area. Pastor Antonio Lopez will be leading the training and stratigizing with these men. We hope to have three new churches by the end of summer and from these new churches national missionaries will be prepared and sent out to start new churches in their home towns throughout Latin America.

5/8 – Sacramento Training for Bible Training Center Classes

Geoff — Sun, 16 May 2010 14:58:00 +0000

Miguel Montenegro teaching BTCP to HFC leaders.

Four Hispanic for Christ leaders completed training this month in Sacramento for the Bible Training Center for Pastors course material. This is exciting because it allows us to offer formal, academic pastoral education in addition to our “as needed” training materials we have been using.Our leadership training is now full service from an apprenticeship model to formal classroom setting.

By this Fall we plan to begin offering the first of ten classes that will lead to a certificate issued by BTCP for those pastors who complete the entire course. Tony Campos will teach in Sacramento first. We look to be able to offer the courses in Portland, and Queretaro, Mexico by year end.

HFC team at Sacramento training.

3/28 – Chicago Baptisms

Geoff — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 16:30:02 +0000

pastor Ricardo baptizes Mario on Palm Sunday.

On Palm Sunday Eastside Community Church in Chicago celebrated two baptisms among the Hispanic congregation. Pastor Ricardo Ayala (HFC Field Coordinator) baptized Mario and Rosa in the evening service demonstrating the fruitful ministry of Eastside as they reach out to Hispanics.

They are also actively working to birth new Hispanic groups on Glen Ellen and Naperville.

Pastor Ricardo with Rosa.

3/28 – 4th Anniversary Celebration in Quintana

Geoff — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 15:52:49 +0000

Pastor Pablo and some of his leaders.

Pastor Juan Tun gathered the churches from Merida, Carrillo Puerto and Yaxley together in the village of Quintana to celebrate the 4th anniversary of Iglesia Bautista Ixoye. Pastor Pablo Borges planted this church four years ago with help from Vivos en Cristo in Portland Oregon and Hispanics for Christ.

More than 50 people came from the churches to celebrate and over 100 joined them from the village. They played soccer, basketball, worshiped and enjoyed a dinner together on their property where they are building their new church building. Pastor Fausto Ek May from Yaxley delivered a message and Pastor Pablo and his team led worship.

This July Randy Schmor will be bringing a Gateway team from Hillcrest Baptist Church in Sultan, WA to work with Juan and the church in Merida to help establish a new church in the village of Huhi, outside Merida

Youth eating at the celebration in Quintana.

3/16 – New Churches Planned for Arizona

Geoff — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:37:49 +0000

Prescott Valley meeting place.

We have begun planning and praying for a new group of churches in the Prescott area of Arizona. Pastor Luis Jimenez is working with us to plant five new Hispanic churches in Prescott, Prescott valley, Chino Valley, Mayer and Dewey-Humbolt. The first group is already meeting in Prescott Valley in Pastor Luis’ home. They will be moving into a warehouse building strategically located right on the main highway through Prescott Valley into Prescott. Last week they began identifying potential “persons of peace” through their existing social networks into the other communities.Pastor Luis has a vision for new churches as far north as Flagstaff and down south to Tucson!

Pastor Luis is also traveling to the Yucatan in Mexico soon and has already begun to network with Pastor Tun, our Field Coordinator there, to reach his families in Cancun and Carrillo Puerto. This is not only a new movement in Arizona but an extension of our work in Southeastern Mexico.

3/11 – Celebrating the Work in Yucatan

Geoff — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:11:45 +0000

On March 27/28 the churches HFC is working with in the Yucatan will be gathering in the village of Quintana to celebrate the choosing of a name for this church. Pastor Pablo Borges and the members of his church has selected Iglesia

Pastor Pablo Borges and family in Quintana.

Bautista IXOYE as their name and sister churches from Merida, Huhi, Felippe Carrillo Puerto and as far away as Chetumal will be joining them to celebrate.

Juan Tun, our Field Coordinator in the Yucatan, has been encouraging these pastors, helping them to work together and planting a vision for church multiplication that is now bearing fruit. The Yucatan Peninsula is a region lacking evangelical churches and facing a serious shortage of pastors to serve there.