Spanish Ministry

by Pastor Tom

History

The Spanish Ministry has more history than the two-and-a-half years Josie and I have been here. From the beginning, outreach to Hispanics in this valley has been an integral part of the plan. Our core purpose to exalt the Savior, equip the saints, and extend the Kingdom includes proclaiming the Gospel to all peoples around us. Spanish speakers make up the majority of people in our valley, and 80% of them are entrenched in a religion of works and tradition, hopelessly lost in sin. Our prayer and goal is to establish a Spanish congregation that raises mature believers, believers with a developed sense of total reliance on Christ alone whose lives exhibit the same commitment.

Happenings

As soon as we arrived, outreach began with Bible studies in various locations. We continue with those studies in sheds, dairies, field shops, and other places where we can gather workers around a study of the Scriptures. Progress has been slow, but there is a small group of believers attending our Spanish service and evidence of a growing recognition among those in the Bible studies that a true church faithfully teaches God’s Word. Currently we are going through What Is the Gospel? a book that clearly explains the essentials of the Gospel. Our desire is that unbelievers would be provoked to think hard about the Good News, the Good News of how to be saved from God’s sure judgment. I am also beginning to select individual men to be discipled one-on-one and trained for being a part of our leadership team.

Help

How can you help? PRAY! Please pray for the souls of people in the scope of our ministry. Pray that those who are in Bible studies would see the need to attend church. Pray for the men who agree to be discipled, that they would grow in their love for Christ and their understanding of the gift of God in salvation. As always, please remember to put us in contact with any Spanish-speaking acquaintances. Also, pray for Daniel and Bethany, our partners in ministry. They are expecting their first child!

Hope

Our immediate hope is to raise up in this generation of Spanish speakers true worshippers of our Savior at Grace Church and train them to reach others. Ultimately, we pray to reach the San Joaquin Valley and the Spanish-speaking world with the Gospel through the lives of faithful, obedient men and women equipped to teach others what they have heard (2 Tim 2:2).