UNITED IN MISSION

In El Paso County and New Mexico, there’s just one LCMS church offering Spanish worship, joined by another across the border in Cd. Juarez, Mexico. Seeing the need to bring the Gospel to Hispanic communities, pastors in the Rio Grande Circuit, part of the LCMS Rocky Mountain District (RMD), have been in deep discussions over the past year. Their goal: to establish new Spanish-language ministries. This vision resulted in a Mission Forum held on the second Tuesday of April, where church and lay leaders gathered to explore strategies for reaching out to Spanish-speaking communities.

Texas District pastors, among them Rev. Lincon Guerra, Mission and Ministry Facilitator at the Texas District, were invited to share invaluable insights and success stories from their experiences in Hispanic ministry. Rev. Jaime Gonzalez and Rev. Rodrigo Fernandez shared their own experiences in growing Hispanic ministry and planting new churches, offering methods and strategies which have proven effective for Lutheran churches in Hispanic communities within the Texas District.

The Mission Forum was hosted at Zion Lutheran Church, where their Lutheran Women’s Mission League (LWML) members displayed gracious hospitality, providing a scrumptious breakfast and enjoyable lunch.

Ysleta Lutheran Mission Human Care (YLM) also played a pivotal role by setting up an informative table, showcasing resources available to facilitate Hispanic ministry. These included the Adelante Ministries, which offers musical resources to congregations, the Servant Event ministry, which offers mission opportunities, and YLM’s newest outreach ministry, a bilingual podcast titled “Forward Through Faith/Adelante En La Fe”.

This Mission Forum not only highlighted the urgency of Hispanic ministry; it also underscored the significance of unity in fulfilling the Great Commission. With a shared purpose fueled by the Holy Spirit, those who attended engaged in fruitful discussions, exchanging valuable resources, experiences, and ideas, all the while asking pertinent questions of the Texas District pastors.

YLM is excited to see how God’s will unfolds, ready to support churches seeking to extend Word and Sacrament, sharing the Gospel through acts of love and kindness.