3/19/2020 Continuing Steady in Challenging TimesThe El Ancla church plant team continues to be present in the unchurched El Mirador neighborhood. Community outreach events are being put on hold for a while due to the Covid-19 precautions. Life Groups will be continuing online rather than in person. This is an unprecedented time for all of us, especially a new church plant that is starting to be known in the neighborhood. Please continue to pray for the leadership as they navigate a difficult situation. The church plant is still in need of funds to reach its neighbors. Please consider how God is calling you to participate in transforming life with the hope of Christ. Our IMPACTO Latino team has been working hard to better communicate what we do. We've been refining our message as well as our vision for training and empowering church planters who plant churches that transform lives and communities. Eric and Dee Duggins will be traveling to the United States in a few months to visit churches, individuales, and organizations to share this important mission. If you'd like to find out more about how you can be a part of life transformation in Latin America, contact Eric Duggins (eduggins@newinternational.org) Here in Mexico we're staying connected to the news and watching how things are affecting our dear friends and family in the United States. We seem to be a week or two behind in the spread of Covid-19. Classes were cancelled this week until April 20 for all public and private schools. Employers are allowing and encouraging people to work from home. People are encouraged to stay at home and practice social distancing.
We are keeping informed with official government recommendations and as of today. We have been monitoring it in order to make wise decisions for Iglesia Cristiana La Viña. The Management Team and elders of La Viña decided on Tuesday afternoon to change our cell groups to a digital format and the Sunday celebration will be streamed on facebook. We want to protect the most vulnerable in the congregation and the community in general. Pray for our staff as we make the necessary changes to do this well. El Ancla church plant has transitioned its Life Groups to an online format as well. As you pray for your community, please also pray for Mexico as it faces this public health crisis. AVANZA, IMPACTOnetwork's church planter assessment event, took place January 30 - February 3. After 4 long days of workshops and activities, the 5 candidate couples received a personalized recommendation report compiled by our team of 10 observers. Some of the candidates were sent from other ministries who partnered with IMPACTOnetwork to receive more complete information about their church planter. The rest of the couples were potential church planters with IMPACTOnetwork. Holly Alvarado, Director of AVANZA, said she was excited to see all the couples leave encouraged and with the anticipation of seeing what God will do in their lives in the future. She also was grateful for the opportunity to have observers from other organizations participating in AVANZA. We continue to look for ways to work together with other ministries who are focused on Kingdom growth. Please be praying for the IMPACTOnetwork team as we evaluate the couples and their recommendations as we look ahead to future church plants. Pray that God will encourage them all as they continue to grow in their personal lives and ministries. On Sunday January 26, Amador and Julia were baptized in their home. La Viña's Villa del Lago Life Group first met Amador and Julia in November during a Life Group week of service. The Life Group was given their names by other members of La Viña because of their situation. Amador had ALS and was bedridden. Julia, his wife, became his full time care giver and they struggled with having resources to provide for the special needs arising from his condition. The group collected and delivered food and adult diapers and spent time praying with them. Soon after, Julia started attending La Viña's Sunday morning celebration and Life Group. Héctor visited them and studied what the Bible tells us about baptism with them. They shared their desire to be baptized and the group mobilized once again. Using a portable baptistry from the local Bible college, a group from La Viña went to their house and baptized the couple. Members from La Viña were able to get them a hospital bed to make Amador more comfortable in their home. Last week, Amador was in the hospital for a few days in very serious condition. His family took him home of Friday and on Sunday afternoon we received word from Julia that Amador passed away around noon. Immediately, Héctor went with some members of Villa del Lago Life Group to visit Julia. She was at peace and glad that he was finally resting. Sunday night, there was a wake in the home which a group of La Viña members attended. They were able to share from God's word with the family and sing songs of hope and the peace that only Christ brings. Rejoice with us that Amador is no longer suffering but has been made whole in Heaven! Pray for Julia as she begins a new chapter of life without her beloved husband. Ask God to overflow peace and comfort in her life. Pray that the family members who heard the message of salvation and hope would have their hearts penetrated by it. El Ancla church plant continues to be active in the unchurched El Mirador neighborhood. Weekly Life Groups meet to study how the Bible applies to our everyday lives. Connection activities will begin during the next month. They will be offering music classes to kids and adults in the area. They are also organizing a "Movie in the Park" night for the community. All of these activities are being done to make connections with people in the community and raise awareness of the new church plant.
The anniversary celebration for La Viña in May will also serve as a Multiplication Party for the launch team of El Ancla. We will celebrate together God's faithfulness in the preparation for this project and bless and send those El Ancla members who have been part of La Viña. The church plant still needs funds to make the vision of impacting El Mirador a reality. Your financial partnership helps make life transformation possible! Please pray for Lead Planter Andrés and his wife Bitia as well as Misael and Dennise who are part of the staff team. Ask God to continue to orchestrate providential connections in the neighborhood. Pray that God would show you how you can reach people in El Mirador through investing in the El Ancla church plant. 1/28/2020 PRAYER REQUEST: AVANZA is this weekAVANZA, IMPACTOnetwork's Church Planter Assessment event, is this weekend! On Thursday, January 30th, 11 observers will arrive in Querétaro for training and explanation of the process. The 10 candidates (5 couples) will arrive on Friday afternoon. The event ends on Monday afternoon. The weekend will be overflowing with activities and challenges for all the candidates and observers.
Many of the observers are new this year. Please pray that the group will have discernment to see beyond the surface level and be united in their recommendations. Pray for the candidates as they go through this process. The days will be long and full of information. There will be lots of opportunities for them to be stretched. Pray that God will confirm His calling on their lives. Pray that this will be an uplifting and encouraging experience for them. Pray for the IMPACTOnetwork staff that is organizing the event. Pray for AVANZA Director, Holly Alvarado as she coordinates lots of moving pieces. Pray for stamina for all involved. Pray that out of AVANZA, there will be a strong candidate to plant the next church with IMPACTOnetwork. 1/16/2020 Just Keep AVANZA-ingAt the end of January, IMPACTOnetwork will hold its church planter assessment for the third time. AVANZA, under the leadership of Holly Alvarado, has continued to grow and develop into an important tool for not only IMPACTOnetwork but for other ministries around Mexico. This session consists of a mix of church planter candidates for future IMPACTOnetwork church plants as well as candidates for 2 other ministries. Observer orientation will be held January 30-31. The candidates arrive in the afternoon of January 31 and continue thru February 3. Please pray for IMPACTOnetwork team as these will be long days of coordination and behind the scenes work. Please pray for the candidates as they prepare for this intense event and what God has in store for them. Candidates: Misael and Dennise, Seúl and Sarah , Yamil and Jetsy, Jose Antonio and Jaque, and Tony and Jackie. Please also pray for the observers who play such a critical role in this process. Pray that God will give them vision, discernment and unity. Observers: Holly, Eric, Caren, David, Ely, Obi, Gerardo, Eleazar, Hada, Elí, and Andrés.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for your continued partnership with IMPACTO Latino!
Because of you in 2019: 19 people were baptized 10 Life Groups gathered People from 14 different congregations were trained Over 1,000 people have been impacted by our resources 12/31/2019 IMPACTO Latino's 2019 Year in ReviewThe end of the year lends itself to reflection. Here's a quick look back at what God has done with the IMPACTO Latino missionary team and the IMPACTOnetwork church planting project: Thank you for being a part of what God has done in 2019. We wouldn't be able to do it with out you! Your continued partnership will allow us to reach more people for Christ in 2020. May God bless you and your family in this new year!
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 118:1 After God stopped the flow of the Jordan River and allowed the Israelites to cross on dry ground, He commanded them to erect twelve stones to stand as a reminder of what He had done on their behalf. Throughout the Scripture we are instructed to remember what God has done. The end of the year beckons us to take time to look back and reflect.
In March, the leadership team of El Ancla started meeting. Things like vision, mission, philosophy of ministry and outreach were some of the first topics covered. They started regularly spending time in the community getting to know the people and their needs. Recruiting of launch team members began. Missionary church planters Joseph and Patricia Klein moved to the El Mirador neighborhood with their family in June. Gatherings were organized and relationships began to develop. September saw the beginning of two Life Groups meeting weekly. Lead Planter Andrés García moved with his family in October. There are now three Life Groups gathering in homes weekly. In December, an Advent series was introduced in a gathering of all three groups. Even with five families who were unable to attend, 42 people came together to learn about this season of waiting and anticipation! Daily activities and devotions this month have focused the attention on Christ. The group is gaining momentum and looking ahead to launching Sunday gatherings in March. We have seen God moving during this time and excitedly await what He will continue to do in this unreached area. You can help El Ancla reach its full potential and reach the El Mirador neighborhood for Christ. Funds are still needed to set up El Ancla for financial stability as it begins. 100% of the launch funds have been committed but 58% of annual funds are still needed ($32,000). We prayerfully ask that you would consider a tax deductible year end gift or monthly partnership with the El Ancla team. Thank you for your partnership in sharing the saving news of Jesus Christ with people in Mexico who are far from Him. Today, on Giving Tuesday, help us bring the Savior of the world to the people of Querétaro, Mexico! Better than socks or a new coffee pot, this gift is one that will last for all eternity. Be part of launching a new church plant! We celebrate that we have already raised more than $30,000 toward our $70,000 Christmas goal for the new church plant called THE ANCHOR, El Ancla in Spanish, with anticipated launch in March 2020. God has called IMPACTO Latino in Mexico to build a church planting movement with healthy, self-sustaining, community focused, reproducing churches. The Anchor will be one of the flagship churches and is perfectly positioned in the middle of 30,000 people where there is no church. There are thousands of families in need of the light of the Gospel in their lives and homes. YOU CAN BE A PART! HELP US REACH OUR GOAL AND PUT THE STAR ON TOP THIS CHRISTMAS! We are nearly to 50% of our goal of having enough funds to launch The Anchor. Please pray and partner with us in giving to help finish decorating The Anchor Christmas Tree! Or mail your partnership gift to:
New International 2701 Cleveland Ave, Suite 200 Fort Myers, FL 33910 Make checks payable to "New International" and write "El Ancla Church Plant" on the memo line Please send us a note if you'd like more information about partnering with us monthly. Thank you for investing in an eternal gift, the Good News of Jesus Christ! Help us bring the Savior of the world to the people of Querétaro, Mexico! We celebrate that we have already raised $30,000 toward our $70,000 Christmas goal for the new church plant called THE ANCHOR, El Ancla in Spanish, with anticipated launch in March 2020. God has called IMPACTO Latino in Mexico to build a church planting movement with healthy, self-sustaining, community focused, reproducing churches. The Anchor will be one of the flagship churches and is perfectly positioned in the middle of 30,000 people where there is no church. There are thousands of families in need of the light of the Gospel in their lives and homes. YOU CAN BE A PART! HELP US REACH OUR GOAL AND PUT THE STAR ON TOP THIS CHRISTMAS! We are nearly to 50% of our goal of having enough funds to launch The Anchor. Please pray and partner with us in giving to help finish decorating The Anchor Christmas Tree! A great gift this Christmas, a great end of year gift, and a great thing for your church or family to consider. Or mail your partnership gift to:
New International 2701 Cleveland Ave, Suite 200 Fort Myers, FL 33910 Make checks payable to "New International" and write "El Ancla Church Plant" on the memo line Please send us a note if you'd like more information about partnering with us monthly! During this season of Thanksgiving, we set aside time to give thanks to God for his goodness. We have seen His faithfulness over and over again. You are an example of it! Your faithful giving and prayer allow us to proclaim to Mexico's cities what He has done. You are part of proclaiming the good news of Jesus to those who are far from him in Queretaro and beyond. Thank you!
With grateful hearts, The IMPACTO Latino Team 11/21/2019 Growth and GratitudeEl Ancla, IMPACTOnetwork's second church plant which is located in the unreached El Mirador neighborhood, continues to attract new people to its Life Groups. There are currently three groups meeting during the week. Two are focused on not yet Christians and one is focused on the core group and leadership team. Lead planter, Andrés García and his family recently moved to the El Mirador neighborhood and are now in the community everyday which is allowing them to make more contacts. Funding is still needed to be able to launch the church this Spring. Would you consider being a part of the long distance launch team? Your prayers and financial gifts will connect people with Jesus! November 6-11 the IMPACTO Latino Board of Advisors joined us in Queretaro for the annual meeting. They had the opportunity to tour the city of Querétaro and spend time praying in the El Mirador neighborhood where the new church is being planted. We met for an extended time going over the vision and plans for church planting in the future. They spent Sunday at Iglesia Cristiana La Viña and were able to experience a Sunday service as well as a Zone meeting with Life Group facilitators. We are so grateful for the wise counsel and support that they provide to our team. God continues to move at Iglesia Cristiana La Viña, IMPACTOnetwork's first church plant. Sunday attendance has continued to increase. This fall, we've seen a large jump in the number of people who gather together for Sunday celebrations. On October 27th, a Prayer Concert was held as the end of the "False Gods" series. 138 were in attendance to hear Kike and Adriana's testimony and spend an extended time in worship and prayer. The attendance was the highest since launch Sunday!! We watched Abraham commit his life to Christ in baptism and enjoyed a meal together after. Praise God for the growth at La Viña! Please pray that we will continue to reach those who are far from Christ.
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IMPACTO's General News and UpdatesYou will find current news about the IMPACTO Latino team, the churches, and prayer requests. Archives
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God is calling! How will you respond?
PRAYfor this ministry and the new church planters that are raised up for kingdom work in Latin America.
Our ministry depends on partnership with churches and individuals in the United States and around the world. We regularly ask for prayer and send prayer updates to hundreds of committed prayer partners. |
INVESTin a new church plant financially.
Every dollar counts in the effort to reach the people of Latin America for Christ. Please consider partnering with us to be an important part of reaching the people of Mexico for Christ by planting MULTIPLYING churches. |
SERVEalong side us on the field by doing an internship, organizing a work group from your church, providing your professional skills or even by moving to Mexico or any other Latin American country to serve as one of our missionaries.
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