Are you going to walk? Run? Swim? Bike? Dance?

​Join us on Saturday, May 28th for Miles for Missions as we cross Mexico from coast to coast (2954 miles).  You can commit to helping us cover the distance from Tijuana to Mérida by joining our team HERE.  You can also give a financial gift to IMPACTOLatino's church planting in Mexico's largest cities HERE.  Please take time to pray for IMPACTOLatino's missionaries and church planters.  Pray for IMPACTOLatino's current church plants based in Querétaro (Iglesia Cristiana La Viña, El Ancla Iglesia Cristiana, Expansión) as well as the new church plant based in Mérida launching later this year. 

The IMPACTOLatino team is partnering with New International's Miles for Missions initiative on May 28th.  You can help us cross the 2954 miles that Mexico spans from the Pacific Coast to the Caribbean Sea covering it with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

There are a few ways to participate:
● Sign up HERE as a part of the Mexico Miles team 
● Pledge to cover a certain number of miles (walking, running, dancing, swimming, playing pickleball - It's up to you!)
● Pray for the IMPACTOLatino team and current church plants (La Viña, El Ancla, Expansión, Mérida)
● Donate to IMPACTOLatino's church plants HERE

Your participation helps us to plant churches in Mexico's largest cities!  We are grateful for you!

The past two years have caused churches to be creative and rethink ways that they are interacting with their congregation and the community.  IMPACTOLatino's church plants have incorporated some new ways of connecting with people who are watching online for a myriad of reasons. IMPACTOLatino missionaries also have seen the increasing need for resources for church leaders.  We have been contacted by leaders around Mexico who are in situations where they are unable to effectively lead and grow their congregation due to different factors.  ​

Observing these needs and wanting to find new ways to effectively reach people with the Gospel in an increasingly digital age, IMPACTOLatino has launched the new "Expansión" church planting project.  Expansión uses technology to connect people to Christ and to one another.  The Expansión team holds online and in person cell groups as well as evangelistic studies through out the week.  On Sundays, there is an online services that people connect to while gathering with their cell groups.  Discipleship happens in person or online. 

This model will also help struggling congregations as they can use elements provided by the Expansión team (preaching, worship, Communion, Children's Ministry, etc) which frees them up to personally build relationships, disciple their people and reach out to their community. ​

The team is currently comprised of IMPACTOLatino missionaries Sergio and Holly Alvarado, Miguel Ángel and Mayan Arce, Enrique and Adriana López, Tony and Jackie Moreno along with 3 interns from Mexico Christian University.  They have been meeting since January to pray and go over the vision together.  At the beginning of March, they began recording the different segments for the online worship services that began being released mid March.  There are also 2 groups currently meeting online. 

The official launch of Sunday services is scheduled for April 24th.  Life Groups, both online and in person, will begin that week as well.  Please pray for the Expansión team as they embark on this new project and connect people to Christ.  Thank you for your faithful financial giving and prayers that make Expansión and all the IMPACTOLatino church plants possible!

Eight new believers committed their lives to Christ in baptism at Iglesia Cristiana La Viña on Sunday, March 13th.  We rejoice with Humberto, Said, Ximena, Britany, Tami, Santiago, Alejandra, and Axel.  Please pray for them as they grow in relationship with Christ.  They are the first names from "The Wall" at La Viña to get red circles around them.  Pray for La Viña as everyone focuses on sharing with their person who doesn't know Christ and is represented on the evangelism wall.

On March 6th, there was a Multiplication celebration at Iglesia Cristiana La Viña!  Sergio and Holly Alvarado were part of the launch team that began La Viña in 2018.  Enrique and Adriana García started serving at La Viña during their senior year at Mexico Christian University when they participated in the Church Planting Residency program.  They were invited to be part of the full time staff in June 2019.  Both families are being sent from La Viña to participate in "Expansión" a new IMPACTOLatino church plant.  Please pray for the "Expansión" project and the team as it prepares for launch later this Spring.

At the beginning of March, the IMPACTOLatino team hosted 2 members of New International's video team.  Carson and Asia were in Querétaro to visit the church planting projects and get video and photos of what God is doing here.  They visited both Iglesia Cristiana La Viña and El Ancla Iglesia Cristiana as well as interviewing some participants in the Church Planting Residency program.  We're excited to use these photos and footage to share with you more of how God is transforming lives in Mexico.  

IMPACTOLatino is participating in New International's Miles for Missions initiative on May 28.  Our goal is to have a team of people that cover the 2,954 miles from Tijuana to Cancun crossing through Mexico's largest cities.  You can join us by walking, running, swimming, playing pickleball or some other form of activity.  Organize a group to participate together.  Another part of this initiative is raising funds.  You can give an amount connected to the miles that you cover or an amount related to traveling from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea.  Sign up HERE.

At Iglesia Cristiana La Viña, the motto of 2022 is "Uno Más Para Cristo" or "One More for Christ."  The leadership is emphasizing that evangelism is the responsibility of everyone.  This idea is woven throughout all the sermon series and Life Group studies over the course of the year.  To keep the congregation focused on sharing the Gospel, a giant canvas was printed with the motto on it and hung on a wall of the sanctuary.  On it, everyone wrote the name of someone they are praying for and with whom they will share the Gospel this year.  Will you pray for the people represented on that wall who do not yet know the love and hope that Jesus offers?

El Ancla Iglesia Cristiana started the year with a series focused on stewardship and how to care for and multiply their resources.  Sergio taught a 2 part seminar to the congregation on "Extreme Stewardship" and how to best make an impact through finances.  The leadership was excited to see the congregation connecting with the topic and committing to following God's principles for giving and generosity.  People who had been through the course previously shared testimonies of how God had called them to change some things and His faithfulness to their steps of faith. Please pray for all of those who are choosing to put God first in their finances.  Pray also that more funding would be committed to El Ancla as it reaches the unchurched area of El Mirador. 

The IMPACTOnetwork church planting team continues to create resources to train and encourage church planters and leaders around Mexico and Latin America.  One of the new projects that recently launched is a monthly webinar focused on a different topic each month such as the importance of planning, church governance, and stewardship among others.  These webinars consist of four one hour sessions with teaching and group interaction.  February's topic is Outreach Strategies.  Please pray for the presenters as well as the participants that they will be challenged to evaluate and implement effective outreach strategies in their churches.

IMPACTOnetwork church planting has some new resources for church planters and leaders.  New team members, Mickey and Mayan, are hosting a weekly podcast interviewing Christian leaders about different topics.  So far, four episodes have been released with members of the IMPACTO team, as well as with Jaime Castro, Director of Mexico Christian University with whom we partner.  These have the goal of providing information, insight and encouragement to church planters and leaders.  It also serves as another point of contact for people who are considering enrolling in the residency program. The podcast can be found by searching for "MásIMPACTO" on Apple podcasts, Spotify or YouTube.  

El Ancla started the year off right with two baptisms! -- and --- made the decision to follow Christ and submitted to Him in baptism. Church Planter Andrés García and his team are excited to see God moving already in big ways in 2022.  They look forward to see how He continues to work in El Ancla and the unchurched El Mirador neighborhood. 

La Viña ended 2021 with a solemn candlelight Christmas Eve service.  In Mexico, families gather to celebrate Christmas on the 24th at night.  Because of that, it is not common for churches to have Christmas Eve celebrations. Since its beginning, La Viña has had a Christmas Eve service that has been growing each year.  Berenice, whose family is usually out of town at Christmas time, commented on the beauty of the service.  She said "I can't believe we've missed this every year!"  Many others who gathered at La Viña on Christmas Eve for the first time expressed their gratitude for a time to center on Christ before celebrating Christmas with the family.  

IMPACTOLatino is only able to serve in Mexico because of your generous giving and prayers.  We are truly grateful for your partnership that enables us to plant churches and transform lives.  We ask that you would be praying for Eric Duggins as he begins treatment for a cancerous tumor on his liver.  The doctors have given him an optimistic prognosis but appointments and treatment will be stressful.  Thank you for lifting him and Dee up to the Great Physician.

As we look back on 2021, we are amazed and humbled by how God has been working.  Your faithfulness and generosity has made it possible that hundreds of people in Mexico's largest cities are hearing the Good News of Jesus Christ.  

El Ancla Iglesia Cristiana celebrated its first anniversary this fall.  At the end of the year, they were rejoicing for 12 baptisms and almost 70 people attending Sunday services regularly.  They had a great problem this year: they were running out of chairs!  Some generous donors stepped up and provided funds to purchase more seats so that more people can hear the Gospel of Christ.  The congregation continues to grow and is actively looking for more opportunities to impact the community of El Mirador.   In December, the staff and Management Team spent a few days reviewing and rejoicing what God has done in 2021 and prayerfully planning 2022.

Iglesia Cristiana La Viña continues to recover from the pandemic restrictions.  Pastor Gerardo Dominguez is grateful that the congregation has been protected from grave health problems or losses.  He is encouraged to see both attendance and giving increasing over the course of the year. In the last quarter of 2021, attendance has increased compared to the end of 2020 and is almost back to pre-pandemic numbers.  Giving has increased to more than it was before the pandemic began.  La Viña closes the year with 16 baptisms and more people preparing for baptism in January.  

Your tax deductible year end gift will IMPACT Mexico's largest cities with the Gospel of Christ.  You can plant churches and transform lives through the ministry of IMPACTOLatino in Mexico.  Thank you for your generosity which enables us to reach people and communities who have not heard the Good News.  May God bless you richly in 2022!

ICOM 2021 was a huge success!  Our team was a featured church planting partner recognized at the Friday morning main session.  We are so grateful for this incredible honor to be entrusted with funds that will be used to help in the planting of five more churches in Mexico's largest cities over the next few years.  Thank you ICOM and Waypoint Church Partners!

The IMPACTOLatino booth, along with New International, was a great base to have important networking and recruitment conversations.  ​We are excited about the connections that were made and potential projects that will happen!

On Monday, December 6th, IMPACTOnetwork held its second "IMPACTO y Amigos" event for IMPACTO church planters and staff.  We had a time of worship, prayer, and sharing together followed by Sergio teaching about an innovative new leadership tool that the churches have chosen to implement in 2022.  The afternoon was a time of recreation and relaxing.  

These events serve as a short time of encouragement and refreshing for church planters. It's a reminder that they're not alone in ministry as well as providing a fun day for the church planting families.

"Give thanks unto the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people."  1 Chronicles 16:8 KJV

During this season that is focused on gratitude, we thank you for your partnership in church planting in Mexico.  Because of your prayers and financial gifts, lives are being transformed by Christ’s love.  People are being baptized and discipled.  Church leaders are being trained to more effectively lead and reach their community.  A new church plant is preparing to be launched.

Thank you for your faithfulness in prayer and generosity!  May God bless you richly.
​
-The IMPACTOLatino team 

The Church Planting Residency program continues online and with senior year students from Mexico Christian University.  This week they are learning about partnership development and how to create a financial and spiritual support team.  One of the goals with this module (as with many others) is to shift their mindset.  Unfortunately, many churches and Christians in Mexico have the mindset that they are only receivers, not givers.  IMPACTOLatino, through its training programs, works to transform ideas and perceptions such as that.  One student said that he may not be a church planter but would like to financially support church plants in the future.  At the end of the week, students will be doing support raising presentations with Residency teachers to sharpen their skills and prepare for future experiences.  

At the beginning of October, IMPACTOLatino missionaries Sergio and Holly Alvarado, along with Mickey and Mayan, Mexican national workers, traveled to the Mexico City area to facilitate two important retreats.  Local church, Iglesia Cristiana Valle de Esperanza (Hope Valley Christian Church) has had a group of its leaders participating in Más IMPACTO, the online church planters and leaders training.  The IMPACTOLatino team led ICVE's leadership team in a planning retreat for mapping out 2022.  They examined and developed areas such  at sermon planning, discipleship training, and numerical goals.  After two days with the churches' leadership, the IMPACTOLatino team facilitated a "Surrender Retreat."  This 2 day retreat is a stepping stone in the "To the Peak of Victory" discipleship course.  IMPACTOLatino is grateful for opportunities to partner with and strengthen existing congregations.

Thank you for your generous financial support and prayers for IMPACTOLatino's ministry.  We are grateful to have you as partners as we plant churches and transform lives!