Calvary has always been an evangelistic church. For many years we successfully used the FAITH strategy. FAITH was an adaptation of Evangelism Explosion, which was started by James Kennedy when he was pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale. Currently our Spanish ministry is using the Spanish version of Evangelism Explosion: Evangelismo Explosivo.
It has been a few years since we have had a focused evangelism strategy in our English Language Ministry at Calvary. Of course, evangelism has been happening through the personal witness of individuals, the fellowship of ABFs, various events and our worship services. But I have been praying that God would direct us to a focused strategy for reaching the lost. My heart is that we would be a church of disciple-makers. So whatever evangelism strategy we use has to be integrated with discipleship and missions.
Over 20 years ago, I had the privilege of being pastor & friend to Jose & Lidia Garrigó in Fort Worth. After seminary graduation the Garrigo's followed God's call to church planting in the Barcelona area of Spain. Our church had the privilege of supporting them in prayers and with finances. I had the opportunity of visiting them in Barcelona when they were having little to no success in their church planting effort. (Spain is very much a post-Christendom place where sharing the gospel is difficult). Sometime later José & Lidia went to London and took the Alpha training. God used that tool and other variables to bring several Spaniards to a relationship with Jesus. On a subsequent visit to Spain I saw with my own eyes how God had transformed the lives of these individuals. Since then José & Lidia became Alpha leaders across Spain, parts of Europe, and are now in the U.S. as AlphaUSA leaders and also training people in Alpha Latinos throughout Latin America. After a recent visit from José to McAllen, the Lord laid on my heart that this might be the time and the strategy for Calvary. (Our context today shares much in common to where Europe was 20 years ago!). When I shared with the pastoral staff the idea of learning this strategy, they enthusiastically agreed. So I'm pleased to say that José, Lidia and their team will be coming to Calvary on May 23 to train us on how to start Alpha!
José Garrigó Lidia Garrigó
Alpha USA Director Alpha Trainer for
Alpha Latinos Relationship Central
Mariel Rocha Sam Stevens
National Trainer for Director for Alpha
Alpha Youth California & Hawaii
Of course the reason we share the gospel is because Christ commissioned us to do it. We as the church get to join God's mission of redeeming the world to Himself. There are many in the McAllen area who need to have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. As I shared with you in the first post, the McAllen area is one of the top churchless cities in the U.S.
Take time to register today. Click here to do so. The Calvary leaders' discount code is cbcalpha.
For the answer to my fourth question, click here.
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