Gerardo loves the church.
His local church, which is a few minutes from his home, has been a big part of his life for many years. But one day, when the congregation was discussing the Great Commission, the Holy Spirit stirred inside of him. Gerardo had a vision: to start a new church in his own neighbourhood.
Gerardo has lived in the community of Puntarenas for the last six years. After taking part in a training program on starting new churches, Gerardo is now working, along with his wife, local church and denomination, to start a new church in Puntarenas.
The church is still very young. There has been some resistance from the community, but Gerardo and his wife have a conviction from God that He will support and sustain their efforts.
“We try to change each person’s mentality towards Christianity because many have the wrong idea,” Gerardo says. “Many of them have been hurt in the past by those who call themselves Christians. We want to teach them that Christ loves them, especially those who do not know Him yet.”
For Gerardo’s family, the economic aspect has been a challenge. They do not have a lot of money. But they trust that God can do great things, not only for their provision but also for their community. For this reason, they call their church “Jireh: God Will Provide.”
Both of them believe that this is just the beginning. They believe that despite the difficulties, God will work through them — that, little by little, His Word will bear fruit and transform the community. “We believe this is from God,” they proclaim. “We believe God is in the process and we believe He will sustain us!” Through the challenges, they strive to keep sharing the Gospel.
Your support allowed Gerardo to have access to the training and resources that he needed to learn how to start a new church in his own neighbourhood.