Leadership Today. Monterrey Church

2010-10-07T19:05:00.000-07:00

October series
Posted on September 21, 2010 by Great Commission Church Monterrey

Decisions are part of our daily lives. So the question is: How can we make decisions that will make a difference in our future? This series will talk about this as we study the lives of these biblical characters as they went through difficult times.
10/3 – Joseph: The right decision in the midst of bitterness
10/10 – Nehemiah: The right decision in the midst of turbulence
10/17 – David: The right decision in the midst of pain
10/24 – Abraham: the right decision against all hope
10/31 – Ruth: A decision that changed generations

Jorge y Andrea: United for the Cause

2010-10-07T19:03:00.001-07:00

This is a great story of two wonderful God-loving people from different countries and background but united by one common cause: making a disciple out of every non-believer.
This is the story of Jorge and Andrea. Jorge was one of the first disciples we reached out to here in Monterrey. He came to know Christ through a mission team from Texas A&M university. That was one of the first trips after we had planted the church here in 2006. Andrea, on the other hand, is a missionary from Honduras who came along with her parents and siblings to serve as missionaries and support our church for two years. Her parents ans siblings went back to Honduras after having done a great job in the college student ministry. That’s where she met Jorge and what she didn’t know at that time was that she was not to go back to her country. She would stay in Monterrey and so she did after they got engaged and later on married.
Their story has been one of growth and of living for the Great Commission. Now they are serving wholeheartedly in a small group along with other couples. They strive to become a couple that would set an example for others. Jorge is being trained in leadership and he is strongly supporting his leader Marco who says: “At first, when they came to our small group, thay had a hard time getting used to being with other older married couples because of their strong connection with the youth but after a while, not only did they adapt smoothly but they wanted to be around us all the time“.
Jorge’s family has accepted Christ and they all come to church on Sunday. His brother Raul has gotten so involved that he has now become a leader himself and he’s also part of the leadership training program we have. This is particularly amazing considering the fact that before they came to church they were unchurched and not saved. “Andrea is interestigly observant and willing to learn and Jorge has a very teachable spirit and does not hesitate to ask when it’s time to learn“, adds their leader.
Jorge has now been entrusted with the church’s accountant job, something he does additionally from his regular job. Andrea is actively involved in many ministries at church such as coffee break and ushers, and she’s serving in her small group as well. Your prayers for them and families like them are always welcome!

New Series in June

2010-05-30T16:34:00.000-07:00

2010-05-26T13:26:00.000-07:00

Interview with Andrea Vazquez

Posted on May 24, 2010 by Great Commission Church Monterrey

Andrea Vasquez is a dear friend of ours. She’s a dynamic young woman from Monterrey who’s succeeded in her IT career which has taken her all over the world. She’s been attending church for about 6 months, she’s accepted Christ as her savior and she’s getting ready to be baptized. She’s also attending a small group and is growing in her faith. We interviewed her and asker her some simple questions about God’s love story with her.

1. How did you end up coming to our church?

I came to Great Commission Church Monterrey in October 2009. Iwas invited by my boyfriend César Gomez who had been attending church a few months earlier and wanted to share with me what he was learning.

I was born in a Catholic family and since I was a kid I was a follower of Jesus. However, in the last recent years, I hadn’t been attending a church on a regular basis and I just knew I had so much to learn from Him. He seeked me, as a dear lost sheep, and He found me!

2.Why did you decide to stay?

I just love the way the services are designed with a clear message and objective. The messages are usually very relevant and applicable to our daily lives.

The simpleness and, at the same time, depthness of the messages caused in me a great thirst for seeking more and more. And there I was, taking notes, listening to the podcasts all over again, opening my Bible and with a great desire to learn and to be lead.

It makes such a difference to find people with whom you can identify yourself: people who welcome you with open arms and who lead you in a very kind way. People with such a passion for the Lord: they are entire families worthy of being imitated as an example.

3. How do you feel now?

I see with great joy ahead my personal and spiritual growth. The small group and the weekend services are even helping me have a better quality of life. They’re helping me with my family relations and my faith and so much more.

My relationship with Cesar has also strenghtened. We’ve learned to pray together, to read the Bible and to share with one another what God is doing in our lives.

4. How is it that you became a Christian?

It was a process. God laid one by one all the pieces of the puzzle. I think that what really helped me was the Bible studies related to salvation from the discipleship process. I know that we’re all sinners and that He calls us to do good deeds. However, our merciful Father sent his one and only Son to save us and pay for all of our sins and now we gladly welcomes us back home!

5. What do you think God has for your future?

I wish and pray every day of my life for God’s blessing on me, for his unlimited mercy and wisdom. I would like to become an instrument so that many others would know and follow Him.

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Safety issues in our city

2010-05-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

Posted on May 24, 2010 by Great Commission Church Monterrey
As you may have already seen or heard on the news, Mexico is suffering from a wave of violence impulsed by organized crime and drug lords especially. Monterrey used to be one of safest cities in Latin America but over the last few years things have changed.
Indeed, there are numerous reports about the drug war going on, not only in Monterrey but in other parts of the country too. The question pertaining us is whether or not this has affected us here. And the answer is yes.
Things seem to be much calmer now but there have been brothers in our church whose lives have been at risk on the road because of criminals trying to steal their cars. Our small groups and church attendance was also affected at some point and the population’s stress and anxiety level rose. Of course, this also gives us a great opportunity to share the Gospel and to work filling people’s needs. We know that in spite of these dark circumstances there’s hope and a purpose for us being here.
These are some of the things that you can pray for:
Wisdom for President Calderón and Governor Medina to make the right decisions
Open doors for the Gospel
Protection for the members of our church and their families
Confidence and boldness from our people to share the good news
Less corruption in the gorvernment

Facing a new challenge: the hearing impaired!

2008-01-26T20:04:00.000-08:00

Sometimes we take for granted the communication we share with other people. We don't even realize the blessing we have of being able to hear and speak, to have attended a school and to be able to interact in our society without any limitations.

One of the brothers attending our church, Noe Rodriguez, has started a school for the hearing impaired called IDIS. It is the only school in the state of Nuevo Leon where they actually teach sign language. It is one of four schools in the country where it is taught. Inspired by his father, who was deaf, he started this organization aimed at serving, caring and teaching the hearing impaired how to communicate with others. IDIS focuses on teaching sign language as the primary language. In Mexico, 99% of the deaf young men and women of high school age do not know how to read or write.

Indeed, instead of considering the children as disabled, IDIS focuses on viewing them as bilingual (sign language and spanish).Our church fell in love with the project and we have formed an alliance with them. There are currently 15 students from all parts of Monterrey attending school. These students come from disadvantaged economical backgrounds. We are overwhelmed by the challenging task of meeting their needs. We would like to serve as a channel of blessing for this amazing initiative. As always there are many ways you can get involved with IDIS:

sponsoring a kid

volunteering (teaching mainly)
bringing mission teams
coming for 6-12 months to learn sign language

pedagogic materials

supplies

office equipment

etc...

We will keep you updated with stories, pictures and our desire to make a difference in the lives of these kids; and to let them know about Jesus' love for them.

2007-06-23T22:45:00.000-07:00

Arts Conference 2007

2007-06-20T10:44:00.001-07:00

Sergio with Bill Hybels, Pastor of Willow Creek Community Church

4 Laws of Effective Outreach.

2007-01-29T21:19:00.000-08:00

Law 1 – Create an Outreach Identity –
Effective outreach begins by establishing an outreach identity at the heart of your churc, including outreach-oriented mission statement, a faith-filled vision and a vibrant logo and branding tools designed to convey your identity.

Law 2 – Attract Visitors by Communicating Your Identity –
People are attracted to your church when you communicate your identity in a compelling way. Your outreach efforts need to convey who you are to the right audience, at the right time, through the right method.

Law 3 – Connect Attenders to Your Church –
Getting people connected with others is most often the key to keeping them around. The connection process is facilitated by having the right materials available to help people find places of connection. Provide tools to let them know about your church's ministries, needs and opportunities to be involved.

Law 4 – Equip Members to be Inviters –
People are your most powerful outreach tool. As you equip your regular attenders with the motivation, knowledge and materials they need to share their faith, they will take the lead in your church's outreach efforts.

From: Outreach.com

Nine Habits of Churches that Reach and Keep the Unchurched

2007-01-22T15:56:00.000-08:00

from Thom Rainer

The following is from a seven-year study by Thom Rainer and a research team at Southern
Seminary. The study combines both old and new research, and includes surverys of more
than 4,000 churches and interviews with more than 1,000 individuals.

The nine habits:

1. The Habit of intentionality
√ For a church to be successful it must intentionally try to reach the unchurched.
√ 83% of all churches surveyed did not have an intentional plan for reaching the
lost. However, among effective evangelistic churches more than 75% of the
unchurched said that someone from the church shared the plan of salvation with
them—and in most cases it was not a staff member.

The research also showed:
√ People often picked a church for such reasons as restroom and nursery
cleanliness.
√ Some even drove away from a church because it did not have adequate
signage, and they therefore could not find the sanctuary entrance.
√ Friendly greeters at a church’s entrance have an enormously positive effect.

2. Habit of Cultural Awareness
√ Churches that want to reach out to the unchurched must be highly intentional.
They must understand the culture but do not compromise with the culture.
√ It is vitally important to understand the most unchurched generation—those born
between 1977 and 1994—called the “bridger generation.” Only 4% of this group
are Christian. By comparison, 65% of the generation born before 1946 are
Christians.

3. Habit of High Expectations
√ There is a direct correlation between how much is demanded of a new member and
how long the new member stays active in the church. Churches that expect much
receive much. Church that expect little receive little.
√ The average retention rate of new members in all churches (effective and ineffective)
in America is 35%.
√ New member classes are vital to keeping people in the church. If new member
classes are offered, that percentage shoots up to 72%. If the class is required of new
members, the percentage increases even more.
√ Highly effective new members classes were those that said, “We want to put you in a
ministry as you leave this class.”
√ Personal evangelism classes for new members can also be very fruitful as it is a
highly effective way to get new Christians involved in sharing their new faith with
those who are in the world of the unchurched.

4. Habit of Clear Doctrine
√ People want to hear about doctrine on the front end. They will not make a
commitment to a church if they are not told what the church believes form the
start.
√ This can be done in the form of a written document, or through new members
classes, Sunday school lessons and sermons, etc.

5. Habit of Risk Taking
√ You must truly act on faith and do what seems to be risky in the light of the
world’s eyes—or maybe in light of the church’s eyes—that other churches do not.
√ 83% of senior pastors in effective churches could tell of a major task their church
had undertaken.
√ The churches have a willingness to lose members. They do not make decisions
based upon who might leave as a result of the decision. They make decisions on
“who will we reach?”

6. Habit of Dynamic Small Groups
√ 68% of the people in effective churches are involved in a healthy Sunday school.
Because there tends to be an expectation that the people are involved in ministry
through that Sunday school.
√ Healthy Sunday school programs are constantly looking beyond themselves.
√ Unhealthy Sunday school programs are inward focused—they only care about
themselves.

7. Habit of Effective Leadership
√ The pastor and the preaching were the most important factors in the unchurched
returning.

Effective church pastors:
√ Spend five hours a week involved in personal evangelism. Ineffective church
pastors spent less than 10 minutes a week.
√ Are good time managers.
√ Have an average tenure of 10.3 years.
√ Delegate and give away ministry [assignments].

8. Habit of Effective Preaching
√ Effective church pastors spent an average of 20 hours a week on sermons—
including the task itself. Among ineffective churches, pastors spent an average of
four hours.
√ Expository preaching was the most dominant style in the survey.

9. Habit of Prayer
√ Churches that pray together and pray often keep their new members.
√ New members must be called and told they are specifically being prayed for.
√ 83% of the effective churches had corporate prayer ministries that were operational
and emphasized.

Equipping Members to be Inviters

2007-01-19T14:41:00.000-08:00

The best form of advertising a church can have is word-of-mouth. Studies have shown that many unchurched people would visit a church if a close friend or family member invited them. The question then, is how can you help your church members to issue invitations effectively and in a way that they feel comfortable?

Since most people just don’t know where to start, Outreach provides churches with the tools that will equip their members to give an invitation easily and naturally. These tools include:

Direct Mail ImpactCards
When your church conducts a direct mail campaign, include your members in the excitement by equipping them with cards of their own. Slip a couple of the printed pieces in your worship bulletin and invite your members to use it as a hand-delivered invitation to friends or family. This will give your direct mailing an extra personal touch.
Business card-sized InviteCards
It’s so easy to keep business cards on hand. That’s why these perfectly sized cards are such a great communication tool. Members can keep a few in their purses or wallets and use them as a personal invitation. Each InviteCard should include a map to your church, service times and reference to your website, if you have one.
DoorHangers
What a great way to welcome new people to the neighborhood! Keep your information table stocked with personalized Doorhangers. Members can use these to welcome new neighbors or to blanket new housing tracks. The DoorHanger should also include a map and any other information that a newcomer needs to find your church.
Outreach Gift Books
A gift books is a powerful way to begin a dialog about spiritual issues and Outreach offers a variety of low-cost books that your member will love giving their friends and family. Stock up and encourage members to keep a supply on hand.
The communication tools are a non-threatening way to invite friends, family and neighbors to church, and for them to feel more confident in the process. For the potential visitor, these tools offer a clear picture of the church, its ministries, its locations, and help circumvent barriers that keep people from deciding to attend.

Another potential point of entry into the church is through small group or home group studies. Leaders and members of these groups, equipped with InviteCards about the small group, can pass out invitations to their friends, family and co-workers asking them to attend the study, where relationships are more easily formed than in corporate worship on Sunday.

The most valuable asset of any church is its members, and by empowering them with the tools to reach out, you give them the privilege of expanding the kingdom and growing their own faith.

From Outreach.com

Oscar Gutierrez and his family arrive to Monterrey

2006-07-24T18:32:00.000-07:00

This is Oscar and his family at the airport. We were there with some of the team members that had previously moved to welcome this new family. On July 8, Pastor Oscar and his family Mary, Karla, Oscar Jr and Martha arrived here safely. What a blessing it is to see what God is doing. This family is an example and we praise God for the wonderful things He's doing among us

Prayer help

2006-07-05T09:29:00.000-07:00

· That God would provide a place to meet for the church. We want to start the weekend service by September the 3rd.

· Our small groups: that our leaders and members would provide a loving atmosphere and boldness to share Christ with people.

· For all of our contacts: that God would humble their hearts and they would come to know Christ as their personal Savior.

· For the new members of our team moving from Honduras to Mty: for pastor Oscar Gutierrez and his family, Carmen Castillo and Indira Hernandez.

A place to meet

2006-07-05T08:51:00.000-07:00

The Monterrey team

Since we were in Honduras we’ve dreamed of being here in Monterrey in a church service where we would see many Mexican families listening to the Word of God every week. And this is one of the challenges we face today as an emerging church: to find an adequate place we could rent and that would go according to our target.
We thank God for all the wonderful things and blessings He’s given us. We are sure He will continue to provide for us in this particular area too.
We have found some interesting places where we can meet but so far, we’ve been said no. Whether the issue is money or the fact that we are a church we still haven’t found the right place to meet.
We’ve been looking for a place that holds about 100 people, where there would be enough parking space, and adequate place for children. We also want the place to be located in the San Pedro area, which is the best place for everybody to get to. Thank you again for your prayers concerning this!

Finals, friendship and salvation

2006-06-05T20:52:00.000-07:00

What does one have to do with another? Apparently nothing. However these words describe what happened last week when all the students from the TEC and other important universities were in their final exams.
In partnership with about 20 students from Texas A&M, our team was able to meet dozens of students; most of them from the TEC but also from other universities such as UDEM or UANL (State University). God showed his grace by allowing us to contact all of these people with an incredible result: over 15 of them showed up at a dinner where we were able to share the Gospel with them and where we offered each one of them a Bible.
Later that week we invited all of these contacts to different activities such as soccer games, a trip to the Garcia caverns, dinner in our homes, souvenir shopping and a lot of them were interested in hanging out with us and establishing strong relationships.
We pray for the students who prayed to receive Christ. At least 4 of them did: Javier, Carlos, Abraham and Octavio. Therefore, we have a big responsibility with them: some are going to be away for the summer and so we need to continue developing a friendship despite the distance.
We have a new challenge: disciple these new believers and incorporate them in our small groups so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.
(Article taken from Monterrey News - May)

Welcome!

2006-06-05T20:36:00.000-07:00

Thank you for reading my blog. I hope to keep everybody updated with all recent events in my life, family and ministry here in Monterrey. This is a tool I'm planning to use to expand God's kingdom.

I intend to post here pictures of main events happening here and share with you all what God is teaching me on a regular basis. Feel free to interact with me and thank you again for taking the time to read this blog.