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Youth Discipleship Results in Sixty Baptisms
65 baptisms by July; more outreach planned for fall
Southern California Conference Hispanic Youth Ministry initiated a "Jesus Loves Jeans" youth-evangelism plan with a kickoff festival in February attended by 1570 young people coming together to learn about discipleship and small-group evangelism. In the four months following, youth conducted 80 small groups, concluding with a one-week evangelistic series in Los Angeles.
Small group reports were encouraging. "My idea was to start a small group with 12 gang friends," said Angel, a young man and former gang member from the Mid City Spanish Church. "Many of my group began studying the Bible for the first time. Some were facing felony charges in court and were seeking prayer. Some gang friends even sent messages from jail, asking for prayer and a chance to meet Jesus."
Southern California Conference Hispanic Youth Ministry initiated a "Jesus Loves Jeans" youth-evangelism plan with a kickoff festival in February attended by 1570 young people coming together to learn about discipleship and small-group evangelism. In the four months following, youth conducted 80 small groups, concluding with a one-week evangelistic series in Los Angeles.
Small group reports were encouraging. "My idea was to start a small group with 12 gang friends," said Angel, a young man and former gang member from the Mid City Spanish Church. "Many of my group began studying the Bible for the first time. Some were facing felony charges in court and were seeking prayer. Some gang friends even sent messages from jail, asking for prayer and a chance to meet Jesus."
A second report came from the Spanish American Church, where their former youth pastor Carlos Granados organized five small groups for varying youth and young adult ages. "Our groups conducted three meetings weekly," said Granados, "and we baptized 11 youth at the "Jesus Loves Jeans" youth series.
The Baldwin Park Bilingual Church, led by their pastor, conducted three small groups. "Adrian came looking for community service hours mandated by the courts and his probation officer," he recalled. "Joining the small groups was his community service. Thirteen young people in these groups accepted Jesus and were baptized.
"We held a "Jesus Loves Jeans" youth series for 15 nights," Erika Alvarez reported from the Lake of the Woods Church in Frazier Park. "Mitchell Alvarez, the church's youth leader, was the speaker. The young people said that the meetings taught them a lot of new things about God, and that now they have a better relationship with God.
"Our small church was blessed with five youths' decisions for baptism and one adult interested in further Bible studies. All thanks and praise to our Lord Jesus Christ."
At the one-week evangelistic series concluding the small groups, 650 young people heard powerful sermons by Pastor Laffitt Cortez, New Jersey Conference youth director. Twenty youth were baptized.
By July of this year, the small groups had reported 65 baptisms. A second wave of youth small groups was launched, in which many youth will hold their own evangelistic series during the fall. Planners pray that many will make decisions for Christ in these meetings
By Carlos Acosta, Hispanic Youth Director
Southern California Conference
By Carlos Acosta, Hispanic Youth Director
Southern California Conference
