Northern Mexico Update
ONE YEAR
It has been more than one year since the Covid-19 changed many things in our lives. And also, it may be a year since my last prayer letter; I am sorry. The Lord has been so good to us as family and in our work.We give thanks because we have been without Covid. We give thanks because the Lord has opened new opportunities to share the gospel through bible studies on line (Mary has 3 with women), and I have others. The on line services of the church has reached out other people with the gospel.
The other side of the coin is that a lot of churches have been struggling to support themselves. A lot of people are very confortable not attending the church even when they can do it. One question that constantly remains is how to be a real community in the gospel with social distancing.
MEXICO CHURCH PLANTING CHALLENGE
Every 10 years Mexico does a census. One area that is asked is religious affiliation. One interesting highlight of the 2020 census is that there are the same number of Protestants or Evangelicals compared to people without religion or religious affiliation, 11% each. The difference is that the churches grew around 50% from 7% to 11%; that is not bad. Meanwhile skeptics grew more than 100% from 5 to 11%; in the last 10 years. From 2000 to 2010 the non-religious group also grew at 100%. If this trend continues by 2030 there will be more than 20% who have no religion or religious affiliation. This is without counting all those who claim to have a religion but in practice and in truth do not live their faith or their beliefs. Mexico needs urgently the gospel because our many religious Roman Catholics do not preach the gospel of grace and now a significant number in our cities are skeptics. The challenge is to preach the gospel that appeals to both groups.
One of the big challenges is that we haven’t been able to walk with our church planters in their sites of work. All of them they have been alone working, struggling and staying faithful. On-line coaching and mentoring have been good but are never is the same as spending time a face to face. Thanks for your support and prayers for us and our movement.
PRAYER REQUEST:
1. PRAY FOR THE TWO NEW CHURCH PLANTERS —MARCOS VALERA IN CULIACAN, & BENJAMIN ROMERO IN LA PAZ, BAJA CALIFORNIA.
2. PRAY THAT PEOPLE COME BACK TO OUR WORSHIP SERVICES.
3. PRAY FOR KATIA’S SUMMER INTERNSHIP IN ISAIAH 55, AND FOR SUPPORT RAISING.
4. PRAY THAT OUR ON LINE TRAINING, MENTORING AND COACHING CAN BE EFFECTIVE IN OUR CHURCH
PLANTING MOVEMENT.
5. PRAY THAT THE LORD’S MERCY CONTINUE BEING WITH US TO KEEP US HEALTHY.
6. PRAY FOR A NEW CHURCH PLANT PROJECT IN NUEVO LAREDO, A BORDER CITY WITH JOSE LUIS VILLASANA.
7. PRAY THAT THE LORD RISE A CHURCH PLANTER FOR THE CITY OF CHIHUAHUA.
8. PRAY FOR WISDOM.
In Christ,
Jorge Aleman