Go beyond your four walls

Iglesia Bautista Horeb decided to take their feeding ministry beyond their church’s property, delivering food to people who were sick or lived in nearby mobile home parks and apartment complexes. Roblero explained that by delivering food to families who were ill with COVID-19, the church was able to demonstrate the love of Christ in a way that they had never been able to before. It was a new opportunity for ministry.

Going to people’s homes to deliver the food allowed the church to minister to people who may have been unwilling to go to the church, whether it was because they were sick, skeptical or otherwise.

Work with other groups in your community

Roblero explained that it was the pandemic that originally pushed the church to begin looking for partnerships with ministries and organizations.

“I didn’t know what we could do about the pandemic and all of the hardships people were going through. But we began to pray and look for resources,” he explained. “It’s more than you can do by yourself, more than the pastor can do by himself, more than the church can do by itself. It’s a community effort.”

The church connected with other organizations in the area that were helping people, including the Brownsville Wellness Coalition, which gave the church food to distribute to people. Without that important partnership, Iglesia Bautista Horeb would not have been able to distribute nearly as much food to those in need, Roblero said.

Involve everyone you can and teach them to serve

At first their feeding ministry was run entirely by church members. When locals began seeing the good that was happening there, they started bringing money for donations and volunteering to help. Instead of only allowing church members to serve, Roblero welcomed people to join in. As these new volunteers spent more time with the church members, they felt a shift in their own hearts. Six people have come to know Christ as a result of volunteering through the church.

Welcoming volunteers from outside the church membership is a great way to minister not just to those in need, but also to those who would not be at a feeding ministry otherwise. Every new relationship built through the ministry has been an opportunity to share the Gospel.

Celebrate and foster those who have given their lives

As people have come to know the Lord, Roblero has put emphasis on discipling them so that they are strong in their faith. He explained that sometimes when new Christians ask questions about Christianity, it is easy to just point them to a Scripture or a book. Though these resources are often helpful, sitting down with them and ensuring that they fully understand the Gospel is the best way to strengthen their faith.

“Now our job is to disciple them and help them mature in the Lord so that they can begin to share the love of Christ with other families,” Roblero said.