Kerusso Grace
COMMUNITY/COMUNIDAD: Share a description of the community you are called to reach.
- Pastor Sergio Garcia was called to reach a community in the inner-city of Houston where he grew
up. The Northside Village area is populated with families that are stricken by poverty, afflicted by the corruptions of sin, and living enslaved to many traditional idols. There are many second and third generation youth that the church is trying to reach, but the aim is reaching souls for Christ. This community is predominantly Hispanic but you also find African-Americans and Anglo Americans.
CALLING/LLAMADO: Share about your experience of God leading you to start a church.
- Pastor Garcia started as a street evangelist serving with Fellowship Church of Houston. Through this ministry, the Lord started burdening his heart for the area where he grew up. He saw a neglect of preaching the gospel in the Northside Village area. And just like Nehemiah of the Bible, he was heartbroken over the souls in that community. Sergio felt the Lord calling him to that specific area.
Due to unexpected changes in his job and financial situation, he was led to move with his family into the community where he grew up. He then began planting the roots and seeing the necessity to preach the gospel in that area. His heart is to establish a gospel-centered church that reaches out to the community. A core group started gathering at his mother’s house, and Sergio began training this group of 12 adults and 10 children for the mission of the church. Six months into teaching the group, the Lord brought Pastor Hugo and his family to help carry the load and collaborate together for the Gospel.
VISION/VISIÓN: Tell us 5 words that are key elements of your vision.
- Establish a gospel-centered church
- Develop incarnational missionaries (To be the visible reflection of the invisible Jesus to those around us.)
- Build community groups in homes
- Reach every man, woman and child with the Gospel
- Revitalize the community
REACHING THE LOST/ALCANZANDO A LOS PERDIDOS: Share the story of someone who has come to know Christ and is now a part of the church.
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Pastor Garcia tells of a young woman who grew up in church but her life was never transformed. She began gathering with sisters from the core group and started hearing gospel truth, and she also attended some services. One day, she came to realize she was not saved and cried out to God and the Lord transformed her life. She is now sold out to Jesus is part of the core group.
GOD AT WORK/DIOS TRABAJANDO: What is the most exciting thing God has done in the church?
- God’s work in the spiritual growth of the core group is exciting. The core group has grown to love the community and is grasping the vision and willing to lay down their lives for the gospel and that is something that only God can do, says this young Pastor.
LOOKING AHEAD/MIRANDO HACIA EL FUTURO: What would you like to see God do during the next year?
- Pastor Sergio would like to see God save souls in the Northside Village community so that they can become beacons of light in their own homes and missionaries to their own community.
EXPERIENCE/EXPERIENCIA: What has been the most challenging or surprising thing you've experienced in church planting?
- Pastor Garcia compares planting a church with being near the eye of a hurricane. He says that it is difficult, but the presence of God is felt like the force of a hurricane. He added that there are moments of weakness but at the same time, one is empowered by God. He is amazed by the faithfulness of God and through this journey, he has been able to taste and see the goodness of God.
WISDOM/SABIDURIA: What resource or words of wisdom would you pass on to other church planters?
- Pastor Garcia recommends a book entitled Church Planter by Darrin Patrick. Sergio believes that a pastor’s first allegiance is to Christ and no one else or nothing else and that his duty is to fulfill the role of husband and father to his family. He added that these principles are the key in his journey as pastor.
NEED/NECESIDAD: How can people pray for you or partner with you?
- Pastor Garcia’s prayer is for God to open up doors of opportunity for the gospel to be planted in the hearts of the people in the community. Also, for God’s grace in all areas of the structuring of the church plant and for laborers.
| Current Contact Information: | UBA Directory Listing / Website |
| Pastor: | Sergio Arturo Garcia |
| Location for Worship Services: | 1913 Fletcher St. |
| Date of First Worship Service: | October 17, 2010 |
| Type of Facility: | Gym of Fletcher Mission Center Facility |
| Discipleship Structure: | Sunday morning discipleship groups; Home study groups called Incarnational Community Groups |
| Language of Worship: | English |
Interview conducted by Alex Martinez, UBA Staff.