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Heartbeat

The monthly newsletter of Free Methodist World Missions

Developing the Next Generation of Leaders

by Pastor Miguel Antonio Castro González | May 2023 | Heartbeat, HB Creative Access X, HB Latin America

For a long time, we have emphasized family discipleship within the church. Through much prayer and intentional discipleship, we are witnessing the fruit of young lives changed.

The “Jehovah is My Pastor” church is participating with God in the restoration of Latin America by developing healthy leaders through head, heart and hands. We started in leadership training with adults and youth who came desiring to be trained for fruitful service in the work of God. We noticed a special move of God among the youth and young adults. They asked when the training would be offered again, so we met again to train them. Sometimes the group met in houses, other times in the park, and other times in the church.

As a result of the discipleship and training, youth and young adults are discipling others in community churches, and the number of actively participating children and adolescents is multiplying. These young people were already serving as part of the church’s worship ministry, and recently they have taken the lead to preach in the prayer service on Wednesdays.

We have learned to care for their hearts and mentor their hands, giving them the opportunity to develop their gifts and affirm their talents through leading in the Houses of Peace, the worship team and other areas of service. The young people’s service has encouraged our community; some are being challenged in their commitment to God by seeing what He is doing through these young, committed disciples. Adults are also seeing the investment in the Lord’s work is worthwhile.

Some of our young leaders started as the only believers in their homes; now, their families are part of the church. We believe God is, right now, preparing the next generation of leaders and pastors for the Free Methodist Church of Latin America.

Pastor Miguel Antonio Castro González felt God’s call to the ministry in 2004 and was ordained in 2012. He has served in the church-planting ministry and is pastoring the “Jehovah is My Pastor” church in Creative Access Country-X.