RGVBaptist.com - Independent Baptist Missionaries to the Hispanic people of the Rio Grande Valley, Texas

Our primary ministry will be the establishment of new Independent Baptist churches in the Rio Grande Valley. We will initially be based in the Rio Grande City are of Starr County, which is on the western edge of the Rio Grande Valley. Some of the primary tools we are evaluating for possible use in building these new Independent Baptist churches are:

** Church Planting

The core of our ministry is church planting. It is our intent to begin as many Independent Baptist churches as the Lord will allow. These will begin as home-based Bible studies and will grow to become chartered churches. We will then guide these churches in the training of faithful men to assume the leadership. All other aspects of our ministry will be developed in such a way that they allow this primary goal to be completed.

Evangelism

In order to establish churches, there must be Christians. In order to become Christians, the people must be introduced to the Lord Jesus Christ. Starr County does not currently have any independent, fundamental Baptist churches preaching the Gospel. Therefore, our ministry will always be centered around spreading the Gospel message through door-to-door witnessing, tract distribution and other means. The additional ministry opportunities given below are all designed to open doors of opportunity for witnessing.

Developing Local Church Leaders

II Timothy 2:2 teaches us that we are to commit to faithful men the things which we have been taught, that they may be able to teach others also. Our philosophy of ministry dictates that we develop leaders who will multiply the effects of our efforts throughout the world. As individuals accept the Lordship of Jesus Christ over their lives, we will be seeking men that the Lord has called to full-time Christian service, and will train them to assume the leadership of the works that we have begun, and to even go and begin new works of their own.

Short-Term Missions Host

We believe that the opportunity to participate in a short-term missions trip can be a great blessing to any believer, and can help focus and enhance a church's missions program. As a new work and one with numerous opportunities for service, we will be hosting several groups a year as they seek to serve the Lord by assisting us in a direct manner while on the field. This win-win situation will provide us with laborers eager to do His work, and will provide the churches with an opportunity to have a personal impact on the lives of hundreds of men, women and children.

Bus/Van Outreach

If you've read the Field Facts section of this website, you know that the people we will be working with are very poor. In many instances, they are too poor to afford transportation to a weekly church service. We will compensate for this through a bus/van transportation program. Additionally, in the Hispanic community it is often easier to reach children than it is adults. Although the parents may be willing to allow the children to attend services, they will not bring them. Therefore, the bus/van program allows for these individuals to attend as well.

Benevolence Outreach

We have been sent to the Valley primarily to present the Gospel. While it is not our intention to become an economic-aid entity, we recognize that the opportunity to assist people will arise and is proper. We will follow the Biblical model, presented by Christ, who fed the 5,000 because He had compassion on them and because He knew they needed that assistance in order to be able to continue hearing His instruction. Our benevolence outreach will seek to minister to the most needy individuals and provide only a limited assistance. Through this outreach we will demonstrate that we care not only about people's souls, but their physical person as well. We beleive that this will open additional doors of opportunity to present the Gospel to a very receptive audience.

Nursing Home Outreach

Although we do not intend for this to be a major component of our ministry, we do want to take advantage of every opportunity to reach every person in Starr County. For those that are elderly and confined to nursing homes, it is our desire to take the Gospel message to them. What form this takes and how it is accomplished will be determined once we are on the field and are able to evaluate the situation more thoroughly.

Christian Academy/Daycare

Although the public school system in Starr County is quite wealthy and able to offer all modern conveniences, it is still a public school and still teaches many un-Biblical concepts and doctrines. Furthermore, the public school system is failing in terms of keeping students in school, as nearly 1/2 of all children drop out prior to 8th grade. It is our desire to be able to offer a Christian alternative to the public school. This academy will offer quality education in a Christian environment and with a Biblical emphasis. This will also allow us to build a relationship with the people of Starr County that will open doors of opportunity to share the Gospel. It is not our intent for this to become the core of our ministry, and it is not our intent for me to become a "Christian School Administrator". Our ministry remains focused on church-planting and soul-winning.

Foster Child Care

Poverty and crime combine to force many children into the state welfare system. We believe that the best home for a child is a Christian home, and it is our desire to open our home to children in need. It is our intent to become certified for foster child care and to be able to care for small sibling groups of children that no one else wants to take in. We are not opening an orphanage or a children's home, but rather simply extending our family to include a couple of extra children at a time. This will provide these children with a Christian environment in which they can begin to adjust to the changes in their lives.