Author: Russell Lightner

Couple’s connection to Montgomery church is emblematic of plant’s mission to reach, minister

For Everett and Debra Luten, Mother’s Day evokes bittersweet memories and profound gratitude. Only last October, they lost their adult daughter in a kayaking accident. That grief is still fresh as the couple stays busy raising their nine-year-old granddaughter, Penelope.

The Lutens say they are not alone because of their Savior and because of Cornerstone Community Church in Montgomery, a town of around 2,000 people located 50 miles northwest of Houston.

As involved grandparents, the Lutens first heard about Cornerstone from their granddaughter’s pre-K teacher, who invited them to visit about four years ago.

The Lutens, who had been attending another church, soon found unexpected connection in the newly planted smaller church. They got involved in community groups gathering in people’s homes.

“We have food together and we talk and everybody shares their stories. We talk about the sermon. … We have a lot of praying,” Everett said of the group he and Debra now attend, which is held at Pastor Ralph Clements’ home. “Everybody [at church] is involved with everybody else.”

At Cornerstone, the Lutens were discipled: Debra by Amy Clements, the pastor’s wife, and Everett—a sergeant retired from the Harris County Sheriff’s Department—by an elder, Gerald Coleman. The men have gone through books together over breakfast at a nearby restaurant for the past few years. Everett said he now prays every morning and spends time in the Bible.

Last February, both Debra and Everett were baptized by Clements, surrounded by many from the congregation. For Everett, the baptism marked his growth in faith.

“I realized you don’t have to be perfect to accept Christ. After you do that, you’re not perfect,” he said. “And He will still hold you in his arms and forgive you if you are contrite. The Holy Spirit will guide you.”

“I realized you don’t have to be perfect to accept Christ.”

—Everett Luten Tweet

On the same page

The family’s hearts broke when their daughter died. “We didn’t know it was going to happen, but God did,” Everett said.

They found comfort and strength in their church. “The Lord leading us to Cornerstone [gave] us spiritual strength to get through this,” Everett said.

“Cornerstone has been exactly what the name is to us: a cornerstone,” Debra said. “They have helped us so much with our salvation … getting into God’s Word. They’ve stood beside us through these things with my daughter. They are there and will be for us raising Penelope.”

There are challenges, Debra added. The couple and Penelope have lost so much: “It’s really been a struggle for her and for us also. We are struggling for ourselves, the loss of our daughter. But she doesn’t have a father, either. … Cornerstone has been there for us,” she said.

Realizing the importance of God’s Word has changed Debra’s life, she said. Now her heart is to “be led to be God’s tool” for conveying that to Penelope.

“Pastor Ralph tells the congregation that when you bring your kids in here, you really need to know we are not babysitting them. We are making disciples,” she said, adding, “Cornerstone has brought us together close to God as a family. It’s so joyful to me. We are on the same page.”

“Cornerstone has been exactly what the name is to us: a cornerstone. They have helped us so much with our salvation ... getting into God’s Word.”

—debra Luten Tweet

The Cornerstone story

As a relatively young church plant, Cornerstone’s story is unique. Clements calls himself “co-vocational,” or intentionally bivocational. He planted a church in 2007 while studying at the Houston extension of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. When that plant folded after five years, he and Amy were “worn down” and spent the next several years attending another church.

In 2018, God moved again. They saw a need in Montgomery, started talking with various folks in their neighborhood, and began hosting a Bible study in their home. By February 2019, that Bible study group had grown to a “pretty good crowd” and by the summer, the conversation turned toward an official church launch.

In September 2019, Cornerstone began Sunday services in Montgomery High School. The congregation was six months old when COVID-19 hit. What could have derailed them instead promoted growth as the then 35-person congregation was allowed to continue meeting in the school’s 750-seat auditorium where social distancing was not a problem.

“When several churches were shutting down, we were able to stay open,” Clements said. “We couldn’t do all the outreach we wanted, but the Lord used it. We continued to grow.”

Much of this growth, Clements said, has occurred organically: “People loving on neighbors,” people inviting people.

In 2021, they moved into a building purchased from another denomination whose congregation had dissolved. The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention began supporting Cornerstone with church planting funds in October of that year. While the assistance was promised for three years, Clements and the church contacted the SBTC in early 2023 to say the funding was no longer needed as of that May.

Church leadership decided to forego additional support, believing it the church’s responsibility to care for the shepherd, Clements said. “The church was doing well. Giving was over budget. The year had ended. It was an opportunity for us to take over [financially].”

Growth has continued, slow and steady. About 60-70 regularly attend now. “It’s what we prayed for. We didn’t want to grow big and not be able to handle it,” he said.

‘They are what we are’

The Lutens’ story is “the story of our church,” the pastor said. “We are walking through some difficult times with them right now. …They are what we are trying to do: seek the lost or those who are uncertain—help them understand and grow in discipleship.”

“I believed for the longest time that everything in my life depended on what I did as a person,” Debra said. “I think in being at Cornerstone, I have realized that everything that happens has already been determined. I just need to reach out to Jesus … to pray about it … to rely on God to place in my heart what I should be doing … knowing I will get that answer.”

“Like babies still drinking milk, we are learning every day,” Everett added. “My wife and I are on the same page about something besides when I should take out the trash.”

Massive NAMB day of service makes big impact ‘for generations to come’

Nine-year-old Destiny, wide-eyed and smiling broadly, surveyed the freshly repainted sanctuary of Lake June Baptist Church as she and her mother, Yvonne, arrived at the church to see what the Lord had done.

Newly installed blue carpet covered the floors, while comfortable, upholstered chairs replaced 50-year-old rickety wooden pews. Bright can lights, rather than aging fluorescent fixtures, illuminated the space. Ceiling stains from seasonal roof leaks had disappeared under coats of pleasing white tinted with gray. Even the foyer, kitchen, bathrooms, and hallways had been refloored, repainted, and relit. Outside, volunteers put the finishing touches on flower beds, adding mulch and spring blooms.

Destiny, Yvonne, and other church members gathered that day with Lake June’s bivocational pastor, Bobby Worthington, to give thanks to God and the volunteers participating in the North American Mission Board’s Send Relief Serve Tour Dallas 2024.

Serve Tour Dallas volunteers participated in 38 projects to further God’s kingdom in the DFW Metroplex March 15-16. For the more than 600 volunteers—representing 48 congregations from eight states including Texas—it was a spring break to remember, making an eternal impact. Projects varied widely, from assisting with block party outreaches to school facility updates to mobile dental clinics to playground rebuilds and church remodels.

Three Southern Baptists of Texas Convention churches—First Baptist Dallas, Mesquite Friendship Baptist, and Northway Church—functioned as Serve Tour hubs, with mission activities radiating from these strategic spots. A Serve Tour rally was held at First Baptist Dallas, as well.

The remodel of the historic Lake June Baptist Church in the Pleasant Grove neighborhood of Dallas grew considerably beyond the two-day Serve Tour initiative, thanks to the church’s long partnership with First Baptist Dallas.

“We were once a mission church of First Dallas. We have a sister partnership, a relationship, with First Baptist,” Worthington said. “First Baptist helps us with bookkeeping and things like that. They do a lot of things behind the scenes.”

For example, a roofing contractor who was a member of First Baptist Dallas recently arranged for the Lake June roof to be replaced at cost.

Serve Tour Dallas By the Numbers

Churches Involved

Total Projects Served: 4 schools, 16 churches, 18 community projects

Construction Hours

Salvations

Volunteers

people served

Making connections, making it better

When Send Tour representatives approached Brent McFadden, First Dallas recreation pastor, he recommended the refurbishment of Lake June Baptist as a project.

Send Relief’s Marcus Rawls, First Baptist Rowlett Pastor Cole Hedgecock, and Worthington met weeks before Serve Tour to develop a plan. Worthington figured they might redo some floors and repaint the bathrooms and kitchen. When Rawls and Hedgecock saw the sanctuary, ideas began flowing.

“What if we do the auditorium, too?” Rawls asked, indicating that replacing the seating would be possible.

Worthington, amazed and grateful, started weeping. Rawls had described renovations that Worthington had envisioned over the long term.

“God knew what I wanted to do in three phases. … Marcus and Cole had no way of knowing that,” Worthington said. “What I had planned to do in three phases, they got done in three weeks.”

Work started weeks before the mid-March Serve Tour, as McFadden asked a First Dallas deacon, Scott Finney, to get involved. Finney, who works for a large developer and owns an excavating company, agreed to volunteer.

What started as a job to take out the old pews and refloor and spruce up the sanctuary expanded to include new lighting in the sanctuary—then new flooring, lighting, and painting the entire church interior, including bathrooms and kitchens.

“It grew,” Finney said.

Finney, his wife, Joan, and Worthington got to work with other helpers.

“God knew what I wanted to do in three phases. … What I had planned to do in three phases, they got done in three weeks.”

—Bobby Worthington Tweet

“I’ve spent the last 23 days up at the church helping,” Worthington said at the time. “I told Scott, ‘I can’t do what you do, but I can pray for you and hand you what you need.’” Church members helped significantly, also.

“We’ve been working over the last three weekends,” Joan Finney added.

Send Relief/NAMB, First Baptist Dallas, and a local doctor who has been involved with the annual Kenya mission trip led by Worthington all contributed to the project, supplementing the money Lake June had budgeted for the redo.

Finney called on friends and fellow contractors, too.

“I was able to enlist a lot of relationships I had. We’ve all known each other a long time and they were glad to do it,” he said. “The flooring was donated. The electrical was costed out, and the chairs were donated at cost. It started blossoming.”

Finney said the dozens of volunteers and vendors who contributed to the project will likely come to a Lake June celebratory service this spring.

Serve Tour volunteers were enthusiastic about their chance to participate in the change at the church. Cheri Bedford of Paris, Texas, who attends First Dallas’ Servant Singles class when she is in town, said she was happy to work alongside “people with a heart for missions.”

“We are just here to serve the community and share the gospel of Jesus,” said First Dallas member Jonathan Parrish of Grand Prairie.

“It’s all to the glory of God. We are here to volunteer to just try to make a difference in the community,” said James Hurse, from Mesquite Friendship Baptist, pausing from raking a flower bed.

Raising the roof

The Kenya Mission Trip led by Worthington for a decade has focused on medical missions, evangelism, and planting churches. For the last five years, First Baptist Dallas has partnered with Lake June and the National Baptist Convention of Kenya in the effort.

“We do a clinic. We do evangelism. We plant a church,” Worthington said, adding that during the following year, the church raises money in an effort called Raise the Roof. Lake June members give generously and other partners contribute.

“We hire a contractor recommended by the National Baptist Convention of Kenya and he erects a pole and roof structure so the church can meet [under a shelter],” Worthington said, estimating that the outreach has planted more than two dozen churches in Kenya over the past decade.

Essentially, Lake June members have been helping roof churches in Kenya even as their own church’s roof needed replacing.

“Our people are very giving. The church loves each other,” Worthington said of his 40-person congregation.

“The church exists for those who are already here but also for those who are not yet here,” Worthington said when asked what the remodel will mean to his people. Nodding to young Destiny, he said he had baptized four generations of the girl’s family over the decades.

“When I baptized Destiny, it was a sign of generations to come [to Lake June] long after I’ve gone to heaven. We’re setting it up. The church is known in the community. Destiny and other of our kids and youth, our teenagers, they see this [remodel] and they know the church is going to be here.”

People, not places, are the church, Worthington. “This is a place of worship for people.”

Now, thanks to a coalition of partners and the involvement of Serve Tour Dallas, it’s a much more inviting place to worship.

Just keep casting your line

I’m not what you would consider a man of the outdoors, but I did my fair share of fishing during my teen years. A friend of mine growing up owned a bass boat, and we would stay out on the water for countless hours tossing plastic worms under lighted docks and running crank baits through a forest of submerged tree limbs trying to catch a lake record.

Though it may seem like a straightforward endeavor, fishing requires skill. Unlike me, my friend spent his entire childhood fishing, and he had developed a talent for understanding how factors including water levels, temperature, and spawning season timetables affected his ability to catch fish. I knew none of those things, but what I did know was this: the more times I threw my line in the water, the better chance I had of catching a fish.

As followers of Christ, we are all called to tell others about Jesus. That can be intimidating for many, and it’s often a source of guilt for others who struggle to do so. But can I just encourage you to remember a couple things?

Don’t be discouraged. Instead, be ever-mindful of ways you can sneak Jesus’ name, or your testimony, or the full-blown gospel, into your conversations.

Jayson Larson Tweet

1The Holy Spirit has promised to give us the right words at the right time when He is at work. There’s nothing wrong at all with evangelism trainings that aim to better equip us to share our faith, but we also see biblical examples of the Holy Spirit boldly using “uneducated and untrained” people (Acts 4) to speak boldly for Jesus. This ought to be a freeing truth.

2Our best days, regardless of their circumstances, will be the ones spent with a constant awareness of the presence of Jesus. That’s a tall order as we navigate this world of distraction, but if we can just keep our Lord at the forefront of our minds, we’ll likely be more intentional about speaking His name when the moment calls for it. To say it another way, the more we keep Jesus on our minds, the more likely we are to keep throwing our lines into the water knowing that it will increase our chances to tell someone the good news about Jesus.

In this issue, you’ll see examples of churches throwing their lines into the water and hoping for opportunities to tell others about Jesus. Churches in the eastern and southern parts of the state are seeing God bless their efforts through traditional outreaches such as Vacation Bible School and fall festivals. A church plant in Corpus Christi hosts community forums on mental health topics to open doors to a wider conversation about how Jesus can heal our minds. Other churches are using the fast-growing sport of pickleball—pickleball, I said!—to introduce people to the gospel. And on our new Leading Off page, you’ll read about how our Southern Baptists of Texas Disaster Relief teams are thrusting themselves into the heart of the worst wildfire in Texas history to minister to people with a hope only Jesus can give.

Don’t be discouraged. Instead, be ever-mindful of ways you can sneak Jesus’ name, or your testimony, or the full-blown gospel, into your conversations. Be creative. Be consistent. Be intentional. Whatever you do, just keep throwing your line into the water and trust God with the results.

Choose a ministry mulligan over misery

I have tried really hard to like golf, but I prefer hobbies that do not tempt me to say or do things I will regret later. One thing I do like about golf is the mulligan—a do-over stroke that doesn’t count. They make those terrible shots disappear into thin air.

In Genesis 35, we see Jacob in desperate need of a mulligan. He has wasted the last decade of his life and God gave him a chance to start over by moving him back to Bethel. Eventually, you will need a ministry mulligan, too, so let’s retrace Jacob’s footsteps back to Bethel.

Get up and go

God initiated Jacob’s restoration by telling him in Genesis 35:1 to “Get up! Go to Bethel and settle there. Build an altar there.” In defiance of God’s clear instruction, Jacob lived in Shechem for 10 years instead of Bethel. His large family paid for his delayed obedience (aka: disobedience) in Genesis 34.

Fortunately, Jacob got another chance to get up and go to Bethel. I love it when God gives us a mulligan!

If you are stuck spiritually, consider making an aggressive spiritual move. Get up and go back to where you started when you fell in love with Jesus. Initiate a spiritual homecoming by building a new altar to the Lord. If your ministry is stuck, the same instructions apply to the group. There are no secrets or shortcuts to repentance and revival—just turn around (repent) and return to your first love.

Clean out your closets

Jacob’s family closets were full of foreign gods. If they were going to start over in a new place, they needed to re-prioritize what to pack. Jacob said to his family, “Get rid of the foreign gods that are among you. Purify yourselves and change your clothes” (Genesis 35:2).

We’ve moved several times in the last five years as my ministry journey has led us from Nashville to Tulsa to Dallas. Each move made us rethink what we really wanted to keep, give away, or throw away.

Spiritual house cleaning is usually not a quick or painless process. However, if you want to get unstuck spiritually, you will need to aggressively get rid of some of your old baggage. After Jacob’s family cleaned out their closets, they buried their idolatry under the oak of Shechem.

What’s in your closet? Would you consider some aggressive spring cleaning for your soul, your family, or your ministry? Think of one thing that needs to be removed from your calendar or computer right now, then get rid of it before you change your mind.

Rebuild your altar

Jacob eventually returned to Bethel, where he had made a covenant with God 30 years earlier (Genesis 28). The old altar was rubble, so he rebuilt it. Jacob had basically wasted the last three decades of his life obsessing over his job at the expense of his relationship with God and his family.

Instead of giving up, Jacob got up, cleaned up, and rebuilt his life based on the original covenant that God was giving him another shot at. Jacob’s ministry mulligan is a great reminder that God is more interested in what is ahead of you than what is behind you.

Jesus is generously offering you grace instead of guilt, a mulligan instead of misery. Is it time for you to go back to Bethel for a spiritual homecoming? Get packing, friend!

Churches are finding ways to use pickleball’s growing popularity to share the gospel, build community

Some find the constant pop of the wiffle ball batted about by oversized ping pong paddles annoying. Others see a sport encouraging exercise, multigenerational competition, and camaraderie.

Regardless, pickleball is here to stay.

It’s called the fastest-growing recreational sport in the U.S., although it has been around since 1965, invented as a family diversion at Bainbridge Island, Wash.

With short 11-point games, mostly played by doubles teams, people of varying abilities can occupy the same court space. Open play allows for multiple combinations of players, while leagues may be geared to established teams or rotating partners.

Churches—among them, First Baptist Dallas—have discovered how to tap into this phenomenon for ministry purposes.

A big city league of its own

First Dallas runs seasonal pickleball leagues in its Wicker gym.

Brent McFadden, the church’s sports and recreation minister, said he first heard about pickleball in a staff meeting a few years ago when a colleague suggested the sport be offered at the church.

“We all laughed,” McFadden recalled. “We asked, ‘What is this thing called pickleball?’” They taped lines on the Wicker gym floor and hosted a league in 2018. The response was “all right,” McFadden said. Then COVID hit and interest dwindled.

That was soon to change.

When his brother-in-law, a sports statistician, was isolated in the NBA’s competition “bubble” during the 2020 COVID season, the sport reappeared on McFadden’s radar.

“My brother-in-law got into it with the referees and statisticians playing pickleball every day during that isolation,” he said. “He told me that the sport was taking off.”

By 2022, McFadden and team installed permanent pickleball lines at the church gym and leagues resumed, joining the list of adult and youth recreational activities such as volleyball, youth basketball, cheerleading, golf, and soccer camps offered at the church.

A higher purpose

McFadden, a former college baseball player who once worked in the front office of the Oakland A’s Double-A affiliate, didn’t originally intend to work in sports ministry. But he found community outreach events required of his position with the A’s compelling, and he began to see a higher purpose.

A mentor told him, “If you run a sports ministry just to play sports, without it being Christ-centered, what’s the good in that?”

“I truly want [participants] to get more out the experiences [at the church] than just to play sports,” McFadden said, adding that pickleball offers unique opportunities for socialization and ministry. So, he provides weekly video devotionals with Scripture and applications for league teams to watch.

“I don’t want to provide a way for people just to connect physically, but also to connect with Jesus spiritually,” he added.

“A lot of people want to play,” he said. First Dallas offers three seasonal leagues per year. Players sign up in teams of two and the church helps prospective players find partners if needed.

Men’s and mixed doubles league play occurs during the church’s Sunday afternoon Discipleship University time. Women’s play hasn’t proved as popular, McFadden said, but may be added in the future.

Some 80 players of mixed ages participated in the fall 2023 league; 36 teams signed up for the winter 2024 league.

The fall mixed league winner was Kay Seamayer, an 83-year-old senior women’s basketball champion known as “Granny Globetrotter.” She teamed with Jim Lockhart, in his 60s, to win the league, illustrating one of pickleball’s distinctives: an octogenarian can take down millennials with well-placed dinks, drives, lobs, and placement over power.

But the spiritual possibilities far outweigh all other benefits.

“Sports ministry is so crucial … an opportunity to bring people into your church who likely have not heard of Christ or heard very little. His ways are always better. That is the exciting part to me,” McFadden said.

“Pickleball lends itself to conversation. It’s all about fellowship. Why not include Bible study in that?”

—Jina Joss Tweet

Small city pickleball vibes

Pickleball is relatively inexpensive and easy to learn. An average church gym with a full-sized basketball court has room for three pickleball courts, which are about one-fourth the size of tennis courts. Sturdy, good-quality portable nets cost less than $200.

This accessibility is one of the reasons Jerry Don Gleaton started offering pickleball at Brownwood’s Coggin Avenue Baptist Church about four years ago. The former Major League Baseball player and Coggin’s activities director said members recommended the sport.

Gleaton initially started opening the gym for pickleball on Monday nights, then added daytime playtimes, some in conjunction with the newly formed Brownwood Pickleball Club. The church made the initial investment in portable nets, which the club replaces as needed.

“We see people getting invited to play pickleball and then getting invited to church,” Gleaton said.

One indoor play date per week is reserved for Coggin members and guests, an effort spearheaded by church member Sandy Joyner, who also sets up separate playtimes at the city’s public courts.

“It’s a great ministry,” Joyner said. “Pickleball has brought community to so many.”

Joyner said her prayer is that “God will touch people’s hearts and connect those who desperately need community and ultimately, Jesus!”

Another Coggin member, Jina Joss, used pickleball to invite women to a home Bible study on prayer, posting the details on the Brownwood Pickleball Club’s Facebook page. About 15 women signed up for the six-week study, and whoever feels like it after each session hangs around to play on nearby private courts.

“We all play pickleball. We have community in that, so I thought pickleball would be a good segue into Bible study,” Joss said.

“Pickleball lends itself to conversation,” she added. “It’s all about fellowship. Why not include Bible study in that? Why not fellowship with Jesus?”

5 minutes with Jason Earls

Jason Earls became pastor of North Garland Baptist Fellowship in December 2022, but he has long been involved at the church. He served as its youth pastor from 2011-2016 before stepping down to pursue a full-time career in stand-up Christian comedy, a passion he continues to pursue part-time. Born and raised in Portsmouth, Va., and the son and grandson of pastors, Earls came to the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex to attend Dallas Theological Seminary and stayed. He and his wife, Terri, have six children: Aaron, Alexandria, Alicia, Andrew, Achim, and Aniyah—as Earls quips, his “first time making straight A’s.”

What’s something you’ve been able to celebrate at North Garland recently?

The number of individuals who have joined the kingdom by placing their faith in Christ. We’ve gotten to the point where we’ve had to renovate, turn our fellowship hall into our sanctuary to accommodate the amount of growth. We’ve had people coming to the Lord … getting baptized, going public with their faith, and an overwhelming amount of young children. Families with multiple children are joining.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your ministry lately?

The beautiful thing about NGBF is that we have six generations very well represented. For the first time in [modern] human history, we have six living generations: the silent generation, the baby boomers, Gen X, the millennials, Gen Z, and Gen Alpha. To be able to unify and show value to every generation has been consistently challenging. … [I want us to] no longer look at generational leadership as a relay race where a baton is handed but … as a Tour de France, where everybody has an integral part on this bicycle team. In a Tour de France, different people lead in different things, in different segments, in different parts of the race.

What’s one lesson you’ve learned to this point of your ministry you know you’ll never forget?

The more biblical knowledge, experience, and wisdom we get, the more we have the propensity to lean into our own understanding. When God gives you vision, you and your own understanding may hijack the vision God wants you to implement in His timing. It’s important to achieve the balance of using the experience and wisdom God has allowed you and that of those around you.

What is something you’d like to see happen at North Garland this year?

For every individual to be so engaged with God’s Word and discipleship that we, as a church and as individuals in our own unique giftedness, are impacting Garland and the entire globe. God didn’t give everybody everything, but He gave everybody something and He wants you to use it in something to make His name known and to build His kingdom. If I could get everybody to understand what their something is and to use it for God’s kingdom, I could go be with Jesus.

How can the churches of the SBTC be praying for you?

Pray that this pastor and comedian stays faithful to his wife and children first, and that God allows Jason and every member of North Garland to be overwhelmed with the love of Jesus and His Word and a passion for the lost.

Dios utiliza un “contratiempo” para abrir una puerta para la plantación de una iglesia hispana en Corpus Christi

El pastor Rubén De Rus ha experimentado personalmente la promesa bíblica de que a los que aman a Dios, todas las cosas les ayudan a bien.

De Rus, originario de España, obtuvo una visa de estudiante y vino a EE.UU. a los 20 años para estudiar teología en una universidad bautista de San Antonio. Allí conoció a su esposa, Azucena, y, poco antes de graduarse, fue reclutado para pastorear una iglesia en Colorado.

De Rus llevaba varios años pastoreando allí cuando descubrió algo que cambiaría la trayectoria de su ministerio: alguien que le había ayudado a obtener su visa religiosa, lo hizo de forma fraudulenta, obligando a De Rus a hacer algo que no tenía previsto: volver a estudiar para poder permanecer en Estados Unidos con su visa de estudiante. De Rus decidió cursar una maestría en consejería clínica, un camino que, según él dice, quizás no habría considerado si las cosas hubieran ido según sus propios planes. Durante ese tiempo, también trabajó en un centro de salud mental.

Poco sabía él, que Dios estaba trabajando y sentando las bases para el ministerio que beneficiaría al reino de Dios varios años más tarde.

En el 2018, De Rus y su esposa comenzaron a sentir que Dios los llamaba a salir de Colorado y regresar a Texas para estar más cerca de la familia de ella. El Señor abrió la puerta para que De Rus sirviera como consejero clínico en un refugio para niñas inmigrantes en el área de Corpus Christi—un puesto que ocupó durante cinco años, el último como director del departamento de consejería.

Con el paso del tiempo, De Rus se enteró de que la Convención de los Bautistas del Sur de Texas había identificado Corpus como una zona donde se necesitaban más plantadores de iglesias hispanos. Aunque De Rus no tenía planes de regresar al pastorado, Dios puso en su corazón que él podía ayudar a satisfacer esa necesidad.

Él comenzó el proceso de evaluación de plantadores a través de Send Network SBTC, la asociación de plantación de iglesias entre la SBTC y la Junta de Misiones Norteamericanas, a finales del 2022. Fue enviado con el apoyo de su iglesia, Yorktown Baptist Church en Corpus Christi, su pastor, Jonathan Brazell, y su cuerpo de ancianos. De Rus y su familia fueron oficialmente comisionados como plantadores en la Reunión Anual de la SBTC en noviembre de 2022, y plantaron la Iglesia Bautista South Side en Corpus Christi unos meses después.

Teniendo conversaciones, alcanzando familias

South Side comenzó a celebrar estudios bíblicos los domingos en el 2023, y a De Rus y su esposa se les unió una pareja de amigos, Miguel y Daniela Barreras, deseosos de unirse a la obra que Dios estaba haciendo. De Rus se sintió específicamente llamado a poner en práctica su experiencia y formación como consejero clínico a través de la iglesia, proporcionando sanidad interior a las personas que sufrían y vivían sin Jesús. Esa misión guio la forma en que South Side empezó a alcanzar a la comunidad.

La iglesia comenzó a ofrecer una serie de talleres llamados “Hablemos” que abordaban temas como la inmigración, la paternidad y otros. Estas charlas han ayudado a la iglesia a conectar con 10 familias que asistieron no sólo a las charlas, sino a la iglesia.

“Nuestro enfoque en este momento es trabajar con la unidad familiar, y nuestra misión es hacer discípulos de Cristo que crezcan en su obediencia a Dios y amor por los demás”, dijo De Rus.

De Rus dijo que ha sido sorprendente ver con cuántas personas el Señor le ha permitido a la iglesia conectar en tan poco tiempo. South Side ha visto abrirse una serie de puertas ministeriales, permitiendo a sus miembros ministrar a familias y personas vulnerables. Una de esas oportunidades ha llegado a través de un refugio local para mujeres, donde una mujer vio un anuncio en las redes sociales promocionando una de las charlas de la iglesia. Empezó a asistir, invitó a otras mujeres y, como resultado, varias han aceptado a Cristo y se han bautizado.

“Nuestro enfoque en este momento es trabajar con la unidad familiar, y nuestra misión es hacer discípulos de Cristo que crezcan en su obediencia a Dios y amor por los demás”.

—Ruben De Rus Tweet

South Side—que celebró su primer aniversario el 1 de enero de 2024 con la llegada de una persona a la fe en Cristo—tiene planes para ampliar su alcance en la comunidad. Pronto, se instalará una plaza comunitaria en sus facilidades, donde la iglesia ofrecerá clases de inglés (ESL) y diploma de secundaria (GED). Además, en mayo funcionará allí un consulado mexicano móvil para que los ciudadanos mexicanos puedan resolver gestiones de documentación.

De Rus—que es un pastor bivocacional y también trabaja como subdirector en un programa de familias de acogida—dijo que su oración es que Dios siga ayudándole a administrar bien su tiempo. Dijo que es un reto ver las grandes necesidades que hay con pocos recursos para atenderlas. Aun así, el plan es ministrar fielmente a las cerca de 40 personas que asisten regularmente a South Side mientras se siguen ofreciendo charlas y talleres para fortalecer a las familias, presentarles a Jesús y ayudarles a crecer en su fe.

“Cuando decides entrar por la puerta [de Dios], es increíble ver todo lo que hay detrás de esa puerta, que son oportunidades para ministrar a la gente”, dijo De Rus. “Estamos viendo gente que viene a Cristo, familias integradas, sirviendo, y creciendo en su relación con Dios y fortaleciendo sus relaciones padre-hijo y cónyuge”.

God uses ‘setback’ to open door for much-needed Hispanic church plant in Corpus Christi

Pastor Ruben De Rus has personally experienced the biblical promise that God works all things together for good.

De Rus, originally from Spain, obtained a student visa and came to the U.S. in his 20s to study theology at a Baptist university in San Antonio. There he met his wife, Azucena, and, shortly before graduating, he was recruited to pastor a church in Colorado.

De Rus had been pastoring there for several years when he discovered something that would change the trajectory of his ministry: someone who had helped him obtain his religious visa did so fraudulently, forcing De Rus to change his plans and return to school so he could remain in the U.S. on his student visa. He decided to pursue a master’s degree in clinical counseling, a path he says he might not have considered had things gone according to his own plans. During that time, he also took a job at a mental health center.

Little did he know, God was at work laying a foundation for ministry that would benefit the kingdom several years later.

By 2018, De Rus and his wife began sensing God calling them away from Colorado and back to Texas to be closer to her family. The Lord opened the door for De Rus to serve as a clinical counselor at a shelter for immigrant girls in the Corpus Christi area, a position he held for five years, the last serving as director of the counseling department.

As time passed, De Rus learned the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention had identified Corpus as an area where more Hispanic church planters were needed. Although De Rus had no plans to return to pastoring, God impressed on his heart that he could help meet that need.

He began the evaluation process for planters through Send Network SBTC, the church planting partnership between the SBTC and North American Mission Board, in late 2022. He was sent out with the support of his church, Yorktown Baptist Church in Corpus Christi, its pastor, Jonathan Brazell, and its elders. De Rus and his family were officially commissioned as planters at the SBTC Annual Meeting in November 2022 and planted South Side Baptist Church in Corpus Christi a few months later.

Having conversations, reaching families

South Side began holding Bible studies on Sundays in 2023, with De Rus and his wife being joined by friends Miguel and Daniela Barreras, who were eager to join the work God was doing. De Rus specifically felt called to put his experience and training as a clinical counselor into practice through the church, providing inner healing to people hurting and living without Jesus. That mission guided how South Side began reaching out to the community.

The church began offering a series of workshops called “Let’s Talk” addressing subjects such as immigration, parenting, and more. These talks helped the church connect with 10 families that attended not only the talks, but also church.

“Our focus at this time is to work with the family unit, and our mission is to make disciples of Christ who grow in their obedience to God and love for others,” De Rus said.

De Rus said it has been striking to see how many people the Lord has connected to the church in such a short time. South Side has witnessed a number of ministry doors open, allowing members to minister to families and vulnerable people. One of those opportunities has come through a local women’s shelter, where a woman there saw a social media ad promoting one of the church’s talks. She began attending, invited others to come, and, as a result, several have accepted Christ and been baptized.

“Our focus at this time is to work with the family unit, and our mission is to make disciples of Christ who grow in their obedience to God and love for others.”

—Ruben De Rus Tweet

South Side—which celebrated its one-year anniversary on Jan. 1, 2024, with a person coming to faith in Christ—has plans to expand its community outreach. Soon, a community plaza will be located on its premises where the church will offer ESL and GED classes. Additionally, a mobile Mexican consulate will operate there in May so Mexican citizens can legally resolve documentation issues.

As a bivocational pastor who also serves as an assistant director at a family foster care program, De Rus said his prayer is that God will continue to help him manage his time well. He said it is a challenge to see great needs with few resources to address them. Even so, the plan is to faithfully minister to the 40 or so people attending South Side regularly while continuing to offer talks and workshops to strengthen families, introduce them to Jesus, and help them grow in their faith.

“When you decide to walk through [God’s] door, it’s amazing to see everything behind that door—which are opportunities to minister to people,” De Rus said. “We are seeing people coming to Christ, families integrated, serving, and growing in their relationship with God and strengthening their parent-child and spouse relationships.”

Join me as we walk in the footsteps of Jesus

Iwant to personally invite you to join me later this year on our Experience the Holy Land Clergy Familiarization Trip in Israel.

The Southern Baptists of Texas Convention is hosting this 10-day trip from Dec. 26, 2024, through Jan. 4, 2025. The trip is available to senior pastors of SBTC-affiliated churches at a discounted price, which includes $1,300 in financial assistance provided by a generous grant from the SBTC Executive Board. Special pricing is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Senior pastors who wish to register must currently be pastoring an SBTC church. Their cost is $1,797 (after the grant has been applied). A second pastor from the same church may travel at the regular clergy price of $3,097, but only two pastors are allowed per church. Spouses can join the trip for $3,497.

You can scan visit sbtexas.com/israel for more information. Space is limited. I have been to the Holy Land several times and it has been a life-changing experience for me. I hope you will prayerfully consider joining us as we retrace the footsteps of Jesus and watch the Bible come alive before our very eyes.

I love you and I am honored to serve you!

Historic East Texas church is experiencing growth through evangelism, community connections

Mulberry Springs Baptist Church, about 15 miles northeast of Longview, doesn’t see a lot of traffic on a typical day. Yet the rural congregation—founded in 1892—is building a new worship space to seat nearly 800 people.

“We’re in a community of houses. We’ve got a little country store that just opened, but that’s it,” Pastor Danny Warbington said. “You’re not coming out here unless you live here, or maybe you’re going to make your way to Lake O’ the Pines, which is a beautiful place to camp and fish. Otherwise, we’re kind of in no man’s land.”

Before Warbington got to the church 18 years ago, attendance was a little over 100 and the discouraged congregation had moved back to its older, smaller meeting space. Things began to look up when the interim who preceded Warbington—an evangelist—started preaching the gospel and seeing people get saved.

“We began to implement the things that I know work—preaching the gospel, visitation,” Warbington said, noting he wanted to lead the church to build on those first signs of renewal. “I do believe people still want to know that you care.”

“We want them to know we want them to be a part of something great God is doing in the country.”

—Danny Warbington Tweet

After taking gift bags to the homes of visitors and getting involved in the community, including winning best float in a local parade, Mulberry Springs began to average 30 baptisms per year.

“We began to prosper and see God move mightily,” Warbington said. “About three or four years ago, we were number one in baptisms for churches our size in the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. It’s evangelism, evangelism, evangelism.”

The church now fills its 425-seat auditorium, and Warbington said the number of baptisms is a sign of health the church can continue to build on—literally.

“About seven years ago, we decided the Lord was calling us to build a new sanctuary because the house of the Lord was packed,” Warbington said. “We built a balcony and filled it up. We decided to turn our existing sanctuary back into what it was intended to be—a multipurpose gymnasium.”

The new worship space also will include six offices, five nursery rooms, and an upstairs mezzanine for children’s church.

“Our church is not rich. We have great givers, great tithers, but we’re just blue-collar people,” he said. “We prayed about a God-sized vision that only God can do.”

The church grows through children, Warbington said, noting that Mulberry Springs has a mother’s day out program twice a week with about 70 children and a homeschool co-op that meets Fridays with about 100 students.

A particular blessing to the pastor is that senior adults have told him that seeing people come to know Jesus has outweighed some of the changes the church has experienced, such as a new worship style.

“That adds to the growth of the church, because those who have been here so long are willing to give up the ground that is necessary,” Warbington said. “They’ve been so excited seeing new families and new faces. To see people saved and baptized, they’re going to rejoice no matter what.”

Each year, Mulberry Springs hosts an Engage conference where it displays the ministries of the church and encourages everyone to sign up to serve.

“We only have a few committees, and we have lots of ministries from missions to outreach to children,” Warbington said. “We constantly put before people that God has called them to serve and they need to find a place.”

The children’s director has a pool of about 45 people to draw from as workers, he said, and the church is known for a high-quality Vacation Bible School. The gospel is preached at VBS, and seldom are fewer than 10-12 children saved, he noted.

“Our people love VBS,” he said. “We go all out and the kids have the time of their lives.”

Something unique about Mulberry Springs is that every Sunday morning after the first song, men and their sons are called to the front to pray and ask God to anoint them to lead their families. Warbington said the church has been doing that for four decades.

Hallsville, the nearest community to Mulberry Springs, has an exemplary school system, which is attractive to parents working in nearby Longview, Warbington said.

“There are hundreds of homes. They’re going up everywhere. The number of people to reach is why we built the sanctuary. We’re talking about within 10 miles there are huge housing additions going up,” he said. “I really believe that we may have built too small. The potential is there.”

Mulberry Springs averages six to eight visitors per week, the pastor said.

“These are people searching for a church, and we visit them if they want. We want them to know we want them to be a part of something great God is doing in the country,” Warbington said. “Make evangelism and discipleship a priority. When you see people saved and the waters stirred, a lot of problems that people are focused on go away.”