Author: Russell Lightner

5 minutes with Eric D. Shin

Eric D. Shin has served as senior pastor of Houston’s New Life Fellowship since its beginning in 1997. Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, Shin immigrated to the U.S. with his family at age 13, where they settled in New York City. He trusted Christ as Savior at 18, eventually forsaking plans for a legal career to attend seminary. In 1994, Shin and his family relocated to Houston, where he served at Seoul Baptist Church as youth pastor before founding New Life Fellowship, which follows a house church model. Shin served on the board of the SBTC from 2017-2022. He and his wife, Lynette, have three adult sons: Enoch, Caleb, and Josiah.

How does a house church model differ from traditional worship?

On any Sunday, 480-550 adults plus 180 children and 100 youth will gather to worship at New Life. All of these are part of our 86 house churches that meet on Fridays and Saturdays, also. Sunday is more like a typical contemporary church service with worship and a sermon 50-60 minutes in length. We also have Sunday lunch.

Most of our house churches consist of up to 12 adults plus children. When a house church reaches 12 adults, we multiply them into two. The house churches grow organically. People choose where to join to allow for autonomy and choice. We ask people to reach out and [invite] their own friends. It’s all relational evangelism.

More people attend house church than Sunday worship. About 10 percent who come to our house churches are unbelievers. We call them VIPs, and we offer “receiving Jesus” meetings to those who are interested. We reach out to and welcome all unbelievers. We are stricter with Christians who hop around from church to church. We discourage that.

What is something you’ve been able to celebrate at New Life this year?

We have seen a lot of growth. Even COVID had no effect on us. We did go online for a few months, but house church attendance has steadily increased. We are seeing a lot of house churches multiplying these days.

What is a challenge facing the house church ministry?

We are seeing more house churches forming. It’s not easy. It requires a paradigm shift. There are churches that are doing house churches in Dallas, Austin, across the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Kazakhstan, Australia, Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, Bolivia, Japan, South Korea … several hundred all over the world. … I would like to mobilize our gifted church members to come up with resources including a website, videos, and teaching material to spread house church ministry as fast and far as possible.

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

Hold to the Scriptures. Study, pray, and seek God. The Bible is the ultimate and supreme authority. That will lead us to the place we need to go.

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

Pray that I can stay the course that God has mapped out. Pray that New Life Fellowship will be used in spreading the New Testament church. Pray that other pastors will be exposed to the house church model.

Fall, football, and cooperation

love the fall. The heat begins to fade and cooler weather moves in. Leaves begin to change colors and, of course, football season begins. Every week there is football for me to watch from Thursday through Monday night.

This season there has been a lot of buzz around the trade of Aaron Rodgers, one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. He is a four-time league MVP and a future Hall of Famer who was traded to the New York Jets this past offseason.

What does Aaron Rodgers have to do with anything? Well, he made his Jets debut on Sept. 11. The entire stadium was filled with anticipation as he took the field for the first time with his new team. Jets fans believed their new superstar would make them immediate Super Bowl contenders.

However, something unexpected happened. In the first quarter, Rodgers left the game with a season-ending injury. A season of hope and expectations now seems to be lost because of the status of their superstar who they felt would lead them to victory.

This is the tragedy of putting expectations on one player instead of the entire team. If that player goes down, it causes you to lose hope. You see, the best way to build a strategy for winning is not to build around one, but rather, all 11 on the field.

"I pray we sense the magnitude of the opportunity God has given us and suit up together every day as a team of churches and advance the mission together."

Nathan Lorick Tweet

The same is true with cooperation between churches. There are no superstar churches—only local churches seeking to reach their communities with the gospel. That’s the beauty of a network like the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention. We have an entire team of churches working together to move the ball down the field, or better yet, the gospel across Texas. We truly execute better when we are doing this as a team.

The SBTC is a network of more than 2,700 churches that love the mission God has given us. We operate together to reach Texas and impact the world. We give together, go together, grow together, send together, plant churches together, and so much more. We do it so effectively because we cooperate to do it together. When one is down, we have so many others to pick them up. When one is experiencing success, we have so many others to celebrate with them. We know it takes all of us working together around doctrinal and missional unity.

I have never in my life been more grateful for a network of churches as I am today for SBTC churches. We know God has given us a clear mission field. We know He has strategically placed each church in Texas where it is for such a time as this. I pray we sense the magnitude of the opportunity God has given us and suit up together every day as a team of churches and advance the mission together. The time is now, the need is great, and the opportunity is in front of us. Let’s do this together!

Let me encourage you to attend our 2023 SBTC Annual Meeting being held at Cross City Church in Euless Nov. 13-14. It is going to be an incredible time as we celebrate 25 years of ministry together in Texas. I hope to see you there. I love you and am honored to serve you!

What’s your story? ‘Here I am Lord, use me!’

My first English as a Second Language (ESL) student was named Claire. At that time, about 12 years ago, I was a volunteer with the Christian Women’s Job Corps and we were asking a group of women what they wanted to learn. We got the usual answers pertaining to job skills until Claire said, “I want to learn English and I want to learn about God.” I wasn’t sure how I was going to help at the Job Corps, but when she spoke up, it was just like, “Oh yes, that’s where I want to be.”

So, it was a one-on-one semester with Claire, and then the next semester we had maybe five students and the next year, five or six. The program just kind of evolved until there were fewer people who needed job skills and there were more and more people coming in who needed ESL. So the coordinator at the time said, “We’re going to change this to an ESL program.” I worked as a volunteer teacher for a couple of years, until the coordinator retired. The program had no leader at that point, and I was about to retire from my job, so I was happy to step in and serve in that capacity.

I served as coordinator of the ESL program for the next nine years. At first, we were called Life Bridge and came under the umbrella of a ministry in Austin. Since then, we’ve become part of the Great Hills Baptist Church ministry. In 2022, when we became part of Great Hills’ ministry, we had 159 people attend at some point and 93 regular attenders. We had another 30 to 40 who were learning online. The Great Hills transition has been huge for us.

And the wonderful thing was, these people were hungry for the gospel. We do one hour of Bible study and then about an hour and a half of English on top of that. Sometimes in the past, people would skip Bible study because it was the first hour and they would just come for the English. Last year, they were coming for the Bible. They were hungry to know more. In 2022, we showed “The Jesus Film” and Daniel Van Cleave, the pastor we worked with, wanted to have everybody in the same room hearing it in their own language at the same time. We worked it out so that we could show the movie on a big screen. Everybody was able, using their phones, to hear it in their own languages using earbuds. We had people listening in 12 languages at the same time.

"What’s my story? My God is faithful! Greater is He who is in me than he that is in the world."

Nancy Gibbs Tweet

It was so exciting because they got to hear in two hours, in their own heart language, what we’d been trying to teach all year long in English in bits and pieces. So, for everyone to hear the story of Jesus in their heart language was amazing. You could hear a pin drop in the room when they were watching this movie and there were gasps like, “Oh!” when Jesus rose from the dead.

We had decision cards in their own languages, and we had some who wanted to follow Jesus. We had others who wanted to know more. So, one of our Bible study teachers started a Bible study on Sunday mornings to answer their questions and help them explore the Bible. That same person is going to be starting an official ESL Sunday school [class] because there are people coming to the church wanting to have an ESL class on Sunday mornings. We have just seen this hunger and a response to the gospel this last year like never before. God has been so faithful. Sometimes I just feel like I’m on this ride watching Him work—I’m just one little spoke in the wheel. God’s doing this amazing thing that I just get to participate in and watch, and I praise Him mightily for all that He’s doing.

I have made friends—lifelong friends—both with students and the teachers. I never expected that. There have just been so many blessings in addition to seeing the faithfulness of God. Last year, we started seeing more people than ever before following the Lord. There was one young woman from Iran—and it’s dangerous to become a Christian if you’re an Iranian—who came running down the hall about five or six years ago saying, “Nancy, Nancy, I’m your sister.” And I said, “What?” She said again, “I’m your sister,” and she meant, “I’m your sister in the Lord”—that she had made a decision to follow Christ. You can’t trade that for anything. It’s just been the most wonderful journey.

I’ve recently retired as coordinator and now direct our online ESL program. My husband, Wayne, and I have five grandchildren scattered all over, so it came time to retire, and I realized I could still teach by Zoom from just about anywhere.

What’s my story? My God is faithful! Greater is He who is in me than he that is in the world. The evil one will throw you curveballs, but the Lord always proves Himself greater.

Want to share a story of what God is doing in your life or your church?

Share your story here

Finding stability (& sanity!) amidst your busy schedule

Most pastors aspire for some sanity in their schedules. More than half say time management is an aspect that needs attention or investment today and that avoiding over-commitment is a challenge for them, according to a Lifeway Research study.

This month, as I started my 36th year of pastoral ministry, I took a minute to reflect on some routines I have woven into my life and ministry that I hope will be helpful for you:

Wake up worshiping

My personal preference is to worship first thing in the morning because I cannot recover those first thoughts later in the day. Morning worship supports my desire to make loving God my first priority of the day (i.e., the Great Commandment). I typically read a chapter a day from the Bible in my favorite chair, then pray either in that same chair or worship as I am walking, jogging, or driving.

Do sermon prep early

According to Inc. magazine, workers have been found to be more proactive and productive in the mornings. There will never be a time in my day when I have more energy and fewer distractions, so I do most of my sermon prep and writing before lunch. For those of you who are multi-vocational and may not have the option of starting earlier in the day, you can start earlier in the week instead of stress-prepping on the weekend. Once you have devoted yourself “to prayer and to the preaching ministry” (Acts 6:4), you are ready to start connecting with your sheep and staff (or in my case, shepherds).

Stack your meetings

Most of our members do not know how much we dread committee and team meetings (and weddings). Although we cannot and should not avoid them, we can stack them. You can stack meetings on church days by making them the only option when you are available to meet. Sundays and Wednesdays are less likely to compete with our personal and family time, and they are already blocked off on our calendars.

"I cannot fully connect with my family until I have disconnected from my ministry. Neither can you."

Mark Dance Tweet

Protect most nights & weekends

With the forementioned exceptions of Wednesdays and Sundays, my goal has been to stop working completely by supper. I cannot fully connect with my family until I have disconnected from my ministry. Neither can you. The health of your family and your ministry is connected to your own health, and evenings are a great time to recharge. Nobody in ministry can protect every weekend, but you can and should say no more often to church members if you find yourself consistently skipping sabbath. Sabbath (literally meaning “stop”) is not optional for ministers—or any believers, for that matter. You may have to be creative in how and when you stop. Just don’t try to redefine what God declared holy.

Protect your bedtime

The American Medical Association, the National Institutes of Health, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention all say we typically need about eight hours of sleep to feel and function normally while awake. In my experience, I do better work and I am in a better mood when I am fully rested. If you think God hardwired you to be the exception because you only need four to five hours of sleep, your delusion is proof you are wrong.

Though my schedule rarely plays out exactly as planned, these guidelines have helped me enjoy a sane and sustainable life and ministry for almost three decades. I pray it does the same for you and your ministry!

What’s your story? ‘Here I am Lord, use me!’

The Lord moved me from my home in Manila, Philippines, in 2004. I’ve been here in Texas since 2011. God also gave me a hunger to know His direction for my ministry. I began to see it during my third year at Criswell College. We were doing a practicum in Oak Cliff and I was working with a multi-language church. As I listened to people in Texas worshipping in their mother tongue, I got the sense that God wanted me to preach His gospel in my native Filipino dialect.

Having received a direction from the Lord, my wife, Alpa, and I began to visit Filipino restaurants from DFW to Plano. There was one particular restaurant in Plano, owned by four ladies, where I asked them, “If I bring people and do a Bible study here in your restaurant every Friday night and pay half of the bill … will you allow me to do the Bible study?” They laughed and said, “Of course, it will increase our business.” These ladies were my “persons of peace” to enable my ministry. So I started a Bible study in the Filipino restaurant in our dialect, and I also invited the owners of the restaurant. I shared the gospel with them and they prayed to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

Soon, four of my regulars approached me and asked, “Will you bring that same Bible study to our town, Greenville?” I asked, “Where is Greenville?” They said, “It’s way far east. If you are from here, you just go east on I-30 and you will not miss Greenville.”

So I went, and we started Bible studies there maybe six months before my graduation. I also started attending Southern Baptists of Texas Convention church planting seminars and I found a sending church. We moved to Greenville in 2019. I instantly fell in love with the city, the culture, and the people. I think it’s God’s thing.

We started a Bible study in my home and I began to transition to preaching. After a couple of years, we had 50 people meeting with us, and then the pandemic hit. In order to work within the quarantine regulations, we told our people that the first 25 to register during a week could attend one Sunday, and then another 25 could attend the next. In a way, God used it to grow our church. As things began to open up again, we were near 70 people some weeks. We needed a new place to meet and rented a building temporarily.

“What’s my story? It’s not what you know and what you have. It’s your heart that is willing to say, ‘Here I am, Lord, use me.’ That’s all there is.”

Larry Cortez Tweet

With the help of the Hunt Baptist Association, we were able to find and buy the building of a church that had closed. By this time, we had started outreaches in Forney and Plano. My family travels from Greenville to these locations on Sunday afternoons. Our plan is to disciple leaders to preach and pastor these congregations as freestanding churches, sent by my church, Genuine Faith Community Church. And now, we even have a chance to start a Hispanic congregation in Richardson. We have people meeting in 10-15 homes as well. The Lord is so amazing. It blows my mind. Glory to God! This is all His doing. I just said, “Lord, here I am. Use me in any ways that your name will be glorified.”

It is very important for a pastor or a servant or a missionary to have a willing heart. Last year, a stranger came to my house saying that he’s also a pastor from the Philippines and he said he’s here to plant a church. So, I allowed him to reside in my house for six months and he became a friend and a brother. He helped me in our church here in Greenville. I asked if he would, with or without anything, plant a church in the Philippines. He said he would, so I told him, “Go home [to the Philippines], wait for me there, bring me to where you are, show me what you’re doing, and we will plant a church—with or without anything.”

At the time, my son was studying in the Philippines and graduated college last June. So my wife and I, even without enough, went home for my son’s graduation. I challenged my church of 50 people to bring me to the Philippines. My pastor friend now had a group meeting in a Muslim part of the country. I met with 24 pastors and introduced church planting to them. Some of them were meeting in little brush shelters—not really buildings at all.

We visited various provinces and islands, speaking to city officials, sharing the gospel, laying the groundwork for churches all across the country. Isn’t it amazing how the Lord is making me witness His salvation and His way of bringing His salvation to Filipinos in the Philippines?

Who am I? Who am I? I witness the glory of God, and not because of my capacity. If your heart is willing, God will use you and show you how amazing His church planting is.

What’s my story? It’s not what you know and what you have. It’s your heart that is willing to say, “Here I am, Lord, use me.” That’s all there is.

Want to share a story of what God is doing in your life or your church?

Share your story here

5 minutes with Leah Holder Green

Southern Baptists of Texas Convention Executive Board member Leah Holder Green has been teaching God’s Word since she was 17 and writes Bible study curriculum for Second Baptist Church of Houston. She practiced law before entering full-time ministry as a Bible curriculum specialist. In addition to her work with Second Baptist, she is pursuing a Master of Arts in Christian Education from Dallas Theological Seminary and has a speaking and writing ministry (leahholdergreen.com). Green and her husband, Clarence, have two daughters: Caylen Joy, a toddler, and Lena Hope, who is with the Lord.

What is one challenge you face as a Bible curriculum writer in 2023?

One challenge I face is presenting biblical truths in new and fresh ways, especially for young people. Although there is nothing new under the sun, the internet and social media have created interesting dynamics in the realm of Christian education. My aim is to keep the gift (God’s truth) the same and simply change the wrapping paper according to my audience.

What is your assessment of the state of biblical literacy in the modern church?

In my experience, biblical literacy is lacking in the modern church. It seems many people are content to receive biblical teaching and knowledge from … untrained and unverified sources on social media. I once saw a post on Instagram that said, “God does not want you to deny yourself,” and many self-proclaimed Christians liked the post. I found it baffling because Matthew 16:24 clearly reads, “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me.’” [So] one aim of my Bible teaching ministry is to encourage people to study and love God’s Word.

How does in-house curriculum writing benefit a congregation?

Some benefits of in-house curriculum writing include ensuring veracity and relevance. It is important to screen any pre-written curriculum to make sure it presents orthodox Christian teaching. Writing the curriculum in-house helps ensure fidelity to Scripture and sound Christian doctrine. Further, writing curriculum in-house enables churches to tailor the lessons and illustrations to their congregants’ particular needs, communities, and seasons of life.

Where do you see the greatest needs as they pertain to curriculum?

I write curriculum primarily for youth and women. While everyone needs sound Christian education, I believe it is especially important for youth. They are impressionable, seeking truth, and developing their worldviews. I pray God allows me to participate in helping them form biblical worldviews.

How can the churches of the SBTC be praying for you and your ministry?

I love God, I love His Word, and I love His people. I also love learning and sharing what I learn. Thus, I find my calling as a Bible teacher and Christian author incredibly rewarding. Whenever we work to advance God’s kingdom of light, we necessarily encounter opposition from the enemy’s kingdom of darkness. I’d appreciate prayer that I will stay the course, keep my mind on the things above, and fulfill every purpose God has ordained for my life and ministry.

Dios lleva a pastor por un camino inesperado que dirige a su ministerio y a la iglesia de Conroe a una nueva vida.

‘It’s not up to me it’s up to the Lord’

Simón Villalobos parecía haber estado siempre en el ministerio.

Empezó a servir al Señor a los 16 años. A los 21, respondió al llamado de Dios al pastorado y finalmente llegó a Veracruz, México, donde sirvió como pastor durante 22 años con 14 iglesias a su cargo.

Con el tiempo, su ministerio en Veracruz concluyó y parecía que se le abría una puerta para pastorear en Texas. Pero cuando Villalobos llegó a EE. UU., esa puerta se cerró por razones ajenas a su voluntad, dejándole a él y a su familia en un limbo.

Simón Villalobos parecía haber estado siempre en el ministerio… hasta que, de repente, dejó de estarlo.

“Yo creía que ya era tiempo de colgar el equipo y de ponerme cómodo en la banca de la iglesia”, dijo Villalobos.

Y así comenzó un viaje difícil, lleno de aprendizaje para depender de Dios, que le ha llevado hasta donde está hoy, pastoreando la creciente iglesia Champion Family de Conroe.

“Yo creía que ya era tiempo de colgar el equipo y de ponerme cómodo en la banca de la iglesia.”

—Simon Villalobos Tweet

‘Como echar un pececito moribundo al agua’

El camino inesperado que apartó a Villalobos del ministerio vocacional durante 10 años le llevó a buscar un empleo secular por primera vez en su vida. Aunque no se presentaron oportunidades formales de ministerio durante ese tiempo, él y su esposa, Rosita, estuvieron como voluntarios ayudando a pastores y ministerios en diversas funciones. Fue un tiempo de descanso para Villalobos, pero también un tiempo en el que él y Rosita sintieron que Dios había terminado con ellos.

Al menos hasta que su hijo les invitó a la Iglesia Bautista Champion Forest en Español en el 2017. Villalobos dijo que allí se sintió cómodo y conectó con la predicación del pastor Esteban Vázquez. Al poco tiempo, Villalobos entabló amistad con Vázquez y empezó a acompañarle en varias tareas ministeriales.

Entre esas tareas estaba el ofrecer apoyo a una iglesia de Conroe que se estaba muriendo, con sólo unos cinco miembros que llevaban toda la carga del ministerio. Para ayudar a llenar el púlpito de la iglesia en apuros, Vázquez invitó a Villalobos a predicar allí. Entonces Villalobos empezó a predicar más a menudo y, tiempo después, Vázquez le preguntó si le interesaría quedarse como pastor allí.

Villalobos dijo que no estaba seguro de aceptar la oferta porque “no veía futuro aquí. [Esta iglesia] estaba muerta”. Así que lo habló con Rosita y, para su sorpresa, ella le animó a aceptar el reto.

“Para Rosita, fue como lanzar un pececito moribundo al agua”, dijo Villalobos. “Ella tiene un llamado muy específico [sirviendo a la iglesia local] y no lo estaba ejerciendo”. Servir a esta iglesia en apuros podría ayudarles a satisfacer el deseo que Dios había puesto en su corazón, así que Villalobos aceptó ser el pastor durante un año de prueba para ver qué podía hacer el Señor.

‘Una misión que va más allá de las paredes’

Villalobos fue instalado como pastor de la iglesia, que ahora se llama Champion Family Conroe, en octubre de 2019. A su llegada, la iglesia comenzó con 13 personas, algunas enviadas desde Champion Forest. A finales del 2019, asistían unas 25 personas, y el crecimiento y la estabilidad continuaron durante la primavera siguiente. El progreso fue cambiando poco a poco la forma de pensar de Villalobos y le trajo esperanza. “No depende de mí”, dijo. “Depende del Señor”.

En el 2020, Covid-19 interrumpió las reuniones de la iglesia, pero el progreso continuó. Una vez reanudados los servicios en persona, la asistencia siguió aumentando y, al verano siguiente, el Señor proveyó un catalizador que no sólo ayudó a la iglesia, sino también a Villalobos.

En agosto del 2021, Villalobos fue invitado por Champion Forest a participar en el programa de formación de plantadores de iglesias de la Junta de Misiones Norteamericanas [NAMB por sus siglas en inglés]. Él describe la formación como un nuevo comienzo que le proporcionó conocimientos y recursos de los que antes no disponía, incluidos métodos para utilizar la tecnología en el ministerio.

“La residencia me sirvió para conocer una nueva forma de hacer iglesia”, dijo Villalobos. “Pastorear hace 40 años y en otro país no es lo mismo que hacerlo ahora y aquí”.

"No estamos aquí para llenar el templo, que ya está lleno, sino para desarrollar una misión que vaya más allá de las paredes.”

—Simon Villalobos Tweet

A finales del 2021, Champion Family Conroe contaba con unos 80 asistentes, entre recién llegados, refugiados y algunas familias de Champion Forest que se unieron al esfuerzo de replantación. La asistencia ronda ahora las 100 personas por semana. Ese número aumenta a más de 200 en días especiales.

“Esto ha sido un fenómeno en Conroe, porque aquí las iglesias han llegado a un máximo de 50 a 80 personas y luego han decaído, pero ahora Champion Family sigue creciendo y creciendo”, dijo Villalobos.

Champion Family es un testimonio de cómo Dios ha obrado el milagro de la multiplicación y el avivamiento en Conroe, pero Villalobos tiene claro su objetivo. “No estamos aquí para llenar el templo, que ya está lleno, sino para desarrollar una misión que vaya más allá de las paredes”, dijo.

La iglesia apoya ahora a un grupo de jóvenes misioneras en Veracruz y a un pastor bautista en Fresnillo, Zacatecas, México. También apoya a un pastor-plantador en Mozambique, África, donde Champion Family acaba de comprar un terreno para que la iglesia se reúna allí, y están en proceso de comprar un acre y medio de terreno con la esperanza de construir una escuela en Nampula, África.

“Me asombra cómo la gente se ha involucrado sin forzar nada”, dijo Villalobos. “Esta iglesia ha crecido orgánicamente. Oramos para que Dios nos dé pastores y ancianos que tengan la vocación de seguir ministrando y mirando fuera de nuestras paredes.”

God takes pastor on unexpected journey that leads his ministry, Conroe church to new life

‘It’s not up to me it’s up to the Lord’

Simon Villalobos had always seemed to be in ministry.

He began serving the Lord at age 16. By the time he was 21, he answered God’s call to the pastorate and ultimately landed in Veracruz, Mexico, where he served as a pastor for 22 years with 14 churches under his care.

Eventually his ministry in Veracruz concluded and a door seemed to be opening for him to pastor in Texas. But when Villalobos arrived in the U.S., that door closed for reasons beyond his control, leaving his family and him in limbo.

Simon Villalobos had always seemed to be in ministry … until suddenly, he wasn’t.

“I thought it was time to hang up the equipment and get comfortable in the pew,” Villalobos said.

And so began a difficult journey—one of learning to be dependent on God—that has led him to where he is today, pastoring the growing Champion Family Church in Conroe.

“I thought it was time to hang up the equipment and get comfortable in the pew.”

—Simon Villalobos Tweet

‘Like throwing a dying little fish into the water’

The unexpected path that kept Villalobos from vocational ministry for 10 years led him to seek secular employment for the first time in his life. Though no formal ministry opportunities presented themselves during that time, he and his wife, Rosita, volunteered to help pastors and ministries in various capacities. It was a time of rest for Villalobos, but also a time when he and Rosita felt God was done with them.

At least until their son invited them to Champion Forest Baptist Church Español in 2017. Villalobos said he felt comfortable there and connected with the preaching of Pastor Esteban Vazquez. Before long, Villalobos struck up a friendship with Vazquez and began accompanying him on various ministry assignments.

Among those assignments was offering support to a church in Conroe that was dying, with only about five members carrying the entire ministry load. To help fill the pulpit at the struggling church, Vazquez invited Villalobos to preach there. Then Villalobos began to preach more often, and before long, Vazquez asked him if he would be interested in pastoring there.

Villalobos said he was not sure whether to accept the offer because he “saw no future here. [This church] was dead.” So he talked it over with Rosita and, to his surprise, she encouraged him to accept the challenge.

“For Rosita, it was like throwing a dying little fish into the water,” Villalobos said. “She has a very specific calling [in serving the local church] and she wasn’t exercising it.” Serving the struggling church could help them satisfy the desire God had put in their hearts, so Villalobos agreed to be the pastor for a trial year to see what the Lord might do.

‘A mission that goes outside the walls’

Villalobos was installed as the pastor of the church, now called Champion Family Conroe, in October 2019. Upon his arrival, the church had 13 people, some sent from Champion Forest. By the end of 2019, about 25 people were attending, with growth and stability continuing into the following spring. The progress slowly changed Villalobos’ thinking and brought hope. “It’s not up to me,” he said. “It’s up to the Lord.”

COVID-19 interrupted church meetings in 2020, but progress continued. Once in-person services resumed, attendance kept increasing and, the following summer, the Lord provided a catalyst that not only helped the church, but Villalobos.

In August 2021, Villalobos was invited by Champion Forest to participate in the North American Mission Board’s church planter training program. He describes the training as a new beginning that provided him with knowledge and resources that were not available to him previously—including methods of using technology in ministry.

“The [NAMB] residency served to introduce me to a new way of doing church,” Villalobos said. “Pastoring 40 years ago and in another country is not the same as doing it now and here.”

By the end of 2021, Champion Family Conroe had about 80 attendees, including newcomers, refugees, and some other Champion Forest families who joined the replanting effort. Attendance now hovers around 100 people per week. That number swells to more than 200 on special days.

“This has been a phenomenon in Conroe because [many] churches here have peaked at 50 to 80 people and then dropped off, but now Champion Family keeps growing and growing,” Villalobos said.

Champion Family is a testimony of how God has worked the miracle of multiplication and revival in Conroe, but Villalobos is clear about the goal. “We are not here to fill the temple, which is already filled, but to develop a mission that goes outside the walls,” he said.

The church now supports a group of young missionaries in Veracruz and a Baptist pastor in Fresnillo, Zacatecas, Mexico. It also supports a pastor-planter in Mozambique, Africa, where Champion Family just purchased land for the church there to meet, and they are in the process of purchasing an acre-and-a-half of land in hopes of building a school in Nampula, Africa.

“I am amazed at how people have gotten involved without forcing anything,” Villalobos said. “This church has grown organically. We pray that God will give us pastors and elders who have the calling to keep ministering and looking outside our walls.”

God uses the smallest moments in the biggest ways

everal years ago, our daughter was offered a chance to run cross country and track at a small Christian university in Oregon, where we were living and serving the Lord at the time. Our excitement for our daughter was greatly dampened, however, when the school’s business office informed us what our monthly out-of-pocket cost would be for her to attend—even after scholarships were applied.

Though we had prayed and asked God to provide an opportunity like this for our daughter, and watched Him open a door seemingly out of nowhere, the monthly payment was far more than we thought we could afford. It just didn’t make sense on paper.

We decided to take our daughter on an official visit to the university anyway. So we made our way west across the Cascade mountain range, made the visit, and started our trek back to Central Oregon later that evening. On the way home, as we drove back through the mountain pass, I grieved about having to tell our daughter she wouldn’t be able to attend this school.

Then a moment happened I know I will always remember. As I drove, God interrupted my silent pity party and confirmed my worst fears: trying to send our daughter to this school to pursue her dreams didn’t make sense, at least to a human mind like mine. But if my wife and I were willing to blindly trust the same God who created the universe from nothing, He might do something our human minds couldn’t imagine.

"My faith grew on the mountain pass that day, and as God has continued the work He and He alone started, that faith has only strengthened."

jayson larson Tweet

Right there on that mountain pass, I confessed my faithlessness to my wife and daughter and proclaimed that we would trust the work God had already been doing—even if it made no sense to move forward. Lord willing, I’ll see that mountain pass again next spring as we fly over it on the way to watch our daughter graduate from that university.

What are the marks of a growing disciple of Christ? I’d submit to you that among all the disciplines you can put on the list, none is greater—or harder to measure—than faith growth. My faith grew on the mountain pass that day, and as God has continued the work He and He alone started, that faith has only strengthened. Yet even now, I’ve got so much more room to grow.

Why am I telling you this? Part of me wants to encourage you. Every … single … day we are faced with so much that can discourage and blind us to the work God is doing around us—including the work we’ve asked Him to do! Another part of me is painfully aware that we live in a complicated world filled with people who don’t believe God exists at all and followers of Christ who struggle to sense the presence of God or the work of God in their lives.

That’s why sharing these stories matters so much. They’re so important, we dedicate a couple of pages in our magazine each month to allow you to tell your God stories in our “What’s Your Story?” section. They serve as proof of a living and active God who loves us and who is working all things together for good—whether we understand how He is doing that or not.

What are the significant moments that have happened in your life? Why were those moments so meaningful to you? And as you can see it now, how did God change you through those moments?

Set your mind on these things, and when you figure them out, go and tell the people in your church. Go and tell your neighbor and the lady at the grocery store.

Go and tell the world.

Generosity, heart for missions marks Texas Panhandle church

Connecting here, there & everywhere

A steady presence in the Texas Panhandle since 1914, First Baptist Church in Friona has seen success at reaching families in a modern context, and through the years it has been marked by a generous spirit toward missions.

“Some churches have more of a banker’s mentality when it comes to money—hang on, save,” said Brett Hoyle, pastor of FBC Friona. “It’s been amazing to see how generous the church is toward mission work.”

The church, which averages 150 in attendance, gives 13% of its undesignated receipts through the Cooperative Program, and its special offerings for state, national, and international missions are strong, too, Hoyle said.

“People see how they’re able to be a part of what God is doing, and it’s exciting to give,” Hoyle said. “When we send mission teams, the mentality is that those folks are taking off work and sacrificing to go, so we want to help take care of the cost.

“I’ve heard many of the folks who have been here for decades say the church has always had such a generous heart toward missions.”

FBC Friona partners with missionaries in Lesotho, Africa, and sent a team there last December. The church also has a partner in India, where its teams occasionally travel. They’re considering assisting a church in New Mexico with revitalization.

Locally, one of the highlights is a shoe distribution led by the church’s children’s ministry. Children who demonstrate a degree of maturity in Christ are eligible to serve on a children’s leadership team, which includes leading in outreach and reading Scripture during worship services. They also minister in special ways to homebound members.

The children’s leadership team hosted the first shoe distribution event at the beginning of the past school year. Any children in the community in need of shoes were invited with their families to receive them and also to hear a gospel presentation in English or Spanish. The church and school worked together to provide more shoes to children in January.

“Some churches have more of a banker’s mentality when it comes to money—hang on, save. It’s been amazing to see how generous the church is toward mission work.”

—Brett Hoyle Tweet

“That’s been a really neat ministry to make connections,” Hoyle said.

Recently, an immigrant mother whose husband left the family contacted the church.

“She didn’t know where to turn,” the pastor said. “She ended up texting me because my wife and I had delivered shoes a couple of months ago. I was able to get her connected with some other ladies at our church who speak Spanish, and they were able to minister to her and meet some immediate needs until she could get closer to some family that she has in the states.”

Within the past year, FBC Friona started a Spanish Bible study on Wednesday nights to minister to Spanish speakers whose children attend Wednesday night activities. The class began with three couples in the church who are bilingual and has reached a few newcomers.

Hoyle said the majority of residents in Friona now are Hispanic, drawn by agriculture jobs such as feed lots, dairies, and a beef processing facility. The population has remained steady at 4,000 through the last two censuses, and the town even has a housing shortage now, the pastor said.

“It’s definitely holding its own,” he said. “Friona is not drying up like a lot of small towns. People can find a job pretty quickly if they’re willing to work.”

Hoyle grew up near Abilene and went to The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Immediately after graduation in 2009, he became pastor of FBC Friona.

The church had hit a rough patch in the 1980s and ’90s, he said. “Twenty years ago, there weren’t any little kids or babies, really, in the church.” Now, the church is doing well and God is at work with lots of families.

“Biblical preaching is very important,” Hoyle said of what draws people there. “The church is so good to welcome new people in. It’s the culture of the church to reach out and invite their neighbors and new people that move to town. I think a big key is folks loving on others and doing life together.

“The biblical focus of making disciples is important,” Hoyle added. “Our ministry is not the nicest or the flashiest, but the Lord is working and moving.”

The pastor recounted the story of a woman who had been attending on Wednesday nights and sometimes on Sundays for six or seven years. She had a Catholic background, and at FBC Friona she had been growing in the Lord, he said.

“Recently she and her husband needed some help, and she humbled herself and said, ‘I’m going to go to the church for help and not anywhere else.’ She was able to see the love of Jesus through the church.”