On Saturday, January 20, Tlalpan hosted the fourth in a series of area-wide leaders’ meetings (Churches of Community Leadership Forum). The purpose of the meetings is to encourage the multiplication of third and fourth generation leaders.

The foreign missionaries who have come to the Mexico City area over the last fifteen years have done a good job of helped bring many individuals and families to Christ. Some of those individuals have been equipped to become leaders, producing the first and second generations. However, these Mexican leaders have had a hard time multiplying themselves, producing third and fourth generations.

Many of the obstacles to producing third and fourth generation leaders have been identified in these meetings. Now, the challenge has been to develop a network of leaders who exchange ideas and resources that might be useful, especially for current Mexican leaders, but also for emerging leaders in new congregations like Tierra Firme.

In this latest forum, we focused on three major themes: Multiplication in “The Catch”; Multiplication in Discipleship; and Resources for Mentoring. There were leaders from five congregations present at the meeting, even though several leaders where unable to attend. The meeting, however, was highly participatory and can be considered a great contribution to the whole idea of cultivating further leadership development and multiplication.

Please pray for these Mexican leaders as they struggle, serve and find strength in a common purpose to build up and edify one another toward further growth in the kingdom.

On January 7, Elvia Arvizo Herrera was immersed into Christ. Elvia is the niece of Hilda Herrera and the mother of Ivan Fragoso Arvizo, members of the Tierra Firme Church. After Elvia’s baptism, Hilda thanked God and joyfully acknowledged that “one by one my family members are coming to Christ.”

 Elvia has been assisting the cell group that meets in Hilda’s home on Tuesday nights. After expressing the desire to know more about baptism, Sean gave Elvia and Hilda several biblical passages to read together each week for several weeks. Then, each week after our small group meeting, we would go over the passages together to see what Elvia had understood. It was awesome to see Hilda helping her niece come to Christ.

 Please pray for our new sister in Christ and for Hilda’s family, especially her husband, Froylan.