Miguel Barrios has seen the grace of God work through his ministry to impact the lives of Hispanics. Barrios estimates that some 60 Hispanic families living in Bernice do not go to an evangelical church.
BERNICE – Miguel Barrios has seen the grace of God work through his ministry to impact the lives of Hispanics. Barrios estimates that some 60 Hispanic families living in Bernice do not go to an evangelical church.
Iglesia Bautista Nazareth, in Bernice, is one of the twelve Hispanic missions along the interstate-20 corridor that is bringing the light of the Gospel to a people in need and families in transition.
“What excites me is the work that the Lord is doing in the lives that He is changing. He is transforming the people that are living life without hope and without the Bible,” Barrios said.
Helping to cross the language barrier, Miguel Barrios, a Louisiana Baptist Convention church planter and North American Mission Board Catalytic Missionary is reaching northern Louisiana’s Hispanic population.
“When you have a passion miles mean nothing. Reaching even one family is very important for the Lord. If somebody needs Jesus we must be willing to travel. The Lord is working in this place to see a group coming to know Jesus.” Barrios said.
One father came to Christ and turned from alcoholism, stabilizing his marriage, his family and his life. At ease in a Spanish-language mission church, middle-aged adults who have never before held a Bible in their hands find it to be the source of life. Families that were once splintered and torn apart, find healing.
“I would like to ask everyone to pray for the Hispanics in the city. They are very deep in their traditions with religion but we are trying to engage them in Bible studies and inviting them to come to Jesus. It takes time. Pray that He will help us to do the work better,” Barrios said.
This year Louisiana Baptists are asked to embrace Isaiah 58:10, “if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. As they give to the 2008 state goal of $1,600,000 for the Georgia Barnette State Mission Offering, lives are changed through the light of the Gospel.
The Georgia Barnette State Missions Offering helps support new mission churches, assists college students acquire a liberal arts education with a Christian worldview at Louisiana College, start new ministry centers in Louisiana and much more.
For more information about the State Missions Offering or resources available for your church to promote the Georgia Barnette State Missions Offering, contact the Louisiana Baptist Convention Women’s Missions and Ministry team at 1.800.622.6549, or 318.448.3402.
Video downloads, tools, skits, speaker’s bureau information and additional information are also available on the offering’s website: www.georgiabarnette.org.