NEW BRAUNFELS—At its simplest, evangelism requires two things—someone yet to discover the hope of Christ and a person willing to share that message with him or her.
That’s where New Generations Fellowship lives, connecting the hopeless with the Savior who gives eternal hope.
The gospel is shared through relationships, Pastor Joe Tostado believes. Friends, family, co-workers and acquaintances are willing to listen to the gospel from someone they trust if that person is willing to share it.
“When we understand people, God can use simple words to reach their hearts,” he said. “I just mean understanding people—understanding where they are in life. People are hurting. They have broken relationships. When you meet people, and you build a friendship, you begin to see them as people, you begin to see where they are. That’s when God gives you the words so they can understand.”
In the midst of marketing-driven evangelism strategies, the congregation’s strategy seems simple. But it’s fueling the recent church-start to serve roughly 130 people each Sunday—70 percent of them unchurched before attending New Generations.
“It’s just as simple as loving God and loving people,” Tostado said.
The church’s commitment to share the hope of Christ with its community embodies the spirit of Texas Hope 2010, an effort to share the gospel with every Texan by Easter 2010.
BGCT church starts like New Generations Fellowship are made possible by gifts through the Baptist General Convention of Texas Cooperative Program and the Mary Hill Davis Offering for Texas Missions.
The congregation uses small Life Groups to nurture community and spiritual growth. Members gather in homes and discuss the sermon from the previous Sunday. There, members can work through spiritual and personal issues.
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“It’s just being there and being real with people, letting them know we all have struggles, we all have pains but if we rely on God, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us,” Tostado said.
The church’s energy is snowballing, Tostado said. Members look for ways to reach out to the community through service projects like providing lunch one Saturday a month to an impoverished neighborhood. People want to be a part of a congregation like that, Tostado said.
“People are telling their friends,” he said. “People are ready to come to worship on Sundays, bringing their friends.”
For more information about Texas Hope 2010, visit www.texashope2010.com.
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