ESL Classes at Resurrection, Spring

On March 12, 2008 Pastor Pedro and Erica Jofre celebrated the graduation ceremony for the ESL classes that are taught by volunteers from Resurrection Lutheran in Spring. This is the second semester taught at Resurrection and is providing contacts for the Hispanic ministry that meets there called Centro de Alabanza.


Pastor Steve Sohns and Pedro Jofre are pictured in the first photo as Steve receives a gift from Centro de Alabanza for his support.

Garage Sale - Point of Contact for Centro de Fe y Esperna

It is extremely important for a ministry to be open and engaged in the community. Even events that aren't exactly evangelistic in nature can serve to make important contacts with the neighborhood. Centro de Fe y Esperanza held a garage sale and many people came to buy things.

One of those who came was a young lady from the community. Brenda Vega-Ayala is shown in the hat sharing the Gospel message with her after meeting her for the first time. This young lady came to faith and is now attending LINC Bible Institute in Spanish to help her grow in faith.

This same church, led by Pastor Luciano Vega-Ayala, distributes bread to the community on Sundays after worship, and also takes food downtown to distribute to the homeless. The congregation is in constant contact with the community through these and other ministries such as ESL. Sometimes it may seem like these activities don't make a differnce, but many individuals and families have come to know Christ and His church through the contacts that are made.

One Year Anniversary - Manantiales de Vida

March 1, 2008 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church, Pastor Rodrigo Fernandez and his wife Dayana celebrated the first anniversary of their church Manantiales de Vida.

They have been working hard to win their friends and neighbors for Christ in the northwest area of Houston. There was great praise and worship, special music, a drama and words of encouragement from other LINC pastors and leaders.

We praise God for the ministry that is carried out daily by this ministry for the sake of the Gospel.

LINC Bible Institute begins classes in Spanish

Congratulations to the students of the Instituto Biblico LINC (LINC's Spanish Bible Institute).

The first semester began in September of 2007 with 24 students registered for the first class "Homiletics 1" taught by Rev. David Kim. We would encourage even more people to prepare themselves theologically to better fulfill the Great Commission of our Lord. We pray that this Institute will be a great tool for the formation and equipping of our leaders and ministers.


For more information, call Pastor Luciano Vega-Ayala. (Director). Tel: 832.212.2515.

LINC North Texas Installs Director

Rev. Oscar Benavides has been installed as Urban Mission Developer for LINC North Texas. He will lead the missionary activities in the areas surrounding Dallas / Fort Worth. We pray for God's blessing upon his work.

New Address for LINC North Texas:
Rev. Oscar Benavides
LINC North Texas
PO Box 561329
The Colony, Texas 75056

Phone: (972) 754-2830
Email: oscar@lincdfw.org
web: www.lincdfw.org

Pastor Lincon Guerra Preaches at Resurrection

July 22, 2007
Listen to Pastor Lincon Guerra, LINC's Area Coordinator for the Northwest, preach at Resurrection Lutheran Church in Spring Texas. Preaching is in Spanish with English interpretation.

Click here to download file

ESL Teacher Appreciation

On Saturday, March 17, 2007, the Trinity Klein's ESL class said "Thank you" to their teachers. Together they celebrated 3 years of English classes. The students prepared a dinner, gave appreciation plaques and shared personal testimonies of how this program has helped them in their daily lives. One Hispanic man said in English "When I arrived here I didn't know how to speak a word of English. Now I can communicate at my work. God is good to me."

The students themselves raised over $2,000 for this event honoring their teachers. Rev. Lincon Guerra spoke to the teachers and students and said "We have not only sought to teach English, but also to share the Gospel with those who haven't heard it. Our first goal is to meet a need, our second goal was to plant a new Hispanic church. Thanks to God, we've accomplished both. This last semester, 200 students registered for ESL and computer classes. There was also a children's class led by Lilia Caban from Pastor Lincon's mission church Centro Familiar Cristiano.

What a blessing it is to see the Lord work in this place.

New Hispanic Worship at St. Timothy Lutheran

Pastor Steve Henze of St. Timothy Lutheran Church told the 40+ Hispanics in attendance that "this night is an answer to two years of prayer." Many had come to celebrate the opening of a new Hispanic mission church, Manantiales de Vida.

LINC Missionary Rodrigo Fernandez (Chile) and his wife Dayana (Argentina) lead worship in Spanish for the Hispanic community surrounding St. Timothy in northwest Houston.

For me (Mark) and for others in attendance, it was a beautiful reminder of our purpose to plant, nurture and equip groups of new believers. Please pray for Manantiales de Vida (Rivers of Life) Church as it continues to grow and reach out in faith to the Spanish speakers in the area, and for Rodrigo and Dayana Fernandez.

Youth and Adults Serve at Comunidad de Gracia

July 2004

During the week of July 5-9, 9 students and 3 adults from Gethsemane served as missionaries at Comunidad de Gracia (Community of Grace). Comunidad de Gracia is the new community center on the St. John Lutheran Church campus at 66th and Sherman here in Houston. St. John Lutheran Church was decommissioned in May of 2004 by the Texas District. LINC (Lutheran Inter-City Network Coalition) began work at St. John’s/Comunidad de Gracia earlier this year to begin witnessing to the community and forming a new church for the people of the community near 66th and Sherman. LINC hopes to begin worship services at Comunidad de Gracia by Thanksgiving.
During the week that youth and adults from Gethsemane served this community, we led summer camp (VBS) each morning. The students and adults alike shared the duties of leadership through music, crafts, storytelling, and games. In the afternoons, our group held devotions, canvassed the neighborhoods with fliers about the community center, performed yard work, and helped to clean-up the community center. Through this experience, we learned that most of the 40 children that came through the doors those mornings did not have a Bible in their homes. And, the majority of them had never heard the saving message of Jesus’ love through His death and resurrection for them.
It was a week of learning and growth for each of us who served because we were pulled out of our comfort zones. Most of the children that came to summer camp were bi-lingual but not all of their parents could speak English. The times that we canvassed to share news about Comunidad de Gracia were sometimes hard because we didn’t speak Spanish and many of the people didn’t speak English.
The students from Gethsemane shone during this week as they did everything that was asked of them because they knew it had to be done. They were Jesus to the kids and families at and around Comunidad de Gracia. And, they were Jesus to me. As Kathy Laurie, LINC program director, said, “You guys (Gethsemane students and adults) brought church to these kids and to me this week.” Gethsemane students also brought church to me. They showed beyond imagination what God will do with us when we allow Him to take over and use us as His vessels. May God continue the work at Comunidad de Gracia as His Word is brought to the people in that community, and may He continue the work in each of us as we, His children, step out of our comfort zones daily to love those around us because He first loved us.


In His Care,
Jennifer Tate
Director of Family Ministries
Gethsemane Lutheran Church

LINC Summer Camp 2003

The Summer Day Camp at Centro de Fe y Esperanza was a tremendously exciting experience. The program, which was held June 9 through August 1, served over 45 children who came from many different neighborhoods. The children enjoyed daily devotions, arts and crafts, weekly fieldtrips, and a very hot summer. In spite of several days of Houston's rainy weather, the children still found the program very fun and remained busy bodies.
With the help of great volunteers, the children were able to visit places such as Jumping Jacks, Miller Outdoor Theater, Main Street Theater, Lockwood Skating Rink, The Children's Museum, The Houston Zoo, Houston Fire Museum, and the Battleship Texas at the San Jacinto Battleground. Daily lunches and snacks were provided by the City of Houston Summer Food Program.

If there is one thing that I would say the children at this summer program learned is the ability to enjoy technological entertainment. On a daily basis, the children had opportunity to play computer games as well as enhance their computer skills.

Summer 2003 will be long-remembered by the children who participated in Centro de Fe y Esperanza's ummer Day Camp.

Editor’s Note:
Leticia Smith is a senior at the University of Houston where she has a Criminal Justice major. As Director of the Summer Camp, she completed a Criminal Justice Internship and was responsible for planning the program’s activities, organizing field trips, overseeing volunteers, and keeping financial records. Mark Zuñiga, Rocio Salgado, Diana Cabral, and Kanisha Smith also helped conduct the summer camp along with several volunteers from LCMS churches and the community.

LINC Soccer Camp 2002

Mark Zuñiga, an ex-professional soccer player from Belize, worked with LINC Houston to organize three week-long soccer camps for children and youth from age 5 to 16. These camps taught techniques, drills, teamwork and other valuable skills.

The children also learned about the love of God through devotions, songs, Bible studies and crafts during down time. Through these camps, the local missionaries will have an excellent outreach tool for the families in the community.