Andrew Fernandez had no idea he would eventually become part of the team at Christ Family Church in South Miami when he and his wife started attending a small group for married couples. But the Lord had big plans for Andrew and He would use the ministries of Christ Family and its pastors Jonathan Palaci and Jose Prado to start him on a journey to become a church planter.
Andrew’s story is one Jonathan and Jose would like to see duplicated again and again. With a strong desire to become a multiplying church, Jose and Jonathan hope to send a third of their church body out to start new churches over the next five years.
“We’re investing in people so we can multiply,” Jonathan said of their support of Andrew.
Andrew has been able to come on staff with the church as an intern, really experiencing first-hand what it takes to do ministry through the local church. If not for the ministry that Christ Family Church provided him, Andrew might be on a different path today.
“Through the ministries of Christ Family Church, I began to sense God’s call to ministry in my life,” Andrew said. “Christ Family has a ministry that works to build up and train those called to ministry and future leaders of the church. In June of 2018, I was blessed with the opportunity to serve as a pastoral intern at Christ Family Church. As I look back, I can clearly see God’s hand at work through the ministry of His church.”
Jonathan said there are dozens of young men in his church that have been discipled and feel a call to ministry. But the church struggles with the resources to provide them opportunities to do so.
“God has sent us laborers from within,” he said. “What do we do with those men?”
Jonathan, Jose and Andrew and the ministry of Christ Family Church are being highlighted this week as part of the Maguire State Mission Offering’s #SendSouthFlorida initiative. For promotional materials or to find out how you can be involved visit www.flbaptist.org/send.
Will you pray for Jonathan, Jose and Christ Family Church? Pray that they can:
- add a second Spanish service to their current English worship.
- faithfully raise up young men that they can then send out as planters.
- discern God’s will as they pray about a permanent location of their own.
By Nicole Kalil, Florida Baptist Convention, September 12, 2018