What we do
Church growth & planting
Evangelism
Training disciples & church leaders
Missionary work in other areas
Church growth & planting
Upon returning to Bogotá,
Farid and Amèrica found a house and began inviting their neighbours round
and to share the Gospel with them. Before long a small church was meeting in
their living room. In due course, the numbers became too big for their house
and they rented a small lock-up shop, about the size of a large garage, for
their meetings. They outgrew this and moved into a double shop, which is capable
of seating in excess of 100 people. The church is now filled to capacity on
a Sunday morning.
About two years ago, a new church was started in the south of Bogotá,
a very poor area, under the full time leadership of Hernando, a member of Farid’s
cell group. Hernando and his wife Flor still meet regularly in their cell groups
in the parent church. This church is very interesting. Being a very poor church,
they can’t afford to rent a building. However, the Lord has provided.
There is one small cul-de-sac in the area where all the houses are occupied
by Christians, people who have come to know the Lord through the ministry of
this pastor. Every Sunday morning, the men in the church get up early and they
come and erect a tarpaulin between the houses in this very narrow street. They
erect a platform, bring out all the musical instruments, and the sound equipment,
and the chairs (like many third world counties, church chairs are the plastic
sort that we can buy cheaply for use on the patio in the back garden). It is
there that they worship God. Afterwards, they take it all down again. There
are about fifty people attending that church.
Evangelism
La Gran Comisión
has a great way of evangelism. As in the old days, we preach the Gospel on the
streets using mime, drama, music, sketch-boards and creative ways to proclaim
the gospel.
Hundreds of people have listened to the Gospel in Colombia, Spain, and other
countries in the world through La Gran Comisión.
We have trained many people in different countries and in different languages
to be very effective evangelists. 90% of Jesus’ ministry was on the streets.
We use the same methods as He did to make the Gospel attractive to those who
don’t
know anything about it. We now have fifteen years of experience in successfully
training effective and enthusiastic evangelists.
Training disciples and church leaders
Discipleship training study books
Farid Lozada has produced a set of books designed to take the new believer
right from first principles to working towards becoming mature disciples of
Jesus Christ. They are working books for self or group study and have been written
specifically with the Colombian/Latin American culture in mind. The books have
so far been produced in Spanish, but will soon be available in English too.
Click an image to see a larger version.
Book 1: My first step in Christ
Who is God and how to experience a close relationship with Him.
Book 2: Breaking down the strongholds in our lives
Understanding the barriers and fortresses that ‘imprison’ us and how
to overcome them.
Book 3: Experiencing deep inner healing in our lives
Forgiveness from God and for each other. How to experience deep restoration after
painful experiences.
Book 4: Principles and values for success
How to be victorious in daily Christian life, applying practical everyday principles
and values.
Men’s ministry
Every church we plant works in a way that can reach the community where the
church is situated. Through the cell movement we offer opportunities in a way
that can be accepted by those who don’t know anything about the Gospel.
Our experience has taught us that a good way to reach men for the Gospel has
to be in separate men’s groups, led by men. This means that we offer meetings
especially catering for their interests where we can talk about the latest football
mach, racing cars, golf, etc. In this way take an interest in what they are
doing and show how the Gospel can be applied to their needs.
La Gran Comisión
has found that 80% of the Colombian churches are attended by women and children,
so we have created an aggressive evangelism amongst the men. We have been very
successful and this last year we have ordained two pastors and many lay leaders
in our churches.
Women’s ministry
This is the most effective ministry we have at the moment, lead by Amèrica
Lozada, with an average of 100 new women in our cell groups each year. Retreats,
weekends away and special meetings are some of the events she organize throughout
the year, providing a great opportunity for the women to be involved.
Amèrica began and now leads this ministry with a team who are not only
involved in ministry in the churches but also in social work. Most of these
women are single mothers with great needs (they comprise 80% of our congregation),
but through love, care and faithfulness, we have seen great results in this
wonderful ministry.
There is always a room for you to be involved in this tremendous ministry.
Send an e-mail to
América
Lozada
and we will give you a great opportunity for a very practical ministry in your
life.
Youth ministry
This is one of our main ministries. Through the years we have discipled, trained
and evangelised hundreds of young people in Colombia and elsewhere. We believe
(especially in the case of Latino america where the average age is between 15
and 35 years of age) most of our effort has to be concentrated in working with
the youth—a powerful force in Colombia and Latino america
La Gran Comisión
organizes retreats, camps and other youth activities in order to reach them
with the Gospel. Through these events we discover and encourage talents like
music, drama and open air preaching, giving them the opportunity to use these
for the proclamation of the Gospel.
Missionary work in other areas
Cartagena, Colombia
These photos are part of the work we are developing in the city of Cartagena.
We were there helping 200 kids who have been displeced by the Guerrillas.
We distributed 200 meals and were giving clothes and a lot of social work. Read
the latest newsletter for more details.
We will be doing something similar the coming December as part of Christmas
help for the kids.
We do appreciated your prayer Support for this new ministry we are calling
Abba Padre.
Other parts of Colombia
La Gran Comisión is a mission with a world perspective.
We work in other parts in Colombia and now we are opening new fields, especially
in the less evangelised countries in the world like Spain. In Colombia we work
in some very difficult areas where guerrillas and drug trafficking are the daily
bread of life. During last year we visited one of these areas with great success,
although the needs there are great because of the hundreds who have been displaced
by the terrorists.
We have seen many of these guerrillas, which at the end of the day are young
people, coming to know our Great Lord. We believe as a mission that this is
the only way to change the nation of Colombia and change the bad reputation
our nation has in the world. We have come across great testimonies from guerrillas
and Mafia people who have come to know the Lord through our mission work in
these parts Colombia.
We will continue organizing mission trips to these regions. If you would like
to be part of this amazing faith experience just let us know and we will give
you the chance to come and see great miracles in your life and the lives of
others.
Merida, Spain
Since his conversion in Spain, Farid has had a burden for that country, which
for centuries has been in the grip of the Roman Catholic Church, but is now
much more open to the Gospel. However, at the same time it is becoming an increasingly
secular society, so there is much spiritual need there.
In the summer of 2000, Farid had an opportunity to go and assist with a project
in Merida. There was so much opportunity there. The following year a team of ten people
(the Lozada family plus six others) was able to go back to Merida for a month-long
mission. There were open air meetings, some youth meetings and Amèrica
led some women’s meetings. The response was encouraging and the team left
a small thriving church behind them.
