The Verbo congregation in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, is celebrating its 20th anniversary year with a renewed commitment to evangelism and social service, presiding elder José Muñoz reported during the festivities.
“We are certain that God has guided us into using some distinct means to reach these aims: A very strong emphasis on marriage and family relations, social work, and our ministry equipping school for training believers for the work of ministry,” he added.
“I’m particularly pleased with the work our congregation is doing with persons in needy situations because young people are spearheading this work.
“We’re ministering to children and adolescents in high risk social situations and also to the elderly who live in old people’s homes, often with little more than basic care. The leader of the work among the children is Nicole Bravo, a young woman who grew up in the congregation and who took on the challenge to glorify God by ministering to people’s basic need for physical care and for times of joy and hope in their lives.
”Nicole, who is fluent in Spanish and English, and who has ministered to youth as far away as Germany, orients her life to glorifying God by helping the people his Son Jesus died to save. She says,
“What is social concern to the people in this world is--in my heart--a call to serve. When I see the plight of orphans, the poor, the alienated rich, the a- bused teenagers, the uncared-for elderly, I feel a responsibility to share Christ’s love with them. Sometimes we’re able to feed and clothe them, but sometimes what they need is a smile, a hug, a prayer or just the assurance that somebody remembers and cares for them.”
Along these latter lines Verbo San Pedro Sula has taken up the challenge to live out Jesus’ command to heal the sick and broken-hearted. Various members have attended conferences on operating in the spiritual gifts and praying for the sick.
They, in turn, are teaching the other members of the church to reach out with faith and courage to those outside the church, following the Lord’s example of Acts 10:38, “…He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.”