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By HEITH MITCHELL Executive Director of Missions One of the real accountability strengths within the BMA is our trustee governance of ministries. These trustees come from our churches and are elected at our annual meeting. These trustees take seriously the responsibility to represent the churches of the BMA in stewarding a God orchestrated ministry. I have been a first-hand witness of their contribution in your Texas missions this last decade. Only God saves souls and establishes new churches. The formation of every new church is a miracle at God’s hand. Your trustees have had voice and hands on involvement in the development of current care, training, assessment and accountability systems. They helped develop our vision and values. They assist in the development of our budget and provide accountability for its implementation. The trustees pray for and care for your missionaries. They and their churches are often the first to provide help or encouragement. I know your mission trustees aren’t the exception. The trustees of the BMA ministry on the state and national levels are so important to our kingdom ministry.
A WORD FROM YOUR MISSIONARIES
We are obeying Jesus’ command to preach and make disciples in Conroe. I have considered writing a pocket book, compiling all that we've learned and all the blessings we have had since the beginning of this missional journey with BMA which started in August of 2023. Prayer Needs: My physical health. Approval of our residency request.
We continue with our meetings on Wednesdays, and we have a project to evangelize in the area where we have the upholstery shop. Prayer Needs: I ask for prayer for James and his marriage, for Abby as she has medical appointments regarding possible cancer, for my daughter Karen and her pregnancy, as my first grandchild will arrive in mid-June and for Rudeliz and her pregnancy, as the doctors say the baby has a condition.
This month was encouraging for our group. One of our members led our prayer meeting for the first time, which was a big step in their growth and leadership. As we reflected on some of the challenges we’ve walked through over the past months, there was a real sense of joy and thankfulness for how God has carried us through them together. We continue to see our group grow in unity and maturity. Prayer Needs: Please pray for my status change application, that all the necessary paperwork and approvals would come together smoothly by the end of this year.
We had a five-day city-wide revival in the park. Four people were baptized, several people rededicated their lives to Christ, dozens each day came up for prayer and we averaged about 150 people each day at the revival. Prayer Needs: Please pray that God will raise up leaders in preparation for our next church plant.
We have seen people of other religions walk away from those faiths and trust in Jesus instead. Prayer Needs: Pray that I continue to find ways to meet new people.
I am asking God that we may reach people in this country. In a way, we church planters from the Latin American countries are returning the favor of the missionaries from the United States who evangelized to us 80 years ago in our land. Glory to God for that! Prayer Needs: Let us not lose heart. Let us maintain an attitude of faith and perseverance.
Summer is here and I am looking forward to having more time to focus on ministry. We are planning to go into the surrounding neighborhoods and offer free help with small, odd jobs, or garden work, etc. to meet and serve our neighbors. We have also started to build a closer relationship with one of our neighbors, Mrs. Tymbre. She is going through a hard season of life right now and we would appreciate your prayers for her. Prayer Needs: Pray for our outreach efforts to bear fruit. Pray for intense focus on the mission before us. Pray also for boldness to speak the gospel as doors are opened and endurance as we seek to meet physical needs as a bridge to meet spiritual needs.
Two years ago, a family left our young church plant. I was surprised because they had been very consistent. They have now returned after two years away and have met with me to discuss joining the church and baptism for their teenage son. It was great to see them return, and wonderful to have them decide to go all in with us now. Prayer Needs: Please pray for us as several of our people go through training in evangelism and outreach, that we will be so convinced of the gospel and so compassionate toward others that we will be compelled to share the Good News!
I am very happy because a sister who used to help us with the children has returned. She came back voluntarily and wants to serve again. Also, two husbands of some of the sisters have been visiting us more frequently, and I rejoice in what God is doing. Prayer Needs: Let us pray for two prospective families we’ve invited to open their homes for our small group worship. One of them is facing many challenges. We also pray for Rosy, a woman who wants to volunteer with us at Vacation Bible School. We spent a lot of time visiting and discipling her, and she’s only now beginning to respond. We also pray that many children will come to the outreach we use to reach souls.
We are enjoying our new location, and getting situated. Our people are growing in the Lord and growing closer together, which has been encouraging to see. Prayer Needs: Please pray that we can get new people to come to our church.
Greetings pastors and churches. We would have loved to inform you that we have had more baptisms. Unfortunately, those who have made decisions for Christ, have not committed to obey and identify with Christ in baptism. It is our prayer that we see several of those that are part of our groups follow Christ in this wonderful act. However, the Lord has blessed us with many wonderful people who in different ways, shapes and forms have become more involved in serving. We have those that are always introducing us to new families and inviting them to their homes for us to visit with them. Others are wonderful helpful hands in different ways not just Sundays but in our small groups. And then we have those that encourage us with words of wisdom, that have in the past served in leadership positions. We also have those who can teach and preach, and we are very blessed to count on them to help us in this special way. We are currently going through a series I’ve called “By Faith” which goes through the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11. We are very excited! Thank you for your faith in doing God’s work by supporting this ministry. Prayer Needs: Please continue to pray for Iglesia Nueva Vida en Cristo of Tyler so that we can successfully move forward and become a self-sustained church that becomes a strong partner of this wonderful association and raise up leaders that will establish new churches near and far.
By HEITH MITCHELL Executive Director of Missions Oasis Church in Levelland reached the self-support milestone this month and celebrated it big. Your BMAT Missions office supports missions for 5 years as they prepare to step out on their own. Oasis has reached that moment. They celebrated with worship, a video looking back, testimonies from the congregation, presentations and encouragement in the word from Elvis Garcia and I. Then the church enjoyed a fellowship meal.
It is always exciting to see a church reach its first pastoral transition milestone. We have gotten to see this several times already among the 27 churches the Lord has established in Texas the last decade. This month, Lighthouse of Hope Baptist Church in Katy had this moment. Oluwatobi (Tobi) Ife Adediran was ordained and approved as the new pastor by the congregation. Aderemi Badru, their missionary pastor, officially stepped aside in the same service. Aderemi is your new BMA of America missionary to Athens, Georgia. The service was reverent and uplifting. It represented the seriousness of the moment well. A Baptist church is organized well when the congregation can navigate the selection of a pastor.
The theme of this Baptist Progress is women in ministry. We know and value the contribution of godly women in ministry. I think of the sacrifice and commitment from each of our missionary wives. They walk faithfully beside their husbands and support them in carrying out their overseer role. They engage in disciple-making beside all believers. They serve the body and share the gospel in important ways. My mind then goes to all the ladies who have been used by the Lord in critical ways in the formation of new churches. I have witnessed modern day “Lydias” in churches all over the state. Ladies of the BMA, you are daughters of God and important to His kingdom. It is an honor to serve beside you.
A WORD FROM YOUR MISSIONARIES
The mission is growing very fast and it demands a lot of attention. I ask for wisdom to move forward. Prayer Needs: Please pray for my wife and I so we can continue moving forward as a team serving God.
God continues to empower our people as they invest in the lives of others. One discipleship group has now moved to the second generation, and those being discipled are now discipling others. There are many stories of our people representing Christ in their workplace and neighborhoods, having many opportunities to share His name. Our Sunday evening group is now transitioning into a house church and should be welcoming new members by the start of the summer. Lives are being changed, God’s people are engaging His mission with His heart and we are growing as His body and His family. This month, we hosted an Easter lunch for the neighborhood. Many families we’ve built relationships with were able to join us, some with unchurched backgrounds, some with other religious backgrounds and some with a history of hurt from church experiences. They had a blast. We had three egg hunts for various age groups, shared fajitas, built and deepened friendships and our church members had spiritual conversations with love and respect. Three of the neighborhood women asked my wife to meet with them to share parenting tips and secrets. Later that month, they met at a local coffee shop (owned by a new friend we met at our neighborhood block party) to talk through life, faith and parenting. A second meeting in our home followed with deeper conversations about faith, past experiences and parenting with hope. Please pray for those women as my wife invites them to explore the scriptures together. As the Easter lunch was ending, my friend from the neighborhood stayed behind to hear my story of coming to know Jesus personally. He respectfully listened as God planted this seed in his heart. We have missed being able to meet each other a few times, so please pray that the Lord waters and nurtures that seed into blooming. He was the neighbor who hosted a block party earlier that month, so we anticipate the Lord using him to connect many people to Christ once he’s a follower of Him. Our Sunday evening Bible study is now transitioning into a house church. Excitement is growing to be Christ’s body together, to discover our gifts and to reach the world with the loving mercy, grace and truth of Christ. Prayer Needs: Please pray that the Lord continues to bless our people’s efforts in sharing Christ with their family, friends and coworkers. Please ask God to continue building a passion for being family together and to joyfully go beyond mission with Christ. Please pray for continued favor on our conversations with the lost in our community, for God to empower us to bless them so they see the love of Christ and for wisdom as we seek to engage more deeply and meaningfully in the lives of those we meet.
On April 19, I assisted FBC Conroe’s Executive Pastor Alan Armstrong with two baptisms: Valeria and Tania. What a blessing to witness these two sisters of the Spanish ministry taking this step. It is a true gift. Praise the Lord! For the very first time, we met in the sanctuary of FBC Conroe. Prayer Needs: A fruitful ministry in 2026 for God’s glory.
We have gotten approval to do a brief advertisement on our city’s Facebook page, which has gotten fairly good engagement. We are also starting to use a room in our city’s family life center for our Bible studies, at a very fair price. Prayer Needs: Pray that I stay encouraged and energized. I usually am, but it’s great to know people are praying.
This month we have seen some really meaningful moments. One member needed to find a new apartment quickly, and another jumped in to help with the search and the move. There is a great sense of community forming here. We are also seeing people be more open in the Bible study and discussion. We are very joyful to see what has happened lately. Thank you for your support and prayers. Prayer Needs: Please pray for God’s provision and protection for this mission.
We have coordinated multiple churches across the city to come together for a citywide revival. Prayer Needs: Pray that the Lord will use me for His glory!
SThe change we are seeing in brothers and sisters regarding their commitment to the gospel is remarkable; it speaks to the testimony they are giving in the way they now live. They are also seeking to begin guided discipleship with members of their families. Prayer Needs: Pray for the unification and non-separation of families by the government, pray for my daughter Karen since she will give birth to my first grandchild on June 16, also for the health of the baby that is forming in the womb of Sister Rudelys since the doctors informed them of a problem in the baby.
I believe that many of the planters and pastors who have come from other lands have done so to help the United States in its spiritual life, just as its missionaries planted the seed of salvation in our countries. Prayer Needs: Please pray for my ministry in San Antonio.
We had our first Brisket Sunday, at our new location. Our Church is back to having potlucks, the way it should be. Thank you for all your prayers. Prayer Needs: Please pray that we can get new people to come to our Church at this new location.
We have been studying in Genesis for the last several months and have almost finished the life of Joseph. It has been an encouraging reminder that God is sovereign over all things as we wait on Him to move in people’s lives. We have dropped in number again but continue steadfast. God is faithful! Prayer Needs: Pray for spiritual and physical protection for our family. Pray for opportunities to share the gospel. Growth in the lives of the couple we’re discipling.  Easter Outreach 2026 By HEITH MITCHELL Executive Director of Missions Years ago, the Texas WMA gave the funds for an outreach trailer full of equipment that Texas Missionaries could use for outreach. This trailer has been all over the state and is showing wear. It's been present when the Lord has saved many. Most Texas missionaries have used it repeatedly. It was in a hailstorm and almost stollen in Dallas a few years ago. This year Texas GMAs took on the trailer as their project. They have raised and presented us with $2,500 that will help with much needed repairs and upgrades. We are so blessed to have this help from the GMAs and want to thank them. Thank you Texas GMA!
A WORD FROM YOUR MISSIONARIES
We are doing well. We are building relationships with local officials and property managers so that we can have trust among our city as we try to reach our neighbors. Prayer Needs: Pray that we stay creative and encouraged.
I continue preaching every Sunday morning and have a Bible study every Wednesday. This last month we covered the offerings and priest dedication in Leviticus as figures of the Christian life. It has been a blessed time, and the people are getting use to having the source of wisdom and guidance in the scriptures instead of culture or our personal influence. Prayer Needs: Please pray for a fruitful ministry in 2026 for God’s glory.
This month we have seen tremendous growth. We could have never imagined it. Thanks be to God. Prayer Needs: Pray for us so that we may meet the spiritual expectations of new believers.
We're seeing God continue to take our people deeper into love and appreciation for who Christ is, even as they become more consistent in sharing Christ with their neighbors, coworkers and friends. One of our discipleship groups has now reached the level where another generation of discipleship is happening. It's exciting to see this slow growth, sustainable growth building, deep faith and faithfulness in the lives of our people. The excitement our new disciple-makers are experiencing is a joy and encouragement to all of us. Thank you for your prayers and continued support of what God is doing here! Prayer Needs: Please pray for the Spirit of God to continue opening doors for the gospel so as our people grow in their confidence in Christ, they will continue to share Him boldly with our community.
We are overjoyed that Brother Marco and Sister Yulietzy were baptized this month. It is a great example of their obedience, and their faith continues to grow. Glory always to our Lord. Prayer Needs: We ask for prayer for our ministry, our united family and our business, that our client base may continue to grow.
Our church and the community we serve came together to cut down and clear away wild trees, brush, trash etc. helping the church revitalize its community. Prayer Needs: Pray for our city-wide revival May 4-8.
This month we started a Bible study on endurance in response to several people struggling with job uncertainty and future plans. It has created space for deeper conversations, and participants are beginning to open up and engage more consistently. This has been an encouraging step toward building trust and forming a core group. Prayer Needs: Please pray for our ministry in Corpus Christi as we walk with people facing job and future uncertainty. Ask God to give them endurance and peace, and to use our Bible study to build trust, growth, and a strong core group.
We have encountered families who have been separated. Some are in their home countries and others are here in the United States. It has been an opportunity to accompany and provide spiritual support to the remaining families. Prayer Needs: Please pray for peace for people to accept the messenger, the gospel, and the mission.
Thank you so much for your continued prayers and generosity! We had a man and his teenage son begin attending who soon expressed desire for membership. In talking with them, I shared the gospel and while the dad seems to indeed be a believer, the son is sincere but isn’t there yet with understanding and faith. I challenged them to go through a wonderful book together that unpacks the gospel, and they eagerly agreed and have begun. A dad discipling his son toward salvation! Prayer Needs: Please pray for our people to want to pray with one another.  Grace Church Jarrell Yard Sign
Howdy from west Texas! Well, God did a thing. We have almost tripled in size over the last eight months, so several months ago we started praying for a building, but nothing was available in Levelland, until God literally walked our new home into our service one Sunday morning. A man with five college students he was ministering to came to service and afterward in our conversation I offered him the use of our building for the college students. He broke down and said no one had ever offered to help them. He said, “Y’all need a bigger building. I have one I want to give to you.” It is an older church building on the north side of town where he had pastored, but the church had recently folded and was looking for someone to give the building to. It desperately needs a new roof, but other than that, it won’t take us long to make it move in ready. Such a powerful lesson of Gods faithfulness and power! There is no one like our God! Prayer Needs: Please pray for a new roof for our building and consider helping us with the funds necessary to get it repaired ASAP.
By HEITH MITCHELL Executive Director of Missions If you missed the BMA of Texas Preaching Conference or The Table Training Workshop this month, you really missed out and we missed you. Both were such a blessing. Thank you, Round Prairie, Fairfield for being amazing hosts of the conference year after year. Thank you, Jacksonville College for hosting the training in such a special way. Each speaker at both conferences prepared and did such a good job. The staff of your Texas BMA Missions did a great job bringing both together. We enjoyed serving and giving back to you and your church. Four years ago, Emmanuel, Garland disbanded and left their property in the hands of Texas Missions with instructions. They wanted the newly formed Hispanic mission in their church to receive the property if they organized and matured to a place where they could care for it. If not, BMA Texas Missions would get the property. We have invested in the Hispanic Mission and are pleased to say that we are transferring the property to the Spanish-speaking church this month. This church is called Iglesia Bautista Emmanuel and continues its legacy of discipleship in the community.
A WORD FROM YOUR MISSIONARIES
We are trying to find more ways to collaborate with schools and apartments in our communities. In our last school collaboration, we had a great turnout and saw many salvations. Prayer Needs: Pray that we stay creative and encouraged.
We are opening our home meetings in Lewisville. Brother Marco is offering his house, and we are inviting the neighbors in his area. There is already a couple I met who will start attending, and we will begin discipleship with them, thanks be to God. Prayer Needs: Please pray for the family and our mission.
At this time, several of our members are carrying heavy workloads, and it’s been a stretching season. We’re leaning on one another through prayer and honest conversations, and the Lord is sustaining us. Thank you for praying for strength and unity as we continue sharing Christ in our community. Prayer Needs: Pray for strength and unity for our group in this challenging season.
Howdy from west Texas! Well, it’s been another great month here. God continues to bless us with steady and growing numbers. We have seen God do so much over the past four years and continue to seek Him as we prepare to start the process of planting our first church in Sundown. Please pray for us as we step out in faith to see God bring the gospel to all of west Texas. Prayer Needs: Please pray for God to provide a new building for us and for families to step forward as a plant team for Sundown.
Besides preaching every Sunday morning, I started a Bible study every Wednesday. Both with a missionary mindset to the attendees, sharing many of the experiences I have had in “cells” (aka small groups). Cell members are getting accustomed to gathering and sharing in a multicultural Hispanic atmosphere. I foresee one or two homes may be open to start cell meetings soon. Prayer Needs: Please pray for a fruitful ministry in 2026.
The church is doing well. We have steady leadership and attendance. We started a ministry called Griefshare. Prayer Needs: Pray that the Lord will give us a lot next to our church for parking.
We found a new meeting place, thank you all for your prayers! It has been encouraging to see our people come together and stay on mission. Prayer Needs: Please pray that we can find and get all the paperwork together to get a bank account and insurance.
We had an experience with a family who had been trying for some time to navigate immigration issues without much success. The family appeared in court and was detained. He was about to sign the deportation papers when he felt he couldn’t. That same day, a lawyer from a foundation called him and said they would take on his case and that they only needed an American citizen to take responsibility for them. The brother’s Christian leader did so. Two days later, they were released. Now the brother is ready to be discipled. They had to go through this situation to change their attitude.
Nueva Vida en Cristo of Tyler is happy to inform you that three of the people we have been asking your prayers for have surrendered their lives to Christ. Juan and his wife Rosy received Jesus in their hearts. They immediately opened their home for Bible study on Friday evenings. Also, Chuy, a 20-year-old young man rededicated his life to Christ, and I’m also working with him to strengthen his faith and guide him back to serving Christ. We are starting a Bible study on Tuesday evenings with him, and hopefully we can add a couple of other men who come to our worship service. We also had a new family visiting us that seems to be interested in joining us, Jose and Silvia Salas. They have a great background in serving in the church, teaching children and youth. This couple teaches in the public school. Brother Salas has also mentioned his passion for evangelism. Please pray for this connection, that God may guide their hearts in committing to our church plant. We have been emphasizing spiritual gifts in our Bible studies and in our worship service and have seen people starting to serve by leading and helping in some areas. This is very beneficial to both my wife and I as we see some responsibilities taken over by others. I was also blessed to participate in the preaching conference that brother Chris Driver led. It was a wonderful blessing to my wife and I. We were nurtured and cared for. Thank you for supporting us through brothers Chris, Elvis, Heith and many others who pour into us. Thank you for your prayers and financial support. Prayer Needs: Please pray for Easter Sunday and the weeks leading up to it. We have plans for corporate evangelism and a special service that can hopefully include baptisms.
The mission continues to move forward and not because of me. I know I’m just a servant, but I see that God has wonderful plans for Gilmer. Please help me by praying for my son Isaac, that God may guide him and that his heart may align with God’s will. I had to talk to him because he had a desire to serve in the military. I don’t want to take away his freedom in his decisions, but I’m advising him about his calling. I asked him some questions: is this what God wants? What about your calling? And your disciples? A few days have passed since then, and he’s already focused more on his ministry. I felt peace knowing that God has a purpose for us. Many times, we want to live an ordinary life, like everyone else, but understanding the difference costs a lifetime. Prayer Needs: For my family and for the mission, the men of the church will begin meeting once a month. And Isaac will also begin teaching classes to those who don’t speak Spanish.  Our church's Feb. 14 event
I know we haven’t achieved what we should. I know our numbers aren’t the best. We want to apologize. We want to continue doing what God commanded us. The fire in my heart is there. We want to continue counting on your support and prayers. Thank you for this opportunity to do the best work that can exist, which is for the King of Kings. Prayer Needs: My family, ministry, economic and immigration situation By HEITH MITCHELL Executive Director of Missions I want to praise the Lord for all He is doing in Texas Missions and the Baptist Progress. In June, you placed the Baptist Progress in the care of Texas Missions with a plan to financially stabilize the ministry. We are pleased to report that Texas Missions and the Baptist Progress finished 2025 on budget and in the black. I thank each of you for your support and our team for their careful handling and investment of donated funds. The first six churches have made the switch to the new subscription plan this month, with a list scheduled to follow them in the coming months. This plan saves the church and the Baptist Progress money while offering more to the reader than ever. Be watching in the next few months for a Baptist Progress show for ladies that will debut. Will you join me in praying for and encouraging Redemption Hill Church in Fort Worth as they move off mission support this month? We celebrate this milestone with Missionary Pastor Brad Cauley and all the church family. This church is spiritually thriving, and they are as ready for this moment as they can be.
A WORD FROM YOUR MISSIONARIES
Stranger, sojourner, poor, crippled, lame, blind, neighbor, saint etc.… The Bible is clear to whom we should show care and hospitality towards. In short, everyone! As believers, it is our responsibility to reflect the heart of Christ and replicate the example He gave here on earth through our own actions. This past month, while playing at the park with our children, we overheard a couple around our age interacting in Arabic. Their 5-year-old boy was playing with our 3-year-old, and our 1-year-old was staring at their 1-year-old who was eating a cookie. I approached the lady around my age and said, “Hello.” We visited for a while and exchanged numbers before parting ways. They told me they had come to America from Egypt only one year before, and had not yet made many friends. A few days later, our family invited them over for tea and coffee. Our children played together in our apartment. They informed us that no Americans had ever invited them to their home before. We were saddened by this but stated we would love to get together again. The following week, they welcomed us for lunch in their home, and we shared a lovely Egyptian meal together. While the children played and we visited, my new friend spoke to her husband in their native language. She then looked at me and in her broken English she explained, “I told him this is the first time since coming a year ago that this has felt like home…to have friends over and just relax”. In that moment, our hearts were filled with the joy that came from a simple invitation to our home. You never know how the love extended toward someone will impact their lives. We must never miss a moment to show hospitality and be the hands and feet of Christ. Romans 12:9-13 states, “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality”.—Audrey Tew
A man who needed counseling was blessed when I shared the gospel with him. His home, his financial situation and his self-esteem were at rock bottom. I advised him to seek God, and he chose to study and return to church. Many times, situations are calls of love, shepherding the sheep; pride and ingratitude prevent us from hearing that tender voice. He took heart, and his response was, "It's true, I have to obey God." Prayer Needs: First and foremost, thank you all and especially my brothers and sisters in missions who help me so much financially. My brother Michael is also very attentive to me and my family, the mission and the Hispanic community. Let us pray fervently for our Hispanic brothers and sisters who are currently looking for work and have housing or rent expenses. They ask me if I have a job, and it saddens me to know their need. Even there, I see an opportunity to preach. May God continue to use me for His glory.  Our home worship service
Redemption Hill Church is healthy and thriving by God's grace. We are continuing to welcome new guests each week, baptized a man going into the Navy Seals a few months ago and are seeing people love one another as the Lord commands. Prayer Needs: Please continue to pray that 2026 is a year of spiritual formation for my family and me, as well as the people of Redemption Hill Church. As we study the book of Acts and see the Lord grow the church, pray we become more like Jesus. Thank you!
I am preaching every Sunday morning in the "Ministerio en Espanol" at First, Conroe. I am sharing a missionary mindset with the attendees, sharing many of the experiences I have had in cells. Prayer Needs: Please pray for a fruitful ministry in 2026.
This month, we have seen deeper relationships form as our small group has walked through personal spiritual warfare together, creating space for honesty, prayer and growth. We have also been encouraged to see newcomers openly asking deeper spiritual questions. Our leaders are growing in ownership of the mission, and we thank God for strengthening them with faith and a growing passion for His kingdom. We are truly grateful for your continued prayers and support. Prayer Needs: Please continue to pray that future leaders would rise up within this mission, equipped with strong faith, humility and a heart for God’s kingdom.
Our church is doing well and grew about 25 percent last year. We have a diverse congregation; 45 percent black, 40 percent white, and 15 percent Hispanic. We had two people give their lives to Christ and were be baptized on the second Sunday in February. Prayer Needs: Be in prayer for our revival in May.
Howdy from west Texas! 2026 is off to an amazing start here at Oasis. We continue to see new faces every week and new doors and opportunities continue to open that I can't wait to share with you as they get confirmed. We officially set aside six men as elder candidates. This is such an amazing moment for our church. I am so thankful for these men and their families and the wisdom and leadership they are bringing to Oasis and the help they are giving me. It has been a heavy burden bearing the weight of shepherding and leadership alone for the last four years, so having these men to lean on and come alongside me has been such an amazing answer to prayer. There are BIG things coming at Oasis. I can't wait to share them soon. Thank you so much for giving me the chance to be a part of what God is doing here in west Texas. Prayer Needs: Please pray for a unique opportunity that may have arisen to acquire a new meeting space for our growing church, the selection of new elders and for the start of a new work in Sundown.
Matthew 6:33 was our focus verse this first month of 2026 here at Iglesia Nueva Vida en Cristo of Tyler. We decided to allow more time of sharing during our worship services this month, as many shared their successes and struggles of last year and were excited to begin a new year by seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. We were happy to hear how our people are committing their lives to Christ and His work here in Tyler. Throughout this month, I was also able to connect in a more profound way with some of our men. I am happy to know that our men are wanting to be led by God. We had the Lord's Supper on the first Sunday and right before the cold. We had our meal celebrating birthdays of the month after the service. We also had a great time with our youth at our home on a Saturday evening that connected them. Then the cold weather came, and although it might have kept us apart physically, we were all checking on each other in case someone lost power or needed anything. Everyone offered their homes if there was a need, not only amongst us but also our neighbors and coworkers. Fortunately, no one had such a need. God was so good to all of us, but everyone felt the warmth and support of their church family. Speaking of that, we would like to express our gratitude to all the BMA churches that continue to support us in various ways. We praise God for all of you! Prayer Needs: Please continue to pray for those baptisms. We want to share with you about them next month!
Our mission this month has begun to hold meetings in the homes of brothers, such as the home of Marco Jimenez and family who live in Lewisville, inviting neighbors and relatives from the area. Prayer Needs: I ask for prayers for every mission and church, that we may continue to fulfill our mission and reach more souls.
We are praying about a new meeting place, but our people remain encouraged. They understand that we are on mission and that our calling is to share the gospel. They have taken initiative to seek a place of worship for us, and in the meantime practice hospitality as we meet in one of our family's houses. We know God will lead us to a place He wants to plant us in His timing. Prayer Needs: Please pray for us to find a regular meeting place, that is reasonably priced, to rent per month, long term.
Testimony of provision. My insurance boss offered to sell me a trailer through a credit company with a down payment. I was rejected twice. In the end, he gave me a $10,000 discount and financed it for me with no down payment for five years. I'm currently renting and will be paying it off soon. My house is at the disposal of the ministry. Prayer Needs: Please pray that the Lord would send me a wife to serve by my side in my ministry.
We are experiencing low church attendance. Let's pray for a revival. Prayer Needs: Let us pray that faith may not be lost and that we may continue proclaiming the gospel.
We are continuing to build relationships here in the Golden Triangle. For the last couple of months, I have been meeting with Abel and his wife, Grecia, for English classes. Because of the holidays, we had a slow start, but we are starting to get into a rhythm. Please pray that God would work in their hearts and open the door for gospel conversations. Prayer Needs: Please be in prayer for spiritual growth in our discipleship group members. Also, pray for health for our family, so we can focus our energy on ministry and, of course, pray for fertile soil to receive the gospel. By HEITH MITCHELL Executive Director of Missions Introducing new missionaries: We are excited to introduce to you three new missionaries who have been accepted for support from your BMA of Texas Missions Movement.
Will you commit to being on the prayer and care team of these new missionaries?
A WORD FROM YOUR MISSIONARIES
Happy New Year to all the BMA churches from Iglesia Nueva Vida en Cristo of Tyler. We had a wonderful time during Christmas and New Year's. We were able to attend the Christmas program of our host church, which was in English, but it served as an encouragement to our people to practice their English. We also attended our host church's One Service, which was also in English. We hope to continue joining them for their One Services, but hopefully, we'll get to use translation equipment so that everyone can understand. We might even use such equipment as a tool to serve our children, who may be better ministered to by hearing my message in English. This was a great recommendation by Brother Heith Mitchell, whom we had the pleasure of visiting at one of our services this month. We were very encouraged. We thank the Lord for the wisdom and guidance we receive from him and Brother Elvis. We also thank you all for your support in our church plant in Tyler. Your prayers are making an impact! We had some conversations with some of the people we've been asking you to pray for so that they may make a decision for Christ and be baptized. There is a desire to surrender to God and serve Him. We hope to have some baptisms soon. Please pray that it be a good handful or more! Thank you! In Christ, Jose Torres Prayer Needs: Keep praying for baptisms! Pray for a band and for the purchase of translation equipment.
Right now, the situation for missionaries and pastors in Texas is a bit difficult due to immigration policy. This teaches us to seek people and houses of peace that have stability in this country, without neglecting our primary mission. Prayer Needs: Pray for the purchase of the house where I'm currently renting. It will be an operations center.
Howdy from west Texas! Well, the holiday season is in the books. It was a really great and steady month for us in every way. We had lots of visitors, put on our first ever Festival of Lights, and had our largest ever attendance for our Christmas Eve-Eve service. We continue to grow and are beginning to seriously push the limits of our current building. It’s a great problem to have, but it’s a problem nonetheless. But as with the other obstacles we have had, we can’t wait to see how God solves it! It’s definitely a sweet time for Oasis. Prayer Needs: Please pray for direction and discernment in regard to a possible new space, new contacts and connections in Sundown, and for continued leadership development.  Christmas Eve-Eve service at Oasis
Our church had a booth at our community's Christmas event and was able to interact with many people from our community. We had a lot of solid conversations about our church with people by our 13 volunteers. Several Bibles were given away and received with surprising enthusiasm. Prayer Needs: Please pray for me and our church to be more intentionally evangelistic as we engage others for prayer and gospel conversations. Pray for a new opportunity that has arisen to equip our people as we pursue more of a church culture that is intentional about evangelism and outreach.
As we begin this new year, we are thankful for God’s faithfulness after a challenging season. Last year brought setbacks that required recovery, but the Lord has sustained and renewed us. Recently, we were encouraged by a brother who experienced a major career setback and had to postpone the completion of his training for several months. What seemed like a loss became an opportunity for God to restore his confidence and open new doors. His testimony has reminded us that God is still at work even in difficult seasons. With renewed hope, we are looking forward to a fresh beginning this year. Thank you for your continued prayers and partnership. Prayer Needs: Pray for a new season for the ministry to receive new members and spiritual growth.
t has been a whirlwind of emotions, tears and gratitude to God for everything. Our faith has been tested, but here we are, still doing what God commanded us, starting a new year with many goals and plans to reach our friends and family. We know that God has a plan, and we trust in Him completely. Prayer Needs: Immigration status, my household economy, my children and wife, my family in Venezuela.  Our Christmas Celebration
Our mission as a group of Christians is to share the gospel, that is, the Word of God. Now we have a challenge ahead for outreach: deportations, which are causing people to stay home. I ask for wisdom to carry forward my commitment to God, and I pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ that we may remain steadfast in our calling. Prayer Needs: I ask for prayer and understanding to carry out the work that has been kindled within me.  Mission members celebrating Christmas
Thanks to the generosity of BMA of Texas churches, we now have a completed meeting space in what was once a garage on our property! We had our first Bible study the Sunday before Christmas and are so excited to see God use this space to bring others to Him and grow them in the faith! Prayer Needs: Pray for boldness and fertile soil. Specifically, pray that opportunities would open with coworkers to share the gospel.  Our first Bible study in the new meeting space
December is a month to look back and celebrate God's faithfulness this year. We have a deeper family-like relationship with church members who are growing more like Christ, parenting with His principles, their marriages reflecting His love and faithfulness and people are growing together in the Lord. Our people are sharing their faith regularly and the ones being discipled are beginning their own discipleship groups with new/young believers. Each member is taking the privilege of being a minister and reaching others for Christ. Prayer Needs: For continued favor with neighbors and the community. For wisdom as we plan 2026 goals and objectives. Transition of a Bible study to a house church and for leaders to run with energy and focus.
I was the invited preacher at the 2025 closing service of TEBA and it was a blessing to promote the missionary work in Conroe, New Caney, and nearby areas. Prayer Needs: Keep the hope and share it with those going through tough times.
Though the church is growing, Sunday worship attendance dropped this month. However, enthusiasm is still high. Prayer Needs: That God would send someone to help with our vision and sound tech ministry.
This month we are going to sing at a farmers' market. We will sing songs and have a table to talk with people. Please pray that we make many connections. Prayer Needs: Please pray for our outreach efforts at the farmers’ market. By HEITH MITCHELL Executive Director of Missions I can’t believe we are coming to the conclusion of another year already. November marked 10 years that I have had the privilege of serving you and the Lord in the missions department. Time is flying. So many of your missionaries are finishing up their five-year plans right now. This month, The Bridge Church in Seagoville is coming to the end of support. They had three saved and three baptized this month. Time is flying, and God is faithful! Would you encourage and pray for The Bridge Church as they step into the exciting and scary season of independence? They are ready, and God has them, but it is scary. Pray for Brother Tim. I and the staff of your BMA of Texas Missions pray that you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Our Savior being born, dwelling among us, dying for our sins, and rising from the dead changes everything! In Christ, we can look into 2026 with anticipation and say, “Your Kingdom come, your will be done.” We can look to eternity with excitement knowing this journey ends with “home.” Merry Christmas!
A WORD FROM YOUR MISSIONARIES
We have packed multiple Samaritan Purse boxes together, as well as collected toys for a Christmas event where we get to give toys to 67 different families and share the gospel with them.
The mission is facing some absences this month, but there are also two couples becoming more established in the faith. Brother Marco and his wife asked us to meet at their house on some Wednesdays to share the gospel with their friends and family from Nepdalia who live in the area. Prayer Needs: Pray for the mission and for my business so that I may have the wisdom to guide them with God's favor.
Church membership has grown by 15 new people. Youth has increased from two to eight. God answered our prayer with a soon to be associate pastor. Prayer Needs: Pray for a youth leader.
This month we have seen God at work in some really encouraging ways. We were connecting with some friends who didn’t show up for a while. We had good conversations and prayed together in small, meaningful moments. It’s been a steady reminder that God uses unexpected ways to strengthen friendships and open hearts. As the spirit of Thanksgiving, we’re grateful for the friendships growing, the prayers answered, and the sense that God is quietly guiding us forward. Prayer Needs: Pray for spiritual growth for all people we encountered and ministered to for the past year and give all thanks to God.
This month, we are going to go to different neighborhoods to carol, where we will sing songs and give out gift bags. Please pray that we connect with many new families. Prayer Needs: Please pray for our caroling.
Nueva Vida en Cristo of Tyler is extremely grateful to all our churches of the BMA of Texas for continuing your support of our ministry. We felt loved and embraced at the state meeting. It was great to see many of you there. Our ministry continues to proclaim the Word of God individually and collectively. We continue to pass out gospel tracts and receive family and friends of those attending regularly, with the commitment of allowing the Holy Spirit to do His work in those that come to our groups and worship services, so that they can come to the knowledge of the gospel of Christ and give them that new life in Christ that we are experiencing. We have a young man who's been coming to our worship services on a regular basis this month. We hope he will make a decision for Christ soon. There's also a handful in our groups that need to be baptized. Help us pray for their obedience to the gospel. Thank you again, and may God bless your ministries as well. Prayer Needs: Please continue to pray for a praise and worship band.
God continues to bless our little church as we took our first evening of discovering spiritual gifts and personalities together as a church. It was powerful to see both the confirmation that the community of believers was able to provide each member and the joy and confidence that came to each believer as their gifts and personalities were affirmed by the community. There's an excitement to now cooperate with how God has gifted us to make a deeper impact in the kingdom and in this community for his glory. We also hosted a neighborhood Friendsgiving where we invited unbelieving neighbors to join us for a grilled homemade pizza night. Our church members joined us and connected with our neighbors in meaningful ways. The whole evening we had very little contact with our church members, as they were networking, building relationships and sharing Christ with our neighbors. Prayer Needs: Please continue to pray for the Lord to bless our evangelism. God has been so faithful to build a strong sense of family within the body of Christ, and now we're asking that He would add to our number daily those who are being saved.
Howdy from west Texas! God continues to move and grow our church. So much so that we are actively looking for possible new spaces for the next phase of Oasis Church. We celebrated another baptism this month and hosted 43 students from South Plains College for a Friendsgiving dinner. We are also preparing to call our first elders, as well as preparing for first steps into starting a new work in the neighboring town of Sundown. God continues to shape and refine the vision He has for west Texas. Our people are sharing their faith and walking in the vision and values we preach every week, and God is moving. Thank you for walking with us and allowing us to be part of God’s big vision for west Texas. Prayer Needs: Please pray for next steps in reaching Sundown as well as an open door for a new space to grow.
We have launched three Discipleship Groves which are groups of 3-4 men or women who come alongside one another for six months for the purposes of maturing as a disciple of Jesus and then making disciples. Through daily spiritual disciplines, outstanding books, and personal accountability, we are helping one another grow to the point of overflowing into others. Our nine current people will hopefully each start their own Grove upon completion! Prayer Needs: Please pray for our love for people both outside and inside of our church. Also, pray that we will intentionally engage others for outreach and evangelism, open our homes generously to others, and that we will warmly care for those who worship with us.
I met Javier, a Catholic man who has a family here in Gilmer. I plan to follow up with him, since the times I've spoken with him, and he shows genuine interest in Jesus. Prayer Request: First, I want to thank you all for your support and prayers. I bless you. Let us pray, please, for all the brothers and sisters in the church.
Last time I gave an update, I shared about Ms. Betty, who had made a profession of faith. I asked for prayers as she underwent surgery for a blocked artery. I am happy to share that she had her procedure and is feeling much better! We have started meeting with her on Wednesday evenings and are looking forward to her health progressing to where she can join us for Bible study on Sundays. Prayer Needs: Pray for soft soil as we share the gospel and spiritual growth for those in our discipleship groups. Pray for health for our family as we enter the winter season.
We had a one-on-one retreat with Baptists from Kyle, Seguin, and San Antonio, Texas. It was led by Pastors Luis Perez, Ciro Gonzalez, and myself. There were nine of us. It was on Nov. 7 and 8 and we rented two cabins in Seguin. The theme was: Committing ourselves more to serving the Lord. Although we hadn't planned it, there were two baptisms. Prayer Needs: I moved to a house; I hope to have the group meetings there on Sundays.
We finished the scheduled 2025 Bible studies. We praise the Lord for the blessing of seeing people falling in love with a real deep search in God's word. Prayer Needs: Peace of mind. By HEITH MITCHELL Executive Director of Missions It is BMA of Texas Annual Meeting time! I look forward to seeing so many of you and reporting on all that God is doing in Texas Missions. Your missionaries saw 30 saved this month. Your missionaries are faithful, and God is building His churches. We get to celebrate the 125th birthday of the BMA of Texas, Texas Missions, and the WMA at the meeting. God has been so good to us! I hope you can join us in the important business and the celebration. If you are new to the BMA, join me at 3:30p.m. Monday in room 2410 for a breakout session called BMA 101. It will be an orientation and a connection to resources. I look forward to seeing you there.
A WORD FROM YOUR MISSIONARIES
The Lord is growing Redemption Hill, both in number and maturation. We are celebrating at least one baptism this Sunday with a man who came a few weeks ago. He professed faith in Jesus and a desire to follow Him in baptism. He is in a struggling marriage, but because of his recent conversion, he has decided to fight for that marriage rather than walking away. There is a long road ahead, but we are hopeful for God's continuing and sustaining grace to transform them. Prayer Needs: Please pray for wisdom regarding some significant leadership decisions.
We are celebrating with one of our members, Allen Hong, who welcomed a healthy baby boy, John, this month! We have been helping them with meals, prayers and support. Their joy has been contagious, reminding us all of the peace of being a believer and belonging to a group of believers. Prayer Needs: Thank you, BMA churches, for your continued prayers, encouragement and support. We are grateful to be part of this family of churches, and enjoying the beauty of new life, both for our member family's new baby and our new life in Jesus Christ!
God is continuing to build up our church members in Christ. Last month, an older couple who led a weekly Bible study in their apartment complex also met with a Hindu couple, an agnostic man and a man interested in learning more about God in one week! Their joy at sharing with our church was priceless. We also had a church member who started cautiously to speak Jesus' name, now boldly sharing Jesus with others, praying for opportunities to share, and discipling her daughter-in-law to speak Jesus' name in conversations. Our church member shared a photo of two young ladies who her daughter-in-law had just led to Jesus. What a transformation! She was once hesitant to share but is now boldly leading others to Jesus. God is faithful to His people and to His mission to seek and save the lost. We are overwhelmed with the privilege of joining Him. Prayer Needs: Please pray for wisdom as we work to reach our neighbors and empower our people to reach their neighbors. We are also transitioning an evening Bible study to a house church, so please pray for the Lord to direct steps and keep the enemy from distracting people from God's mission for us to be the body of Christ.
Howdy from west Texas! We are praising God for another wonderful month here in west Texas and Oasis. We continue to grow and welcome new visitors almost every week. We had a chance to serve the middle school staff in Sundown and continue to make progress toward starting a new work there. But greatest of all, we are celebrating the answered prayer of the salvation of the husband of one of our members we have lifted in prayer for four years! It is a beautiful story of a faithful wife living out her faith and loving her husband well and actually leading him to Christ after bringing him to church a few weeks ago. God is so good! Prayer Needs: Please pray for leadership development, new connections and work in Sundown, and new connections and work at SPC.
Greetings, churches of the BMA of Texas. I would like to share that Iglesia Nueva Vida en Cristo of Tyler was able to have a worship service without the pastor being there on Oct. 12. I had inventory at work that weekend, and John was unable to bring a message in my absence that day. Diego, our 22-year-old son, was gladly willing to direct the service and have our members participate with scriptures and testimonies that day in my absence. I managed to get there at the end of service and saw that we had visitors, so I jumped in and made an invitation. Other than that, the service was held without me being there. Before that day, I was worried, but after seeing the response from Diego and the rest of the church to have service, I was greatly encouraged. Diego has been helping with our audio visuals, but will now be helping us direct service at least on first Sundays when we have the Lord's Supper. Thank you for supporting our ministry with prayers, various resources, training and offerings. May God bless all your ministries as well. Prayer Needs: Please continue to pray for leaders within our church, no matter how young they may be!
This month has been very difficult, but the most beautiful thing is that we have seen God in every moment. Despite what we are going through, God has been good. We have been attending Garland Baptist Church for a month now, and it has been a blessing. We want to continue there. The pastor has welcomed us with so much love. We continue to pray for the immigration situation, for my son's girlfriend who is still detained, and for my wife who had her checkup this month and has some health problems. We know that we have on our side the One who can do all things, Jesus. Prayer Needs: Please pray for my family, my son’s girlfriend (Nachiel), our immigration status, our economy and prayer groups.
I am so glad to report that we've had our first salvation! Mrs. Betty Gillory lives in Port Arthur. I met her when our eldest daughter, Zoe, and I went out to share the gospel a few weeks ago. Mrs. Betty started sharing about some serious health issues she's struggling with and the possibility of surgery. I took the opportunity to share the gospel, and she placed her faith in Jesus right there on the playground sidewalk. Please pray for her growth as a new believer and for her family to hear and respond in faith. On another front, we've been working on a garage/work shed that is on our property, transforming it into a meeting space for Bible studies. In the last few weeks, the insulation has been done, a new door installed and sheetrock delivered. We hope to have it finished and ready to meet in by the end of the month. Thank you to the churches of the BMA of Texas who have faithfully given so that we can prepare this space to meet in. May the Lord bless you! Prayer Needs: Pray for more soft soil to hear and respond to the gospel. Pray for health for our family as we've been dealing with viruses on and off. Pray for endurance in the work.
One of the projects that Ciro González and I had was to organize a man-to-man camp for the Kyle, Seguin and San Antonio areas. Thank God we're going to have it in Seguin on Nov. 7. Prayer Needs: Please pray for the integration of the Kyle, Seguin and San Antonio areas.
Despite our tight agenda with work, we have had great progress in the Bible studies at the Conroe cell group. For the time being, we have covered four foundational topics: God's nature (Trinity) + Human's nature (physical + spiritual); Revelation + Illumination; Sin (origin and consequences); Salvation (justification + sanctification + glorification). Most of the attendees have shared that they had never received this "systematic" teaching. I praise the Lord they have not fallen asleep; in fact, they show a genuine interest. Prayer Needs: Please pray for wisdom in developing stronger synergy in each cell group and between the cell groups.
We hosted our Second Annual Women's Conference and had almost 40 women participate, 17 of whom were from outside of our church. The theme was “Content in Christ”. My wife, Jacklyn, headed it up along with a team of volunteers. I taught on contentment from Philippians 4, and one of our women led the ladies in worship. We created a 30-day contentment journal for each person. The event was a thorough success, and I'm so very proud of my wife for this fruitful experience. Prayer Needs: God is giving me and others at our church greater courage in initiating conversations with strangers to offer assistance or prayer or to invite them to church, give away a Bible or talk about Jesus. Please pray that this continues all the more so that we stay on mission.  Second annual Women's Conference at Grace Church Jarrell Mission
This month we are going to do our Feast of Praise, where we eat a lot of good food and sing praises. Please pray that we connect with many new families. Prayer Needs: Please pray for our Feast of Praise. By HEITH MITCHELL Executive Director of Missions It is the season for all 25 of the local BMA associations to have their annual meetings. I look forward to seeing so many of you at these meetings. The overlap means that it isn't possible to be at all of them every year. I want to encourage you to attend your local association. I want to encourage the many churches outside of a local fellowship to try one out near you. I want to challenge each of us with the truth that churches fellowshipping together is so important for health. It is good to learn from each other and sharpen one another. Exposure to our differences between churches makes us better. In times of hardship these relationships are so valuable. Maybe your local association is not currently the best fellowship. I want to challenge that in Christ it can be amazing and impactful. Get involved and help change the course. We have seen that the associations that engage missions together, serve and encourage each other and practice regular loving fellowship are healthy and add to the health of each local church. I hope to see you on the association trail.
A WORD FROM YOUR MISSIONARIES
Redemption Hill is healthy by God's grace. The Lord is growing us every year both in the quality and quantity of disciples of Jesus. We installed more new members this month than ever before, and some of those are already leadership quality folks. My wife Sydney and I are hosting our group leaders once a month at the house for in-depth discipleship in hopes that our groups become healthier, more Jesus centered, more neighborly focused and evangelistic and eventually a new church plant comes from this. Thank you for your prayers and support. Prayer Needs: Please pray that my family and I continue to pursue Jesus together amidst a busy ministry season.
Praise God! Anchor Austin mission here in Georgetown is growing in a healthy way, teaching God's Word, discipling committed individuals, developing leaders and building environments to meet more people and evangelize. Prayer Needs: Pray that God would bless with more new families to be a part of this mission that God is leading at Anchor Austin. God is doing amazing things here at Anchor Austin. We are excited to see new milestones reached and healthy challenges in our leadership as we look forward to serving God in a mighty way in Georgetown and the surrounding areas.
We started a series of Bible studies in the Conroe cell group. The objective is to equip them with a healthy foundation in the faith to multiply the gospel. We began with nine, but last week we gathered 14. Prayer Needs: Please pray for my health as sometimes an old weakness in my cardiovascular system shows up.
This month, our prayer meeting was blessed with a lady from Ghana who joined us for the very first time. Her presence was a wonderful reminder of how God is drawing people from different places into fellowship with Him. We were encouraged by her openness and the joy of welcoming her into our group. Prayer Needs: Please pray for more people to join our prayer meeting.
God continues to bless our teams as they build rhythms of sharing Jesus. Our Sunday evening group is preparing to transition from a Bible study to official house church with many members already leading others to Christ. Our Sunday morning house church is continuing to grow deeper together and make great steps in reaching others with the gospel. This has been a good summer for ministry with our church having members serve overseas, build relationships and serve lower income communities through a VBS partnership with another church, discipling interns with a partner missions ministry and investing in refugees through area ministries. Prayer Needs: Please pray for our transition to house church, for our leadership development and for our members to continue sharing Jesus in relevant and life-giving ways.
We are still getting visitors and more potential growth. Our people are growing in the Lord and showing a hunger for His Word as we preach through the Book of Daniel. Prayer Needs: Please pray that some of these visitors come to know the Lord and are baptized. Another prayer is for our fall festival on Oct. 26. Pray that we get to connect with several new families and that it is a success.
Iglesia Nueva Vida en Cristo of Tyler is sharing the gospel by handing out tracts every week. We give out five tracts to each person every Sunday so that they can share the gospel with friends, family, co-workers, neighbors and people in the grocery stores. We always have more available in case they want to take more but we have a commitment of each to share at least five tracts per week. They then share their experiences the following Sunday. It is awesome to hear some say that they intentionally go places to give out their tracts and talk to people about Christ. We have been encouraging this and taking them to do so ourselves, but it excites us that they are doing so of their own initiative. I have also felt encouraged by the recommendations and prayers of some of our strong believers who have had pastoral and missionary ministries in the past. Suddenly, I feel that my preaching is becoming bolder, and I know it is because of those two factors. We are blessed to have these wonderful and experienced servants among us. Prayer Needs: Please pray for more people in our groups to obey the Lord and be baptized.
This past Sunday we had a special time as a church plant as we celebrated our first baptism. This was a special time for our family as well as it was our youngest son, Gabrial, who was baptized. We held the celebration at our house and he was baptized in our pool. We used the opportunity to invite some friends over and made the gospel clear through it all. After the baptism we celebrated with burgers and swimming. It was a wonderful time with family, our Bible study group and friends. Prayer Needs: Pray for us as we settle into our new neighborhood and area of Nederland. Ask the Lord to give us open doors with those we come in contact to build relationships. Pray for me (Kevin) as I have started my first year of teaching. It really is going well so far but there's a lot to learn.  Gaberial's baptism!
I have seen that the first thing that helps a Christian is to have a closer relationship with God. Sometimes we run out of ideas, projects and goals. But the more time we spend in prayer, the more the Lord clarifies our thoughts. Situations change for the better. Prayer Needs: Thank God! My knee is much better. I am losing weight. In September we will start a new group in the south of the city. Please pray for that group.
A couple came to us a few months ago. The husband had spent 25 years in prison and was released last October. A church member invited him to come. His wife has had a difficult past as well. They came and multiple church members were able to love them in practical ways. I met with the husband and while he has already been saved, he desires baptism. A few weeks ago, at a church service, the wife repented of her sins and placed her faith in Jesus to save her. We will be baptizing them both once he gets his ankle monitor removed or we are given permission to work around that obstacle. They both desire to go all in with us as church members. Prayer Needs: Please pray for our people to have compassion for the lost around us and the courage to engage in conversations about Jesus.
We are going through an unpleasant situation. One of our people was detained and is in the process of being deported to Honduras. We continue to pray for her and that she will soon be reunited with her son. Prayer Needs: Please pray for Jennifer and her family.
This month God has shown His power, as some of you know I have a monitoring device. Still, I feel blessed because God has not abandoned me. We want to continue doing what God entrusted to us. We are rising from a difficult situation. Still, we have seen the hand of God in everything. We want to continue to bring the message of Jesus to the community. Prayer Needs: Please pray for my situation, my family, my children and our finances. By HEITH MITCHELL Executive Director of Missions It is a big transition season for some of your missionaries right now. Five of your missionaries are taking their first scary steps into financial independence. The mission works prepare for this and never feel prepared when the time arrives. You generously provide funds to them through your cooperation with Texas Missions for five years. We have never seen so many at this moment at once.  Lighthouse of Hope Church is now an organized BMA church in Katy that is made up entirely of Nigerian immigrants. They are a healthy congregation that is well-formed. Their pastor, Aderemi Badru, is a missionary by calling and is burdened to plant another church. Pray for him as he committedly stays and prepares the church to stand and call a pastor when it is time for him to depart. This church is made up of low-income members, yet they are sacrificially giving both to salary and to their new church facility.  Iglesia Bautista Gracia Soberana (Sovereign Grace Baptist Church, translated) is an organized BMA church in Kyle. This church has endured some rough seasons, and its pastor, Luis Perez, has endured hardship over the last few months. He buried his mother and father back-to-back. The church takes the gospel and discipleship very seriously. They have grown and strengthened steadily.Iglesia Bautista Gracia Soberana (Sovereign Grace Baptist Church, translated) is an organized BMA church in Kyle. This church has endured some rough seasons, and its pastor, Luis Perez, has endured hardship over the last few months. He buried his mother and father back-to-back. The church takes the gospel and discipleship very seriously. They have grown and strengthened steadily.  Harmony Baptist Church in Normangee reached out to us with a burden to see their community reached. They needed help and were willing to face their reality and make sacrifices to engage the Great Commission. Robert Lee and his family felt led to engage with them. This family and church are a great fit for one another, and they are impacting the community with the gospel.  Iglesia Bautista Hispana Conroe (Conroe Hispanic Baptist Church, translated) is an organized BMA church in Conroe that has met at Northside Baptist Church. Their pastor Isaias Martinez is a Cuban American and has faithfully served this body. Brother Isaias needs your prayers because he was recently laid off as the company he worked for entered foreclosure. This young church is producing leaders effectively. They are saving for their own building.  Anchor Austin Church is an organized BMA church in Georgetown/North Austin made up entirely of immigrants from India. They are a healthy congregation pastored by Chris Mindi. Their call is to make disciples among Hindu people. This is obviously difficult and a God sized challenge. God is bringing glory to Himself because migrants from India are walking together in this new church. Unique to this congregation, they take a several- day retreat together annually with near-perfect attendance. One thing each of these churches have in common is that they all began during COVID. You can imagine how hard that has been. Baptist Progress: I am glad to report that the Baptist Progress transition to agency status within your BMA Texas Missions is going well. The team led by Chris Driver is doing a good job with the paper. This is the third paper they have produced. They are working hard on improvements and expansion of your news outlet. You are seeing more news from our churches and interest articles. Last month, they launched a podcast, which will give you the option to watch or listen to BMA news. This month, you are seeing the eNews Update show up in a new phone-friendly format. Good job, Progress team! Finances are looking good. We are operating on budget with one small challenge. The Anniversary offering has dropped by over half from last year. We anticipated a drop but didn’t plan for it to be this severe. Thirty less churches have participated in the special offering. It isn’t too late to participate. The Progress still needs your help.
A word from your missionaries: CHRIS MINDI—ANCHOR AUSTIN, MISSION IN LEANDER [email protected] We have reached a good milestone. We have a worship leader at Anchor Austin. He is a gifted individual and passionate for the Lord. While he is growing in his faith, he still struggles but as his pastor, I am embracing the duty to mentor this individual. I am glad in my heart that God has sent him to Anchor Austin. Prayer Needs: Pray that God would bless us with more new families to be a part of this mission that God Himself is leading at Anchor Austin. God is doing amazing things here at Anchor Austin, we are excited to see new milestones reached. We are looking forward to serving God in a mighty way in Georgetown and it's surrounding areas.  ERIC JORDAN—BREATH OF PRAISE—BROWNWOOD [email protected] We had two people join the church, a young lady gave her life to Christ and was baptized, and had a great VBS. Prayer Needs: Pray that the Lord will send an associate pastor.  HAITAO HE—FREE SALVATION BIBLE MISSION— CORPUS CHRISTI [email protected] We’ve been walking through the book of James in our weekly Bible study, and it’s been both challenging and refreshing. This series has sparked great discussion about faith in action. One participant shared how the teachings helped her get out of a period of depression. We praise God for the power of the Word! Prayer Needs: We met some new friends and we are praying for a good relationship with them. Please pray with us that we will have those new friends join our prayer meeting.  ISAIAS MARTINEZ—CONROE MISSION [email protected] The mission is progressing well. We celebrated all our accomplishments. The wedding event was significant for its attendance and the topic discussed. Prayer Needs: Please pray for our future meeting place.  MIGUEL RAMOS—HURST MISSION [email protected] The Mission continues to strengthen itself mainly in the faith and this is reflected in the way we live and how we express ourselves. Prayer Needs: Let us pray for the government and the advisors of this country so that their decisions are correct.  LUIS H. PEREZ--IGELSIA BAUTISTA GRACIA SOBERANA—KYLE [email protected] We have been quite busy in the ministry, which is a joy to work in the business of our God. Time passes and we do not realize. It is a little tiring but very joyful. We need prayer to be able to work with the new converts and for those who get a little jealous because of the attention given to the newcomers while helping the others continue to grow and welcome the those new to the faith. We continue working with others so that they can do and develop their gifts and talents for our God. Prayer Needs: For the spiritual growth of Sovereign Grace Baptist Church, Kyle.  JOSE TORRES—IGLESIA NUEVA VIDE EN CRISTO—TYLER [email protected] Iglesia Nueva Vida en Cristo of Tyler began two new groups and restarted a women's Bible study at the home of sister Marisol who is a phenomenal host. One of the new groups is in the home of recently baptized member, Natividad Fino and his wife Carmen. We have been well received in their home as well and they are very excited to learn more about God's Word. The other new group is with sister Graciela, who is widow of a former missionary. We gather for prayer in her home and receive lots of motivation and helpful advice in doing mission work. We have also started to motivate our people to share the gospel by giving out gospel tracts that we provide for each person. Each tract has our church plant name, address and telephone number. We then set aside some time during our Sunday worship service for a few to share their experiences as they give out their tracts. This has been a wonderful experience for all of us. We are very grateful for all the support all the churches of the BMA of Texas provide our church plant. May God continue to bless your ministries! Prayer Needs: Please continue to pray for the formation of a worship band.  RUDY VILLAREAL—HOMETOWN CHURCH MISSION IN HELOTES [email protected] We are growing. We have had several new families come and they are excited about connecting to our Church. They have enjoyed the preaching, fellowship and our brisket Sundays. Prayer Needs: Pray that this momentum continues in the fall and for our Fall Festival outreach.  ABNER NUNEZ—SAN ANTONIO MISSION [email protected] Generally, the Spanish- speaking church planters of the BMA are associated with immigrants who don't have the immediate possibility of obtaining residency unless something extraordinary happens. While continuing to serve this group, we must pray that God will place people with residency and citizens in our paths, thus balancing our membership. The goal is to have stable and healthy churches. Prayer Needs: For my health. I have a bad knee and cannot put weight on my foot. I'm looking for a location for our Sunday meetings. We currently have one monthly.  JOSE GIL—PROYECTO MISIONERO "LIDIA" – SPRING [email protected] Lourdes and I are enjoying not an easy but a fruitful ministry, and this month we just want to express gratitude in our prayers. Prayer Needs: That more friends in the cells are born again and baptized.  Jesus Calderon's baptism. We also baptized his wife in 2024. Praise the Lord!  KYLE CHEATHAM—GRACE CHURCH JARRELL [email protected] Thanks to the support of our church, I was able to take my annual three-week study leave in order to invest time, energy and focus into our discipleship strategy that will launch soon. While out, three men of our church that are on our teaching team stepped up to bring the Word and each did well. It is so exciting to see God drawing in these men and equipping them to use their gifts in this way. Prayer Needs: Please pray for us as we launch our first few disciple making Groves in September, where disciples will mature alongside one another for ten months before multiplying and each starting their own Grove.  MARVIN MEDINA—PLANO MISSION [email protected] This month has been hard since I had to attend an immigration appointment where they placed a device on me. At first, I felt very distressed. But we are seeing the hand of God in it all. May His will be done in our lives. Thank you for your prayers. I ask that you continue praying so that I can get a job. Prayer Needs: My immigration, economic and family situation. May God strengthen us.  KEVIN WILLIAMS—PORT ARTHUR MISSION [email protected] It has been a wild summer. We bought a house in Nederland (right next to Port Arthur) and I got hired to be a 7th grade English teacher. We are still doing our Thursday evening discipleship and Sunday evening Bible study. We have had a couple of new people come over the last several weeks as guests of Roberto and Betsy. But we have had no return visits yet. We are excited to get settled in our new area of the Golden Triangle and seek out relationships to share the gospel. Prayer Needs: Pray for protection over our family (both physical and spiritual). Pray for Kevin as he starts his new teaching job and all the pressures that come with that. Pray for a person of peace in our new neighborhood that will be open to hearing the Gospel and can be a connector to others.  CHRIS DRIVER—OASIS CHURCH, LEVELLAND PASTOR CONNECTION/BAPTIST PROGRESS [email protected] Howdy from west Texas! What a busy and exciting month we had out here in Levelland. We really spent a lot of time engaging with the communities out here in west Texas this month. We started out the month with a great Fourth of July celebration in Whitharral at our friends' house where many of our people were able to attend and make new connections with my hometown community. We had a mission team from Antioch, Gilmer, come out and help us with a nursery project at the building and put on a "slammin'" good community outreach here in Levelland with Mike Watt and Trevor Cowan, the pro wrestling preachers from CrossWork, Tahoka. We ended the month by loving on our neighbors and students from the SPC Cosmetology department as they got ready to go back to school this semester. It was definitely busy, but we had a blast. It is so amazing to be able to be part of what God is doing out here in west Texas. Thank you for all you do and all your support. Prayer Needs: Please pray for new contacts and a new ministry work in Sundown and wisdom as it may be necessary to start looking for a bigger building soon.  TIM ALBA—THE BRIDGE MISSION IN SEAGOVILLE [email protected] We had many people take the initiative to get baptized. We so far have six people getting baptized this month. We have had about 80 people coming to our services when our members invite, which they have been more aggressive in doing so. Prayer Needs: Please pray for me and Nancy. Our marriage is strong, but we often get overloaded by church duties. |
