On February 21st, the Jubilee Christian Church celebrated its third anniversary as a church family. The congregation of 190 packed into one special worship service and then shared a meal after the celebration.

The preaching for the anniversary was unique. The four members of our preaching team each took ten minutes to focus on a point of our theme, “Dare to Impact.” The preaching and the music added together made the service special and a great blessing to those gathered.

To prepare for the anniversary, the church held a prayer vigil on Friday evening from 9 pm till midnight. It was a beautiful mix of music and prayer focused on the impact and outreach of the Jubilee plant in Pachuca.

After the service, the celebration continued with an all-church meal of roasted chicken tacos. We sang “Happy Birthday” the church and ate a giant cake (there was a piece for everyone!)

“Dare to impact” will be our theme throughout this year at Jubilee. Join us in praising God for another year of living as His church in Jubilee.

The Jubilee Christian Church plant in Pachuca is beginning a month-long process to prepare a new location as a center for worship and ministry. The contract on the present building ends March 15 and the owner wants to raise the rent significantly. The church leadership and missionary team felt that the new rent was beyond what was good stewarship for Jubilee, especially with the land purchase project in process.

Jubilee’s new facility of three storefronts was actually used by the first church plant in Pachuca for about 7 years. Since they moved to their own building, the storefronts remained empty. The metal doors still sport the New Hope logo, and since the Aros de Amistad are also the name of Jubilee’s cell ministry, the logo will simply add Jubilee’s name.

A fourth store front is also being rented for the bookstore and a ministry center. The center will include classrooms for English and computer classes as well as a place for Jubilee’s youth to reach out to the university and high schools in the area.

Several projects must be completed to prepare the storefronts for Jubilee. Glass doors at the entrances will be installed and floor coverings will be laid in the basements where the children’s programs will take place on Sundays. Lights must be moved as well as doors. Fortunately, some can simply be moved from the present building but also some lighting fixtures must be purchased.

Fortunately, Jubilee has a couple of carpenters and an electrician who have indicated they are willing to donate time to hang doors, move the stage and put in the lights. Their work is a great help in reducing the costs involved in the move.

We are currently concentrating on the worship center and children’s areas of the new facility and later will work on the forth storefront. We hope that several of the spring and summer work groups from the United States will help with the outreach center remodeling.

We ask that you keep Jubilee in your prayers over the next month and a half as we prepare for this move. The reaction of the congregation has been very positive. Since the new location is close to the present building and in the same area of Pachuca, we are hopeful that the transition will be smooth and will not affect worship attendance. The first worship at the new rented facility will be April 18, 2010.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Our team of Missionaries and Mexican Church leaders are feeling great sadness for Haiti, and we are praying for the country’s people, including the many Christians and missionaries that live and work there. In the days ahead, the Jubilee church plant will be looking at how it can participate in helping with the great need there. Those of us that were in Mexico during the 1985 earthquake remember the terror and devastation of those very difficult days.

We would encourage you, our Christian brothers and sisters, to move quickly to help in this disaster by visiting the websites of New Mission Systems International (www.nmsi.org) or the International Disaster Emergency Service (www.ides.org) to make donations to their Haiti disaster relief programs. Both of these organizations already have established systems in place to quickly provide aid.

In light of the disaster in Haiti, we have come to the conclusion that it is wise for us to postpone our VISION SUMMIT that was planned this next month in Pachuca. The new dates for the summit will be SEPTEMBER 26 & 27. Though this is disappointing, it does not compare with the current suffering of Haiti’s people. We hope that this will help all of us focus on how our churches need to respond to the need in Haiti.

We will be in contact with each of you over the coming months to organize your participation with us in September. Please also be aware that information on the VISION SUMMIT will be on the IMPACTO Latino website at www.impactolatino.org.

If you have any questions, please contact your missionary directly at the contact numbers on the website.

¡Qué el Señor tenga misericordia por los de Haiti!

In Christ Jesus,

The Pachuca Project Team –
Sergio & Holly Alvarado, Eric & Dee Duggins, Luke & Lindsay Greer, and Jorge and Juanita Del Angel

_____
(Photo courtesy of United Nations Development Programme. Used with permission under Creative Commons license.)

Greetings in Christ Jesus,

We pray that you and your family are truly blessed.  These last few months have been exciting as the Jubilee Church plant continues to grow and mature. Our team in the Pachuca Project rejoices that the Lord gives us the privilege to be a part of His ministry in Mexico.

You might notice that we have a new logo!  We also have an exciting transition to announce.  On January 1 2010, IMPACTO Latino will become a ministry under the umbrella of New Mission Systems International.  The Board of IMPACTO Latino, along with the missionaries, have been in discussions with NMSI for over a year. IMPACTO’s Board of Directors approved this transition at its meeting on November 14, 2009.

The IMPACTO Latino Board will move to the role of Advisory Board for the Alvarado, Duggins and Greer families and for the National Ministry Workers, Jorge and Juanita Del Angel. The IMPACTO Board will continue to be counselors and accountability partners for us and our projects.

There are some wonderful blessings for the ministry of IMPACTO and it’s missionaries in moving to NMSI:

• NMSI has a effective support staff that will help with newsletters and other promotional needs.
• The financial staff of NMSI will take over deposits and receipting of funds, moving from the volunteer system that has been administrating our financial area.  (The treasurer of IMPACTO had indicated that as he approaches retirement a transition would be needed.)
• The projects of IMPACTO will also have a wider potential donor base as NMSI promotes special projects to a broad audience.
• As new families are added to the IMPACTO’s ministries and projects, they will have had effective pre-field training and assessment by the NMSI process of affiliation.
• The families of IMPACTO will now be covered under the NMSI group insurance program. Medical insurance covering our families in the United States and in Mexico had become a major challenge but will now be covered worldwide under the NMSI group policy.
• NMSI has a high priority for community and missionary care and our missionary team will have resources and the counsel of experienced mentors. Eric & Dee Duggins, as missionaries of almost 30 years experience, have been invited to participate in NMSI mentoring program in Latin America.
  

Though this transition does mean adjustments in several areas for the IMPACTO missionaries, it does not mean a change of vision and focus. The Pachuca Project will continue its church planting projects and church planting will remain the priority of the missionaries and National Ministry Workers who are part of the project.

The missionaries of IMPACTO will continue to be dependent on your prayers and your financial support. Each family will have to work to add support partners to cover community responsibilities that will be part of NMSI, so we are grateful for your faithful partnership with us. Starting in January 2010 we would ask that you send all financial support to the following address:

Checks can be made to: NMSI

Mailing Address: New Mission Systems International • P.O. Box 547 • Fort Myers, FL 33902

In the memo part of the check or in a note that accompanies the check, please indicate the family or project you are giving to in a way similar to:

IMPACTO – Alvarado Family
IMPACTO – Del Angel Family
IMPACTO – Duggins Family
IMPACTO – Greer Family
IMPACTO – Jubilee Land Purchase

This will make sure that the contributions are credited to the correct accounts. Contributions will be receipted by NMSI. NMSI is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, a member of ECFA, and has Charity Navigator’s highest rating.

If you have questions, you can contact NMSI directly at 239-337-4336 and ask for the financial area. Also, Marvin and Elaine Schultz, Treasurer of IMPACTO Latino, would be available to also answer any questions during this transition period at 317-578-2005 (afternoon and evening). Of course, you are welcome to contact us directly if you have any questions. Please remember that the IMPACTO Latino website will continue to function and this information will be available there at impactolatino.org and you may also want to check out the New Mission Systems International website at nmsi.org.

We are grateful for the partnership we have with you and we excited at what we are doing together in Pachuca, Mexico.

In Christ Jesus,

Sergio & Holly Alvarado

Eric & Dee Duggins

Luke & Lindsay Greer

The Pachuca Project Team

State of Hidalgo, MEXICO

After months of hard work, Jubilee’s youth group and New Life’s youth group were able to get enough money together to go on our annual youth retreat. On the November 13th, we took 34 youth and leaders, to the Christian Youth Conference and Retreat in central Mexico. It was amazing to see everything that happened and the excitement the youth showed while we were there.

We took one of the largest groups that went, which was very motivating. But the best thing was to see the unity of our group and their positive attitudes. They had a great time and showed that they loved the Lord and that was why they were there. We were able to take a couple new people that expressed their need to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. We are in the process of talking and doing studies with them so they understand the entire meaning of what Christ did and what He asks of us.

Also, our youth were able to make new friends with Christians from other churches in other cities. One of our main goals for them is to meet other Christian youth and realize that they are not alone on this road. We also knew it would be a great opportunity for them to meet others who were Christian because most of them have only been Christians for a couple of years of less so this was a blessing to see. It was exciting to see many of our young people at their first Christian conference. They had a blast and we enjoyed watching them have so much fun and deepen their relationship with each other and with Christ.

THE PLAN
Jubilee Christian Church, (Iglesia Cristiana El Jubileo) is moving into an exciting new campaign to purchase its own church facility.

After much prayer, Jubilee’s church leadership is convinced that this is God’s leading. Already, the people of Jubilee Christian Church are working and sacrificing to help pay for the major project.

The land owner has been generous to us and is excited about a church buying his property. He has offered Jubilee an incredible price and the opportunity to pay over three years.

We are asking you, supporting churches, to prayerfully consider partnering with us to help with the purchase this land and the construction of a building.

The purchase of this property and the construction of a facility is an important step in accomplishing our ultimate goal of Jubilee becoming an entirely nationalized congregation.

WHAT PARTNERSHIP MEANS FOR YOU
Partnership with the IMPACTO Latino mission is not just financial. It is purposeful, prayerful, and personal.

Purposeful. We believe that missions support should bring mutual blessing to the receiver and to the giver. As missionaries, we actively communicate what’s happening on the field through frequent emails, web posts, and mailings. When we’re Stateside, we’re eager to get together with you over coffee or in a Sunday School class and share what God’s doing in Latin America.

Prayerful. We consider prayer to be one the most effective and important forms of mutual support that God has given all of us as Christians. That’s why anyone can sign-up to receive our prayer updates from our website. Got a prayer request? Let us know, and our churches here in Mexico will lift you up in prayer.

Personal. We encourage a personal relationship with all of our supporters. We love it when they come down and see what’s happening and participate in what God is doing. We host multiple short-term groups every year, and they do everything from plumbing to preaching.

On November 8th, the Jubilee church plant held a special celebration on the land that will someday become their own.

The celebration was exciting — the weather was incredible, the worship and music was great, the teaching from Eric was just right, and most of all, the people were excited. Holding the celebration on the land helped to make the project more personal for everyone.

After the service, we all headed back to the rented building to share tacos. The fellowship was authentic, and there was an energy and hopefulness about what God is doing with the young congregation.

Right now, the church is working hard to gather funds for the down-payment on the land. Please pray for all of the cell groups and the projects that they are doing — selling food and crafts, and offering services like car washes and babysitting.

_____
Learn more about Jubilee’s land and building project.

It’s our goal that all the members of the church plants in Pachuca be members of cell groups that meet throughout the city. As each of these groups grows, they “multiply” by becoming two groups. Recently, we’ve had two cells multiply.

The Tulipanes Cell group was reaching 25 people on Wednesday evenings. The group leaders, Agustin and Pilar, had done a wonderful job as the cell pastors, but the size of the cell was well beyond its 14-member goal. On Wednesday, October 14, we held a “multiplication party” at the Duggins home. Almost all 25 people were there and it was a wonderful night. Eric shared about the principles of the cells and the importance of multiplying, giving more room to expand the outreach of the Jubilee church. We ended the evening with cookout and pitch-in dinner.

The new cell started on October 21 and was led by Luke Greer. Luke and Lindsay will be the Assistant Cell Pastors and will cover the cell during the Duggins trip to the United States in November for the IMPACTO Latino board meeting and the National Missionary Convention.

Another cell also just recently multiplied. The Chacon Cell, meeting at the Jubilee Church building, multiplied by several of the ladies beginning a Women’s cell also on Wednesdays. The original cell continues on Tuesday.

12 cells now meet as part of the Jubilee cell ministry!

October is about over and an amazing amount of things have happened. A visitation group came from the Harborside Christian Church, Clearwater, Florida came and just a few days after they leave, on October 30-31, Dee Duggins will be leading with Juanita Del Angel in a Women’s Retreat for the Jubilee Church. In the week following we will be getting ready for a special worship service on November 8. This service will be held on the land that the Jubilee church would like to purchase for a future church building. These weeks will be an exciting and full before our departure to the United States.

On November 9 the Duggins will be driving to the border and will begin a four-week road trip to visit with supporting congregations from Dallas to Indiana. Since Eric is the IMPACTO team director, they will also be attending the IMPACTO Latino board meeting in Lexington, Kentucky on November 14. During this meeting, the board will be dealing with 2010 budgets and goals and there are a host of other very important decisions that this year’s November meeting will be dealing with. It should be a very long day!

November 19-21 the Duggins will be in Peoria, Illinois to attend the National Missionary Convention. IMPACTO Latino will have a booth at the convention; so if you or your congregation is planning on being there, look us up!

The remaining time, until December 4, the Duggins will mix some family time and church reports. They will be with family for a few days around Thanks-giving and will begin the drive back to Mexico on November 30, passing through Dallas again where we will visit with a new supporting congregation, Compass Christian Church. They will arrive again in Pachuca on December 4 and hit the floor running to get ready for the annual Evaluation and Planning Retreat of the Elders and Staff of the Jubilee Church.

We would ask that you keep the Duggins in your prayers during this very long road trip. And keep the Greers, Alvarados, and Del Angels in your prayers as they attend to the myriad of ministry responsibilities in Pachuca.