Guatemala: Church leaders train thousands to become Vision One Million disciples

Some 700 small group leaders from throughout east Guatemala met to reach more people with the gospel at the Obraje Auditorium in Ipala, Chiquimula, Feb. 18, 2012. Image by Guatemala Union/IAD

More than 700 Seventh-day Adventist small group leaders from throughout the eastern part of Guatemala recently learned how to reach more people with the gospel, continue evangelism efforts and be active participants in Inter-America’s Vision One Million initiative. Vision One Million is a five-year initiative that envisions to recruit, train and challenge one million members as active disciples.

The small group leaders representing 136 local churches met Feb. 18, at Obraje Auditorium in Ipala, Chiquimula. They committed to holding 1,000 evangelism campaigns to begin at the end of March. The efforts are part of Guatemala church’s goal called Vision 60,000-which is part of the Vision One Million initiative.

« Our vision is to prepare 60,000 laypeople, » said Pastor Gustavo Menendez, personal ministries director for the church in Guatemala, « men and women involved in the art of persuasive, active and well-grounded preaching of the gospel in each community in our territory. »

Pastor Menendez said that the challenge is for each layperson to win one person and for each local church to turn into a missionary training school and an evangelism center.

So far, some 10,300 leaders in the eight church regions in Guatemala have been certified as « Vision 60,000 » disciples during the last six months, according to Pastor Menendez.

Efforts will continue to reach 60,000 trained church members by 2015, church leaders said.

Eastern Guatemala plans to recruit some 8,000 lay small group leaders, said Pastor Otoniel Trujillo, president of the church in the East Guatemala.

Nodvin Zabaleta is a bible instructor and lay preacher in the Olopa district. Zabaleta was among the 700 who met for the training and said he plans to organize a free medical screening activity and one evangelistic campaign in March. He works toward expanding his small group into a church of 70.

« This meeting motivated us to get more involved in this task and this Vision One million initiative gives us the perfect opportunity to fulfill the message of the three angels’s message, » said Zabaleta. « I am convinced that if we commit to preaching the Gospel we will speed up Jesus’ Second Coming. »

Zabaleta particularly enjoyed seminars on how to make effective altar calls and establish an intimate relationship with Jesus to be more effectual in presenting the Gospel.

The church in Guatemala plans to hold some 10,000 baptisms by Mar. 31, church leaders said.

There are more than 233,000 Seventh-day Adventists worshiping in 800 churches and congregations in Guatemala.

For more information on the Adventist Church in Guatemala, visit http://www.uniondeguatemala.org/