March 2020

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

WRBA Director’s Article ….Page 1

Upcoming Events ….Page 2 and 3

Church Spotlight & Churches Without Pastors ….Page 4

Volume 21, Issue 3

DIGITAL MEDIA OR PAPER SNAIL MAIL? Communication is a large portion of what we do here at the Waco Regional Baptist Association. Sometimes I explain that we are like the old telephone switchboard operators who took a call and physically plugged a cable into a slot to connect people between churches to help them accomplish what they were trying to do.

But the nature of communication has changed rapidly over the past 20 years. Now more people are looking at their Social Media feed than at newspapers. In an effort to continue being great at communicating what is going on, we have forged ahead with a growing weekly email list, and made various subgroups for different kinds of church leaders. We are also diligently using all of our social media channels. As a result, the numbers of people who actually need a physical paper newsletter once a month has fallen off dramatically. We are trying to (1) make our weekly emails more user friendly, and (2) perhaps eliminate this monthly paper newsletter.

We do hope to stay in touch, but realize this mailed monthly newsletter may not be the best way to do that. I hope you will let us know what your thoughts are on the subject.

In His Service, Tim

So we are asking you to let us know if the paper newsletter is the only way you can receive information from us (because you do not use email, social media, or our website). Please give us a call at (254) 753-2408. If we do not hear from you by the middle of March, this will be the last paper newsletter you receive.

MARCH EVENTS

2

March 4th, 12:00PM Ministers Round Table/ Ministry Guidance Conference, Speaker: Dr. Paul Putz, Great Hall, Truett Seminary RSVP by February 26th to heather_starkey@baylor.edu OR (254) 710-3739 March 6th-7th African American Leadership Workshop Truett Seminary March 9th Daylight Savings Time Move clocks forward one hour before bed the night before March 17th, 4:00PM Board Meeting WRBA Office March 21st, 8:30AM Disaster Relief Orientation and Specialty Training First Woodway BC March 31st, 6:00PM 2nd Annual Taste of Waco2World Missions event First Woodway BC Venue March 29th - April 3rd Empower Waco Week April 1st, 12:00PM Ministers Round Table, Speaker: Tim Randolph, Great Hall, Truett Seminary RSVP by Wednesday, March 25th at (254) 753-2408 OR admin@wacobaptists.org

Disaster Relief Orientation and Specialty Training

Saturday, March 21st at 8:30AM

First Woodway Baptist Church

For more info and/or to register visit https://www.tbmtx.org/events/dr-orientation-woodway/

3

FOR MORE INFO AND/OR TO REGISTER VISIT https://texasbaptists.org/events/african-american-leadership-workshop

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Permit No. 235

Waco, TX

Waco Regional Baptist Association

P.O. Box 1848 Waco, TX 76703

Phone: 254-753-2408

E-mail: admin@wacobaptists.org

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Axtell BC, Crawford FBC, Riesel FBC, Shiloh BC

CHURCH SPOTLIGHT - VIENTO FUERTE CHURCH

Please continue to pray for WRBA churches seeking a Pastor:

Viento Fuerte Church began as “Viento Fuerte Centro de Adoración” in September 2003. It originally started as a Spanish-speaking ministry of Mighty Wind Worship Center. Tom and Elizabeth Gutierrez were one of five founding families. Through the years, Tom and Elizabeth served as worship leaders, youth leaders, children’s pastors and Senior Adult Bible teachers. As the Lord blessed their ministry, their calling became obvious. In 2007, Viento Fuerte moved to a storefront shopping center in Hewitt where, after four years, the ministry outgrew their space. In 2011, the church moved into the facilities of Kendrick Lane Baptist Church. It was during this time that the Lord moved the hearts of the church leaders to become a bilingual church to better meet the needs of the surrounding community. In 2015, the North Waco Baptist Church was facing closure due to long-term decline. The members of that historic church chose to continue their legacy of ministry to the neighborhood by giving Viento Fuerte their facilities. The church renovated the facilities and established new relationships in the neighborhood.

The church family of Viento Fuerte is comprised of a wide variety of backgrounds. There are first through fourth generation Hispanics from all over Latin America: Nicaragua, Ecuador, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Columbia and Tejanos. Today, Viento Fuerte has found a new home with First Woodway, and is working diligently to reach its neighborhood. They reach out through events, home groups, dynamic praise and worship, and by relevant preaching of God’s Word. With the vision to love God and love people, Viento Fuerte is out to change lives, connect hearts, and to honor God.

Pastors Tom and Elizabeth Gutierrez