Home-Building in Rural Guatemala Leads to Discipleship, Church Planting

January 23, 2012

A ministry committed to meeting the physical needs of Guatemalans has paved the way for church planting and many turning to Christ, Mission Network News reports. More than 15 years ago, Paradise Bound Ministries began sending teams to build homes and set up medical clinics in rural villages. "What has grown out of that -- especially in the last five to 10 years -- is discipleship, growing out of the impact we're having within [villages]," said Dan Smith, executive director of Paradise Bound. Discipleship groups have grown into church plants, which has led to missionaries being placed in those villages to provide leadership and pastoral training to others. Within a year, Smith said, the pastors and leaders are then able to train others, and they are developing action plans for sharing the gospel. "They're saying, 'I know that village next to me needs Jesus Christ,'" he said. "They're going to get to that village and present the gospel to their neighbors."