Salt and Light in New Braunfels

New Generations Fellowship

Pastor Joe Tostado of New Generations Fellowship, New Braunfels, takes Jesus' words seriously. And he encourages and regularly reminds the members of the 30 month old new church that Jesus said we are to be the salt of the earth and light of the world. "We teach our folks that wherever they are-at work, play, in the community-that is their mission field. We teach them that to be effective salt has to 'rub' off on those around them who don't know Jesus, and the light has to shine."

The members of New Generations, a bi-lingual Hispanic congregation, take those words seriously, and God has blessed with over 100 adult new believers following the Lord in Baptism in the church. In response to a questions, Tostado said 'easily over 50%' of New Generations members are actively, intentionally seeking to be salt and light to those around them.

A recent example was the experience of one New Generations member. She was buying BBQ plates at a benefit in her neighborhood, when she overheard a neighbor ask how much the plates were, and then turn away to leave unable to afford the plates. Moved by the Holy Spirit, remembering Jesus words, the church member quietly bought the plates for her neighbor and gave them to her. after some time of conversation, her neighbor prayed with her to invite Christ into her life.

The story is repeated often through the ministry of this new church start, and the church has grown from a core group of 30 to over 200 in average Sunday morning attendance in 30 months. New Church starts like New Generations Fellowship are made possible through gifts to the Mary Hill Davis Offering.

A Celebration of Service

On September 1, 2011, the Church Starting Team had the privilege of honoring two great women of missions for their faithful service to the Texas Baptists Missions Funding Group committee. Mrs. Anna Marie Edgemon and Mrs. Betty Jo Craig began their time of service in January 2006 and fulfilled their commitments in September 2011.

During this time, they played a fundamental role in creating the New Church Starting process. We are grateful for their contribution to Church Starting and we recognize their love for missions.


Paul Atkinson, Church Starting Director; Mrs. Anna Marie Edgemon, Committee Chairwoman



Paul Atkinson, Church Starting Director; Mrs. Betty Jo Craig, Committee Member

Letter from a member of Orange County Cowboy Church

June 7, 2011

I had walked away from an established church many years ago, due to incidents within the church which left my family outraged at a Baptist minister. My mother, father and sister joined the Methodist church. The incidents left me with mixed feelings, and questions regarding the people who attend and policies of the Baptist church. It didn’t lessen my faith in the Lord; it simply left me alone in this world to hold on to that faith. This became harder as the years went on. I found that the Baptist doctrine and the judgmental ways of the church suited me less and less every time I visited Baptist churches over the next 30 years. Eventually, I gave up trying to find a place where I fit in.

My wife encouraged me to accompany her to the Cowboy Church of Orange County a few years ago when the church was still being held in a barn.

That hot summer morning, as I approached the church, people came forth to shake my hand and say “howdy”. I took my seat and the band started to play, and Brother Dale gave his sermon. I was moved by the entire experience. As a kid, I would go to an old country church in east Texas with my grandparents. As I sat there in the Cowboy Church, for the first time in a long time, in my heart I felt like my grandparents were right next to me again. The doctrine that the Cowboy Church seemed to establish was one of “love for your fellow man, and not too many rules, or people judging others by their dress, social status, their past, or the fact that they are different.” These things were a blessing to my soul. They also seemed to portray the belief of the cowboy era, similar to the beliefs I grew up on, such as “right and wrong, live and let live, and work hard and play hard.” The same ethics that were so proudly displayed in childhood heroes like: “Hop Along Cassidy, Gene Autry, Randolph Scott, and John Wayne.” to me this was the code I tried to live by, and here was a group of people with the same ideas. This was what I had been looking for, for a very long time.

Now with the arena for the kids, wagon for all of us, rodeos, play days, trail rides, wild horse ministries, picnics on the ground, and the phenomenal growth of the church, there is something for everyone. I am so grateful to have found a church family in which I truly feel welcomed just for being me.

Thank you,
Bobby Bailey

Coaching List Updated

Please visit www.texasbaptists.org/churchstarting to view the updated coaching list. Coaching is a key part in the New Church Starting process. Please contact any one of the coaches listed to get more information. Thank You for your support.

CrossBridge Fellowship

Be sure to check out the story written by John Hall about CrossBridge Fellowship in Corpus Christi. This new church start is really reaching their community "A Lighthouse in the Darkness".

The Walk Ministries: 3 turns into 40+

In an area of Houston, TX a new church start is doing great work in sharing the gospel to those in the community. The Walk Ministries started the baptismal service with only expecting to baptize 3 but ended up with over 40 people being baptized that day... read more here.

Iglesia Vida, El Paso

On December 18, Iglesia Vida held a medical clinic to serve our community in the El Paso Northeast area. It was a wonderful occasion for us, and we’re not so quietly strutting a bit about the progress we’ve made.Yet we’re fully aware that our accomplishments are not simply attributable to “genius” leadership or hard-working members. We grew and prospered only because God sent to us some great brothers like you and the doctors, nurses and team members who gave us loyal support along the way.We had 68 registered visitors obtaining the benefits of this activity and four entire families who said they would like to comeback as visitors of our church services.So this is a thank-you note—for helping us, for putting up with occasional errors due to “growing pains,” and just for helping to put Iglesia Vida on the map. The future looks bright, and we want to acknowledge your contribution to this rosy outlook.May God almighty bless you and your family

Sincerely,
David Melendez
Iglesia Vida