2.

2 Scripture context portfolio

2.

2.2 Scripture Context Portfolio

Ernest Lee Trevino
Trevecca Nazarene University

In the last few years the ministry which I have tried to carry has had both
victory and disappointment. I had been part of a Spanish speaking church in which
we had become very stale in vision and our kids and more so our youth were not
learning other than in Sunday School. Music and preaching was done in Spanish
and most if not all youth understand very little. Our Pastor did not speak English
very well and so we started translating during service. After many failed attempts
the board refused to try and keep a service in only English as it affected the Spanish
speaking adults as feeling second class citizens. The victory came as three families
and myself decided after two years of prayer to open our own Nazarene church that
would be 100 percent in English. In opening the church in the same city we had
previously attended church in some people were upset. We Stayed within the same
district and told our superintendent that we were willing to work through what ever
came our way. With the help of Jesus we would be blessed. The Victory has come
in that even though we started in my home with 26 people we now have a building
that God has blessed us with were 55 to 90 people will come on a Sunday service.
Our Sunday school has had a drop in attendance in the last week but we are moving
forward with 55 dedicated lives on any given Sunday.
Another victory has come in reconciliation with most of the people that were
mad that we left the Previously attended church. I attended 26 years faithfully and
so some people felt that it was wrong. Most of the people will now attend zone
meetings held at our church now and fell welcomed. We do play a few songs in
Spanish to let them know that our roots in the Spanish language are still there.
Many more smiles have been seen at these services lately. Our youth and the other
local church youth even had a lockin service last week were most of the attendees
were from these two churches.

Our local ministry context has become better as we are looking to do the best
for the surrounding community. We are starting to work with the local city offices to
create a system were all city employees are appreciated. We are working to have
dinner sent to Police officers and firemen on various occasions to let them know that
we care. None attend our church but we know that they need of God. Our parks
and recreation personal also need assistance and so we are coordinating to try and
make sure we are visible in cleaning and helping evangelize our local runners and
walkers at the city parks.
We have had some new families that have never seen the love of Christ and
have been very surprised when we helped them raise money to help one of their
sons that is in jail. Some of our members have visited him and have prayed with
him. The step father has also seen how we have just fellowshipped with him and his
wife. He has a special needs son and we have done our best to try and make him
comfortable at church. They have felt overwhelmed with the love of Christ.
In the midst of diversity our church has come together in that we have been
in negotiations with a local church that has since been put up for sale but has not
been sure if it wants to sell to us. We have prayed and asked God to open the doors
and boy has he blessed. God blessed us with a 25 thousand dollar donation for the
down payment and that seemed to not just open the door but kick it in. So we
offered an amount that seemed justified and the Pastor of the new church pushed
his decision forward. He pushed it forward 2 months. This has been the third time
and our church seemed discouraged but have now come to a consensus that we will
pray for Only Gods will and not try to force anything. His timing is always right.
Every Sunday we pray for His will on the matter.

Our pastor has come down with a bad case of meningitis. I have had to
preach for a month now and take over most of his duties. The church people have
been praying non stop for our pastor and taking care of his three young boys. The
pastors wife has missed work for a week and we that work for the school district
have given as many days as allowed to help them financially. Our church has come
together in the last month like I have never expected. We have grown as the body
of Christ and found out who can be the hand, who can be the feet, who can be the
mouth. God has blessed us with everything that is needed to allow the Church to
go forward. In times of need the Church has become stronger and God will bless us
for doing so. Some of my friends from work have told me to just skip church and
not worry about the people expecting a sermon and I just tell them no. God wants
us to keep going. He provides all the Hope one needs if we focus on what he did for
us.
Our local community is small and being that we are right in the middle of
town we have to present Jesus as much as possible to all who pass by. We might be
the only Bible, Christian that they may ever see. I have seen most of my students
at school know exactly where my church is and have said that they might stop by
one day. I always encourage them to come and have tried my best to be prepared
for them. The City is small. It only has 16,000 people but, many are unchurched.
Most of the youth at my school have never gone to church but call themselves
Roman Catholics. We need to bring Good Christian entertainment. What I mean is
we have nothing for our youth to do in town other than city parks. What I mean as
for entertainment is having Christian Concerts in the parks or for that matter in the
parking lot across our church. We have had some and many young people came.
We need to provide the word of God in what ever manner they will hear it. Music is

powerful. Then we give them a short message and food. I am trying to win the
cities youth for Christ. It seems impossible but with God all things are possible.