Urban Ministry gets noticed in Detroit

Missionaries working in the inner city are confronted with masses of people with whom they can share the gospel. Among the hustle and bustle of an urban environment—busy streets and crowded sidewalks—it’s sometimes a challenge for a mission pastor to know which direction will lead to opportunities for ministry. Rev. Ismael Sialer, Hispanic missionary for Palabra de Vida in downtown Detroit, Mich., is always looking for new ways to connect with an individual, develop a friendship, and point that child of God to his or her Savior.

Palabra de Vida is a multi-ethnic home mission congregation situated in a low-income section of Detroit’s metropolitan area; more than 2,500 people live within blocks of the church. A small mission like Palabra de Vida can be easily overlooked among rows of brick buildings, so when an opportunity to gain visibility for the congregation and help a neighborhood initiative came up, Rev. Sialer got involved. The “Community Backpacks for Free” event was organized to distribute free backpacks and classroom materials to neighborhood children. Sialer offered use of a vacant lot next to the church to host the neighborhood distribution. He says, “I was able to see more people on that one day than in a whole month of walking the streets of the neighborhood.”

More than 950 people attended and many visited the Palabra de Vida tent set up at the same location. Rev. Sialer, his wife, and Rev. Timothy Flunker, vacancy pastor at Palabra de Vida, handed out Multi-Language Publications Bible Teaching Series books. The books were offered free of charge, along with a verbal invitation for a personal visit to explain the material in detail. “The urgency to reach souls is unmistakable. The Lord has blessed the congregation with members involved in ministry during the vacancy, but will be even more greatly blessed when a full-time bilingual missionary is able to be present every day in the neighborhood around Palabra de Vida,” commented Flunker.

As a result of the event, Rev. Tim Flunker is following up with twelve new English-speaking Hispanic families from the area. Seven new Spanish-speaking families have signed up for in-home Bible classes adding to the 20 families already connected with the Hispanic ministry. Making initial contact with people in the inner city “isn’t always easy,” says Rev. Flunker, “but opportunities like the ‘Community Backpacks for Free’ event is a great way to introduce people to the mission and ultimately to God’s saving message.”
To learn more about Hispanic outreach and urban ministry, visit wels.net/missions.   ...more

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