Send Relief’s Response to Fiona, Gospel Doors Open in Mexico & ETCH Conference

Following Hurricane Fiona’s landfall in Puerto Rico Sunday, Sept. 18, Southern Baptist churches on the island have begun meeting crisis needs and engaging their communities with the Gospel through Send Relief.

The entire island lost power, which has made feeding those in need a top priority. Send Relief has launched six response sites through local churches across the island, some of them Send Network churches that were recently planted.

Send Relief’s immediate response so far is focusing on providing meals and water as long as these needs persist. Each site can produce up to 2,000 meals a day, and local Puerto Rican Southern Baptist volunteers have been driving the response.
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The task for the day was sharing the Gospel – with total strangers.

Talking about Jesus in public can be intimidating for some, but Danny Buitrago was up for the challenge while serving in Mexico. On a GoIMPACT mission trip in Guadalajara, Buitrago and his team walked into a local park. Buitrago approached a man standing by a tree reading a Bible and thought it would be an easy conversation.

The stranger told him to go away.

Buitrago was not deterred. In the same park he greeted an 82-year-old man named Eduardo, or “Lalo,” who told Buitrago he was just sitting there waiting to be put in his casket. Buitrago shared the Gospel and along with his evangelism partner for the day, Alejandro Garcia, prayed with Lalo as he gave his life to Jesus. They spent more time throughout the trip getting to know Lalo and discipling him in his new faith.
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Good News for Today is sponsored by The Voice of the Martyrs

Good News for Today is made possible through our friends at The Voice of the Martyrs, a nonprofit organization that serves persecuted Christians around the world. Founded in 1967 by Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, VOM is dedicated to inspiring believers to deepen their commitment to Christ and to fulfill His Great Commission — no matter the cost. Find out more and sign up for their free monthly magazine at vom.org/goodnews.
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A leading topic of confusion for the next generation is the concept of identity. But before churches can partner with parents in addressing this issue, ministry leaders of kids and students must first have a biblical foundation for their own identity in Christ.

At this year’s ETCH Conference, happening Oct. 3-5, ministry leaders will be reminded their identity isn’t solely wrapped up in their church title or what they do, but on Who they belong to. “Called by Name,” the conference theme, comes from Isaiah 43:1 and will encourage leaders that God knowns them intimately and has placed them where they are for a reason.

ETCH — hosted by Lifeway Christian Resources — stands for equipping the church and home. This year’s conference will be held at the Music City Center in Nashville and will include live worship, a robust main-session line-up of speakers and 40 breakout-session options.