Bienvenidos a Amistad Cristiana!

Welcome to Christian Friendship!

Domingos / Sundays: 11:30AM

4700 South Anthony Blvd. Fort Wayne, Indiana

(260) 494-6620

 MUSICA CONTEMPORANEA Y LATINOAMERICANA!

 COMPAÑERISMO ENTRE FAMILIAS!

 

 ATENCION A NIÑOS, JOVENES Y ADULTOS!

 PROGRAMAS DE ANIMO Y ATENCION PERSONALIZADA!

 

 

 

 

EVERY SUNDAY!

CADA DOMINGO!

NEO GENESIS WORSHIP BAND

 

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Amistad Cristiana – A Brief History

Amistad Cristiana (Christian Friendship) started their first Sunday morning worship program at 11:30AM, on August 10^th 2008, at Calvary-Third Presbyterian in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

 

I. The outreach ministry to the Latino community in Fort Wayne started four years before that date.

1.      In April 2004, under the leadership of the Whitewater Presbytery, the five Presbyterian churches in town became organized into a partnership for outreach ministries as P.L.A.N (Presbyterian Latino Alliance Northeast).

2.       About the same time, the first English as a Second Language class started at Pontiac Public Library.  After 10 weeks of classes, a full four-level-program was organized and moved to the building of Grace Presbyterian Church.

3.      In July 2007, a new English as a Second Language site started at Calvary-Third Presbyterian in the southern part of town. 

4.      Also, through this missionary effort, PLAN offered for the first time a bilingual, multicultural  vacation bible school at United-Faith Presbyterian (August 2006).  Without a Latino congregation hosting VBS, but with great spirit of collaboration, all five churches served with joy.  The first VBS at Fort Wayne was offered targeting people and friends from the community and the ESL schools.  It was a bilingual program offered to children, youth and adults.  Since that first time, PLAN has offered a VBS program every year.

5.      Other outreach activities: 

Some students in our ESL schools started asking questions about faith.  We provided spaces for this spiritual need through a couple programs:

A.      Three-times-a-year brunches:  On Easter Sunday, in the summer, and during Christmas.  We invited friends for a time of gratitude to God, we read the scripture, learned some songs, and ate together.

B.     Also, we organized special dinners aiming to use special dates to emphasize our need to be grateful to God (Thanksgiving, Christmas and Memorial Day).  We followed the same idea we had for the brunches, to have fun in an intentional way.

6.      Then, in New Year 2007, we invited a group of long time Latino friends for a breakfast at a local restaurant.  We had 8 people attending the group.  We ate, read a passage of the Scripture, and prayed for our personal needs.  That was just the beginning, the group at that breakfast decided that we should start meeting once a month.  We invited other friends to join the group and we began the once a month Family Support Group.

 

Like Romans 8:28 says, things started working together for the beginning of Amistad Cristiana (Christian Friendship).  Our God, in his grace, provided three Presbyterian families to be part of a church planting team.  All three families were commissioned by their churches for this ministry of faith: two families from Trinity Presbyterian Church and one family from Calvary-Third Presbyterian Church. 

 

Amistad Cristiana (Christian Friendship) presented to the Lord its first Sunday morning worship program on August 10^th 2008.  From that day, the new congregation started this adventure of faith, growing step-by-step while continuing with the ESL programs, VBS, and the other outreach programs.  Amistad Cristiana (Christian Friendship) has as its vision to “uphold the value of family, seek to encourage Christian and secular education, pursue the nobility of service, and share with others the richness of a relationship with God.”

 

II. Now, September 2009.

1.      Amistad Cristiana (Christian Friendship) has an average attendance of 40 people every Sunday.   Most of the attendees are part of young families with children and youth.  A  great combination of Anglo-Americans and Latino families.  Lately, we have had Afro American families visiting during worship.

2.        The program is fully bilingual.  The music, teaching, and prayers are easily understood by Anglo-Americans and Latinos of all ages.  The music is directed by a worship band that provides a fabulous combination of contemporary American and Latin American rhythms and styles.  The Bible study is interactive;  the biblical text is explained, and everyone contributes with comments and ideas. 

3.      The purpose of helping families in the community and our network of friends to find a common space in a multicultural, bilingual environment is being achieved on a daily and weekly basis. 

4.       There are a lot of possibilities for Amistad Cristiana (Christian Friendship) to grow from a worshiping community to an organized congregation. Soon to start: 

A.      A mid week home Bible study program in three different homes. 

B.     An educational program which will include: A nursery, K-2^{n ,} 3^rd – 5^th, and 6^th – 12^{th  grades.} 

C.     And since we have a group of 11 youth attending Amistad Cristiana (middle school/high school) we are aiming to start a Youth Ministries Program coordinated through volunteers. 

 

After one year, Amistad Cristiana (Christian Friendship) as a bilingual and bicultural ministry, has GREAT expectations and many opportunities for intentional ministries.