Bishop J.C.Ryle once said,

“In God’s Word nothing seems to be too great, too hard, or too difficult for prayer to do.”

That’s so true... Nothing is impossible for the Lord. Nothing it too great, too hard, or too difficult for Him. It never has been, never is, and never will be!

So, with that in mind and in great faith, here’s how you can be praying for our global endeavours over the next month...

1. Please pray for the short-term missions teams from Greentree Church (Egg Harbor, NJ, USA) and Trinity (Cambridge, MA, USA), that will be heading to London, England, 2nd-12th. Please pray that our London Church Plant - Grace City Church, led by Pat Tedschi, would be greatly encouraged and strengthened by this team, and that the good news of the Gospel would continue to go out across this great city.

2. Please pray for Bob Kauflin as he heads over to the UK, October 14th-19th, to run a SG Music Mini-Conference, as we prepare to run a full Worship God Conference in Bristol in October 2027. We’re eager to pick up the pace on planting and strengthening Churches in the UK, hence the strategic nature of the timing and location of these conferences.

3. Please pray for the country of Ethiopia and for the dear saints of Trinity Fellowship Church in Addis Ababa, as sadly clashes broke out again last week between the Ethiopian government and the party that controls Tigray, the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front. They both accuse each other of violating a 2022 peace deal that ended a brutal two-year civil war, which according to the Africa Union, cost the lives of 600,000 people. Please pray for his country, that the war would come to a swift end, the gospel would go forward, and that God would protect the dear saints of Trinity Fellowship.

4. Please pray for Ken Delage, Leo Parris, Shawn Woo, Todd Born, and Watt & Fone (Short Term Team from Mercy Hill) as they head out to Thailand to visit with Family of Grace Church, before heading on to attend the Great Commission Congress in Bangkok, October 26th-28th. Please pray that this would be a rich time of fellowship, service and learning for everyone involved. We’re eager to see how we may increasingly reach the unreached.

5. Please pray for our SG Commissioned Pastor in Lebanon, Juanjo, as he continues to seek to launch a SG Church in Lebanon. The doors have opened for him to start a Bible Study which had 16 in attendance last week! Please pray that God would bless his preaching and would open people’s hearts so that they may truly know Him, stand in awe of His glory, delight in Him, and find their deepest satisfaction in Him.

6. Please pray for the many works going on in SGC LATAM this month, with Carlos Contreras teaching and preaching in Lazaro Cardenas, Michoacan, Mexico, 15th-19th October. Marty Machowski speaking at Muestra Cristo (Show Us Christ) Conference in Medellin, Colombia, 9th-10th October, and Joselo Mercado speaking at a conference in Peru and continuing to build relationally with pastors there, 26th-31st October. May His grace abound to everyone involved in these endeavours.

… For God alone can make great things happen… So thanks for praying!

A key part of our strategy in planting and strengthening churches around the world, is to see men trained at our Sovereign Grace Churches Pastors Colleges. For Africa, this means Trinity Fellowship Pastors College in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. The following is a very encouraging update from Josh Pannell, Dean of Trinity Fellowship Pastors College…

In the Lord’s kindness, we saw our third pastors college class graduate recently—a day which also marked our five-year anniversary as a college (it’s hard to believe those words as I type them!)

Since I started the pastors college back in 2021, our mission has been to give our men a “pastoral education” that seeks to train both the “head” and the “heart,” or, as Paul said, that pays close attention to both “life” and “doctrine” (1 Timothy 4:16), precisely because a pastor must be a man who both proclaims the gospel with accuracy while also living a life which adorns the beauty and transforming power of the gospel for those to whom he ministers.

In the Lord’s kindness, we’ve seen that mission continue—and even grow and mature!

This year, 9 men went through our program. They studied the doctrines of Scripture, God, man, sin, salvation, Christ, the Holy Spirit, the Church, and the “last things.” They took classes on the Torah, Old Testament Historical Books, Old Testament Wisdom and Poetry, the Prophets, the Gospels, Pauline Epistles, the General Epistles, and Revelation. They took classes on pastoral ministry (2 of them!), pastoral counseling (3 of those!), marriage, parenting, leading congregational singing, preaching (3 of those!), and more!

Not to mention, I taught them Greek throughout the year, and I even ended the year by teaching a class that read through 1 John in Greek while also studying assurance of salvation in 1 John. 

One of my favorite classes I taught this year was on the pastoral qualifications. Every Tuesday morning throughout the year, we set aside 30 minutes for me to teach on a single qualification and call the men to the next step of faithfulness in their pursuit of holiness. That slow pace allowed us to cover several of the qualifications twice! It was such a sweet joy to see each of these men grow, not only in their theology, but also in their holiness as Christ further formed in each of them. 

“All in all, they completed 42 one-week block classes, each consisting of roughly 25 hours of classroom instruction, read approximately 12,600 pages, and wrote 420 pages for their regular classes, and they also completed a 30-page thesis paper that they worked on throughout the year. 

They also attended weekly community groups, monthly men’s groups, monthly groups for the wives to meet and discuss the joys and difficulties of being a pastor’s wife, monthly marriage groups, regular one-on-one discipleship meetings with Trinity Fellowship pastors, came to both my house and Michael Granger’s house several times for college events, along with several other informal discipleship contexts over the year.

It was a full year, indeed, and it was quite a joy to see each of them grow.

Our class this year was quite diverse! 5 of our students were Ethiopian and came from Trinity Fellowship Church. One came all the way from Pakistan and represented a growing number of churches interested in partnering with us. And a special joy was having three men from Nairobi, Kenya (one country south of us), all of whom hailed from Sovereign Grace Church of Nairobi, a church we helped plant back in 2024 when we sent Brian Kiama (a 2022 pastors college graduate) and his family to plant the church. In the Lord’s kindness, SGC Nairobi continues to grow, and their sending three of their members at such a young age is a kind reminder from the Lord that he will build his church, and the gates of hell will certainly not prevail against it!

Of the five Ethiopians the Lord gave us as students this past year, we’re happy to say that we believe three of them are ready to move into our pastoral residency program for 2026-2027. Please pray for them as they move from the “classroom” to the “counseling room” this coming year, and please pray for us as we continue training them for future pastoral ministry.

An update from Carlos Contreras, Lead Pastor of Iglesia Cristiana Gracia Soberana, Juárez, and National Leader for SGC Mexico…

On September 19, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of our church. While our original group of young people began meeting in a local park nearly 50 years ago, it took another decade before we were officially established as a church. During those formative years, People of Destiny International (which became Sovereign Grace Churches) played a significant role in helping us understand what it meant to become a local church.

Our celebration was simple yet deeply meaningful. We gathered on Saturday for a special worship service centered on thanksgiving for the countless evidences of God's grace throughout the past four decades. A worship team and choir of thirty people led us in singing songs that have marked different seasons of our church's history. For those who have been part of the congregation since its early years, it was a moving and nostalgic experience; for many newer members, it was a wonderful glimpse into our heritage.

Several special guests joined us for the occasion, including some of our founding members. Also, we had the joy of having Mario and Margarita Jacobo, who traveled from Tijuana to celebrate with us. They were sent out in 1995 as one of our first church plants and they have served that church faithfully for over 30 years.

As part of the event, our production team prepared a commemorative video highlighting significant moments in our history. These included the founding of our Christian school 33 years ago, the construction of our church facilities 25 years ago, and the faithful perseverance of our congregation through the difficult years of violence and instability that affected our city from 2008 to 2012. We also reflected on God's remarkable work in the years that followed, including our national expansion, the launch of the Fieles Pastors Conference in 2014, and the eventual formation of Gracia Soberana México as an ecclesiastical family of churches.

Following the video, I shared a message on why we celebrate and, more importantly, whom we celebrate. The focus was not on our accomplishments, but on God's faithfulness, grace, and glory. I also had the opportunity to recall some treasured memories and recognize a number of leaders who have served faithfully over many years.

One particularly meaningful moment was something we had never done before: a memorial display honoring many of those who have gone home to be with the Lord. Through photographs and personal memories, we remembered saints whose lives and service have left a lasting impact on our church family.

The service concluded with a special arrangement of a song written by Lalo and Roxana Muñoz. We chose this song to honor their immense contribution both to our church and to Gracia Soberana. For more than twenty years they faithfully led worship, and they were among the first to work with Bob Kauflin in translating and recording Sovereign Grace Music in Spanish. Hearing this song again after forty years was a deeply emotional experience for many of us and especially for them.

After the service, everyone made their way through a large gallery of photographs, videos, and memorabilia that chronicled the story of God's faithfulness over the years. The exhibit led out to the patio, where tables, chairs, and games for the children had been arranged. Food trucks and local vendors served tacos, flautas, enchiladas, and tamales, allowing us to enjoy fellowship together as one large family.

It was a joyful day of remembering God's faithfulness, celebrating His grace, and giving Him all the glory for forty years of ministry. As we reflected on His goodness throughout the years, we were reminded that the Lord who has sustained us thus far will continue to guide, strengthen, and uphold us in the years ahead. Our prayer is for the next generation, that they would be firmly committed to remaining faithful in all that God calls them to do as He continues to build His church. We ended all reading this passage out loud:

“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen”.
Ephesians 3:20-21

An update from Jeff Palen, Lead Pastor of Center Church of Star, Idaho, USA…

Center Church of Star, Idaho, began as a prayer of Center Church in Gilbert, Arizona. In 2022, I began to sense that God was doing something that would ultimately lead my family and three others to move a thousand miles north to the unknown world of the Northwest United States in 2025. Those three years felt like ten as we prayed, met with regional leaders and pastors in the Boise area, took numerous trips north, and, still praying, were sent by our dear friends in Gilbert to plant in Star.

We had almost no idea what we were doing, and with many watching us and wondering what we were thinking, but God paved the way for our little group to find homes, jobs, and schools in our new little town. What a big change it was for us too. Gilbert, Arizona, and Star, Idaho, are nearly opposite in terms of climate. When our family left Arizona, we were still wearing summer clothes, and when we pulled into our new home, we hit freezing temperatures. One of the guys on our team must have purchased three or four winter jackets in those early months!

Everything we ran into was new for all of us. Even the neighborhoods were new! Not just new to us, but freshly built! Star has been a rapidly growing area in the US, doubling in population twice since 2010. So when we moved into our new homes, we were surrounded by others moving into theirs too! Most of them were new to Idaho, coming from Washington, Oregon, and Northern California. 

Early on, we were building relationships within our neighborhoods, and most of our first six months consisted of get-togethers and cookouts we affectionately named “driveway dinners.” So by the time we were ready to launch the church in October of 2025, most of our attendees were the people we lived next to and spent time with every day.

When it was time to start meeting as a church, we had several options in Star that seemed perfect for a church plant. However, when we started to inquire, we were surprised to find that none of them worked out. So after our last option fell through, we decided it was best to meet in one of our members’ garages! They painted it and installed a heater, and by October 5th, we were ready to go! On our first Sunday, we met a handful of people who heard about our church and had been waiting to come! Although the garage felt a bit odd at first, it quickly became a part of our story.

Not long after launching, we were excited to learn that one of the neighbors, who had no background in church or faith, reached out and expressed faith in Jesus! A few months later, we were blessed to have our very first baptism celebration! I am so thankful to have been able to be a part of this, and even more so to walk with this brother as he continues to grow and walk with the Lord.

After about six months of meeting in the garage, we found a local gym that was closed on Sundays and was happy to rent to us for our weekly gathering. The best part about this is that they were already set up for children’s ministry and had enough room for us to grow. We are so thankful for the central location, and many visitors have found us because of it.

Our church is still pretty small, but we have so much to be thankful for. While we were surprised to see how God has chosen to work in Star, we are continuously reminded that he is, in fact, working! As we celebrate our first year as a church, we continue to see the same faces show up week after week. We are eager to start reaching out to the community through programs like the Bridge Course. One of our members even got approval to run a Bridge Course at his office!

As we look to the coming year and many after it, please pray that God brings more people to worship with us, new friends to serve alongside us, and called men willing to help lead us. We are so thankful for all the prayers and encouragement from our friends and churches across the globe. Please pray that God moves in power in Star. We are eager to see all he has in store for this little church and the town of Star.

One of the big reasons that we are so passionate about planting and strengthening churches around the world, is so that more people can come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

All around the world the Lord is building His choir, with people from every tribe and language and nation, and what a privilege we have to give out the invites. Jesus is not hemmed in by geography, He holds the whole world in His hands and so what a joy it has been to see His saving hand here in Australia.

Recently SGC Parramatta celebrated the baptism of three dear saints. Lives that have been changed and transformed by Jesus, all by His glorious grace. You can listen into their inspiring testimonies below… Praise His Name!

We are thrilled to welcome the Sovereign Grace Pastors College Class of 2027 to the start of their year in Louisville! Over the next ten months, these men and their families will immerse themselves in rigorous theological training, personal discipleship, and life in the context of our local church. Please join us in praying for them as they begin this journey—that Christ would be exalted in their studies, their homes, and their hearts as they prepare for a lifetime of gospel ministry.

To meet each student, be sure to watch the intro video below… Enjoy!

A.C. Dixon once said,

“When we depend upon organisations, we get what organisations can do; when we depend upon education, we get what education can do; when we depend upon man, we get what man can do; but when we depend upon prayer, we get what God can do.”

There’s no doubt given the size and number of opportunities that we have before us in Sovereign Grace, that we need only “what God can do”. Prayer, by very nature, is the translation into a thousand different words of a single sentence: “For apart from me (Christ) you can do nothing” (John 15.5). So with dependant hearts, and in a thousand different words, here’s how you can be praying for our global endeavours over the next month...

1. Please pray for our 2026-2027 Pastors College students and their families as they settle into Louisville, KY, asking God to provide for them and to give them grace to grow over the next year while at the PC.

2. Please pray for the Sovereign Grace Churches RELAY Asia-Pacific Conference, September 23rd-26th in Manila, Philippines. Around 200 young adults from churches in Australia, South Korea, Pakistan and the Philippines, will be attending this conference. Please pray that God meets with the next generation in wonderful ways as they come together and that He does so much more than we could’ve ever asked or imagined.

3. Please pray for Angel Miranda and his team as they plant Iglesia Biblica Gracia Soberana in Sinceljo, Colombia, asking God to draw unbelievers and the unchurched giving them opportunities to share the gospel with them.

4. Please pray for Iglesia Gracia Soberana Cd. Juarez as they celebrate their 40 year anniversary on the 19th September. Please pray that they may revel in the kindness, faithfulness and grace of God over this special weekend. What a wonderful and faithful God He is.

5. Please pray for the African Pastors College graduating class of 2026, students and their families from 3 different nations who having moved to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the past 10 months, graduate on the 13th September, before heading home to make a difference in their local churches. Please pray for a smooth transition back home and for faithful and fruitful days ahead for each of these graduates.

6. Please pray that God continues to provide financially for Sovereign Grace Churches so that we can fund the many gospel opportunities He is giving us throughout the world.

7. Finally, please pray that God would give the members and pastors of Sovereign Grace churches opportunities and courage to share the gospel with unbelievers in our communities, workplaces and on our campuses. Praying for the saving grace of God to reach many.

   … For apart from Him, we really can do nothing.

An update from Jeff Purswell, Director of Theology for Sovereign Grace Churches and Dean of the US Pastors College…

It seems we say this every year, but by God’s grace we’re still marveling over all that the Lord did in this past year’s Pastors College class. Thirteen men joined us this year in Louisville: eight from the US, three from Canada, and two families from the Philippines who braved the visa application process, the logistics of an international move, and the challenges of life in a foreign country to be a part of this year’s class. This rich demographic combination, with students ranging in age from 22 to 41, included two ordained SG elders (the first to have attended the PC since our new polity), another second generation PC student, and two men from outside of SG seeking to join our family of churches.

Beyond the intensive classroom learning experience—at which these men labored diligently and excelled—we observed a remarkable, transformational community form among the students and their families. These families endured an unusual number of trials this year, from financial struggles to acute health challenges (providentially, two of the students were nurses!), all of which served to knit their lives deeply together. And this went well beyond the students themselves. Their wives were wonderfully engaged in each others’ lives and families, as well as with many in our host church, Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville.

It was particularly gratifying to see the children of the class, from toddlers to teens, growing in their love for each other and for the Lord. One of the wives wrote this in a note addressed to the ladies entering the PC this year: “Perhaps my greatest joy, though, was watching our children flourish during this PC year. Seeing them grow in their love for the Lord, delight in being with God’s people, and genuinely love the local church has been one of the sweetest blessings of this season.” To those of us seeking to serve these families, few words are sweeter.

All of these various components—academic, pastoral, personal, and relational—combined to produce a year, not just of equipping, but, by God’s unspeakable grace, of transformation. Yes, after 36 weeks of class, 800+ hours of lecture, an additional 1000+ hours of outside work, papers, exams, and approximately 12,000 pages of reading, these men have a solid foundation of biblical, theological, and pastoral knowledge upon which to build their lives and ministries. But the Pastors College is more than an academic institution. It provides a rich immersion in the doctrine, values, and culture of Sovereign Grace churches. As I like to say, it is “pastoral training calibrated to our partnership”—training that is Scripturally-rooted, theologically faithful, gospel-centered, local-church connected, relationally nourished, and life-and-doctrine focused, and all aimed at equipping men and their families for ministry within Sovereign Grace.

The fruit of this year is deeply encouraging to consider. Seven of the students entered full-time vocational ministry. One returned to take over senior leadership in his church. Two entered a specific church planting track. And to a man, they left relationally knit, doctrinally deepened, pastorally sharpened, and ready to make an immediate impact in their local church.

We’re already receiving this year’s students, 14 in all, and are eager to begin a new year. Which prompts us again to give praise to God and thanks to you, our pastors and churches, for your faith and sacrifice in sending such quality men and women to be equipped in the college. The Pastors College exists not for itself, but for you—and we could not do what we endeavor to do without you. 

An update from Carlos Contreras, National Leader of SGC Mexico…

This year’s Fieles Pastors Conference was especially significant for several reasons. First, we celebrated the 10th edition of the conference, which began in the summer of 2014. Second, the conference focused on the theme “The Worship of the Church” and served as the host venue for the Sovereign Grace Music WorshipGod Conference. Bob Kauflin provided outstanding leadership throughout the event despite continuing to recover from a serious leg injury. Third, we welcomed a record attendance of nearly 900 participants, including pastors, ministry leaders, their wives, and worship team members.

Attendees came from 27 states across Mexico and six different countries, representing more than 150 churches. Yet what encouraged my heart most was seeing the 180 volunteers from our church who served with joy, humility, and tireless dedication throughout the conference.

The main sessions centered on the biblical worship of the church and were led by our special guests Dr. Miguel Núñez and Sugel Michelén, internationally respected pastors and authors from the Dominican Republic, along with Hanibal Rodriguez, Lead Pastor of Wheaton Bible Church in Chicago. Additional messages were given by our own Joselo Mercado, Jeff Purswell, and Bob Kauflin.

The conference also featured a variety of workshops focused on both the theology and practice of corporate worship, as well as specialized musical training. One of the most well-attended workshops, Balancing Ministry and Family, was led by Jonathan and Sarah Jerez, who partner with Gracia Soberana Música in producing and recording worship music in Spanish. We were also blessed with many rich times of congregational singing. In fact, the voices were so enthusiastic and strong that my Apple Watch repeatedly alerted me that the decibel level was too high!

Our prayer is that this conference will help open the door for future WorshipGod Conferences throughout Latin America and further strengthen the ministry of Gracia Soberana Música as a faithful instrument in God’s hands, serving His church throughout the Spanish-speaking world.

To God be the glory for all He accomplished during these memorable days of worship, fellowship, encouragement, and equipping!

An update from Dave Taylor, SGC Director of Global Strategy & Development…

Last November, Typhoon Tino swept across the central Philippines, bringing powerful winds, heavy rain and widespread flooding. The typhoon made landfall across several central islands including Negros Occidental, where our brothers and sisters at His Dwelling Christian Church (HDCC) in Isabela, Philippines are located.  

In the aftermath of the storm, several families within the HDCC church community had been particularly affected. One family had suffered a complete loss of their home and belongings, while other families experienced severe damage to their homes, crops and sources of income, leaving many in urgent need of support and basic necessities.

By God's grace and provision, Sovereign Grace Churches were able to extend financial assistance, allowing the church to respond to the practical needs of their members, including the provision of rice, groceries, drinking water and household supplies.

A significant part of the relief effort was directed beyond the church walls too. With the heart to serve the wider community, help was also extended to surrounding communities. These residents were invited to the church, where they received food packs and assistance, and more importantly, an opportunity for the Gospel to be shared – a moment of hope in the midst of disaster.

For the church members themselves, this relief brought great encouragement to them, reminding the congregation of God’s provision and faithfulness during challenging times. Many expressed deep gratitude, acknowledging how their faith and sense of community had been strengthened.

We are so grateful to God for the generosity of our churches and for the privilege of being able to support our brothers and sisters in the Philippines in a time of need. Please continue to pray for the people affected by Typhoon Tino as they continue to recover and rebuild their lives, and especially that the Gospel would continue to go forward through the local church. We give thanks to the Lord that even in the midst of disaster and loss, it is a joy to see the body of Christ caring for one another, demonstrating Christ's love, compassion and faithfulness across countries and cultures.

From HDCC Isabela:

“We, the members and leaders of His Dwelling Christian Church – Isabela, express our deep gratitude to Pastor Jeffrey Jo and Sovereign Grace Churches. Your generosity enabled us not only to respond quickly to urgent needs but also to bring comfort and hope to families whose lives were shaken by the typhoon. Your partnership in the work of the Gospel is felt deeply, and your support has been a tangible reminder of God’s faithfulness and provision. May the Lord reward your compassion, and may this act of kindness continue to inspire unity, generosity, and love within the body of Christ!”

Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
(Hebrews 13:16)

An update from Matt Chapman, Senior Pastor of Grace Church, Bristol, England…

This August we had the joy of gathering 26 young people aged 11–18, from seven different churches, together with 12 adult leaders for our annual G2 Camp, spending six days together in beautiful Pembrokeshire, West Wales.

Our theme for the week was “The King We Need”, and each evening we opened up the story of David together. We began in 1 Samuel 16 with The King God Chooses, before seeing David as The King Who Fights for Us in his victory over Goliath, and The King Who Waits as he refuses to seize the throne for himself.

Later in the week we came to the darker story of David’s sin with Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11–12. It was a sobering opportunity to see that even God’s chosen king was a sinner who desperately needed mercy — and therefore could never ultimately be the King God’s people needed. We finished in 2 Samuel 9, seeing David’s kindness to Mephibosheth and looking beyond him to Jesus, the greater King who welcomes the undeserving to his table.

Our mornings were spent studying Philippians in smaller groups. It was wonderful to see the young people opening their Bibles together, asking thoughtful questions, praying for one another, and being challenged to live with Christ at the centre of their lives. Of course, camp involved plenty more besides Bible teaching! We enjoyed a day at the beach, an afternoon on an inflatable aquapark, games around the campsite, a talent contest, and many late-night conversations. We even had the unusual privilege of watching a solar eclipse together during the week!

One of the greatest encouragements of the week was seeing the young people worshipping together, sitting eagerly under God’s Word, and growing in their knowledge of Christ and of the wonderful gospel of grace and mercy we have in him. It was also a joy to see relationships deepen as young people from different churches grew in friendship with one another, while leaders had many opportunities for conversations about faith, struggles, questions and what it means to follow Jesus. We are very conscious that a week of camp cannot manufacture spiritual fruit, but we came home deeply grateful for the ways God seemed to be at work among us.

The Sunday after camp, some of the young people shared with Grace Church Bristol about the week. It was especially encouraging to hear them speak for themselves about things God had challenged or taught them through His Word. We also showed a slideshow from the week and gave thanks together for God’s kindness to us.

We’re enormously grateful for everyone who served — preaching, leading Bible studies, cooking, organising activities, caring for young people and doing all the unseen jobs that make a week like this possible. Above all, we’re grateful to God for another opportunity to put his Word before the next generation and to point them to Jesus, the King we truly need.

Looking ahead, we hope to gather again for G2 Camp in August 2027. Please pray that God would continue to strengthen friendships between our young people and churches, raise up another generation who love Christ and his Word, and use these camps as one small part of building his church in the UK.

If you’d like to see a little more from the week, this recording of our Sunday service begins with a short G2 Camp slideshow followed by testimonies from a number of the young people who came with us. Watch it here.

An update from Edgar Flores, Dean of the Mexico Pastors College…

By the Lord’s grace, we were able to celebrate the graduation of the fourth class of the Mexico Pastors College. It was an occasion of great joy and gratitude as we witnessed, once again, God’s faithfulness and goodness.

Over the past year, we witnessed the Lord’s generosity in providing the resources needed for the students to devote eleven months of full-time study to their preparation for pastoral ministry. This year’s graduating class consisted of four students.

This year was especially significant because three of the graduates desire to plant Sovereign Grace churches in Mexico: Eli Warren in Ciudad Juárez, Isaac Alarcón in Guadalupe, where the Rancho 3M Orphanage is located, and Alejandro Mascareño in Mexicali.

During the graduation ceremony, Pastor Carlos Contreras exhorted the graduates to aspire to be faithful to the Lord. On behalf of the graduating class, Eli Warren shared a message of gratitude, reflecting on the work God accomplished in this time at the College. Following the ceremony, we enjoyed a time of fellowship and celebration, giving thanks to the Lord for this year of training.

We are also looking forward to welcoming the next class of the College, which will include three students: Alfredo Gutiérrez (Ciudad Juárez), Jesús Reyes (Tuxpan, Veracruz), and David Lucas (Oaxaca, Oaxaca). We are encouraged to see that the Lord continues to raise up men with a desire to serve His church faithfully.

We ask that you would pray for us. First, that the Lord would continue to provide the churches with the resources needed to send men to the Pastors College. Second, that He would grant us the grace to serve these men faithfully and contribute to their training, and that the Lord would continue to bring more teachers to serve at the College.

Our desire is to continue investing in the next generation of pastors for Sovereign Grace churches in Mexico and throughout Latin America. We are convinced that by doing so we are preserving and passing on the convictions we believe, embrace, and celebrate as a family of churches, all for the glory of the Lord. 

Bert Turner is a Pastor at Covenant of Grace Church, Copley, Ohio and is the SGC Representative for our work in Brazil. Bert shares this update from a recent trip…

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“So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.”
1 Thessalonians 2:8

Igreja Graça Soberana of Rio Grande

“Affectionately desirous of you” is how I feel about Igreja Graça Soberana of Rio Grande, Brazil. This July marked my eighth trip since 2019 to visit these precious saints – many of whom are dear friends. It’s been a privilege to walk alongside them through some very difficult times and some very blessed times. It is a joy to see them flourishing now.

Emerson Soares, pastor of Igreja Graça Soberana, and I spent days of unhurried time together immersed in Scripture and prayer in relation to the growth of Sovereign Grace Churches in Brazil. We are beginning a process of transferring the role of liaison between the churches in Brazil and our wider family of churches from me to Emerson. 

It was also a joy to teach a couples class, meet with the leadership, counsel and preach on Sunday. It was a highlight to fellowship with a Community Group that meets in Emerson and Tati’s home.

Igreja CasaVide in São Bernardo do Campo

“Highly relational” is how we describe our family of churches and the sweet process of exploring partnership with churches like Igreja CasaVide in São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil. It has been a delight to deepen our relationship with pastors Rafael Yamashiro and André Casamiro and their families during my recent trip there. We had a fruitful time working through some of the nitty gritty ecclesiological implications that inform statutes and practices with the help of Fabiano Medeiros, a Sovereign Grace pastor who attends CasaVide.

It was also a joy hanging out with some of their kids – Melani Yamashiro is a joy and it was fun teaching some of the finer points of handling boa constrictors to Caleb Yamashiro and his friend Pedro.

Rafael and André have wisely invested time relationally – going on retreats with Emerson Soares and me, going to the Pastors Conference, visiting our church in Ohio – before talking widely about Sovereign Grace Churches with the members of CasaVide. The time was right on this trip for an invitation for me to preach and then, in a meeting following the service, to share about our family of churches and what partnership would look like.

Sovereign Grace Music in Brazil

We are in the final stages of recording the second album of Sovereign Grace Music songs in Portuguese. We are grateful to God for Bob Kauflin’s vision, expertise and sponsorship of this project. It would be hard to overstate the importance of the gift from God that Fabiano Medeiros is in releasing these songs of worship to bless God’s people in Brazil and other Portuguese-speaking peoples.

Fabiano has developed a talented team of volunteer translators who produce wonderful versions of the songs in Portuguese. Karen, my wife, and I serve on that team since we speak English as our first language. Fabiano also leads through the recording process in Brazil using talented vocalists from local churches. I was happy to deliver gifts of Sovereign Grace Music hoodies to the translators and vocalists.

Sovereign Grace Churches Publishing

We are very excited about the goal to publish 10 Sovereign Grace books in Portuguese. We have received a $5,000 grant from the Sovereign Grace Latin America Fund and a $10,000 gift from a couple in a Sovereign Grace church in the US. Again, Fabiano is playing a crucial role given his expertise and relationships in publishing. His team has already translated “The Holy Spirit and the Church,” by Jeff Purswell and “Who Governs the Church,” by Jared Mellinger. Both of these books uniquely bring doctrinal clarity to areas in which there is much confusion in Brazil. 

We are looking forward to a visit from André Casamiro and Emerson Soares at the 2026 Pastors Conference.

Here are some ways you can be praying.

• For the Lord to strengthen and grow the churches in Brazil

• For the Lord to bless the lives and families of Emerson and Tati Soares, Fabiano and Marcia Medeiros, Rafael and La Rainny Yamashiro and André and Deanna Casamiro

• For the release of the 2nd album of Sovereign Grace Music in Portuguese.

• For the publication of Sovereign Grace books in Portuguese.

• Transition of the liaison role

Victorian Baptist preacher, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, once urged his Pastors College students to “make the most of prayer,”, for “prayer is the master-weapon.” Spurgeon continued, “We should be greatly wise if we used it more... All hell is vanquished when the believer bows his knee... Prayer links us with the Eternal, the Omnipotent, the Infinite; and hence it is our chief resort.”

All the way back to the ancient times, we find a great cloud of witnesses testifying to the power of prayer, and now this is our time. God delights to answer the prayers of His saints and so with that in mind, here’s how you can be praying for us in the month ahead...

1. Please pray that God would give the members and pastors of Sovereign Grace churches opportunities and courage to share the gospel with unbelievers in our communities, workplaces and on our campuses. Praying for the saving grace of God to reach many.

2. Please pray for our 2026-2027 Pastors College students and their families who will be moving to Louisville, KY before classes start at the end of August, asking God to provide for them and to give them grace to grow over the next year while at the PC.

3. Please pray for Ed O’Mara (SGC Area Leader for Europe) as he visits with Steve Dyer, a potential SG Church Planter, along with his plant team, in Swansea, Wales. Please pray that the Lord would continue to build the group into relationship with Sovereign Grace and that Ed will be helpful to them as they look to the future and plan for the church plant in the Swansea area.

4. Please pray for Matt Chapman, (Senior Pastor of Grace Church, Bristol, England) as he leads the G2 Youth Camp, 10th-15th August. There will be around 30 youth from Bristol and South Wales, meeting to encounter the Lord and grow in their faith. Please pray that the Lord will both save and grow a deep commitment to Him in the hearts of these youth.

5. Please pray for Angel Miranda and his team as they plant Iglesia Biblica Gracia Soberana in Sinceljo, Colombia, asking God to draw unbelievers and the unchurched giving them opportunities to share the gospel with them.

6. Please pray for the 2026 Fieles Conference in Juarez, Mexico, who for this year are joining the conference with Worship God, August 12th-14th, in the hope that God will use this conference to promote other Worship God Conferences throughout Latin America. Please pray for the 900 attendees, as well as the 180 volunteers and staff that will be serving to make it all happen, and the National Leadership Team of Mexico who will be leading the time. May the Lord protect them and may His grace abound to everyone involved.

7. Please that God continues to provide financially for Sovereign Grace Churches so that we can fund the many gospel opportunities He is giving us throughout the world.

… Thank you so much!

An update from Josh Kruger Jr., Lead Pastor of Sovereign Grace Church of Windhoek…

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

It is a joy and privilege to write an update to you about all God is doing with the Sovereign Grace church plant in Namibia, Africa.  In the last year or so I have had the privilege of teaching our membership classes twice and we have also had two subsequent membership intakes. The second membership intake was particularly special not only because we were adding new members, but because it brought great joy to the existing members to covenant with and welcome in the new members as family.

A little more than a year ago we were still gathering in the evenings but since moving our Sunday gatherings to Sunday mornings many more have visited and even joined us. We are now averaging roughly 30 adults and about 10 kids every Sunday (with frequent visitors) and this growth very quickly necessitated a bigger venue.

By God’s grace after a few months of fervent prayer and searching we finally found a venue that suits our needs and we have now been gathering in this venue for about 3 months. It is amazing what a big difference a good venue makes. The new venue immediately resulted in new visitors, which we kind of anticipated. But what really surprised me was how it has brought about a culture of lingering after church.  Many people now hang out and chat for as long as an hour after church which brings great joy to this pastor’s heart.

There were already deep and meaningful relationships and fellowship before, but through this new venue God has truly brought about a sweet season of deeper friendships.  A genuine love and care from every individual for the rest of the body.  There is a tangible unity and a deep desire to be with one another for our Sunday gatherings, community groups and even in our homes. God is busy building lasting friendships and biblical community for which I cannot thank Him enough. 

By God’s grace we have also started dipping our toes into the idea of purchasing land. This quickly went from exploring to fully engaged when a donor stepped up, offering to buy the land. This will still be a long process with the government so please be praying for that.

More recently we were visited by Pastor Matthew Williams from KingsWay Community Church in Richmond, Virginia. This is our sending and planting church. His wife Aliza graciously joined him and they were a tremendous blessing to me and my wife, not to mention the church. Matthew taught on our Pneumatology, lingering on the practicalities of how we might give legs to our convictions. He preached while I got to sit next to my wife (a very rare privilege for the solo planter). And he fielded an open Q&A session which has already born great fruit. All in all our church felt incredibly cared for by the fact that they flew half way around the world to be with us and bring us greetings from KingsWay.

Throughout this church plant there have been times of disappointment and sorrow. But they have been vastly outnumbered by seasons of great joy and hope as we wait. Wait for the church to grow. Wait for people’s lives to be changed. Wait for change in our own lives. Wait on Him for sustenance, mercy and grace. 

In these seasons of waiting passages like Ephesians 5:25-27, Titus 2:13 and Hebrews 9:28 have been great comforts as they remind us that Christ is working in His church, purifying and sanctifying her for His glory so that we can know…so that we can have full assurance of His love and care for His bride, the church for whom He will return!

That being said, while we yet wait on His return, by God’s grace, we long to be a church that not only grows locally, but that can love others enough to sacrificially serve and send. It is my sincere hope that God would use our church in the future to plant more SG churches in Africa so that the gospel may also bear much fruit wherever it is preached.

We give God the glory and honor and praise due His name for the good work He has begun in us, that we know He will bring to completion at the day of Jesus Christ! Amen.

An update from Antonio Diaz, Pastor of Iglesia Coram Deo, Mexico City, Mexico…

From June 11–15, 2026, Pastor Kristian Tucker (pastor of Gracia Soberana Durango) and I had the privilege of traveling to Havana, Cuba, to encourage and equip the three churches we support there. By God’s grace, we were able to deliver nearly 120kg of supplies—vitamins, medicines, powdered milk, clothing, shoes, batteries, Sunday school materials and other supplies—meeting both spiritual and practical needs.

On our first evening, we shared fellowship and dinner with Pastor Juan Viñeta and his wife, Ana, from Iglesia Bíblica Emanuel (Emanuel Bible Church), and delivered the items designated for their church and family. The following day, we gathered with Pastor Eddy Cambra and his wife, Mercedes, from Iglesia Pacto de Gracia (Covenant of Grace Church), and Pastor Pablo Ruiz and his wife, Mirelsi, from Iglesia Bíblica de Jesucristo (Jesus Christ Bible Church). A particularly joyful moment was giving Pablo and Mirelsi new eyeglasses—after 15 years without an updated prescription, their delight at seeing clearly again was unforgettable.

Friday and Saturday were devoted to training and equipping them to develop home groups and using the book “The Gospel-Centered Life”. Meals during those days were lovingly prepared by the sisters, though many ingredients had to be purchased online from Mexico due to Cuba’s scarcity. We were also able to provide olive oil, nuts, rice, beans, and spices—simple items for us, but rare luxuries for them. Some shared that it had been over a decade since they had tasted nuts. On Saturday evening, we hosted a fellowship dinner at a local restaurant where dessert was a special treat, reminding us how even small joys can be profound blessings for those living under such conditions.

On Sunday, Kristian preached at Covenant of Grace Church, while I shared the Word at Emanuel Bible Church. Throughout the trip, we experienced the reality of Cuba’s power outages—three hours of electricity for every six hours without, and in some areas, only one hour of power per day. Yet even in these hardships, the Lord allowed us to bring the truth of the Gospel of Grace for their encouragement, as well as to strengthen bonds of friendship, and share prayer requests and burdens together. It is by God’s amazing grace and the power of His Spirit, that our brothers and sisters in Cuba can rejoice in the Lord and persevere in their faith in their significant hardships. They are truly an inspiration to all of us.

The Sovereign Grace Mexican churches thank God for the privilege of serving our brothers and sisters in Cuba. We are also deeply grateful for our global family of churches for their prayers, offerings, and faithful support. We pray that our good God will bring relief from their extremely difficult living conditions. For them every small act of generosity was a huge blessing, and we trust the Lord will continue to strengthen His work in Cuba—for the glory of His name.

An update from Leo Parris (US Global Missions Coordinator for Sovereign Grace Churches, and Pastor at Covenant Fellowship Church in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania) who recently took a team from his church to visit a Sovereign Grace pastor serving cross-culturally in a strategic city. For security reasons, some details have been omitted or generalised, including the removal of names…

Every other year, I take a group of people interested in learning more about global missions through a year-long course on global missions in my church called the School of Missions. At the end of the course, we take a trip to partner with a SG missionary to experience ministry on the frontlines of gospel advancement. We hope to identify the missionaries that the Spirit is raising up in our church through this course and to help train key leaders to facilitate our global mission as a church. This year we chose to partner with SG missionaries in an unreached Muslim city in the Mediterranean, in the second week of July. 

They have been laboring for the gospel in this city for 6 years and hope to plant a Sovereign Grace church there in 2028. ‘M’ helped our team see the need for gospel advancement in this area. Every 56 seconds, another person passes into eternity. And a fraction of a percentage of these people will have ever truly heard the gospel. We headed out to outreach with our hearts freshly burdened and an eagerness to see what God had planned for us.

Our plan was to establish ourselves in typical touristy places where many local people hangout to seek to have conversations with strangers and turn them in a spiritual direction. Given that proselytizing is frowned upon in this particular city, we had to be more careful than back in the States, not mentioning the words “missions” or “evangelism” and not handing out tracks. 

When you add these limiting factors to the fact that many of these people do not speak English, I honestly expected to only have a few meaningful conversations in our week of ministry, but God blew the doors off those expectations! Over the week we had 53 meaningful conversations with strangers. Most of these people were locals, and many of the conversations included a full gospel presentation. 

God used social games to create the relational bridge needed to develop connections. One of the first days we outreached, a group of ladies from our team set up a popular game called Okey to play in a coffee shop. As they puzzled over the rules, they asked a couple of ladies in the shop for help on how to play. Two hours later, they were friends! These ladies invited some of our team members to a yoga class. A couple of days later they came to the class, and spent over an hour and a half deepening their connection afterwards. A few of us were able to share the gospel with multiple people in great length and clarity. More than that, two of the ladies came with our team to church on Sunday!

If space allowed, I could tell you about how silly dancing and google translate allowed for the gospel to go forth. I could tell you about how a free day trip to visit ruins turned into an hour-long gospel conversation with a Chinese woman. I could tell of the exiled Polish man who heard the hope of the gospel. I could tell you of the man who we swapped Bible verses for Qu’ran verses with. I could tell you of the baristas and random strangers that came to church with us. 

All this was God, using coffee shops and games, beaches and volleyball, and technology like Instagram and WhatsApp to allow for connections and gospel conversations. 

All this was possible because he opened doors for us. We were very aware, throughout the whole trip of the unmerited favor and power that guided us. We were filled with the joy of the Spirit, again and again, as we felt the privilege of sharing the good news with these people. People who only know Christ as a prophet, who might know of the Bible in theory, and who had never met a Christian. 

But what gives me even more excitement is the fact that ‘M’ and ‘B’ are still there! They are faithfully engaging in the irreplaceable long-term discipleship needed in the Great Commission. We are praying that God provides the co-laborer missionaries needed to plant a SG church. It is quite clear that God has already prepared a harvest for this mission. I can’t wait to see who God raises up to join them there. 

Our first School of Missions helped identify a missionary couple, Mikey and Katie Roman who are currently moving towards joining Pat Tedeschi in London. I’m praying that God identifies more people from the 12 individuals that came on the trip to join the gospel advancement in this unreached Mediterranean city and other places that will not hear the good news unless someone is sent. 

It’s my hope that God would continue to help us in Sovereign Grace Churches to earnestly seek those he is raising to be sent to the nations for the sake of the gospel. 

An update from Jeffrey T. Jo, National Leader for SGC Philippines…

What do we do with people who haven’t yet heard the gospel of Christ in a remote region? Surely, we need to pray for them, but as the apostle Paul penned in Romans 10 …

“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

In response to these rhetoric questions in verse 14, we started three years ago to equip our pastors and church leaders in Mindanao, south of the Philippines, both in theology and ministry with the hope that they will have a deeper grasp and inspiration from gospel truths, that they can then take out. In God’s kindness and with the support of SGC, we were able to establish the PPI or Philippine Pastors Institute.

Last Sunday afternoon, July 19, 2026, 9 out of 11 students of PPI graduated in their Pastoral Theology course after a 9-month study. Eight are lead pastors of their local churches and one serves as an associate pastor. It was a well-attended gathering where the graduate’s immediate family and local church elders were present to witness and celebrate with them in their milestone achievement.

The coverage of their classes included the following.

• Understanding one’s calling by and for the gospel.

• The pastor, his marriage and family.

• The pastor and his devotion to Christ-like humility and zeal.

• The pastor’s study and preaching.

• The pastor and his counseling ministry.

• The pastor and his church-care.

• The pastor and raising up more leaders.

• Revisiting SGC 7-shared values and 7-shaping virtues.

• Why we believe what we believe, revisiting our Statement of Faith.

In the last 9 months of classes, we have witnessed how these men have improved a lot in their preaching - not only homiletically but also in the centrality of their sermon, which is Christ! Their preaching is no longer focused on morality (how to be a good person/Christian) but on gospel fidelity - who Christ is and His finished work on the cross, along with His glorious resurrection and ascension to heaven. Moreover, in a culture where wives are neglected and debased, here they are cared for well and treated as “co-heirs in the grace of life” (1 Peter 3:7), being a ‘secret-weapon’ of their pastor-husband.

In addition to all of this, most of the graduates are now underway in the SG ordination process. Many have confessed that studying with PPI has prepared and helped them a lot in their required papers and in understanding the significance of gospel partnership not only in the Philippines but also globally.

I have two great hopes for these men…

• First, that they will shepherd their local churches faithfully and passionately, humbly serving their local church in the SG way, both in values and virtues.

• Lastly, that through the kindness of God, they will deeply understand and embrace mission as their shared responsibility in the Great Commission.

May we all have a heart for the gospel, a mind for truth, a spirit of humility, a hand of generosity and a passion to reach the lost, for the glory of the mystery of godliness!

Image Credit: Oceania (centered orthographic projection) by M. Bitton, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. No changes were made.

An update from Riley Spring, Lead Pastor of Sovereign Grace Parramatta (Sydney, Australia) and National Leader for Sovereign Grace Churches Australia…

As we plant and strengthen churches all over the world for the glory of God, we long to see more joyful and healthy Sovereign Grace Churches in the Southern Hemisphere. With so much great work happening in Asia, the Lord has laid it on our hearts in Australia to look out to the vast array of island nations spread across what is called, Oceania, to see how we can partner, serve and strengthen one another for the cause of Christ.

What makes up Oceania is hard to definitively nail down but is commonly thought of as all the island nations between Asia and the Americas. Think: Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa, and even all the way up to Hawaii as the most northern part of what is called ‘Polynesia’. I guess we’ll have to fight it out with the US as to who gets to claim SG Hawaii ;). But you can see the region on the map below (source: Wikipedia).

There are over 44 million people across 14 nations (not to mention all the territories) in this sprawling geographic region and although nearly two thirds are listed as ‘Christian’, despite this, we are aware of the gospel need and the need for healthy gospel-centered churches.

As we are currently two churches in Sydney, we feel dwarfed by the task, but everyone starts somewhere and we are full of hope in our great sovereign God who rules over all the nations and peoples. We ask that you join us as we pray for this region of the world! Pray that God raises up more and more healthy, gospel centered pastors and churches, that the lost would be saved and transformed into the likeness of Christ, and that if God wants us to play a part, that he’d lead us to the right people that we can partner with and come alongside!

I would love to know if you have any contacts with Pastors, Missionaries or Churches in this region of the world. Please contact me here, I’d love to for us to begin exploring what God may have us here.

“Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!” (Ps 96:3)

Image credit: Oceania - Map with Zones by Cruickshanks (derived from work by Tintazul), via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. No changes were made.

In John 15.4-5, Jesus says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

Those final few words give us such an important and sobering God-given perspective on how much we’ll be able to do for the Lord by ourselves. How much? Nothing, nada, nought... For apart from Him we really can do nothing!

So, with that in mind, here’s how you can be praying for some of our Global endeavours in the month ahead... We so need the Lord’s mighty help...

1. Please pray for the Philippines Pastors Institute graduating class of 2026, who have been undergoing theological training in Mindanao, Philippines, for the last two years. Please pray for safe travels for Jeffrey Jo, National Leader of the Philippines, as he heads over to officiate this time, and that the last fruit of this endeavour will be more SGC Philippines churches planted and strengthened in Mindanao, for the glory of God.

2. Please pray for the two upcoming Pastors & Leaders Retreats in Latin America this month. The first will take place in Costa Rica, July 3rd-5th , with leaders from around five churches. The second will take place in Barranquilla, Colombia, July 21st-23rd, with pastors and leaders from approximately twelve churches. These gatherings are an important opportunity to serve, encourage, strengthen, and care for pastors and leaders who are labouring faithfully in their local churches. Many of them carry significant burdens as they shepherd God’s people, preach the Word, care for families, train leaders, and seek to advance the gospel in their cities and regions. Our desire is that these retreats would not simply be times of teaching and planning, but also moments of spiritual refreshment, pastoral encouragement, and gospel-centered fellowship.

3. Please pray for Bob Kauflin as he leads Worship God 2026 in Louisville, KY, July 28th-31st, asking God to use Bob and the Sovereign Grace Music team to equip and strengthen worship leaders, vocalists, musicians, folks who serve on sound teams, etc, so that churches will be strengthened in God-centred worship every Sunday.

4. Please pray for the Mexican Pastors College graduating class of 2026, students and their families from 2 different nations who having moved to Juarez, Mexico for the past 10 months, now head home to make a difference in their local churches. As they graduate on 25th July, please pray for a smooth transition back home and for faithful and fruitful days ahead for each of these graduates.

5. Please pray for the missions teams from Crossway Church, NC, as they head Rancho 3M, Mexico, July 25th - August 1st, and from Risen Hope Church, PA, as they head to Playa Azul, Costa Rica a little later this month.

6. Please pray for Bert Turner (Pastor at Covenant of Grace Church, Akron, USA) as he travels to Brazil later this month to visit with Igreja Graca Soberana in Rio Grande, to continue equipping and strengthening the work of Pastor Emerson Soares. Please pray that this would be a wonderful time of blessing for everyone involved.

… Thank you so much for prayers. As we abide in Him, may His grace truly abound to us all.!