Sovereign Grace has long existed to plant and strengthen churches for the glory of God, and in His kindness, we are presently in a season of many Church Plants taking place around the world.
Joel Shorey, the SGC Director of Church Planting was able to bring the following update at our Sovereign Grace Pastors Conference in late 2025. These updates highlight the partnership we share among our churches, and the joy we have of fulfilling our gospel mission together…. Enjoy!!
An update from Carlos Contreras, National Leader of SGC Mexico…
Just a few weeks ago I had the privilege of being part of the teaching team at a Preaching Workshop in La Habana, Cuba. As part of The Charles Simeon Trust, we get the opportunity to serve pastors throughout Latin America to train pastors in Expositional Preaching. Teaching this in Cuba was a truly humbling and inspiring experience.
For the last 6 years several pastors from SGC Mexico have been visiting the island nation twice a year to serve 3 local churches in Habana who want to be equipped to build per SG values and virtues. As a nation, we have adopted Cuba as our main global mission focus. All 3 pastors we serve were part of this workshop as well as more than 50 other pastors from different denominations and Cuban regions.
It was humbling and inspiring to see the dedication of so many young and old pastors with a deep desire to grow in faithfulness in Biblical exposition. They came with much sacrifice and in the midst of a severe crisis in their country due to a lack of fuel and energy throughout their country because of an extensive embargo imposed on their country. Pastors of certain areas were experiencing power blackouts that lasted several days. Others had significant problems with transportation and food supply. And yet they were committed to come and work on their progress and growth in faithful preaching of the Word of God for the benefit of their congregations.
I was able to spend nights talking for long hours with young men desirous to ask questions about pastoral practice, theological applications and church planting. Their country is in severe crisis but their heart is focused on the pastoral mission that God has called them into. It was humbling to see their zeal and compare it to my own while I was so conscious of all the benefits and provision that I enjoy in Mexico. A couple of times I had to teach in the dark because of a power outage. And a day before I was scheduled to leave, the government announced the cancellation of foreign travel due to a lack of fuel. Some pastors didn't know how they were going to travel back to their homes. I was blessed that my airline did not cancel my flight back due to a special arrangement they made for their airplanes.
We are planning a trip to Cuba by the end of March in order to continue to help and encourage the churches we serve, as well as to take needed medical supplies and other essentials even though travel has become much more expensive because of the special circumstances. We pray that negotiations progress and the embargo will be lifted soon as their situation grows darker day by day.
Please pray for the church and people of Cuba. Pray that God will pour out His grace on them in multiple and diverse forms. Pray that the church remains strong and faithful and that He will open a way for us to serve them in this critical time. Pray that their love and joy will not diminish in spite of this severe crisis and that soon God will grant them the freedom that they have not had for decades of significant hardships.
I want to thank all in Sovereign Grace globally that partner with the Mexican churches to serve the wonderful churches in Cuba. Your prayers and generosity make it possible for us to serve and help our brothers and sisters in Cuba.
Joyful fellowship with Jader and his wife Andressa.
Last month Bert Turner (Pastor at Covenant of Grace Church, Copley, Ohio, USA and SGC Representative to Brazil) travelled to Brazil with his wife Karen. Bert brings us this update below…
Overview
“Deepened relationships” best summarizes the precious fruit of our most recent trip to Brazil. Karen, my wife, and I sensed the Lord weaving our lives more closely together with those of our dear friends. While agreement on Scriptural truth is foundational, it is through deepened relationships that those truths become truly transformative.
I am deeply grateful to travel alongside Karen. She is a delight and connects naturally and warmly with everyone. We had the privilege of visiting four cities in three states.
It was also a joy to have Hope Tumino, a budding missionary from our church, join us for ten days. Hope previously completed a ten-month internship at Rancho3M in Mexico, which strengthened her desire to pursue missions with Sovereign Grace Churches. Hope was a big hit with the Yamashiro kids and pets.
Bert & Karen Turner.
Igreja Cidade Cinco – Pastor Fábio Leal
São Paulo
It was a joy to preach and spend time in fellowship with the leaders. I have enjoyed a warm relationship with Fábio since 2021. The church is vibrant and clearly reflects Gospel values and virtues.
In 2024, Fábio expressed interest in exploring partnership with Sovereign Grace Churches. He is interested in Gospel Coaching and hopes to attend the Pastors Conference this year. Please pray for the Lord’s guidance in our developing relationship and for favor in the U.S. visa process.
Pastor Fábio with his wife Ani and family at Igreja Cidade Cinco.
Igreja CasaVide – Pastors Rafael Yamashiro & André Casamiro
São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo
CasaVide is a loving church marked by rich Gospel culture and values. Rafael and I began meeting monthly in January 2024, and in July he and André signed a letter of intent to pursue partnership with Sovereign Grace Churches.
Our long-time friend and Sovereign Grace pastor, Fabiano Medeiros, attends CasaVide. During this trip, we enjoyed excellent fellowship and meaningful conversations about partnership. It was a privilege to preach at the Sunday service.
André and his wife, Deanna, are eager to attend the Pastors Conference in November. Please pray for continued growth in our relationship and wisdom in serving this church well.
Hope Tumino and the Yamashiro kids.
Igreja Horizonte – Pastor Jader Bitencourt – Campus Outreach – Jeff Dowdy
Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais
In 2021, Jader began exploring partnership with Sovereign Grace Churches in connection with a church plant in Porto Alegre. In 2025, he relocated to Belo Horizonte to join the pastoral team at Igreja Horizonte, a Reformed and continuationist church.
Jader indicated that the church may have interest in partnership with Sovereign Grace Churches. We had excellent fellowship with Jader and his wife, Andressa. I also met with Jeff Dowdy, the lead pastor, over lunch. We had a productive conversation and identified potential opportunities for future collaboration.
Igreja Graça Soberana de Rio Grande – Pastor Emerson Soares
Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul
It was a joy to make my ninth visit to this Sovereign Grace partner church. I have come to know personally and love many of the members.
We shared dinner on Friday evening with the leadership team, which was deeply encouraging. These leaders have faithfully served the church in sacrificial ways, including shepherding the congregation for nine months while Emerson and Tati were in Louisville attending the Pastors College.
On Sunday, I preached from Psalm 139 during the main service and taught a Biblical Counseling class during the adult discipleship hour. The church was full and highly engaged. We also met several new members, including some who had recently been converted and baptized. This is encouraging fruit! The church concluded the day with a joyful congregational meal together.
Please pray for the Lord to strengthen and supply the needs of the church.
Preaching at Igreja Graça Soberana de Rio Grande.
Igreja Cristã Nova Vida – Bishop Walter McAlister
Rio de Janeiro
The Igreja Cristã Nova Vida denomination includes approximately 140 Reformed and continuationist churches throughout Brazil, as well as several in Portugal. Notably, they have adopted the Sovereign Grace Statement of Faith, with minor adjustments related to church polity.
I attended a weekly pastors’ gathering and later shared an extended lunch with Walter, the Presiding Bishop. He is a thoughtful and insightful leader with a strong grasp of church history and ecclesiology. I am grateful for the growing relationship and look forward to seeing how the Lord may develop it further!
Deepening friendships with Rafael, André and Emerson.
We are so excited to see all that the Lord is doing in Brazil! Please continue to pray for Bert and Karen as they serve the churches there; that the Lord would continue to establish the work of their hands, and that many would come to know the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ in Brazil and beyond!
An update from our SGC Pastor and Church Planter in Thailand…
Many of us who have grown up in the West have had the privilege of being impacted by a rich theological diet, a portion of which comes from solid, doctrinally sound books. God’s used books by Piper, Packer, Powlison, Bridges, Carson, Sproul (to name a few) and even a few titles from our small denomination SGC to ultimately help us better understand The Book, the Author, and the glorious gospel of Christ. And books like these collectively help strengthen and nourish churches for the long haul. Have you ever wondered where you or our churches would be without these resources that God has so graciously given to us?
In many countries in the 10-40 window where the vast majority of the unreached people groups reside, books like these are often scarce. They’re scarce because they need to be translated and translated accurately, with theological precision and with cultural & linguistic awareness and tact. Our family has been serving among the unreached in Thailand since 2016. Over that time we noticed that there were very few resources available to the Thai church that we and so many others have personally benefited from whether it be Sovereign Grace books or books that have profoundly influenced churches in Sovereign Grace. With our hearts burdened to see the Thai church strengthened by doctrinally rich, gospel-centered books we prayed that the Lord would open a door. And He did!
Three years ago we partnered with our former language teacher and dear sister in Christ, Wat, and a newly formed gospel-centered, non-profit publisher, Grace Bannasan, in Chiang Mai, Thailand to translate and publish several SGC books and other great titles. To date the following books have been translated and published in Thai:
1. The Cross Centered Life, CJ Mahaney
2. True Life, Carolyn Mahaney & Nicole Whitacre
3. True Beauty, Carolyn Mahaney & Nicole Whitacre
4. Love That Lasts, Gary & Betsy Ricucci
5. True Worshipers, Bob Kauflin
6. When People are Big and God is Small, Edward Welch
7. The Biggest Story, Kevin DeYoung (helped fund the reprint only)
We as well as our publisher have received encouraging feedback from folks who have read these works. God is opening eyes to see Jesus more clearly and giving practical help to His saints in Thailand to apply the truths in their lives.
Looking forward, our goal is to continue to translate & publish 3-4 books a year to equip pastors and nourish churches throughout Thailand. We want to give the Thai church at least 30 solid books over the next 10 years. We want to help add a shelf of nutritious, life-transforming works in the “church library” of Thailand. We know these books will go places and reach people we’ll never meet, and Lord willing they’ll outlive us. This is our hope and prayer. Potential books on the lineup that we’d like to translate and publish in 2026 are:
1. The Big Book of Questions & Answers about Jesus, Sinclair Ferguson
2. Humility, CJ Mahaney
3. The Disciplines of Grace, Jerry Bridges
4. Feminine Appeal, Carolyn Mahaney
In addition to these books, Wat has also translated a number of SGC documents to help sustain long-term fidelity of Sovereign Grace churches planted in Thailand like Family of Grace Church in Nakhon Phanom, Thailand which we had the privilege to see the Lord birth over 1 year ago. Wat has already translated the following SGC documents into Thai:
• Statement of Faith
• Book of Church Order
• Seven Shared Values
• Seven Shaping Virtues
• The SGC Catechism
• “Watch Your Doctrine”
• “The Mission of the Church”
• “Who Governs the Church?”
These distinctive, doctrinal documents are laying a firm foundation for Family of Grace Church and future Sovereign Grace churches that could be planted or adopted in Thailand.
All of this work so far has been made possible by the generosity of the SGC US Mid South Region, the SGC Asia Pacific Region, and a few SGC churches, as well as by the gracious administrative support of the SGC Global Finance Team. We are truly grateful for their sacrifice and partnership to bless and strengthen the church of Thailand.
Going forward we do need more help. It costs about $6900 to translate and publish 2000 copies of a given title. Our wonderful, non-profit partner publisher uses the sales of a given published book to reprint that same title, so they have a good self-sustaining model. With that, we still need help to finance upcoming translations and keep new titles rolling off the printing press. If you or your church are interested in supporting this Thai gospel publication project and perhaps want to “adopt a book,” you can send support online through Mercy Hill Community Church, the Sovereign Grace Church in Spotsylvania, Virginia here and select “Thai Publishing.” Or if you have any further questions on how to partner with this effort feel free to contact Melissa Goins at melissa@mercyhillcc.org. We ask for your prayers that the Lord would continue to prosper this work to strengthen and equip His precious church in Thailand.
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, from 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 listen in and delight in the testimony of Leyn Jarin. A former lesbian, but now saved and transformed by the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ, and a member of CCSGM in Manila, Philippines.
In a recent prayer request email, Mark Prater, our Executive Director, wrote the following...
‘The Apostle Paul writes to the Philippians, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7) It is amazing that we can bring EVERYTHING to God. There are no limitations, there is nothing that we can’t bring to God in prayer. But what is more amazing is that God Himself INVITES us to bring everything to Him. In his commentary on Philippians, Matthew Harmon writes, “When Paul urges Christians to make their requests known to God, we must see this as God Himself moving the apostle to issue this invitation. In Paul, God Himself beckons his children to come to Him swiftly, continually, insistently, and confidently.”
As His children, God Himself invites us to come to Him swiftly, continually, insistently, and confidently. It’s such an incredible opportunity for us and so here’s how you can be praying for our global endeavours over the next month...
Please continue to pray for Bert Turner (Pastor at Covenant of Grace Church, Akron, USA) & his wife Karen as they travel to Brazil, 15th January – 5th February. Please pray that they’ll be a blessing to all of the Pastors and Churches they’re visiting during their time – Igreja Cidade Cinco, Igreja Casa Vide, Igraja Horizonte, and Igreja Graca Soberana, and that God would sustain them for the remainder of this trip.
Please pray for our three SGC representatives, from two different countries, that are presently in Pakistan serving our partners in that country over the next two weeks. It will be a very full few weeks of ministry, which includes speaking at a one day youth seminar, a one day marriage seminar during their visit, two or more prayer services (think short church services) in the villages and brick factories most evenings. They will then split up on Sunday and be preaching at 4 - 6 churches that day. They also have planned a half day to gather with all the pastors (21 of them) for a time of encouragement and instruction specifically for them and will then be proctoring the Bible Knowledge exam for the six pastors who are working towards ordination followed by a discussion on how to move forward with the ordination standards. It will be a busy time, so please be praying for them!
Please pray for the Sovereign Grace Leadership Team as we lead a retreat, 2nd – 6th February, that will include our US Regional Leaders, asking God to envision, strengthen and equip our leaders as they serve our churches in the US.
Please pray for Todd Peterson (Pastor at Cross of Grace Church, EL Paso, US) and Eric Rangel (Pastor at Legacy Church, Yuma, US) as they head to India, 16th-27th February, to strengthen our work there in both the north and south of the country. Please pray that all their meetings would be filled with grace and wisdom, and that Todd’s meeting with the EMI Engineering Team, as they continue to explore the possibility of starting a school in Andhra Pradesh, would go really well.
Please pray for Ron Boomsma (Pastor at Emmaus Road Church, Bozeman, US), Chris Oswald (Pastor at Providence Community Church, Lenexa, USA) and Josh Montague (Pastoral Resident at Cross of Grace Church in Chaska, US), as they head to the Philippines this month to teach on “Understanding & Communicating OT Prophecy (Isaiah)”. Please pray for all the students involved in this, that it’ll be a strengthening and encouraging time for them as they continue to learn how to handle God’s Word.
Please pray for our US Pastor’s College students as they prepare to travel to various Sovereign Grace churches around the country to preach. Please pray for them as they prepare, that the congregations they serve would be edified, and that as they return back to the PC that God would give them and their families good health and endurance as they prepare for the home stretch of the semester, before heading home to serve the Lord in their various contexts.
Please pray that God would give the members and pastors of Sovereign Grace Churches a renewed desire, and opportunities, to share the gospel with unbelievers in our communities and workplaces. You don’t have to go overseas to be involved in missions, you simply have to walk across the room... May this be our story as we together brandish the Gospel and tell it to all that will hear it.
… Thank you so much for praying for us. May His grace abound to us all!
An update from Jonathan Leslie (Co-Planter at Sovereign Grace Church Nairobi, Kenya)…
On January 4, 2026, we celebrated a joyful and humbling milestone: one year since Sovereign Grace Church Nairobi began gathering as a local church. The day was marked in a way that vividly reminded us that He is the one building His church. Every seat was filled, with some standing at the back, and the 100 communion elements we had prepared—normally enough for two services—were all used. It was a simple but powerful picture of growth, hunger for Christ, and the grace of God among us.
The celebration was made richer by the love and partnership of the wider Sovereign Grace family and like-minded churches here in Nairobi. We were deeply encouraged by five video greetings from Sovereign Grace churches around the world, and by the presence of Pastor Ken Mbugua and his family from Emmanuel Baptist Church, along with representatives from other gospel-centered congregations in the city. Their prayers and words of encouragement reminded us that we are not laboring alone, but are part of a broader work God is doing through faithful churches committed to His Word.
Brian preached from John 17, calling us to marvel at the unity Christ has secured for His people. He reminded us that our oneness with one another does not originate in shared culture, background, or effort, but flows from our shared union with the Father and the Son. It was a fitting word for a young, diverse church being knit together by grace in a city where the gospel is often distorted, yet where God is clearly at work gathering His people.
One of the great joys of the day was welcoming thirty-one men and women into membership, our first formal members as a church. To see so many publicly commit themselves to Christ and to one another in covenant love was a powerful testimony to God’s faithfulness over this first year. After the service, we returned to the Leslie home, where the church first began meeting, and there we had the privilege of baptizing three believers, declaring again through water and Word the saving work of Christ.
The day concluded the way many good gospel celebrations do— in laughter and fellowship, sharing a meal, giving thanks for all the Lord has done. From a small gathering in a living room to a growing congregation that has added a full time Pastoral Resident for Worship and sent three men to Pastors College in Ethiopia, the past twelve months have been a living reminder that “the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
We are profoundly grateful for the prayers, encouragement, and partnership of the pastors and churches of Sovereign Grace. Your support, counsel, and shared vision for planting healthy, gospel-centered churches have been a means of grace to us. As we look ahead, we do so with humble dependence on the Lord and hopeful expectation that He will continue to establish His church in Nairobi, raise up leaders, and make His saving glory known among the nations.
This update was written by a Sovereign Grace pastor serving cross-culturally in a strategic city. For security reasons, some details have been omitted or generalized, including the removal of names. In this update we refer to the pastor as “M” and his wife as “B.”…
Every night, I look out my window and see one of our local mosques. Between the mosque’s two minarets, colorful lights display messages to our Muslim neighborhood. One of the messages I see is this question:
What did you do for Allah today?
For the last five years, we have lived in this city surrounded by countless unreached Muslims. That terrifying question is the only way they know how to approach their god.
What did they do for him?
Living in this context has taught me that it is not just the unreached who struggle with that outlook. I sometimes find myself falling into that very same way of thinking, defining my identity by my accomplishments for God.
In his kindness the Lord regularly reminds me that the better and proper question is
What did God do for me today?
Here’s something God did. It happened in language class recently. My tutor is a devout Muslim in her late fifties. She invited a friend to our class for some Q&A language practice. We discussed the Christian faith as well as the demands of parenting. When I mentioned my kids, my tutor looked me in the eye, took both of my hands in hers, and said, “Let’s pray.”
I was shocked and didn’t know how to respond to a Muslim praying over me. Before I could figure it out, she said, “M, would you please pray for my son. He is struggling after breaking up with his girlfriend.”
So, I prayed for her and her son. God set that one up.
Here’s something else God did. Last month, my wife, B, was at a nearby park with our kids. She saw our downstairs neighbor struggling to carry her groceries and toddler son back to the apartment building where we all live. Our neighbor has been cordial with us, but there has been no depth of relationship. Until that moment. B saw our neighbor’s difficulty and felt compelled to help. Using our large jogging stroller, B helped our neighbor get everything back home.
That simple, kind gesture unlocked a growing relationship. Our neighbor recently confided in B that she is struggling with the pressures of parenting. B would be the first to tell you that the last few weeks have felt like nothing short of chaos in our home. Despite that chaos, our neighbor has also observed something different in my wife that she finds attractive. She has come face-to-face with Jesus through B. God did that.
Here’s one last story. Last week, I attended a funeral for the mother of a Christian friend of mine. His mother was a Muslim. Before taking her coffin to the gravesite, a Muslim religious leader conducted a prayer service. Men stood in rows praying close to the coffin. Women stood at a distance. After praying, they brought her coffin to the gravesite. A different religious leader chanted Islamic prayers as they lowered her body into the ground. Then he left. That was the extent of the “pastoral care.”
After the friends and family left, our little group of Christians gathered in a small circle around our grieving brother. Surrounded by countless Muslim tombstones we prayed over our friend. In that moment, the love of God broke into this sad ceremony.
In the Muslim ceremony there had been distance and separation. There was a declaration that “God is great!” But there was no Jesus. There was no hope.
As Christ’s people prayed, however, there was closeness. Men, women, young, and old, standing together in a small circle around one of Christ’s sheep. The love and care of Christ was extended to him. God did that. What a gift.
I don’t know what the Lord has planned for our next five years in this city, but I can share what I’m asking him to do. I am asking him to take the foundation he has given us here and to see a Sovereign Grace church established. A church that will extend the love of God and the hope of the gospel to this unreached people.
There are days when this vision seems impossible. But the Lord reminds me that he is able to do far more than I can ever ask or imagine. We can face the next five years in the confidence that the most important question of our lives is not what we accomplish for God, but what he already accomplished for us through Jesus Christ.
An update from Jared Mellinger, Senior Pastor of Covenant Fellowship Church, Glen Mills, PA and Director of Publishing at Sovereign Grace Churches…
A founding generation of Sovereign Grace prayed from Psalm 90 that God would establish the work of their hands and show his power to their children (Psalm 90:16-17). Today, the Lord is answering these prayers. On January 5-7, 2026, nearly 600 college students and young adults (mostly 18-25 year-olds) gathered outside of Philadelphia, PA for our third Relay conference.
God is faithful! He met with us once again and changed lives for his glory.
The theme this year was “The Church: The Dearest Place on Earth.” Attendees came from near and far, representing 62 different churches. Relay provides a unique opportunity for young people in Sovereign Grace Churches to get to know each other across churches and regions. Together they are envisioned to personalize and carry forward our shared doctrine, values, and mission.
A couple dozen young men gathered for an extended pastoral interest pre-conference. The content is new each year, and it was a blessing to have Jeff Purswell, Josh Blount, and Walt Alexander spend this time investing in the next generation. It is our prayer that God uses these gatherings to raise up a younger generation of pastors to serve in Sovereign Grace.
Pre-Conference messages by Josh Blount and Nicole Whitacre reinforced the complementarian convictions we hold dear, envisioning young adults to pursue Biblical manhood and womanhood.
From Jeff Purswell’s opening message on a Biblical Theology of the Church to Joel Shorey’s closing message on The Church Triumphant, the Spirit of God ministered to us through the preaching of his word. There were breakout sessions on biblical counseling, generosity, technology, living faithfully in the city of man, eagerly desiring the spiritual gifts, and lessons from John Calvin’s theology. In addition to the teaching, the conference included passionate singing, fellowship, prayer, and lots of fun and games.
We are excited about the future of Relay, and we believe God is using this conference to strengthen our churches and prepare us for the future. Jon Payne and I lead Relay together, and it is one of our greatest joys to be able to be on the front lines of investing in the next generation of Sovereign Grace.
We are already looking forward to the next Relay in January of 2028, and hope to see many of our young adults there!
An update from Joselo Mercado, Lead Pastor of Iglesia Gracia Soberana de Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA, and Key SGC Leader for our work in Latin America…
The recent trip to Costa Rica was a deeply meaningful experience, both for our family and for the ministry. Although it was a single trip, the intentionality of the itinerary, the diversity of contexts served, and the deliberate dedication to multiple churches made it feel as though it were several trips in one. Throughout the week, full blocks of time were intentionally allocated to each church we visited, allowing for close, relational, and strategically focused pastoral care.
From the outset, the trip was undertaken as a family, with the conscious purpose of serving together and modeling that pastoral ministry is not a burden that fragments family life, but a calling that can be lived out in community. Each family member participated actively, whether in formal teaching contexts or in more informal relational settings, thereby strengthening connections with the local churches. This approach was received with gratitude by pastors and members alike, many of whom expressed appreciation for seeing a model of pastoral service integrated with family life.
On Saturday evening, we shared dinner with the pastors and pastor’s wives of Playa Azul Bible Church in San José. This time was intentionally set apart for fraternal fellowship, pastoral dialogue, and mutual encouragement. We discussed the challenges of local ministry, the care of pastoral families, and the importance of persevering faithfully in contexts that are often emotionally and spiritually demanding. This gathering helped establish the relational tone for the entire trip, reaffirming the conviction that healthy ministry is sustained by healthy relationships and mutual trust.
Sunday was one of the most significant days of the trip. In the morning, I preached at La Gracia Church in San José, expounding Numbers 2 with a clear emphasis on Jesus as the center of God’s people. The message highlighted that the arrangement of Israel’s camp was not merely organizational, but deeply theological, pointing to the centrality of God’s presence among His people. The congregation responded with attentiveness and gratitude, demonstrating a clear desire to live a Christ-centered faith.
After the service, we shared lunch with the church’s deacons, which provided an opportunity for closer conversation regarding the life of the congregation, current challenges, and opportunities for growth. This time was valuable for listening, affirming, and encouraging those who faithfully serve in practical and spiritual leadership roles.
In the afternoon, we participated in the ordination service in Jacó for Chespi Sandoval, a joyful moment for the local church and for the broader network of related churches. La Gracia Church led worship, and pastors from four churches participated—both churches currently in the adoption process and those already adopted. The visible unity among the churches stood as a clear testimony to a shared commitment to the gospel and mission.
Monday and Tuesday were dedicated to spending time with Álvaro and his wife, pastor of Playa Azul Bible Church, as well as with Chespi and his family, pastor of the church in Jacó. These moments were not merely social, but deeply pastoral, allowing for natural interaction that strengthened trust, friendship, and mutual care among pastoral families.
During these days, we engaged in meaningful conversations about family life in ministry, the particular challenges facing each church, and the need to persevere with joy and faithfulness. This time allowed us to hear firsthand about the realities of each local context and to offer pastoral encouragement from a posture of closeness and respect.
In the evenings, Kathy and I led a marriage seminar, attended by couples from three churches in the Jacó area. The seminar focused on the gospel as the foundation of marriage, grace in the midst of conflict, and the importance of cultivating relationships that reflect Christ. Participation was strong, and the atmosphere was marked by openness, honesty, and a sincere desire for spiritual growth.
As part of the relational and family time, Damián, a church deacon, offered surf lessons to Joey and Janelle. This simple but meaningful gesture reflected the hospitality and care of the local church and allowed our children to actively participate in fellowship with the congregation.
On Wednesday, before traveling back to San José, we visited the home of Damián, the deacon. In a warm and informal setting, I had the opportunity to prepare espresso coffee for his wife, Chespi’s wife, and Kathy, using a portable espresso machine that I often bring on my trips, which also helped us avoid unnecessary expenses on coffee. Though simple, this moment became a meaningful time of hospitality, conversation, and fellowship.
Later that day, we traveled to San José, where I spent time teaching and dialoguing with twelve men from La Gracia Church who are discerning a possible call to ministry. This was an encouraging and hopeful time, focused on character, doctrine, gifting, and the real cost of pastoral ministry.
Before this gathering, we shared dinner with Daniel and Andrés, local pastors, along with a man currently in the ordination process. The conversation centered on long-term faithfulness, pastoral care, and the importance of healthy structures that can sustain a ministry calling over time.
Thursday was almost entirely dedicated to an intensive training time with the leaders of Casa 2:42, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Throughout the day, we addressed key topics such as church planting, the upcoming preaching of the book of Genesis, church discipline and biblical reconciliation processes. It was a demanding but highly productive day, marked by strong participation, thoughtful questions, and substantive dialogue.
That evening, we shared dinner with the family of the lead pastor, Rodrigo Fournier, further strengthening personal and ministerial relationships.
Due to a snowstorm in the United States, Kathy and the children returned on Friday. Before their departure, Kathy and I shared breakfast with Sergio Estévez and his wife, bringing that portion of the trip to a close with gratitude and fellowship. That same evening, I led a marriage seminar for members of Casa 2:42. I was able to return on Saturday, ahead of the full arrival of the storm.
Although this was a single trip, the dedication of two full days to each church made it feel like several trips combined into one. Throughout the week, there were meaningful conversations addressing matters of particular importance to each church, including the care of leaders, the health of marriages, the discernment of ministry callings, and the need for clear, biblical processes for reconciliation and church discipline.
The visible fruit of the trip—unity among churches, strengthened leaders and marriages, and the active involvement of our family—confirms that this time was a necessary and strategically intentional pastoral investment. We give thanks to God for His faithfulness and for the privilege of serving His church in Costa Rica in a holistic way, centered on Christ and aimed at long-term edification.
One of the ways we experienced God’s goodness at our recent 2025 Sovereign Grace Pastors Conference, was through the hearing of stories from Sovereign Grace pastors during our time together. These stories highlighted the partnership we share among our churches, and the joy we have of fulfilling our gospel mission together.
I wanted you to hear and benefit from two of these stories in this update and so I share them with you below…
The first is from Josh Tong, Lead Pastor of Sovereign Grace Church, Bradford, ON, Canada. It is so encouraging to see all that the Lord is doing in this wonderful church.
The second is Juan Solano, our newly SGC Commissioned Pastor to Beirut, Lebanon. Juan went over to Lebanon from our SGC Church in Costa Rica and has a wonderful story to tell.
Puritan Thomas Lye once prayed the following as he concluded his message ‘How Are We to Live by Faith?’, he prayed...
‘Lord God, you and you alone should be the sole object of our trust. May there be but one string to the bow of our faith: that is you, our Lord. May we not rest in anything other than you.’
May there be just one string to our bows of faith, what a wonderful picture that is, and may that string be the Lord, truly our only hope. So, here are some ways you can be praying for our global endeavours over the month of January...
Please pray for Bert & Karen Turner as they travel to Brazil, 15th January – 5th February. Please pray that they’ll be a blessing to all of the Pastors and Churches they’re visiting during their time – Igreja Cidade Cinco, Igreja Casa Vide, Igraja Horizonte, and Igreja Graca Soberana. Please also pray for Bert as he leads a retreat with a number of the Brazilian Pastors: 26th-29th January in Bela Horizonte.
Please pray for Joselo Mercado, our Key Leader to Latin America, as he visits Costa Rica 17th-23rd January, to visit with all four of our Churches in the country, as well as take the ordination service of Eduardo Sandoval on Sunday 18th January. A wonderfully joyful occasion!
Please pray for the Sovereign Grace Churches RELAY Conference, January 5th-7th in Glen Mills, PA. Over 500 young adults from our North American Sovereign Grace Churches will be attending this conference. Please pray that God meets with the next generation of Sovereign Grace in wonderful ways as they come together and that He does more than they could’ve ever asked or imagined.
Please pray for Solomon Chala, a graduate of the Trinity Fellowship Pastors College, as he spends three months with our candidate church in Liberia, followed by three months with our candidate church in Sierra Leone. Please pray for great favour and wisdom for Solomon, as we continue to discern the best way ahead for these dear churches that are eager to partner with us.
Please pray for Kyle Huber, our Key Leader into Belarus, as he teaches the Pastoral Ministry Program at the Minsk Seminary. The Seminary is keen to have Sovereign Grace influence their students, and so this program will involve online teaching several times a year along with an annual in-person retreat each year to include the students wives. Please pray for Kyle and everyone involved in this unique opportunity.
Please pray for Sovereign Grace Church, Wahroonga in Sydney, Australia, as we run our ‘Discover Series’ over the summer holidays (January-February). As we hit hard topics like ‘If God Exists, Then Why Bondi?’, please pray that many would hear the gospel, bring friends, and come to know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
… Thank you so much, may His grace abound to us all.
This is the one time of year when rather than give you several different updates, I want to give you just one really good one, as we look back on the year that has gone before us.
In Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas returned from Antioch after their first missionary journey, and verse 27 tells us, “And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done.” This end of year video, from Mark Prater, our Executive Director, is doing just that - looking back at 2025 to declare all that God has done.
Sovereign Grace experienced a year full of God’s grace, undeserved mercy, and so much more than could fit into this short video. However, it is good for us to consider all that He has done, giving Him thanks, and looking with hope to the future.
Happy New Year to you all… Enjoy!!
John Piper writes,
“Prayer has the wonderful capacity to highlight our emptiness and God’s fullness at the same time. It is wonderfully suited to express our inadequacy and God’s all-sufficiency.”
How true that is! By ourselves, we are profoundly inadequate, which is exactly why we need to fall on our knees and cry out to our all-sufficient God for His divine help. Oh how we need Him!
So here’s how you can be praying for us in the month ahead…
Please pray for Bob Kauflin and the SG Music Team who will be hitting the road again to run a number of ‘Prepare Him Room’ concerts this month. Evenings of Scripture, prayer, and the singing of songs from our Christmas albums - Prepare Him Room and Heaven Has Come. As they head to Living Hope Church in Harrisburg (3-4 December), Cornerstone Church Knoxville (5 December), Lakeview Christian Church in New Orleans (11 December), and Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville (13 December), please pray that the message that is proclaimed would save lives. Surely hope has come!
Please pray for the many Christmas outreaches of Family of Grace Church, our partner church in Wang Yang, Nakhon Phanom, Thailand. Please pray that the gospel would go forward with power and open many blind eyes to glorious person and work of Jesus Christ in this unreached community.
Please pray for Josh Montague (Chaska), and Ryan Chase (Sioux Falls) as they visit the Phillipines with TLI. Steve Whitacre as he heads to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to teach at the Pastors College, and Centre Church, Gilbert, AZ and Cornerstone Church Knoxville, as they send a small missions team to Rancho 3M.
Please pray for Ed O’Mara, SGC Area Leader for Europe, as he heads to the UK to visit London, Bristol and Swansea, both to strengthen existing partnerships and friendships, as well as help to cultivate new ones. Please pray that the Lord would give him great wisdom as he seeks to serve well on this trip.
Please pray for Jeffrey Jo, Lead Pastor of CCSGM in Cavite, Philippines, and Regional Leader of SGC Philippines, as he heads to Mindanao to teach at our Philippines Pastors Institute on hermeneutics and homiletics, as well as care for the pastors and wives in their marriages in that region. May Jeff and his wife Jeannie, be a wonderful blessing to all of our pastors and wives in Mindanao, and may much fruit come as a result of this trip.
Please pray that God would give us all opportunities, wherever we might live around the world, to invite unbelievers and the unchurched to Sovereign Grace churches as we hold our Christmas related events and service this month, and that as we do eyes may be opened to the glories of Christ. Pray also for opportunities to share the gospel with unbelieving friends, family members, neighbours, and coworkers over the holiday season… Who knows all that He may do through that.
…. Truly, may His all-sufficient grace abound to us all!!
Pat Tedeschi (Pastor in Oasis International Church in London, UK) together with his wife Dana recently led a Short-Term Missions Team in London, UK. They share this update below…
Sixteen people — ranging from their teens to their 60s and representing two countries and five partner churches — came together for our very first short-term mission to London.
Talking with strangers in a new city isn’t easy, but this team arrived ready and eager to serve. Each day, they went out with joy, faith, and prayer, sharing the saving work of Jesus with people from every background imaginable.
Kathy:
“Doing a mission trip for the first time and sharing the gospel with strangers was scary for me. But doing it alongside brothers and sisters of all ages and from different churches was so helpful and encouraging. We worked together as a team and family. It was the best experience of my life — God helped me every step of the way!”
Cyril:
“The 10-day mission trip to London was, for me — faith-building, God-glorifying, Spirit-empowering, relationship-strengthening, compassion-instilling, and saturated with gospel conversations with so many Londoners.”
Will:
“Team devotions, mutual care for one another, sharing the gospel on the streets, fellowship with believers from other countries, and our end-of-day meals together were such blessings. Praise God for the opportunity to ‘soldier on’ with joy and love alongside our friends Pat and Dana.”
Josephine:
“God is at work! It’s humbling to realize this country was built on the unshakable foundation of Jesus. Even though many have gone astray, His work is not done. Participating in His kingdom work in another country gave me a newfound joy in seeing this privilege as God’s adopted daughter!”
Micaiah:
“It amazes me that the same Gospel message we shared with others is the very message I need to rehearse to myself every day — it’s not just for starters. The truth I urge others to believe is the same truth that daily sets me free from my own blindness and unbelief. My favorite times in London were the opportunities God gave me to walk through the spiritual questionnaire and Gospel track with those who did not know Christ. What a joy to progressively grow in boldness to where I could enjoy sharing the good news!”
Hannah:
“I was surprised by the incredible diversity of the city — so many different nationalities and religious beliefs. I’m grateful for the chance to visit London and meet new people. It amazes me that I could meet someone across the world whom I didn’t even know existed 24 hours ago — but God knew before the foundation of the world. Our God is great, and I’m excited to see how He continues to work through Pat and Dana and the seeds that were planted!”
Bryce:
“During our last day of debriefing, Pat teared up as he shared how encouraged he was by our being there and by our efforts and enthusiasm in evangelism. Dana shared how encouraging it was to hear all of our voices as we sang in worship. God cares for His people and He used our team of sixteen people to spur them on to continue running the race set before them as they look to Christ.”
That God will continue to work in the hearts of those our team shared with.
That God would continue to embolden each team member to share Christ.
For those attending our follow-up Bridge Course (an introduction to Christianity) to recognize their need for Christ.
Thank you for partnering with us in prayer and mission.
With gratitude,
Pat & Dana
Joel Bain (Lead Pastor of Grace Family Church, Jamaica) shares this update on the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa which swept through his country on October 28th…
On Tuesday, October 28, Hurricane Melissa made landfall in the southwest of Jamaica. This slow-moving storm, with wind speeds estimated at 185 miles per hour, devastated the western side of the island, having significant but less severe effects in the east, where the members of Grace Family Church live. We are grateful that God spared us from the brunt of the disaster, but our hearts are broken for our countrymen who have lost family, shelter, livelihoods, security, and educational opportunities, and must rebuild their lives from scratch.
In the midst of the passion and panic of the immediate relief efforts, we’ve felt the Lord calling our church to patience and to keep our eyes open for the right opportunities to do good to others, especially those of the household of faith. We’ve been able to help a number of our members to serve family and friends who suffered loss and damage.
Recently, we mobilised our community to collect, sort and ship clothing to some local partners from Youth With A Mission (YWAM), to be distributed by a local church in Montego Bay serving a devastated community. We will continue to engage with partners to determine the ways we can serve during the long recovery ahead of us.
We are deeply grateful for the prayers and countless messages and emails from pastors and members of Sovereign Grace Churches during and after the storm. Our partnership with you all is precious to us. Please pray for increased zeal for sharing the gospel with those around us. We know that God’s interest is much bigger than how we rebuild, but that more and more people would come to know and trust Jesus, and build their lives on the only foundation that will survive the storms to come.
Jeffrey Jo (Lead Pastor of Cross of Christ Salvation Gospel Ministries in Manila, Philippines and National Leader for SGC Philippines), shares a report on two recent natural disasters that have affected the Philippines…
For the past recent months especially in the area of Cebu, back-to-back calamitous events transpired. The first one was a 6.9 magnitude earthquake that killed 69 people, injured 156 and ruined a number of infrastructures. This happened on September 30, 2025 (Virma Simmonete, BBC News, October 5, 2025).
After only a month, on November 4, 2025, Cebu was hit again, this time by Kalmagi hurricane that took 85 lives, injured 17 and caused 75 to go missing. Almost the whole city and countryside were flooded up to 2-storeys high. Most cars, trucks and other vehicles were swept by the strong current of the flood. More than 400,000 people have been displaced (Virma Rivera, BBC News, November 5, 2025).
Two of our churches from this region were greatly affected - His Dwelling Christian Church of Cebu City led by Nilo Ebo and His Dwelling Christian Church of Isabela, Bacolod led by Gilbert Tolentino. 15 families were displaced from the former church and 9 families from the latter. They were without water and electricity for days and any help from the outside was difficult and challenging.
Could God have prevented these natural disasters? Absolutely YES! But He allows it to happen for a lot of reasons, mostly for reasons known only to Himself. How then should we respond in times like these?
First, we should seek to glorify God in our circumstances. We should be more concerned about His glory than our relief. We live for the glory of God (Job 1:21, 1 Cor.10:31, Phil.4:11-13). Secondly, we should examine our priorities in light of the brevity of life (Ps.90:12). Lastly, we should grab this wonderful opportunity not only to share the gospel to the lost but also to care “… for those who belong to the household of God” (Gal.6:10).
This is where our gospel partnership in our family of churches comes in. Prior and after the calamities, we have been receiving a lot of messages, assuring us that we are prayed for and care for us as we go through this season of difficulty. Financial assistance was also sent to these churches both from our SG Asia-Pacific fund and local regional fund. We feel strengthened and indeed, we have not felt alone.
On behalf of our region, thank you for our partnership expressed in love, prayers and financial assistance. Your benevolence pleases and glorifies God and means so much to us. We are so grateful to God for Sovereign Grace Churches.
An update from Joselo Mercado, Lead Pastor of Iglesia Gracia Soberana de Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA, and Key Leader into Sovereign Grace LATAM…
Dear Brothers & Sisters,
I would like to share a brief report from our recent gathering held in Panama City from October 7 to 10. The meeting brought together Jacobis Aldana from Colombia, Sergio Estéves from Costa Rica, and David Del Castillo from Bolivia. Our time together was fruitful and encouraging, marked by prayer, fellowship, and clear progress toward strengthening our collaborative work within SGC LATAM.
The main purpose of this meeting was to begin forming a small leadership team that can assist in decision-making for SGC churches in Latin America. We desire to develop a structure that helps promote unity, clarity, and shared vision across our region. Each brother brings valuable experience and represents key areas where SGC has growing partnerships and influence. Together, we agreed that establishing trusted points of contact in each country will be vital for communication, coordination, and mutual care among our churches.
Throughout our sessions, we discussed several strategic priorities. First, we agreed to hold a Pastors’ Retreat in July 2026, which will serve as a time for refreshment, training, and vision alignment. This retreat will also provide a setting for pastors and leaders from various countries to connect more deeply and cultivate relationships that strengthen gospel partnership. The team will begin developing plans for the retreat’s location, program, and participation in the coming months.
Second, we identified the need to develop a pastoral training curriculum that can be used in our different countries. The goal is not to create a formal seminary, but rather a flexible and reproducible resource that equips pastors and future leaders with sound doctrine, gospel-centered ministry principles, and pastoral wisdom. The team will explore how to contextualize existing SGC materials and integrate them into local church training efforts, ensuring that theological depth and practical ministry formation remain at the heart of the process.
Third, we considered ways to foster greater unity both nationally and regionally. We want to encourage each country to gather its SGC pastors and leaders regularly for prayer, fellowship, and joint initiatives. At the same time, we hope to see stronger collaboration between countries, sharing resources, visiting one another, and supporting new church plants and leadership development efforts. We recognize that unity will grow not only through structures but through relationships marked by humility, transparency, and love.
An important part of our time together was also personal and spiritual care. We shared openly about our joys and struggles in ministry, prayed for one another, and reflected on God’s grace in our lives. It was refreshing to experience genuine biblical fellowship, where brothers strengthen one another’s faith and encourage perseverance in the calling to serve Christ’s church. We came away deeply grateful for the friendships the Lord is forming among us and for the renewed sense of purpose to serve His mission in Latin America.
In addition to our meetings, we had the opportunity to visit the Panama Canal, which was both a cultural and symbolic reminder of how strategic Panama has been for global connection. In the same way, we pray that SGC LATAM can serve as a bridge of gospel partnership across nations, linking pastors, churches, and ministries that share the same passion for proclaiming Christ and planting healthy, gospel-centered churches.
We left Panama encouraged by God’s faithfulness and with a stronger conviction that this initiative is a timely step for the future of SGC in our region. Please continue to pray for Jacobis, Sergio, and David as they help lead this effort, and for me as I continue coordinating communication and next steps. Our next virtual follow-up meeting is being scheduled to define specific tasks and timelines for the retreat and curriculum project.
With gratitude for your partnership in the gospel,
Joselo Mercado
After wanting to come to the US Pastors College for a decade, God opened the doors for Erik and Erin Schmaltz, along with their three kids, to spend the past year at the Pastors College.
Listen in to hear the story of how God led them to the PC and the amazing ways He used it to bless and shape their lives and prepare them for ministry. What a Saviour He is!!
Over on the Mark Prater Podcast, our Executive Director recently interview Josh Kruger, a Sovereign Grace ordained Pastor, who has recently planted a Sovereign Grace church in Windhoek, Namibia.
Listen in as Josh shares all about it… How great is our God!!
In his book, “Brothers, We are Not Professionals” John Piper writes,
“Prayer is the splicing of our limp wire to the lightning bolt of heaven.”
My friends, how true this is. At times, our efforts and endeavours to advance the gospel of Jesus Christ, can feel like a “limp wire”. But praise God, through prayer, we can join our limp wire to the “lightening bolt of heaven.” To the abounding power of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
What an opportunity, and so with that in mind, here’s how you can be praying for us in the month ahead…
Please pray for the Sovereign Grace Churches Pastors Conference, November 18th-20th, in Orlando, USA. With over 830 people registered for this conference, from at least 16 different countries. please ask God to work in a way that our relationships among our churches are strengthened, pastors and wives are equipped for what God has called them to do, and that our family of churches is united in our shared gospel mission all for the glory of God alone.
Please pray for the annual Sovereign Grace Churches Council of Elders meeting, on November 17th, in Orlando, asking God to give our pastors wisdom to make decisions that strengthen our mission, foster our unity, and that best serve our churches. Please also pray for the various interest meetings at the Pastors Conference: Evangelism Interest Meeting, Small Towns Initiative Info Meeting, Pastors College & Pastoral Ministry Interest Meeting, and Church Planting Interest Meeting. That faith would be stirred and further plans for partnering together in these ways can be fostered.
Please pray for Solomon Faris, graduate of our Ethiopian Pastors College, as he travels to Liberia and Sierra Leonne over this next six months, as we seek to discern what God would have us to do next as we seek to come alongside our dear brothers and sisters there. Please pray that the Lord would give Solomon great discernment, wisdom and sustanance for this next six months, and that he’d be a very real encouragement to the churches there.
Please pray for Joel Bain and the pastoral team of Grace Family Church, Jamaica, as they continue to care for folk after the recent passage of Hurricane Melissa. In God’s kindness, all their members are well and weathered the storm well. Like many, they are concerned about how they can help with relief and recovery efforts. But more than that, they are eager to use this opportunity to proclaim the gospel, so please pray for them, that many neighbours, friends, family members and co-workers would turn to the One who alone can save.
Please pray that God would give all the members and pastors of Sovereign Grace churches opportunities to share the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ with unbelievers in our communities and workplaces. For how beautiful are the feet of those who preach good news.
Please pray that God would continue to provide financially for Sovereign Grace Churches so that we can fund the gospel opportunities He is giving us throughout the world.
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