Relationship with Faith EFC: Faith EFC in Trexlertown, PA has been an active partner that has provided prayer support, a significant financial commitment and leaders for the steering committee.

Attendance: There are now 19 members and the average Sunday attendance is 50. Wednesday night is youth night and Adult Bible Study and many young people have been attending. This church plant has about a 50/50 split in Hispanic and Anglo attendees.

Meeting at: 1014 Liberty St. in the downtown Allentown area. Many churches and many volunteers contributed time and resources to transform the building into a church.

Vision or Mission Statement:
Passion for Christ. Passion for People, and a Passion for Scripture and Worship
Implementation: Relational Evangelism leads to Intentional Disciplemaking that results in a Reproducing Community that enjoys Passionate Worship

BRIEF HISTORY: Iglesia Evangelica de Fe has been meeting for three years. We are blessed with a building that is able to house a sanctuary that can seat 100, a large activity area for soccer and other games, a kitchenette, and a couple of classrooms, as well as a fenced-in parking area in the back. With 40,000 Spanish speakers in Allentown, we are reaching out to the northwest part of the downtown community.

The church is in the process of developing by-laws and training elders as part of their application to be a full-status church in the fall of 2007.

El Faro EFC/The Lighthouse EFC
Lebanon, PA

Church Planting Team: Lorenzo and Betsy were approved as church planters in July 2001. They served churches in Argentina for over 20 years before coming to the U.S. Their passion is to bring people to Christ and to disciple them.

In 2003, two couples from Chile joined the church planting team. Hugo and Gissella Concha had visited the Lebanon area in the past and had a burden for reaching the many Hispanics in the area. Hugo gives leadership to the visitation ministry and assists Lorenzo in pastoral duties. Christian and Ximena Aguilar give leadership to worship and youth ministry. Along with Lorenzo and Betsy, these families form a team with the vision for a church ministering to Hispanics, not only in Lebanon, but in Lancaster, Reading, and Harrisburg.

Attendance: Average attendance has been about 80-100

Meeting at: As part of our capital campaign, we purchased a former elementary school building at 331 N. 10th Street, right in our target area. Approximately half of the money has been raised, and we will continue fundraising activities while renovating and using the building for church and other community ministries.

Vision or mission statement: Our target group is those who function in a Spanish language culture. Our mission is that "Tenemos un Gran Compromiso al Gran Mandamiento y a la Gran Comisión para producir una Gran Iglesia." (We have a Great Commitment to the Great Commandment and to the Great Commission to produce a Great Church ) Luke & Matthew 28:19-20.

We pray that God will continue to help the church planting team to focus on the church plant while also developing strategy and ministry focus for using the 32,000 sq. ft. facility. A steering committee meets to give counsel to the church plant and a new organization (Hope for the City - Lebanon) has recently been formed to develop ministries to the community, seek faith-based funding and interface with the local government and other partner organizations. In all things, however, these ministries will serve the vision of the church.

In 2006, the church launched its "Church with a Purpose" Campaign. This has encouraged over 40 people to solidify their membership in the church and many have taken training to become leaders of various ministries. They hope to be able to apply to be a full-status church in 2007.

The leadership of El Faro is also in dialogue with the leadership of Community EFC in Harrisburg about a possible future church plant there.

Iglesia Evangelica Libre de Newark
Newark, NJ
370 N. 5th Street
Newark, NJ 07107
973-350-1950

Membership: 45

Attendance: 70

The Newark church is a vibrant church that is currently lead by their three elders:

• Ricky Ortiz
• Wendell Brooks
• Greg Hodne

These elders all work secular jobs but have great potential to be pastors. Plans are underway to provide training for them to further their education.

The church was planted in the 1990’s by Marcos and Colleen Solt and nearly the entire church was led to Christ during that time. They met in a storefront for many of the early years but later were able to buy a beautiful facility with the help of many partner Evangelical Free Churches in the Eastern District.