On March 5, 2024, the Ministerial Department facilitated GROW, a full day of training, encouragement and leadership development for pastors who are relatively new to the Gulf States Conference. The feedback from those in attendance reflected a sense of gratitude for the space that was created that allowed for growth and support in their ministries.
Local church pastor John Sierra reflected on the day of training saying, “It's an enlightening experience because we get to learn a lot about our fellow pastors within the Conference and hear some of their difficulties and their accomplishments. Being alone within my district, sometimes you forget that there are other pastors out there going through similar experiences that you're going through, and it helps to hear and to learn from their experiences. I think it's a great value to be here. I think it helps us to learn more in terms of technique and systems and to help our congregations.”
Hinting at the challenges of pastoral ministry and highlighting the support he’s received at GROW, local church pastor Misael Silverio expressed, GROW means a lot to me. It is interesting to have a safe environment [where] we can share, grow together and see life ministry. You can share with somebody who understands the trial [you are going through]. You will receive feedback that will help you to continue, and you're not alone. If I made mistakes, they all made mistakes. When I succeed, others succeed too, and that has helped me to continue. We have a legacy that we are leaving behind, but also we have a big future to continue.”
One of the primary benefits of the day was the networking opportunities it provided for the pastors to connect with other pastors who face similar challenges to them. Local church pastor Tiago Rossendy shared the value in connecting with other pastors saying, “We reflected a lot about the pastoral ministry, and about being humble and always learning something and putting it into practice in pastoral ministry. I believe you always have to be learning and getting more good information from other pastors so then you can serve God better.”
When asked how this meeting might impact his local church, Pr Esteban Santana said, “We're going to go back to our churches and we're going to be prayerfully asking God to tell us what ministry He wants us to fulfill in that area, and from that point forward, we will let God lead us through in everything.”