Trees for Hope is a ministry of Summit Church in Homestead that raises funds for disaster relief and local missions by selling freshly cut Christmas trees and wreaths each holiday season. Since 2016, trees are shipped directly from a small farm in North Carolina and set up at a lot hosted by Heritage Market on Krome Avenue. The tree lot opens on Thanksgiving Day and remains open until every tree is sold.

This year, the 720 trees sold out completely in less than two weeks.

Alex Pecina, Summit Church pastor, says that the ministry started in 2016 with an order of 150 trees and the desire to raise funds for people in the community who had been affected by the hurricanes and tropical storms that year.

Pecina, a Florida native, recalls how hurricane Andrew devastated his community after making landfall as a category 5 hurricane in 1992, becoming one of the most destructive storms in U.S. history. When the Red Cross showed up to help with recovery, 8-year-old Pecina witnessed the hope and relief the community felt. Through the funds raised from Trees for Hope, Pecina wants to bring the hope of the Gospel and relief found in Christ to those facing hardship after devastation.

Christmas tree shoppers had two ways of joining the mission. They could add a donated tree during check out or drop by to purchase a tree specifically to donate without no purchase for themselves necessary.

In the past, funds raised through Trees for Hope have supported disaster relief efforts in the Florida Keys, the Florida Panhandle, Southwest Florida, Louisiana, Kentucky, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico, and Haiti. In addition to disaster response, proceeds have benefited local nonprofit organizations, schools, and homeless outreach efforts in the Homestead area.

This year, the ministry was also able to provide free Christmas trees to 90 families in the local community, ensuring that households facing financial hardship could still celebrate the season.

Volunteers from Summit Church staffed the tree lot throughout the season, helping customers, accepting donations, and engaging with neighbors. For Summit Church, the Trees for Hope ministry as a simple but meaningful way to build relationships and demonstrate Christ’s love in practical ways.

“We are grateful for everyone who came out, bought a tree, donated, served under the tent, and showed up with so much heart,” church leaders shared in a message to the community. “Your generosity truly makes a difference.”

HIALEAH— During this year’s Thanksgiving celebration at Iglesia Bautista Northside, 23 individuals publicly expressed their faith in Christ through baptism, making it one of the church’s most memorable holiday events. Among these were seven young members from Northside English, the church’s English-language congregation led by Pastor Noel Morera.

One of the men baptized came to Northside English after Pastor Morera met him in the church parking lot. Initially a devout Jehovah’s Witness, he started meeting with Morera weekly to study the Gospel of John. Through these discussions and his increasing understanding of Jesus, he put his faith in Christ and publicly expressed his new life through baptism on Thanksgiving morning.

The day started early with church members assembling at Miami Beach’s South Pointe for their beloved annual sunrise service. With the sky gradually brightening over the Atlantic, the congregation came together to worship, express thanks for God’s faithfulness, and contemplate His influence in their lives.

Once the sun was fully risen, the church family came back to the Hialeah campus for a hearty breakfast and fellowship. The morning was alive with laughter, testimonies, and conversations before everyone assembled in the sanctuary for worship and a short message from Pastor Alberto Ocaña.

The 23 baptisms stood as a strong reminder of God’s continuous work through Iglesia Bautista Northside and its ministries. At the end of the service, Pastor Ocaña urged the congregation to enter the Christmas season with hearts filled with gratitude and obedience. His message was straightforward: “Be thankful, follow Christ, and serve Christ.”

Down a hallway, behind a closed door, Helen Doimeadios, a wife and mom of two, sits alone with a headset, a microphone, and a small screen showing what’s happening in the sanctuary. As the pastor preaches in English, Doimeadios quietly carries the message into Spanish for those listening through wireless receivers.

She doesn’t consider herself just a translator.

“I don’t translate word for word,” she explained. “I listen to the pastor and review the notes he shares, and then I interpret what he has said. Sometimes that can sound like a literal translation and other times it’s not literal, but the words carry the same meaning.”

Often, she translates with her eyes closed, concentrating fully on the pastor’s voice and the message he’s delivering.

“In that little room, my goal is to take Sunday’s message to everyone who came to hear it,” she said.

Doimeadios is one of three volunteers who provide simultaneous Spanish translation during Reality’s English service, a ministry that emerged as multigenerational Hispanic families began attending together. Children and grandchildren were fluent in English; parents and grandparents were not.

Translation became the bridge that allowed the entire family to sit under the same sermon while hearing it in the language of their hearts.

“Abuelita Sitting There, Not Understanding Anything”

At Elevate Church in Miami Lakes, the story started in a similar way.

Pastor Dan Rodríguez, executive pastor at Elevate, remembers sitting in the chapel years ago and watching families arrive together—parents, children, and abuelita in tow. The services were in English, the worship vibrant, the room full. But something didn’t sit right.

“We started noticing that a family would come to church, and they would have abuelita with them,” Rodríguez recalled. “We saw people who were not singing or not worshiping. They had that lost look. When we asked, we’d hear, ‘Oh, I brought my aunt, my grandmother, but they don’t speak English.’ And we thought, ‘You’re willing to sit here for an hour and not understand anything?’”

That burden led to action. Around 2015–2016, Elevate ordered translation equipment and began offering live Spanish translation during the English service, even before launching a Spanish-language service.

What began as a simple solution to serve a handful of families soon became the seed of something bigger.

“That translation ministry grew organically,” Rodríguez said. “It was really the heart behind launching the Spanish service.”

Today, Elevate holds a full Spanish service at 8:30 a.m. that now averages around 300 people in attendance, alongside larger English services later in the morning and early afternoon. Many who use the translation in the English services also know they have the option of worshiping entirely in Spanish at 8:30 if their schedule allows.

Rodríguez says the goal has always been clear: one church, one message, multiple languages, so that families can share the same spiritual conversation after church.

“Our vision is for the entire family to be able to worship together and then go to lunch and talk about what they heard,” he said. “Kids, adults, abuelitos; everyone on the same page.”

Translation as Teaching, Not Just Words

At Elevate, the translation team is intentionally small and selective. Right now, only two people regularly translate.

“That’s not accidental,” Rodríguez explained. “We’re very selective. You’re not just translating, you’re teaching. You’re basically preaching.”

Translators are often identified from within the church’s existing leaders. They are typically life group leaders or seasoned believers whose spiritual maturity and teaching gifts are already evident.

“We choose people who are already walking with the Lord and bearing fruit,” he said. “They’re not brand-new believers. We’ve seen them teaching. We’ve seen their faithfulness.”

Preparation is also key. Elevate’s internal goal is to have the sermon manuscript complete by Thursday each week. That allows the worship and tech teams to load slides and Scriptures and run full rehearsals, and the translation team to receive the message in advance.

“They get to read it, digest it, internalize it,” Rodríguez said. “If it’s a more complicated message, we’ll even schedule a one-on-one call to walk through it together.”

Rodríguez and other leaders will occasionally sit in and listen to the translation live to offer coaching.

“I’ll tell them, ‘You did a phenomenal job. Make sure to use inflection, make it your own content,” he said. “We want them to continue growing as teachers, not just translators.”

The church is also careful to care for the translators themselves. For now, Elevate offers translation only at specific services, ensuring translators serve one service and sit in another so they can also be fed spiritually.

“We Have to Reach Them Where They Are”

For Rodríguez, the translation ministry is deeply personal and profoundly missional.

He grew up bilingual, worked nearly 20 years in the corporate world (most of that with Apple), and learned early the importance of knowing the people you serve.

“One of the things ingrained in us was that you have to know your customer,” he said. “These are not customers. These are our people. You have to know where God has placed you.”

And God has placed Elevate in Miami, a city he calls a “melting pot.”

“We’ll always have a migrant community here,” he said. “People coming from other countries who are learning English but don’t fully understand it yet.”

That reality has shaped how Elevate thinks about ministry and how they’ll respond if future language needs arise.

“I’ve even thought, what if we started getting more Haitian families who need Creole?” he said. “We’re not here to entertain. We’re not charging people at the door. The whole purpose is to share the gospel and show people who Jesus is. If that means we have to show it to them in their language, then yes; translation is essential.”

“Our vision is to see Christ elevated, to connect people to Christ, help them grow in Christ, and serve Christ,” he added. “To do that, they must understand. We must reach them where they are.”

A Statewide Step: Simultaneous Spanish at the Florida Baptist Convention

This growing commitment to translation ministry isn’t limited to local churches. At this year’s Florida Baptist State Convention gathering, a new simultaneous transcription service of preachers and speakers was offered for the first time.

“As a convention staff we are continually trying to think of new ways to be ‘right beside you’ in your context of ministry life,” said Tanner Cade, communications and events manager for the Florida Baptist Convention. “The opportunity of expanding our translation services for gatherings reflects the wonderful multicultural family we have here in Florida, and we want to make sure as many as possible can actively participate in our meetings.”

Attendees were able to follow along by choosing from 10 different languages in real time as sermons, reports, and business sessions unfolded.

Just as Reality Church, Elevate Church, and others are making sure abuelita can understand the sermon on Sunday, the Convention is taking steps to ensure that language is no barrier to participation and partnership across the statewide family of churches.

The event, organized by the North American Mission Board in partnership with the Florida Baptist Convention, was part of Send South Florida, a church planting initiative focused on reaching one of the most diverse and rapidly growing regions in the United States with the hope of Christ by helping churches plant churches.

Equipping leaders for kingdom impact

Participants attended breakout sessions focused on discipleship, leadership development, evangelism and outreach, and church planting, along with a special track designed for women in ministry. Each session provided practical training and biblical encouragement aimed at strengthening local churches and advancing the gospel.

“We want to see a movement of Hispanic churches multiplying disciples and leaders who will reach South Florida and beyond,” organizers said. “This gathering is about unity, collaboration, and equipping the local church to live on mission ‘Por Su Reino’ which translates to ‘For His Kingdom.’”

Keeping the gospel central

The conference featured keynote messages from José Abella, pastor of Providence Road Church in Miami, and Raudel Hernández, pastor of Summit en Español, the Spanish-language campus of The Summit Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, where J.D. Greear serves as lead pastor.

Abella encouraged leaders to remain faithful to their callings and to continue building strong, gospel-centered churches that reflect the diversity and vitality of South Florida’s communities.

Hernández reminded attendees that above every ministry program or leadership role, believers are called first and foremost to share the gospel with the lost. “Before we are called to anything else,” he emphasized, “we are called to proclaim Christ.”

United for the kingdom

Por Su Reino served as a visible reminder of the growing unity among Hispanic pastors and churches in South Florida, all sharing the same vision to see lives transformed by the gospel.

“Every time leaders come together with one heart and one mission, the kingdom advances,” one participant shared. “We leave encouraged, renewed and reminded that we are not alone in this work.”

Sponsored by the Florida Baptist Convention and supported by Miami Baptist Association, the event became more than a banquet—it was a mission moment, calling the church to intercede for seafarers, their families and the global maritime industry.

‘Those who go down to the sea in ships …’

“Those who go down to the sea in ships … they see the works of the Lord and His wonders in the deep” (Psalm 107:23–24). These words framed the day as speakers reminded participants of the unique opportunity God has given the church to reach seafarers with the hope of Christ.

“God has brought the nations to our doorstep in Miami,” said Julio C. Salas, executive director of ISM Port Miami, one of seven seaport ministries of the Florida Baptist Convention. “Every year, thousands of crew members from over 100 countries dock here. They carry with them the burdens of family separation and spiritual need—but also the potential to carry the gospel back to their homelands.”

Meeting an overlooked mission field

Each year, ISM Port Miami, which partners with Miami Baptist Association, ministers to approximately 30,100 seafarers—27,100 from cruise ships and 3,000 from cargo ships. At the International Port Campus, the ministry welcomes 180–200 crew members daily during high season and 75–100 daily during regular season.

Through hospitality, prayer and the ministry of presence, ISM helps seafarers connect with families back home, receive spiritual and emotional care, and hear the gospel. “Many of these men and women are far from home for months at a time,” Salas said. “They need a place to belong, a place to be reminded of God’s love and truth.”

Partnerships that advance the mission

Royal Caribbean generously hosted this year’s gala aboard Icon of the Seas, underscoring the company’s commitment to the well-being of its crew. “We are deeply grateful for Royal Caribbean’s hospitality and support,” said Salas. “Together, we can encourage seafarers to not only serve passengers with excellence but also to grow in love for God and others.”

The Florida Baptist Convention’s sponsorship of the gala highlighted its commitment to ministries that meet both physical and spiritual needs across the state.

“The International Seafarers Ministry is a powerful reminder that the Great Commission begins right where we are,” said Marc Johnston, director of community ministries for the Florida Baptist Convention. “Through partnerships like this one, our churches and associations are living out the gospel by reaching the nations that God is bringing to our ports. ISM is not just a ministry at the port—it’s a ministry of the local church, serving people who will carry the hope of Christ back to their own countries.”

A call to the churches

As a ministry “of the church, for the church,” ISM invited pastors and congregations across Miami, South Florida and beyond to consider seafarers part of their mission field. “The nations are literally coming to us,” Salas said. “By partnering together, our churches can engage in local international missions—reaching men and women from all over the world right here at Port Miami.”

Be part of the mission

Though the gala was a one-day event, the mission continues. ISM’s chaplaincy, outreach and care for seafarers depend on the prayers, volunteer service and financial support of churches and individuals.

To support this ministry, gifts can be made securely at www.ismportmiami.org/give.

For Caring for Miami’s Mobile Food Market, food is the invitation—but the gospel is the goal.

Caring for Miami is an initiative by Christ Fellowship Church.

“We meet physical needs, but most importantly, we share the hope of Jesus,” said Hannah Ulloa, volunteer and administrative coordinator for Caring for Miami.

“Wherever there’s food, there’s a line. We steward that moment to love people, preserve their dignity, and point them to Christ.”

A bus, a vision, and a bridge

The Mobile Food Market launched in February 2024 after Miami-Dade’s transit system donated a 40-foot Metrobus that Caring for Miami completely retrofitted into a single-aisle market. The ministry grew from Christ Fellowship’s long-running mobile dental outreach; leaders recognized that oral health and nutrition are linked—and that food distribution could become a powerful bridge to spiritual conversations.

Ulloa first served as a dietetics intern while studying nutrition at Florida International University, building the program’s practical backbone:

• Bilingual recipe cards tailored to local cultures (Cuban, Puerto Rican, African American, Asian styles) so families know how to prepare donated produce.
• Risk-behavior and chronic disease guides (smoking, alcohol, eating disorders, diabetes and heart-healthy tips) that connect food choices to whole-person health.

“It was a dream,” Ulloa said. “I was learning community nutrition in class—and practicing it in real time for my neighbors.”

How it works

The market runs three days a week (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays) across 12 recurring sites monthly, including food deserts–communities where residents have limited access to affordable, healthy food–identified by mapping, backpack-program schools, senior adult centers, clinics, and Christ Fellowship campuses. Partners such as Trader Joe’s, Mac Edwards Produce, and J&C Tropicals supply donated food that volunteers sort for quality.

All guests get a personal shopper—a volunteer who walks with them, answers questions, and prays if requested. Guests choose what they take (no prepacked boxes), check out at a bagging table, and receive help to their cars. The average stop serves about 70 families, often with four or more people per household, with some events topping 150 families.

“Choice matters,” Ulloa said. “Letting people select their own food preserves dignity—and opens hearts.”

Powered by volunteers (and reaching them, too)

Caring for Miami has tracked approximately 1,100 active volunteers in the past year. The Mobile Food Market itself is staffed almost entirely by volunteers under a single full-time coordinator.

And the bridge goes both ways. “Not all our volunteers are believers,” Ulloa noted. “Some find us by searching ‘where to volunteer’—and end up invited to church after serving. God uses service to draw them, too.”

Faces that change

One volunteer, Bridget, puts it simply: “People arrive with heavy faces—and leave smiling.”

Ulloa sees it often: A mom in tears at Homestead Senior High School who said free groceries mean she could finally provide a full meal for her kids that week, or senior adults at WellMed locations who feel seen, prayed for, and cared for, or lines that start for food but linger because someone stopped to listen and pray.

Next step: Spiritual follow-up

Prayer happens at every site, but the team is formalizing a spiritual care team—core volunteers trained to present the gospel clearly and follow up after the event (calls, texts, church invitations, next steps in faith). “We already collect contact info for reporting,” Ulloa said. “Now we’ll use it to continue pastoral care beyond the curb.”

The road ahead

Scaling will take more leaders, more volunteers and, Lord willing, a second bus. “We’re at capacity on some days,” Ulloa admitted. “A second unit would let us serve two communities at once.” Until then, the market will keep rolling—three days a week, rain or shine—turning a practical need into a moment of eternal significance.

“Jesus said when we feed ‘the least of these,’ we do it unto Him,” Ulloa said. “Food gets people to the door. The gospel changes everything once they’re inside.”

Pastor Vener Rafael never imagined that stepping into Miami Shores Christian Church in 2019 would be the beginning of a new chapter for his congregation. After years of the congregation feeling cramped in its North Miami location and struggling to find a larger space, Rafael had all but given up the search.

“I told the church, ‘If God wants us to stay in North Miami, we’ll stay.” I stopped chasing the ‘white whale,’” he said, referencing the elusive goal of finding a better facility.

Then the pandemic hit, and like many pastors, Rafael faced the challenge of safely bringing his congregation back together. That’s when he reached out to Miami Shores Christian Church—just a mile and a half away—to inquire about renting space there.

What happened next was unexpected.

Instead of simply agreeing to rent out the facility, the pastor of Miami Shores Christian Church suggested a different idea: “Why don’t we just worship together?”

And so they did.

At first, the two congregations held joint services. Though stylistically different, both churches worshiped in English, allowing for a smoother transition. Over time, it became clear that the Filipino congregation was larger and growing. After three months, Pastor Rafael was asked to take the pulpit permanently.

‘Legacy of faith’

What followed was a quiet and prayerful transition. The pastor of Miami Shores Christian Church eventually stepped aside, handing over not just leadership but also the future of the church’s legacy.

“Looking back, I realize it was like a long, unspoken job interview,” Rafael said. “He didn’t know me, but he watched how I led and preached. He saw that we were faithful to the gospel.”

By 2022, the transition was complete. Leadership had shifted; worship had stabilized, and legal ownership of the building was placed in an irrevocable trust—ensuring that the space would remain a place of worship for generations to come. If the Filipino church ever dwindles, the trust stipulates that the facility must be passed on to another church.

“This wasn’t just a building transfer,” said Rafael. “It was a spiritual hand-off. A legacy of faith was entrusted to us.”

‘God stepped in’

With a new space came new momentum. The church—now officially renamed the Filipino American Christian Church—has grown both in number and in spiritual vitality. The large sanctuary, adorned with chandeliers and traditional pews, has even helped make the church more inviting to unchurched Filipinos in the area, many of whom come from Roman Catholic backgrounds.

“It’s familiar to them. It’s not too far from what they’re used to, and that has helped us welcome new visitors,” Rafael explained.

The church continues to focus on sharing the gospel with the Filipino community throughout South Florida, while also welcoming people of all backgrounds. Services are in English, and the congregation includes members from various cultural backgrounds.

“We may be an ethnic church,” Rafael said, “but we are part of the body of Christ. The gospel is for everyone.”

Beyond its own ministry, the church has also opened its space to other congregations in need. Its former North Miami facility now houses a Hispanic church plant that had previously been meeting in a funeral home during the pandemic.

“We don’t charge them much—just enough to cover basic costs,” said Rafael. “We see it as stewardship. God gave us this, and we want to be faithful in how we use it.”

As he reflects on the past few years, Pastor Rafael is filled with gratitude and awe.

“There were so many moments of uncertainty. But when I stopped striving, when I let go, God stepped in. It wasn’t about chasing buildings anymore—it was about trusting His plan.”

And that trust has turned into a new home, a growing church and a legacy that lives on.

LAKE WORTH—When Pastor Andy Vital and his wife, Deborha, packed up their belongings in New Jersey and drove toward an uncertain future in South Florida, they had no jobs, no savings for the journey—and no doubt that God had called them.

“We didn’t have enough money to make the trip,” Vital recalled. “But we knew God had said to go. And from the U-Haul rental the night before we left, to meals and gas money along the way, He provided through the kindness of friends—every single step.”

Now, four years later, the couple is preparing to launch Glory City Church in Lake Worth, a gospel-centered church plant focused on reaching Haitian Americans and young minorities in South Florida with a message of purpose and hope.

It’s a journey marked by faith, hardship and provision—and one that’s been made possible in part through the generous gifts of Florida Baptists to the Maguire State Mission Offering.

From loss to new life

The road to church planting hasn’t been easy. After arriving in Florida in 2020, Vital accepted a ministry role at Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale—an unexpected opportunity that reaffirmed God’s provision. But as the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the couple faced wave after wave of personal tragedy.

His wife’s father passed away in 2020, followed by her mother’s rapid decline due to dementia in 2021. Then, just before their son was born, her brother died suddenly in 2022.

“In America, we don’t talk much about the gospel of suffering,” Vital said. “But we’ve learned that joy and sorrow can live in the same house. Those years were difficult, but they also deepened our faith and our understanding of who God is.”

During a mission trip to London, Vital met Pastor Cliff McCray, pastor of Radiant City Church in Boca Raton, who became a mentor and sending pastor. Their meeting reignited the call to plant a church and laid the groundwork for the establishment of Glory City Church.

A vision for Lake Worth

Glory City Church exists to help people without purpose find meaning in Jesus. Strategically located in Lake Worth, the church seeks to serve a diverse and underserved community, with outreach efforts already underway before its official launch.

“The pressures of this generation—financial, emotional, societal—are real,” Vital said. “People are searching for meaning. We believe they can find it in the gospel.”

The church’s vision is focused on reaching Haitian Americans—especially second-generation immigrants who often feel culturally disconnected from both traditional Haitian churches and broader American congregations.

“We want to build a truly Haitian-American church that resonates across cultures and generations,” explained Vital, a second-generation Haitian. “Our goal is to offer a space where young people feel seen, known and called.”

Fueling the mission

Thanks to the generous gifts through the Maguire State Mission Offering, Glory City Church has been able to put its missional heart into action. “We are deeply grateful for your support and invite you to continue supporting us as we prepare for our outreach launch.”

Recent projects include a community backpack drive and the launch of a “care closet” at a local elementary school, designed to meet practical needs—like clothing, hygiene items, and school supplies—while offering prayer and encouragement.

“We’re working with the school and local partners like CarePortal to be present before we even launch,” Vital said. “We want people to know: the church is here, and we care.”

How to support Glory City Church

As part of this year’s Maguire State Mission Offering emphasis, Florida Baptists are invited to pray for and support new churches like Glory City.

Vital shared two specific prayer requests: that God would continue to bring a diverse and committed launch team—including seasoned saints who can offer wisdom—and that financial support would grow as the church prepares for its official launch.

On a personal note, he also asked for prayers for balance and wisdom as he and his wife parent their two young children, Ezra (3) and Hadasah (1), while planting a church from the ground up.

“More than anything, we want our family to enjoy the process and draw closer to Jesus through it,” he said. “This isn’t just about starting a church—it’s about transformation, one life at a time.”

El día comenzó con una vibrante adoración en español e inglés, proclamando la libertad que se encuentra en Cristo y la esperanza del evangelio. El pastor Luis Egipciaco, pastor anfitrión de Elevate Church, dio la bienvenida a los asistentes a su iglesia con sincera gratitud y los animó a sentirse como en casa, enfatizando que Elevate existe para servir a otros con amor.

A lo largo del evento, los oradores desafiaron e inspiraron a los asistentes a buscar la unidad, el servicio y la evangelización como expresiones de fidelidad al evangelio. Eloy Rodríguez, pastor de Idlewild Español en Lutz, recordó al grupo que la evangelización no es opcional para el creyente, sino un llamado diario arraigado en la intencionalidad. “La misión de Dios no es solo para viajes especiales”, dijo. “Es un estilo de vida. Y debemos dejar de vivir como si estuviéramos de vacaciones de la Gran Comisión.”

El pastor de habla hispana de Elevate, Héctor Torres, compartió cómo simples actos de compasión de su iglesia transformaron vidas en su comunidad de Miami, incluyendo salvar a una mujer del suicidio. Su desafío fue claro: “¿Qué pasaría si nuestras iglesias hispanas dejaran de trabajar como islas aisladas y comenzaran a servir juntas como un solo cuerpo? ¿Qué podría hacer Dios a través de nosotros?”

Rick Martínez, estratega de misiones asociacionales de la Asociación Bautista de Miami, extendió una invitación a las iglesias de todo el estado para participar en el Serve Tour Miami del 6 al 7 de febrero de 2026, un esfuerzo masivo de alcance comunitario en colaboración con Send Relief y la Junta de Misiones de América del Norte. La iniciativa unirá a iglesias de distintos idiomas y culturas para servir a escuelas con recursos limitados, bendecir a pastores bivocacionales y suplir necesidades tangibles en toda la ciudad, todo para la gloria de Cristo.

Noel Morera, de Northside Baptist Church en Hialeah, compartió un apasionado mensaje sobre la inclusión y el discipulado de la próxima generación, enfatizando la centralidad de la predicación de la Palabra. “Los programas y el entretenimiento son secundarios”, dijo. “Lo que más necesita esta generación es escuchar y conocer la Palabra de Dios.”

El programa también incluyó el conmovedor testimonio de Angélica Bermúdez, voluntaria de verano con Send Relief, quien relató cómo servir en Puerto Rico cambió su vida. “La misión no se trata del lugar”, dijo. “Se trata de cómo vivimos.”

El día concluyó con un llamado colectivo a la oración, en el que los asistentes se tomaron de las manos y alzaron sus voces en unidad, pidiendo a Dios que derribe barreras, levante obreros para la cosecha y dé a conocer Su nombre desde Pensacola hasta Key West… y más allá.

“Unidos en Cristo para impactar nuestro mundo” no fue solo un lema; fue un grito de batalla. Y al salir del encuentro, las iglesias lo hicieron con una visión renovada y un compromiso compartido de vivir ese llamado… juntos.

The day began with vibrant worship in both Spanish and English, declaring the freedom found in Christ and the hope of the gospel. Pastor Luis Egipciaco, host pastor of Elevate Church, welcomed attendees to his home church with heartfelt gratitude and encouraged them to feel at home, emphasizing that Elevate exists to serve others in love.

Throughout the event, speakers challenged and inspired attendees to pursue unity, service and evangelism as expressions of gospel faithfulness. Eloy Rodríguez, pastor of Idlewild Espanol in Lutz, reminded the group that evangelism is not optional for the believer but a daily calling rooted in intentionality. “The mission of God is not just for special trips,” he said. “It’s a lifestyle. And we must stop living as if we are on vacation from the Great Commission.”

Elevate’s Spanish language pastor Héctor Torres shared how simple acts of compassion from his church transformed lives in their Miami community, including saving one woman from suicide. His challenge was clear: “What if our Hispanic churches stopped working as isolated islands and started serving together as one body? What could God do through us?”

Rick Martinez, associational mission strategist of Miami Baptist Association, extended an invitation to churches statewide to participate in the Feb. 6-7, 2026, Serve Tour Miami, a large-scale outreach effort in collaboration with Send Relief and the North American Mission Board. The initiative will unite churches across languages and cultures to serve under-resourced schools, bless bi-vocational pastors and meet tangible needs across the city—all for the glory of Christ.

Noel Morera, from Northside Baptist Church in Hialeah, delivered a passionate message on including and discipling the next generation, emphasizing the centrality of preaching the Word. “Programs and entertainment are secondary,” he said. “What this generation needs most is to hear and know the Word of God.”

The program also included a moving testimony from Angélica Bermúdez, a summer volunteer with Send Relief, who shared how serving in Puerto Rico changed her life. “The mission isn’t about the location,” she said. “It’s about how we live.”

The day concluded with a corporate call to prayer, where attendees joined hands and lifted their voices in unity, asking God to break down barriers, raise up workers for the harvest, and make His name known from Pensacola to Key West—and beyond.

“Unidos en Cristo para impactar nuestro mundo” wasn’t just a theme; it was a rallying cry. And as churches left the gathering, they did so with renewed vision and a shared commitment to live out that calling—together.