Sunday Highlight: May 21, 2023

As we pray today, let’s focus on New Jersey and two of our missionaries there who have planted a new church. Fred and Damaris Castro have planted Redemption Church in Long Branch, New Jersey. It’s an urban area south of New York City and located between the Garden State Parkway and the Atlantic Ocean. Fred and his wife are from Brazil, originally. He served with a Brazilian Baptist church in the Boston area for two years. Then God called him to plant a new church among the Hispanics in Long Branch.

It’s a diverse community in that people from around the world live here. But there are high numbers of Portuguese speakers from Portugal and Brazil, plus Spanish speakers from many countries. The church has been able to meet many of these through its English as a Second Language classes. Some of those students have accepted Christ as Savior and are in the church now.

Other people show up with needs and Fred tries to meet those needs. When Fred met Geraldo, the man struggled with alcoholism. But after attending church a month, Geraldo accepted Christ as his Savior. Geraldo threw away the booze, quit drinking and cleaned up his life. The church is still discipling him in the faith. Our church supports Fred and Damaris through our Cooperative Program giving. Let’s pray for them now.