Por Amor A Ti

One night in the middle of a prayer service, a black man entered Centro Cristiano church seeking help. Pastor John Molina prayed for the man, gave him what he needed and the man left. Over the next several weeks, the man returned to the church but never attended services. As Molina began to form a relationship with the man, he learned that he was once the leader of one of the largest gangs in Little Rock, Arkansas. During one of the man’s visits with Molina, the Lord began to speak through him. He came in and asked, “What are you going to do for my community?”. It was this question that catalyzed and challenged Molina to expand Centro Cristiano’s outreach beyond the four walls of the latino church.

Located in Little Rock, Centro Cristiano has a heart for serving. Head pastor John Molina has been shepherding Centro Cristiano for 16 years. A Colombia native, Molina was called to ministry at the young age of 18. He moved to the United States in 1996 to attend San Antonio Bible College and faithfully follow God’s call for his life. Molina started pastoring Centro Cristiano in 2006. He came in with a new vision for how the church would reach the people of Little Rock. Molina saw the needs of those in the church, community and city. 

“God began to speak to me and showed me I needed to change our outreach. Our heart is for the community. You don’t know how you’re touching people, but it’s important that you serve others,” Molina said. 

Centro Cristiano hosts an outreach event at their church.

Co-laborers Arturo Rosado, youth pastor, and Silbano Tobar, outreach coordinator, are passionate about reaching all of God’s people. From youth to the neighbors next door, Rosado and Tobar know the impact of the Gospel. 

“I see this upcoming generation rising up because they are not afraid to speak. They are not afraid to stand for Jesus’ name. They invite their friends to church and talk about the life that is found in Him. They are representing and standing for the Gospel,” Rosado reflected. 

Heading Centro Cristiano’s outreach efforts is Tobar. Each month, the outreach team loads up items ordered from CityServe Arkansas and goes out into neighborhoods offering them to those who need them most. At the heart of their outreach efforts is relationships. To build these relationships, the outreach team knocks on doors and invites those who open to visit the bins loaded with free items. 

“Usually people open the door and they are angry. After we invite them to look at our items and tell them they are free, they turn out to be sincere. Once we invite them and build that relationship, this opens up to meaningful conversations. This is how we work,” Tobar reflected. “We invite people to grab items that they need for their home. We also ask what people might need and take notes on it so we can provide it or order it through CityServe.” 

A family receives items from Centro Cristiano ordered through CityServe Arkansas.

Although small, there is hope in each item ordered from CityServe and distributed by Centro Cristiano. 

“Even if we have something very small, we always have something to give. This has been the biggest blessing because we are able to connect with people and share the Gospel,” Tobar said. 

Centro Cristiano calls their community outreach “Por Amor A Ti” which means “because we love you” in Spanish. Although known as a hispanic church, Centro Cristiano is located in a predominantly black community. Seeing the needs in their neighborhood, the church expanded their outreach beyond the walls of those attending. 

“I began to realize we needed to do something for the community we were in. A few months later we hosted an outreach event in the park. It was this first outreach event that all different cultures came together. This is also how we started doing our church services bilingual. It was challenging, but this is how God definitely showed me we needed to expand our outreach and be there for our community,” Molina said. 

Silbano Tobar at an outreach event. Tobar coordinates the church’s outreach events and programs.

Adapting to the cultures of others produces growth in ministry. Matthew 22 commands believers to love the Lord with all their heart, mind and soul, and then to love your neighbor as yourself. God’s simple truth is to love your neighbor. 

“God has called us to love people, love your neighbor. It is as simple as that. We need to go back to this simple command. Love God, love your neighbor. We’re really re-envisioning our vision at the church and asking why we are here,” Molina said. “We want to break down the barriers we’ve had for so many years and I think this is going to be the change in our city.”

For more information about Centro Cristiano’s outreach, visit en.cclittlerock.com or follow them on Facebook at @centrocristianodelittlerock. To become a CityServe Arkansas church partner visit everyarkansan.org/cityservearkansas or contact Tony Phillips at 703-861-0626.