Ruben Balaguer

07 Oct

Bible study group meets in hair salon

In

By Ruben Balaguer – Grand Junction, Colorado … Several community members are gathering in a hair salon to study about Jesus and the salvation he offers.

For the past year and a half, these meetings have been held at Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Grand Junction and have been led by Ruben Balaguer, pastor of the Grand Junction Hispanic district.  As a result of the pandemic, the group needed to find a new location to continue assembling to learn about the beliefs of the Adventist faith community.

One of the students, a hair salon owner, offered her place of business as a central meeting point every Thursday evening.

“(We) have already studied about the mortality of the soul, hell, some prophecies and the first and second commandments. Soon we will be studying about the Sabbath; therefore, I ask for your prayers,” Balaguer said

The class, which has grown to seventeen individuals, expressed their appreciation for a location where they can meet and study the Bible together.

–Ruben Balaguer is district pastor of Grand Junction Hispanic; photo supplied

31 Aug

OLATHE HISPANIC CHURCH REOPENS WITH BAPTISM

In

By Ruben Balaguer – Olathe, Colorado… The Olathe Hispanic Adventist Church welcomed two new family members to the congregation on the first Sabbath since re-opening the church building, August 15.

Even though the building has been closed for several months, ministry and outreach have continued.  Members have been gathering in the large backyard of a parishioner to worship and to hold Bible studies throughout the pandemic.

Carlos Carrasco, who has been studying the Bible with the church pastor, decided to publicly acknowledge Jesus Christ as his Savior and Friend through baptism.

Upon hearing of his plans, members began to make their own plans to reopen the church sanctuary to witness this important event.

Shortly before the baptismal date, Carlos’ wife Maria approached the pastor with a simple request–to be baptized beside her husband.

The congregation was surprised by this decision and expressed joy when they witnessed the couple declare their public testimony together accepting Jesus as their Savior.

–Ruben Balaguer is pastor of Grand Junction, Colorado Hispanic Church District; photo supplied

26 Sep

Adventist Pastor Continues Teaching a Catholic Church Group

In

By Ruben Balaguer— Grand Junction, Colorado…Bible Studies continue with a Roman Catholic group in a hall of the San Joseph Church in Grand Junction, reports Ruben Balaguer, pastor of Hispanic Grand Junction District.  As reported in NewsNuggets [April 12, 2019] his teaching engagement at the church began in the month of March, but during the summer the church group’s main lay Bible teacher, Rosa Cisneros, traveled to Mexico and Pastor Balaguer became the group’s main teacher for six weeks.

Rosa Cisneros, who invited a group of interested believers in her church to study the Bible, asked Balaguer to continue weekly meetings “which certainly was a great blessing to me and the group,” Balaguer said. 

Both the local priest and the teacher herself are aware that Ruben Balaguer is a Seventh-day Adventist pastor. Each week she informs the priest about the subject to be covered and no objections were voiced. Every Thursday, the group uses an Adventist study guide, La fe de Jesús (The Faith of Jesus), and when she is present, we take turns teaching the group, Balaguer explained. 

“Soon we will be entering deeper doctrinal issues, such as the Law of God and the Sabbath, following the order of the study guide. And, only God knows what will happen then, so I ask for your prayers for this work in which God has guided me,” Balaguer commented. 

The Adventist Hispanic community in Grand Junction follows this development with excitement and gratitude to God for His leading. 

—Ruben Balaguer, text and photo