El Salvador Ministry Receives Award

Seeds of New Creation, a Christian Reformed World Missions partner, has been recognized for work it is doing in El Salvador. Seeds of New Creation encourages, equips, and connects churches and lay leaders to work for Christ’s Kingdom in their communities. On behalf of his organization, Eliberto Juarez, Seeds's director, received the award from the aid organization World Vision.

Juarez knows what it’s like to grow up in difficult circumstances. His mother, a single-parent, had to scrimp and save to provide for him.

Going to school had its own challenges. Juarez often did not have the required school supplies and the schools were far away.

To attend high school, he had to rent an apartment in another city with two teenagers. He lived off of tortillas, fruit he could pick from trees, and the weekly $2 he earned from playing soccer. But through God’s provision, he was able to attend college, too.

In college, Juarez became involved with the Christian Students Movement (the El Salvadoran sister organization to InterVarsity in North America). There, Eliberto heard a holistic view of the gospel for the first time. Since then, he has passed this message on, first as the Christian Students Movement’s general secretary and then as Seeds’ director.

Seeds equips Christian leaders to seek Christ-centered change in every area of life. Leaders receive training on reaching out to at-risk youth and others typically ignored by society. They also receive training on applying their faith in their family situations and jobs. Many pastors also receive practical training for ministry through Timothy Leadership Training.

Elim Church, a megachurch with over 100,000 members, began participating in Seeds’ trainings a few years ago. The church has about 100 pastors who are responsible for a network of neighborhood cell groups that meet each week. One of these leaders is Pastor Pedro.

Pastor Pedro has shifted to working in a certain gang-dominated community ever since he became involved with Seeds. The military and government won’t enter the district. But Pedro and other Elim Church members willingly serve the community with medical care, legal assistance, community programs, and other outreach ministries. Often, their care draws gang members to Christ.

World Vision’s Bob Pierce award acknowledges Seeds’ impact through Elim and other churches. “Your organization has . . . awakened consciousness and ignited responsible Christian engagement in the midst of complex issues,” wrote Kevin Jenkins, World Vision’s President and CEO, in a letter to Eliberto Juarez.

“This has resulted in far-reaching change in all aspects of the lives of children, gang members and drug addicts, and demonstrating the love of Christ to entire communities.”

Joel Huyser, a CRWM missionary, notes, “This award both recognizes the work of Eliberto and, through him, the work of Seeds of New Creation. But more than that, it is a tribute to who God is.”