Mexico Calvary Chapel Serves as Church Planting Hub

Photos by Fernando Marquez

Equipped with a Spanish vocabulary of just three words—burrito, baño, and taco—Mike Vincent arrived on Mexico’s Baja California coast to plant a Calvary Chapel in Rosarito, just south of the U.S. border. Sent out in 2002 with his wife, Sarah, and two young children, Senior Pastor Mike laughingly warned, “I do not recommend you plant a church with two babies under 2 years old!”

During a Sunday morning service at Calvary Chapel Rosarito, Mexico, congregants join in corporate prayer over newly baptized believers in the faith. In 2002, Pastor Mike Vincent started Calvary Rosarito as an in-home Bible study. It quickly outgrew three buildings prior to this current facility, which seats over 800 people.

What began as an in-home Bible study, God expanded—little by little. Through community outreaches at local parks and schools, a citywide evangelistic event, and a welcome center focused on encouraging visitors to return, the Lord has significantly increased the congregation.

Praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. Acts 2:47

Early on as a church, Calvary Rosarito focused on reaching their community through various events but found opening a prominently placed welcome center was a more effective ministry. Believers with the gift of hospitality greet visitors, answering questions and offering information about the service, programs, classes, ministries, and written materials to help establish important connections for them.

The Crown Jewel

The jewel in Calvary Rosarito’s crown is their Church Planting curriculum—a program they offer freely to any churches that want to start their own church planting program.  

Four years into Calvary Rosarito’s existence, Mike began a search for materials to train men as church planters. Finding none, he began a weekly Men’s School of Ministry to instruct on the principles of ministry. Six years into training, they believed they were ready to send out their first church planter. In less than a year, it had failed. Not giving up, they sent their second church planter the following year—again unsuccessful. Unyielding to defeat, Mike spent a year of praying and deliberating before the Lord to write an effective church-planting curriculum.

At their 8th annual Church Planting Conference in August, Pastor Mike (right) and leaders pray over Pastor Alex (front) before sending him and a team to start a new church in Barranquilla, Colombia—their 37th first-generation church plant!

Since 2012, Calvary Rosarito has hosted an annual Church Planting Conference. This year, 650 attended from the U.S., Mexico, and Central and South America.

A Church Plant in Florida

Pastor Mike was on hand this November to preach and lead worship at one of those church plants—The Rock Calvary Chapel in Port Charlotte/Punta Gorda, FL. The fellowship was planted seven years ago by former firefighter Aaron Smith. “It was eight years ago that Aaron Smith was on staff with us, serving as an assistant pastor and completing our church planting class with excellence,” Mike explained. “Fast forward seven years and they just moved into their new building, with 20 classrooms and offices, a 5-acre campus, and a sanctuary that seats 1,200.”

In addition, Aaron is sending out his own church plants. Mike added, “It is amazing to see how God will use a family full of faith that is willing to leave all to get trained up in church planting! I am so blessed with the great calling God has put on our church to be a sending hub of church planting, and thankful to our friends and ministry partners—and most of all our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!”

Building the Church—People & Places

Building up the church in Rosarito was crucial to the ministry that extends well beyond their local community, according to Mike.

A unique quality of Calvary Rosarito is that it is fully bilingual, which means all services and events are done either in English with a Spanish translation or in Spanish with an English translation. This has had a significant impact in the community at large, drawing English-speaking residents (mostly foreign expatriates) and Spanish-speaking residents (mostly native Mexicans) closer together. It is also common to find native Mexican families in the community where the older generation is more comfortable worshiping in Spanish while their younger generation prefers worshiping in English. Being bilingual, Calvary Rosarito plays a very meaningful role in facilitating the ability for native Mexican families to worship together.

Calvary Rosarito has significantly impacted their community, providing bilingual fellowship among both Spanish- and English-speaking residents as they worship together as one body.

Jesus Ochoa, executive pastor of Calvary Rosarito, observed, “Although the benefits of being bilingual may seem to be limited to uniquely located churches like Calvary Rosarito, this quality can have much broader application.” As a native Mexican who spent most of his years growing up in the United States, Jesus’ perspective is insightful. Noting that more and more major U.S. cities have a Hispanic population that is greater than or nearing equal to their non-Hispanic population, he points out, “Having a bilingual church in these communities would result in all the same benefits as are realized at Calvary Rosarito.”

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11

Pastor Mike (right) delivers his message in English and Executive Pastor Jesus Ochoa (left) immediately gives the Spanish translation. A native Mexican who grew up in the U.S., Pastor Jesus notes the growing Hispanic population in American cities, and points out, “Having a bilingual church in these communities would result in all the same benefits as are realized at Calvary Rosarito.”

After outgrowing three buildings, Calvary Rosarito decided a unique investment to their infrastructure was needed. “There are many examples in the world where investment has been made in houses of worship that makes them more beautiful and inspiring places to visit. There’s nothing wrong with that, in itself. In fact, that can be edifying for some,” noted Mike.

The large, outdoor communal area is a fellowship-friendly environment where hundreds of congregants enjoy gathering before, between, and after services.

By taking this different approach, their current facility allows for regular expansion as the need arises while also inspiring communal fellowship. “You’ll find hundreds of congregants taking advantage of the fellowship-friendly environment at length before, between, and after services. The best example of this is our Wednesday evening service.” Mike elaborated, “While many churches struggle to get any significant turnout for midweek services, Calvary Rosarito’s midweek service is around 400 people.”

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:25

Presently, Calvary Rosarito’s daily activities include Bible studies, targeted classes, and Life Groups among many others. There are three major weekend services, as well as a Wednesday evening service, with total attendance of around 1,500 people.

Youth Pastor Juan Carlos Serrano holds a calendar filled with classes, programs, Bible studies, and upcoming events for the month. Approximately 1,500 people are ministered to each week through either the weekend or Wednesday night services or through the many educational opportunities and events offered year-round.

Uncommon Qualities—Common Needs

After the success of their church-planting course, Mike was led to write a book, The Sending Hub, published this year. Available in English and Spanish, he describes it as “a fresh new approach to turn any local church into a sending hub of church planting. This is the powerful story of how God used a courageous church to start an international church-planting movement.”

And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 2 Timothy 2:2

Available in English and Spanish, Mike’s book, The Sending Hub—published this year—describes how God used Calvary Rosarito to become a church planting hub and how other churches can train and send out church planters.

Serving as an inspiration, this humble church plant that now sends out church plants is an amazing “rags-to-riches” story written by God Himself, Pastor Mike said. While these unique aspects do not comprise Calvary Rosarito’s complete story, he emphasized, “It is our prayer that others would be blessed and encouraged as they read how the Lord uniquely worked through the life of the church. We pray the great work God has done through the exceptional approach He has led at Calvary Rosarito will bless many others through taking a similar path.”

As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 Peter 4:10

Learn more about Calvary Chapel Rosarito at calvaryrosarito.com

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