MEETING THE NEED

We always start out our services here in the States by saying, “Due to circumstances beyond our control... things are going well”. It is so true. The church in Spain is growing like never before in history.

Marisa and I have always been involved in church planting. It is our ministry and our passion. We continue to be vitally involved but now, on a much larger scale. We truly believe that the Assemblies of God of Spain will quadruple in the next eight years from 250 churches to 1,000 churches, but your help is needed.  

These churches will be started in cities, towns and communities where there never has been an adequate presentation of the Gospel message. We need evangelism teams to come and share the Gospel in the streets of these towns and cities. We will not be talking to people that have rejected the Gospel; we will be ministering to people who have never even heard the Gospel.

To have a group of American kids ministering on the streets of Spain, even if they don’t speak any Spanish, is very attractive. Every Spanish high school and college student must study English as part of their normal curriculum. It is obligatory. Most of them jump at the chance to practice their English.

The normal program that we use when ministering in the streets of Spain is to do a mime, a human video, choreography, a stomp routine or special music to draw a crowd. Then we have one of the students give their testimony. After that we give a short presentation of the Gospel. Typically, a large crowd gathers to see the artistic presentation. Often half the crowd will leave when they hear the name of Jesus or realize that we are talking about God. However, that means about half of the crowd stays! When the testimony and the presentation of the Gospel is finished, we engage the people who stayed in one-on-one converstion. The people who stay are obviously interested. We have effectively weeded out the antagonistic and the indifferent. When the personal witnessing time is done, we come back together, do another artistic presentation, give another testimony, and preach the Gospel again with the same goal of entering into conversation with the remaining members of the audience.

Living in Spain (and in all of Western Europe) is not cheap. However the airfares to Madrid or Barcelona are typically lower than flying into other areas of the world. Round trip tickets can cost between $900 and $1,200, depending on how far in advance they are purchased. In-country expenses run around $80 a day. That includes room, board and local transportation.

Marisa and I have been hosting teams for over 20 years now. We will take good care of you. Your accommodations will be comfortable and the food will be good. You will probably see a castle or two and maybe some Roman ruins. But most importantly, you will be a blessing to a brand-new church plant. You will see the live birth of a congregation. You will witness God creating something out of nothing. You will be a huge blessing to a nascent church and your students own lives will be changed. 

Scott and Marisa Smith

Assemblies of God Missionaries to Spain