Episode 115: Conversation with Juan Sierra (Part 1)
"Most of the ethnic churches I come across are more orthodox and more traditional by nature than those who are in this fight we're seeing at Synod." -Juan Sierra
Summary of This Episode
Juan Sierra is the Program Manager for the Ministry of Global Coffee Break, formerly called Coffee Break. He is also a Commissioned Pastor in the CRC with Sunlight Community Church in Port St. Lucie, Florida and has been in that position for seven years. Juan and his wife have two boys and live in Vero Beach, Florida. Juan's call to ministry happened when he and his wife started a Bible study at their church which eventually grew into a church plant. They eventually stepped away from that and Juan took on his current role at Global Coffee Break.
Global Coffee Break has been around for 50 years and started within the CRC. It offers small group ministry and produces material called Discover Your Bible which uses an inductive method (or discovery method) to help people get deeper into the Word of God. While some may think it is not sexy, it is at the heart of ministry as they get into small groups to study the Word of God together. Global Coffee Break has partnerships in close to 30 countries around the world and even during COVID, many people have been faithful in using their resources which has been amazing to witness.
Juan has been helping churches within the denomination rediscover and use Coffee Break. He emphasizes that it's helpful because people don't have to bring a lot to the table, even if they know very little about the Bible they can lead a small group. Coffee Break is not only for women's ministries, but for men's ministries as well and has been used by missionaries in other countries to help them form core groups. Juan believes that small group ministries are very important in revitalizing or reforming churches.
We spend some time talking about the importance of lay people opening up their homes for small groups and the need for Bible study in ministry. We believe that if people are exposed to the words of the Bible, they will start to think, analyze, interpret and apply it. We talk about the Reformation period where there was a return to God's word and the priesthood of all believers was central, which is also applicable today when revitalizing or reforming churches. We talk about our own ministry philosophy of 'letting the word do the work' and training others. Ultimately, these principles help to equip believers for ministry and enable churches to grow.
Juan discusses the principles of adult learning and the importance of Bible study. He argue that preaching on Sunday morning is essential, but it is a one-way conversation. He suggests that having a Bible study during the week is a good way to interact with the Word of God and ask questions. Unfortunately, in modern Western culture, many churches no longer have this kind of ministry. He shares a story about a church plant he was involved in with blue collar workers who made an effort to attend Bible study despite their busy schedules. We discuss the question: How can churches get more people involved in Bible study when they are so busy? We believe it's important for adults to engage with scripture and encourage pastors to create opportunities for people to do so.
We speak about the difficulty of discipling people who don't realize they need to be discipled or don't want to be discipled. Juan uses his own experience in church life as an example, and emphasizes that relationship building is key. Announcements from the pulpit alone will not get people to care, but that having conversations and inviting people personally can make a difference. Jason also believes that preaching God's word in an expository style can help to create a desire for more of God's word and a deeper dive into it.
The Christian Reformed Church is facing a number of challenges, but one of the biggest opportunities for growth that should be taken advantage of is ethnic ministry. The United States is quickly becoming the second largest Spanish-speaking country in the world, and this means that neighborhoods and cities are becoming increasingly diverse. However, too often local churches do not reflect this diversity. Juan recognizes this potential for growth and is passionate about planting more churches that reach people the current church may not be able to reach.
Juan also noted that ethnic churches tend to be more orthodox and traditional than other church communities, which was seen at Synod last year. He believes that these churches are hungry for a confessional bent and being instructed in the word. Juan believes it is important to recognize that race cannot always be used as an excuse for why certain things happen in a church or a denomination. It's often more complicated than people realize.