Visitors and Bible study requests were growing and Antonio Huerta, pastor of the 1,160-member Fresno Hispanic church, was struggling to keep up. While sharing his concerns with the church’s evangelism coordinator Olga Vidal, both were impressed with the same idea. Why not open the church on Sunday mornings for Bible study classes?

Now, 15 to 20 visitors attend church on Sunday mornings from 9 until 12:30. Each study series lasts three weeks. The meetings are filled with singing, prayer and the study God’s Word. And there’s lunch, too!

(The Fresno Hispanic church, assisted by the camp meeting evangelism offering, has successfully sponsored a church plant in the city’s Southwest area. To meet the needs of the rapidly growing Spanish population, dialogue about another Spanish church plant has also begun.)

Huerta is excited about the number of church members involved. Church elders lead five outreach teams and also teach the Bible classes. Outreach team members include youth and young adults who are responsible for the music, deacons who lead out in intercessory prayer time and community service members who prepare the meal each week. If visitors need a ride, someone will gladly pick them up, too.

Already eight people have been baptized since the outreach began this past fall. “It’s meaningful to every leader and member to be part of these baptisms,” says Huerta. “Everyone is part of our evangelism.”