Iglesia Cristiana Centrados en el Evangelio in Central Falls, RI
Iglesia Cristiana Centrados en el Evangelio is thriving as a young church of approximately 35 people. Services are all in Spanish.
Small City with a Big Personality
Central Falls is a densely populated city of 22,000 in 1.2 square miles adjoining Providence, RI. The community is full of families, young people, Spanish-speakers, and immigrants.
70% of Central Falls residents identify as Hispanic or Latino.
The CF school district ranks in the lowest 10% of RI and US schools.
NEU’s Church Planting Process
Explore
Current
NEU begins a church plant by identifying a location. This involves many conversations with local pastors, ministry leaders, civic leaders and looking at data.
Prepare
Current
The preparation phase begins when a church planter has joined our staff, begins raising support, and starts his church planting residency with NEU and a partner church.
Plant
Current
The planting phase is marked by bringing a group of believers to a point of covenanting together as a church. This may involve months of teaching on the nature of a church, church membership, baptism, communion and church discipline.
Sustain
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This final phase begins when a church covenants together and it has no end. NEU Church Planting works to sustain the church and its leadership through fundraising, care, and recruiting.
The Story So Far
During the pandemic, just when we thought church planting would slow to a halt, God connect NEU with Jonathan Lugo, a pastor in Puerto Rico. Jonathan was considering a change in ministry, so we began to talk.
At the same time, Elizabeth Berry reached out to us from Florida. Her overseas missions team had dissolved due to COVID and she expressed interest in serving with NEU.
By the spring of 2021, the Lugo family and Elizabeth had moved to New England and were serving Central Falls. Friendships were born, a Bible study study started in the Lugos home, and more opportunities to serve the city opened up.
As the Bible study grew, Jonathan began to preach on the Gospel of Mark, to teach on what a church is and what a church member is.
Through it all, God was drawing hearts to Christ and to one another. By November 2023 a church was born, as seventeen new members covenanted together as believers.
The church meets on Sunday late afternoons, first for discipleship classes, then for worship and the preaching of the Word.
We praise God for his grace to this young church!
Individuals, churches, and organizations are key to sustaining church plants. These organizations have partnered with NEU to help with this church plant.
Godspeed Church
Godspeed Church, in East Providence, RI, was the mentor church and the planting church for Iglesia Cristiana Centrados en el Evangelio. Godspeed continues to support ICCE.
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How you can help
Our Church Planting Team
Jonathan Lugo came to NEU Church Planting just as NEU was beginning and at a time when COVID threatened to slow our church planting efforts. Yet in God’s Providence, Jonathan and his family were able to visit New England and Central Falls in July 2020. Having done so, he and his wife Tere sensed God leading them to move from their home in Puerto Rico and plant a church in New England.
Prior to moving, Jonathan had planted one church and pastored another for five years in Puerto Rico. Jonathan, Tere, and their three children moved in May of 2021. He began a two-year pastoral apprenticeship while starting to build relationships in Central Falls, RI. By the fall of 2023 Iglesia Cristiana Centrados en el Evangelio was born. NEU is thankful for the Lugo's hard work, not only in planting a church, but also in establishing a pattern for how NEU plants churches across New England.
Tereangeli Lugo was born in Yauco, Puerto Rico and earned a degree in Elementary Education, graduating in 2006. Tere also worked in the financial aid office of the Mayaguez Campus of the University of Puerto Rico.
Now, since moving to New England to plant a church with Jonathan, Tere is using her education degree in Central Falls, RI as she teaches children and reaches out to families. Tere has been called on to lead seminars with school Moms, has led Bible studies with women in the city, and since the founding of Iglesia Cristiana Centrados en el Evangelio, she now serves as a deaconess at the church. Tere and Jonathan have two sons and one daughter.
Elizabeth Berry serves NEU on Central Falls Church Plant team as a Women’s Discipler. Elizabeth has a Bachelors in Social Work from Florida State University and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Counseling at Westminster Theological Seminary. Having served at her home church in Florida and then overseas, Elizabeth is passionate about discipleship relationships. She also enjoys writing and filmmaking and is an advocate of foster care and adoption.
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Our Current Needs
- The current needs for ICCE include mature, Spanish-speaking Christians to help with discipleship. You can serve this church without being a staff worker simply by living and working nearby, being a healthy church member at ICCE, and helping with discipleship and outreach.
- ICCE is also looking for a permanent meeting space.
How you can help