The Salón

The Church of Christ is not a bricks-and-mortar building, but rather a spiritual temple built of living stones. Even so, it is a blessing for the church to have a physical building in which to meet for worship and fellowship. Besides offering protection from the elements, a church building also provides a physical presence in the community. There is at least one house church in our neighbourhood, and not very many people know it exists because it looks like any other house – and there is no sign. 

For our first three years ministering in the Santa Bárbara neighbourhood, we were renting a small “local” (a small shop) not far off the main street. There were pros and cons to both the location and the space itself. It was in a higher traffic area and people did occasionally stop in, sometimes curious, sometimes drunk and looking for a bathroom. At the same time, the visibility was a barrier for those who faced social pressure from their Catholic family and friends for stepping inside a Christian church. 

 Perhaps the biggest downside was the size of the local. It was small and had poor ventilation. In the hot season, it turned into an oversized oven, and even the best fans toiled largely in vain!

Our prayer from the beginning was that we would outgrow the little shop and be able to find a larger, more adequate space for our ministry. Those prayers were answered when, several months ago, God provided us with the opportunity to rent the place across the street from our house. It is a “salón de eventos” – a space used for hosting birthday parties and wedding receptions. We knew the owner, and he was willing to rent it out to us on a full-time basis.

We started renting the space in December and thus far have been very happy with the extra space and the opportunities it gives us to have more fellowship time or to host events. In December we had a church-and-community Christmas dinner that was well attended. In April we held our Vacation Bible School in the “salón” instead of the public sports court, which had its logistical challenges, and which has been closed for several months due to “maintenance”. 

Additionally, every month we have a fellowship meal after the worship service which has contributed significantly to the sense of community and belonging among the people who regularly attend the worship service. 

Along with a change of location, we changed the time of our service. We now meet at noon, while at eleven o’clock we alternate between a Sunday school and a prayer meeting. Overall, attendance has increased from when we had the service in the evening at the local. 

There are usually 10-20 people who come for the main service, although attendance for most is sporadic and not very punctual. The other Sunday, we had a grand total of one person in attendance at the twelve o’clock start time, and that was the guy in the wheelchair we picked up!

Half an hour later, 15 or so people were there. 

Patience is required. And trust. Trust that the Spirit will open the hearts of many in Santa Bárbara and in Querétaro, just as He did so many years ago with a woman named Lydia by a river just outside of Philippi (Acts 16:14). This is our prayer for our community. 

It is also our prayer that the actual bricks-and-mortar building we are renting would serve to build up a spiritual house made up of living stones, joined together and aligned with the Cornerstone!