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Enséñame cómo
Por Tim Zakarian
Entonces, ¿qué pasa después de que una persona recibe la salvación? ¿Ha terminado nuestro trabajo? ¿Cómo le ayudamos a dar los siguientes pasos en la fe?
No crecí en la iglesia, y no decidí seguir a Cristo hasta que estaba en secundaria. Estaba entusiasmado por vivir para Cristo, pero ese entusiasmo duró solo unos tres meses, y luego me alejé. Simplemente no sabía cómo dar los siguientes pasos en la fe. No fue hasta mi último año de secundaria que estaba tan cansado de mi vida que decidí volver a seguir al Señor. Esta vez tuve el apoyo de un grupo de jóvenes y de un buen amigo cristiano que me acompañó en mis próximos pasos. Algunos llamarían a esto: discipular.
Es vital ayudar a una persona en sus siguientes pasos en la fe. De hecho, Jesús nos ordenó en Mateo 28:19 (NTV), «vayan y hagan discípulos».
Sí, es importante que una persona acepte al Señor, pero también es fundamental que aprenda lo que significa tener una relación con Cristo. Todos tenemos la oportunidad de ayudar a los nuevos creyentes a lo largo de este camino. Pero… ¿cómo lo hacemos?
Desde que me convertí en pastor, he tenido el privilegio de discipular a muchas personas y verlas convertirse en líderes increíbles para Cristo. Aprendí acerca de discipular a partir de mi propia experiencia de fe, pero también al ayudar a otros en sus siguientes pasos en la vida cristiana. Así que cuando comienzas a discipular a alguien, ¿por dónde empiezas?
Se comienza con una relación.
Y las relaciones llevan tiempo. Cuando acepté al Señor, un compañero de trabajo cristiano pasó meses entablando una relación conmigo. Como teníamos una amistad, esa persona pudo ayudarme a avanzar en mi fe. La relación fue importante; me permitió hacer las preguntas difíciles a alguien en quien confiaba. También me permitió observar la vida de otra persona para ver cómo vivía realmente un cristiano. Como yo procedía de un contexto ajeno a la Iglesia, también necesitaba tener que rendir cuentas a alguien para hacer frente a mi antigua forma de vida.
Si el modelo utilizado por Jesús fue vivir la vida con otros (sus discípulos), entonces tal vez deberíamos hacer lo mismo. Jesús pasó mucho tiempo con sus discípulos. Este fue su ejemplo: Yo les enseñaré, ustedes sigan mi ejemplo, luego vayan a hacer lo que les enseñé y yo observaré. Jesús envió a los discípulos de pueblo en pueblo para compartir las Buenas Nuevas. Así fue como comenzaron la Iglesia primitiva.
Un paso muy importante es guiar a un nuevo creyente hacia una relación auténtica
con Cristo.
Puede ser fácil señalar las normas de nuestra fe o la moral piadosa, y estas cosas son importantes. Pero la verdadera transformación se produce a través de una relación con Cristo. Cuando recibí a Cristo por primera vez, me esforcé mucho por seguir las leyes sin conocerlo muy bien. El resultado fue que erraba al blanco. Mis fracasos me hacían sentir culpable y empecé a preguntarme si realmente podía seguir a Cristo. Entonces alguien me ayudó a desarrollar mi relación con Cristo mostrándome cómo acercarme más a Él. Me ayudaron a involucrarme en un grupo pequeño que estaba dirigido a nuevos creyentes, y comencé a entender quién es realmente Jesús. Fue entonces cuando encontré el verdadero cambio y la verdadera libertad en mi vida. La verdadera transformación viene de la relación con Cristo.
Otro paso vital es ayudar a un nuevo creyente a integrarse en una buena iglesia.
Es importante que cuenten con el apoyo de otros cristianos. Al principio me resultó difícil. Me daba miedo la iglesia, en especial el servicio cristiano. Pero mi amigo me animó a asistir y a participar. Aprendí a adorar, a confraternizar y a entender la Biblia. Me integré en un grupo pequeño, en el que seis chicos me ayudaban a rendir cuentas y a crecer en mi fe. En la clase para nuevos creyentes de la iglesia aprendí lo básico para ser cristiano. Allí aprendí la importancia del bautismo y me bauticé. Fue allí donde recibí mi llamado a ser pastor. Algunas personas tratan de pasar por alto la participación en la iglesia en su camino de la fe, pero la iglesia es fundamental en nuestro crecimiento. Es el modelo que Jesús nos dio para ayudarnos en nuestro caminar.
El próximo paso es ayudar a un nuevo creyente a encontrar su nueva identidad en Cristo.
Necesitan pasar de ser espectadores a ser participantes. A menudo es aquí donde la gente se atasca. No saben cómo involucrarse o hacer conexiones reales. Cuando me hice convertí, toda mi vida cambió. Perdí muchos amigos porque había cambiado mi forma de pasar el tiempo y mi manera de vivir. Era una persona nueva en Cristo, pero tuve que aprender lo que eso significaba. Hay muchas maneras de ayudar a un nuevo creyente en esta etapa. Ofrézcale un examen de personalidad o una evaluación de dones que le ayude a identificar los rasgos, talentos y dones que Dios le ha dado y que ni siquiera sabía que tenía. Deles la oportunidad de servir junto a creyentes maduros en la iglesia local y en la comunidad. Esto también les ayudará a identificar sus intereses y dones.
La capacitación es crucial. Como he dicho antes, eso es exactamente lo que Jesús hizo con sus discípulos. Les mostró lo que tenían que hacer, los mandó a hacerlo y luego los envió para que liderasen. Mostrarle a alguien como servir para que entienda lo que se espera es importante en el crecimiento de un creyente. Muchas veces le decimos a alguien que vaya a servir sin ofrecerle entrenamiento o explicarle las expectativas solo para después verlos fracasar. Cuando una persona está bien capacitada y sabe lo que se espera de ella, tiene una mejor oportunidad de tener éxito y crecer en sus talentos y dones.
¿Cuánto dura este proceso de «discipulado»? La realidad es que, si es un creyente, este debe ser un proceso de toda la vida. Tenga paciencia con el proceso de crecimiento espiritual de otra persona. Manténgase presente a largo plazo. Quizá tenga que dar algunos pasos atrás. Esté ahí para amarlos y ayudarlos a retomar el camino. Sea honesto con ellos y ámelos con un amor no basado en sus acciones, sino en quiénes son. Así es como nos ama Jesús. Estoy muy agradecido de que Él nunca me abandonó durante mi proceso. Estoy muy agradecido a Dios por haber puesto personas en mi vida que nunca me abandonaron. Sea esa persona para alguien. Pregúntele al Señor cómo puede ayudar a otra persona a crecer en su fe. Es un honor increíble ver a alguien en quien ha invertido amar a Jesús y hacer un impacto en el Reino.
Sobre el Autor
Tim Zakarian es director asociado de la Región del Pacífico de las Iglesias de la Biblia Abierta. Actualmente vive en Springfield, Oregón, con su esposa, Tina, con la que lleva casado 36 años. Los Zakarian tienen dos hijos adultos, ya casados que sirven en el ministerio. Michael y su esposa, Cheyenne, son pastores de jóvenes en la Iglesia Cristiana Summit de la Biblia Abierta en Los Ángeles. Christine McAndrew y su esposo, Aaron, son los pastores de jóvenes en Waypoint Community, una iglesia de la Biblia Abierta en Springfield, Oregon. En su ministerio, Tim ha desempeñado muchas funciones, como pastor de jóvenes, director regional de jóvenes, pastor asociado, pastor ejecutivo, plantador de iglesias y pastor principal. Sin importar su cargo, la pasión de Tim por el ministerio siempre ha sido ser mentor y desarrollar líderes.
On August 1, 2026, three fast-moving wildfires swept across the Spokane area, fueled by a frightening combination of high winds and dangerously dry conditions. The Old Trails, Autumn Lane, and Fairview fires, collectively managed as the Spokane Complex, damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes and other structures and forced thousands to evacuate.
Seven Open Bible and Open Bible-affiliated churches serve communities throughout the Spokane area, and all were affected in some way by the fires. Three, however, found themselves in the immediate path of the most destructive blaze, the Old Trails Fire. Turning Point Church and Foundation Church were placed under a Level 3 evacuation, displacing members of their church families, while Riverside Real Life Church lost its building entirely. Pastors from Turning Point and Riverside share what they witnessed as fire swept through their communities and how, amid tremendous loss, they saw God provide through the generosity, prayers, and practical care of the Church.
From Melissa Stelly,
Executive Pastor of
Turning Point Open Bible Church:
The pillar of angry smoke on the horizon immediately filled me with dread as I drove to the grocery store. High winds drove the flames across parched land so fast that one firefighter marveled that he couldn’t have outrun it, even if he tried. Hundreds of people desperately fled their neighborhoods, clogging the few roads out as flames appeared in their rearview mirrors. There were heartbreaking stories of people calling family members to say goodbye because they didn’t think they would escape in time
And yet, not a life was taken.
And yet, not a life was taken.
Our church was placed under a level 3 evacuation, and many of our people were displaced from their homes, either losing them completely to the flames or due to toxins that bathed their houses from the burning around them. Immediately, our church family responded with calls and emails, offering their homes to those impacted, along with gift cards, money, clothing, and even animal care. Spokane leaders met at the local high school, inviting faith leaders, non-profits, educators, and government to join together to streamline resources, establish a relief system, and collaborate. Since then, Spokane churches have recognized a deficit in crisis response and are organizing a network of churches to spearhead emergency and crisis response in our city.
I am proud of our church body’s immediate mobilization, which gave generously and put faith into action by meeting needs, opening homes, and volunteering at shelters and outreaches. One woman in our church, who lost her home to the flames, tearfully shared how overwhelmed she was by the support she received. The church family gave her stacks of gift cards, bought her clothes, generously gave to the church to meet her financial needs, and called her constantly to pray with her.
As a pastor, I witnessed this verse in action: “To equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up” (Ephesians 4:12 NIV).
From Kelly Armstrong,
Lead Pastor of
Riverside Real Life Church:
Our church, Riverside Real Life Church, and the entire surrounding neighborhood were destroyed by the Old Trails Fire that hit the Spokane community. Because of our location at the center of the damage, hundreds of people who call Riverside their church were displaced from their homes, at least temporarily. Praise God, most were able to return after one to two weeks; the number of homes lost in our congregation was in single digits. Many homes in the neighborhood my family lives in were destroyed, but thankfully, our home was spared, and we returned home after nine days.
The response of our community and beyond has been amazing. I’ve been contacted by hundreds of pastors and churches from all across the country and most significantly, from all across the Open Bible family. I am convinced that the prayer on our behalf has made a difference as God has opened one door after another. On September 6th, we had our first Sunday service since the fires at a middle school near where the church building was located. We came together, standing room only, to reconnect, worship God, and envision the future.
There are significant complications, but they are not barriers for Him.
Through the generosity of churches all over the country, we’ve been able to give significant financial assistance to families and individuals who’ve lost their homes, restart our small group system, launch a mobile Sunday service that we can be proud of, and continue our mission to “Reach the World for Jesus.”
I’m full of gratitude to every person and church who’ve supported through care, finances, and prayer. When church leaders ask how they can pray, I tell them, “Please pray for God’s favor in the rebuilding process. There are significant complications, but they are not barriers for Him.”
Thank you, Open Bible friends and family. I couldn’t be more grateful for your care and support; it has meant the world to me.
In the midst of tragedy, God’s goodness and glory were evident. As Pastor Melissa Stelly said when sharing her story, “The Lord preserved, the Lord provided, and the Lord used His Church to serve.” But nothing expresses God’s grace over Spokane better than Isaiah 61:3:
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
Isaiah 61:3 (NIV)
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
About the Author
Hannah Bemis currently serves as the editor and director of Message of the Open Bible. She always wanted to do too many things when she grew up, and God has been kind enough to let her do most of them in different seasons. Those seasons have included raising little ones at home, teaching, writing, and staff pastoring, with Hannah’s most recent adventure being planting and pastoring College Street Church in Newberg, Oregon, with her husband, Jordan. After Jesus and all her favorite people, she spends the remainder of her passion on pizza and dark chocolate in equal measure.
I am proud to have been a credentialed minister with Open Bible Churches for over four decades. What a privilege to have served in a variety of contexts across our wonderful family of several hundred congregations in the US, along with several thousand globally. Over those decades, God has gradually expanded my understanding of what it means to belong to His Church.
I’ve enjoyed the enriching experience of embracing so many of the distinctives of what makes Open Bible, well, Open Bible: our unwavering commitment to Scripture as the inspired, authoritative Word of God; our resolve to plant and sustain healthy, vibrant local churches; our passion for the fullness and gifts of the Holy Spirit operating in our daily lives; and so much more.
And yet, with the beauty of these ecclesial distinctives so evident in our movement, I believe I have come to realize that what we share together as our core values and practices are not completely unique to us. As a matter of fact, when we take a step back and consider just who is a part of the Body of Christ, we can discover that we have much in common with our brothers and sisters across the US and around the world. It took one unexpected friendship to deepen my understanding of what it means to belong not only to Open Bible Churches, but to the Church.
A humbling experience for me has been to receive grace and love from others who are different than me even before I was prepared to offer the same to them. One example for me comes from my years as a participant in the International Catholic-Pentecostal Dialogue. This ongoing annual conversation was begun in the 1970s by David du Plessis, the Pentecostal known as “Mr. Pentecost,” and Father Kilian McDonnell, a Catholic theologian, and continues to this day. When I attended a session of this Dialogue for the first time in 1993, I was so focused on my disagreement with Catholic doctrines and practices that I was not in a place to show much hospitality. But over the next several decades I got to know the Catholic co-chair, Father Kilian, quite well. I was amazed at how well he knew Pentecostals like me, how much he wanted to learn more, and how much he cared for us. He was respectful, honest, and compassionate. We didn’t agree on everything, obviously. But he became a mentor to me, showing me how to treat others who were different than I was. And we became friends. He passed away last year at the age of 100, and I was honored to attend his memorial service. That experience changed how I think about the global Church.
The following numbers paint a remarkable picture of the global family that shares our evangelical, Pentecostal, and charismatic faith. According to the 2026 Status of Global Christianity report, more than 1.1 billion Christians around the world identify as Evangelical, Pentecostal, or Charismatic. Of those, approximately 676 million are Pentecostal or Charismatic believers.
That global family is wonderfully diverse, including classical Pentecostal denominations like Open Bible Churches, independent charismatic networks, Catholic Charismatics, and charismatic believers within many Protestant traditions (Anglican, Methodist, etc.).
So why do these numbers matter? They remind us that we are part of something much larger than ourselves. We are not alone, and we are certainly not “small.” Along with our evangelical, Pentecostal, and charismatic brothers and sisters around the world, we are a fierce contingent in the Lord’s army. It’s both humbling and encouraging to remember that we belong to the CHURCH in all its vastness.
But that doesn’t mean we have to give up our wonderful heritage, culture, and beauty that make us Open Bible Churches. We have something to contribute to the rest of the Church. I’m reminded of the prophetic word delivered a few decades ago at one of our conventions: “Open Bible Churches is a vital organ in the Body of Christ!” That statement has never been more true.
“Open Bible Churches is not ‘the Church.’
Open Bible Churches is part of the Church
— a wonderful part,
but a part.”
And yet, we also do not want to be guilty of isolation or sectarianism. Open Bible Churches is not “the Church.” Open Bible Churches is part of the Church. A wonderful part, but a part. So, it is healthy for us to remember our brothers and sisters in other denominations and networks, to pray for them, and even to cooperate with them in community and regional initiatives so that together we may faithfully steward our callings and responsibilities to advance the Kingdom of God on the earth.
One of the most important ways we can grow in unity as believers is to start by acknowledging and valuing diversity in the Body of Christ. God didn’t make us all the same. Unity is not uniformity. The old adage still rings true: “in essentials, unity; in non-essentials, diversity; and in all things, charity.” May we agree to disagree with one another with clarity, respect, and most of all love. We can embrace grace and truth at the same time, and indeed we are called to it.
No doubt you know some followers of Jesus in your community (and probably in your own family) who do not belong to Open Bible Churches. The invitation for us all is to love them, to be grateful for all that we share with them, and to offer some space (and some grace) for our differences. This is not easy. In fact, it is hard work. Remember the words of the apostle Paul: “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:1-3 NIV). If maintaining unity was easy, Paul wouldn’t have needed to admonish us to “make every effort” to do so.
Jesus reminds us that unity isn’t just for our benefit: it’s one of the clearest testimonies to a watching world.
But if we are willing to pay the price of seeing God’s big Church, and loving it the way He does, we’ll be more Christlike, and we’ll participate in being an answer to one of the last prayers Jesus prayed before He went to the cross on our behalf: “…that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:22-23 NIV). Jesus reminds us that unity isn’t just for our benefit: it’s one of the clearest testimonies to a watching world.
Together, let’s allow the Lord to give us eyes to see the breadth and beauty of His Church, recognizing and loving our brothers and sisters in Christ in such an obvious way that we actually become answers to the prayer of Jesus in John 17. Amen?
Here are a few resources that explore some of these issues related to Christian Unity:
That They May Be One – Podcast
That They May Be One – Film
PCCNA Christian Unity Commission
Forum for Unity
International Charismatic Consultation
Global Christian Forum
About the Author
David Cole has been a credentialed minister with Open Bible Churches since 1984. He is currently Professor of Historical Theology at The King’s University in Southlake, Texas. He is also involved in a variety of initiatives related to his calling to encourage the pursuit of unity among believers in Jesus, and to that end currently serves as chair of the Christian Unity Commission with the Pentecostal/
Charismatic Churches of North America. He and his wife, Julie, are parents of four, grandparents of ten, and are currently located in Newberg, Oregon, where they attend College Street Church.
I woke up unable to speak. A breathing tube filled my throat. Machines surrounded my hospital bed. I was confused, intubated, and lying in an ICU room with no memory of how I got there. But strangely, I was not afraid. In the middle of the chaos, God gave me an unexplainable peace.
I motioned desperately for paper and pencil so I could ask two questions: What happened? And where is George?
My son’s father explained that I had been in a serious car accident. The car was completely destroyed. I had been found trapped beneath the steering wheel with severe facial injuries.
That morning — January 22, 2026 — had started like any other Thursday. I got ready for work, buckled my 18-month-old son George into his car seat, and pulled out of the driveway expecting an ordinary day.
It became anything but ordinary.
My neighbor, who had left home at the same time I did, later explained what happened. We were both driving around fifteen miles per hour when the car I was driving suddenly lost control. I still do not know why, and I have no memory of the moment itself.
By the grace of God, George was almost completely untouched.
The car hit a cement light pole, crossed into oncoming traffic, and was struck head-on by another vehicle. Both vehicles spun, and the car I was driving slammed into another cement light pole.
By the grace of God, George was almost completely untouched.
The back windshield shattered directly above him, yet the glass never harmed him because of the position his car seat landed in. The entire back left side of the car was crushed inward, but George had been seated on the back right side. Even now, I can only thank God for His protection.
I was taken by ambulance to the hospital and admitted into the Trauma ICU. Doctors told my family that I had suffered severe head trauma resulting in a brain bleed. I was also bleeding internally in my abdominal area, and they began preparing my family for the possible loss of my pregnancy.
… the doctors did not know the God my family and I serve — and how merciful He is.
But the doctors did not know the God my family and I serve — and how merciful He is.
My family immediately began to pray. Members of my church, Open Bible Church of Homestead, began arriving at the hospital, and soon an entire army of people was interceding for me.
During those first two days, I drifted in and out of consciousness and remember very little. But one moment remains clear in my mind: I heard the song “I Surrender” by Hillsong Worship playing in my hospital room. The lyrics, “Like a rushing wind, Jesus breathe within, Lord have Your way, Lord have Your way in me,” stayed with me and brought a deep sense of comfort in the middle of everything happening around me. In that moment, those words became my prayer as I quietly prayed, “I leave this in Your hands.”
After three days in the ICU, I was successfully extubated and began making remarkable progress. Ultrasounds showed a happy, active baby, and the bleeding had stopped.
On the fourth day, I was transferred out of the ICU into intermediate care before eventually moving to the medical-surgical floor. Doctors then began preparing me for maxillofacial surgery to reconstruct my face after multiple fractures.
On January 30, I underwent an eight-hour surgery. By God’s grace, the procedure was successful, and another ultrasound afterward showed my unborn baby remained active and healthy. On February 3, I was finally discharged and able to return home.
Since then, my recovery has gone smoothly. I am now twenty-eight weeks pregnant and waiting expectantly for the arrival of my baby. Through every frightening moment, God gave me strength and peace, and I never doubted His mercy.
Today, I am a living testimony of His grace.
About the Author
Thammy Castro is a behavior technician living in Miami and a soon-to-be mother of two. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her family. She is a member of Open Bible Church of Homestead, where her parents, Jose and Maria Castro, serve as pastors.