Creciendo Juntos (Growing Together)

Forming leaders for ministry shaped by culture and community

Creciendo Juntos is a five-year ABHMS initiative that strengthens Latino/a pastoral leaders, lay leaders, and congregations through relationships, shared learning, and culturally responsive formation. It begins with listening—paying close attention to the lived experiences, wisdom, and hopes of Latino communities—and grows into a shared commitment to walk alongside leaders, ease the burden of ministry, and help congregations serve with resilience and hope.

Supported by a $1.5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc., Creciendo Juntos is both an investment in people and a fresh approach to engaging in ministry—one that crosses languages, honors culture, and creates space for leadership to emerge and thrive.

  • Creciendo Juntos enhances Latino Ministries within ABHMS through targeted investment in people, systems, and relationships.

    Key initiatives include:

    • Bilingual infrastructure and technology that broaden access to programs and resources

    • MinistrElife engagement, providing pathways for connection, mentoring, job searching, and ministry placement

    • Intercultural development for staff and board members, strengthening engagement with Latino communities

    • Expanded staffing and coordinated leadership, including a Strategy and Advisory Group to steer the work

    These efforts help ensure that Latino leaders can fully participate in ABHMS’ offerings while also helping shape them.

  • At the heart of Creciendo Juntos is a leadership pathway that prepares Latino/a leaders for faithful and sustainable ministry.

    Program components include:

    • Conferencia de Liderazgo Intergeneracional: Preparing leaders to navigate different generational groups within congregations

    • Intercultural Leadership Institute: Equipping leaders to serve across various cultures and ministry environments

    • Pastoral Skills and Wellness Courses: Supporting financial stability, theological reflection, and personal well-being

    • Latino Innovation Lab—Creating space to evaluate new approaches to ministry challenges

    These experiences develop leaders who are sensitive to their context and ready to guide communities through seasons of change.

  • Creciendo Juntos addresses a clear need: leaders seeking support, congregations navigating change, and communities shaped by faith and culture. 

    By strengthening leaders and the systems that sustain them, the initiative helps foster a more responsive and faithful expression of ministry within the American Baptist family.

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