Romans 12:13 (ESV)
Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
KIMA (Koinoneo Independent Mission Agency)
KIMA is a mission agency that is seeking opportunities to assist individuals, congregations, and synods in extending and strengthening the Lord’s Kingdom among Hispanics and Mexicans, locally, along our southern border, and into Mexico.
It only takes a spark
To get a fire going
And soon all those around
Can warm up in the glowing
That’s how it is with God’s love
Once you’ve experienced it
You’ll spread His love
To everyone
You’ll want to pass it on
KIMA started out as a little tiny spark. In fact, it was so small that it didn’t even have an identity. It was a spark that flew off out of a question asked by Mike Shaw, a long time Christian and a new Lutheran adult confirmand. He said, “I feel the Lord is telling me to get involved in missions. How do I do that?” We contacted Synodical officials in St. Louis and soon Mike was off to Togo, West Africa and an eye opening, spiritually edifying experience.
In the meantime, Pastor Norman Finke, pastor of Christ the King Lutheran Church, encouraged the youth of his congregation to get involved in some mission trips. With the help of Jerry & Debbie Welk and later the addition of Mike Shaw, that sparked into a start of missional living at Christ the King in Waxahachie, Texas.
Contact was made with CAN-DO of the Texas District and the youth began to go on some mission trips:
This eventually led to trips to:
While being involved with the formation of San Esteban Lutheran Mission in San Lorenzo, Chihuahua, Mexico we became acquainted with Rev. Martin Tovar of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico and Rev. Dr. Karl Heimer of the Ysleta Lutheran Mission in El Paso, Texas and the fire was fanned a little more. Rev. Norman Finke, Rev. Greg Finke, Rev. Carlos Boerger, and Rev. Delton Weiser hopped into Pastor Norman Finke’s car and headed to El Paso, Texas 633 miles away. While in El Paso they met with Pastors Martin Tovar and Karl Heimer and made plans to support the new mission at San Lorenzo, Chihuahua, Mexico. They had no name, organization, or financial backing; just four pastors who had a desire to help in God’s Kingdom in Mexico, sparked into action by God’s love.
A year or so later, one sunny, summer day in 1999, while they were on a mission trip to Rio Bravo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, helping to build Betania Lutheran church, the officials of the Lutheran Synod of Mexico met in Rio Bravo and approached several of these same pastors and asked if they would be willing to enter into a “long term” working relationship with the Lutheran Synod of Mexico. They said that people often came down to help out but, after a few days or so, they would leave and left the leaders in Mexico feeling like their ministry was not important and if, indeed, they were a part of the Body of Christ, they were only a minor part of it.
These officials asked the pastors if they would commit to helping them long term in fine-tuning their Ministry Plan which included:
The pastors and leaders of these mission endeavors thought and prayed about what should be done. The smoldering fire jumped into flame and at St. Paul Lutheran Church and School in McAllen, Texas an agreement was signed! Hands were shook! Hugs were given! Prayers of thanks were said and the concept of KIMA was born.
Out of this grew an agency of like-minded, Spirit led, individuals and congregations seeking and adopting opportunities to assist individuals, congregations, the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, and the Lutheran Synod of Mexico in extending and strengthening the Lord's Kingdom among Mexicans and Hispanics. The names of the original Board of Directors that appeared on the original Articles of Incorporation were Rev. Norman Finke, Rev. Gregory A. Finke, Rev. Delton Weiser, Mr. James Gass, Ms. Lois Wolf, and Señor Jesus Chavez.
Rev. Isaac Guadalupe Garcia serves as an honorary member of KIMA’s Board of Directors and at his discretion KIMA helps support the following by providing:
KIMA is a 501 (C) (3) Public Charity and contributions to KIMA are deductible under section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code.
All funds received by KIMA are dispersed as designated by the givers. Projects picked to be funded become part of KIMA's budget and line items will be dispersed, as funds become available. The President of KIMA, upon advice of the Board of Directors, will disperse undesignated funds.
Over the last two-and-a-half years KIMA has had expenditures of $75,583 in 2017, $69,535 in 2018, and $51,394 up to June 30 in 2019. Subsidy was supplied in each of those years, $55,775 in 2017, $53,935 in 2018, and $26,045 through June of 2019.In addition to that KIMA spent $4,400 in 2017, $4,641 in 2018, and $1,057 in 2019 on educational materials. In addition, during those same three years, KIMA has given the SLMAR $6,000 a year to open a new or reestablish some missions each year. KIMA has paid for air transportation fees for seminary students, and for Pastor Isaac to make a few trips to the Baja and Chiapas. In 2017, $3,550 was spent on medical emergencies among the workers in the SLMAR. These expenses did not include donations that helped rebuild El Mesias in Rio Bravo, donations of two altars, communion ware, advent wreaths, altar cloths, Bibles, catechisms, and Christmas gifts for the Mission children in Tamaulipas. Over the years we have paid for burials, hospital expenses, cataract surgery, car repairs, computers, trips to Theological Convocations, and years ago, seminars on Evangelism and Stewardship, and even paid for delegates to come to the National Assemblies.
KIMA is to be an agency to funnel God's love and resources to help fulfill Jesus' Great Commission of going and making disciples. Because we do not know the day or the hour of His second coming (Matthew 25:13) this is not to be just a casual walk but a rushing forth with a sense of urgency.
In order to pick up the pace, fan the flames into a roaring fire, we need more people to commit themselves to the ministries that KIMA is undertaking. We invite you to become a part of this ministry through prayer, financial assistance, and getting involved by donating of your time to fill the needs of this ministry through the Website, Facebook, Newsletters, word of mouth, sending encouraging words (Google Translate helps) to congregational leaders and Seminary students, and when necessary help to gather up needed supplies for specific needs.
You can begin by including the following in your prayer time:
Pray for the pastoral candidates of the Lutheran Synod of Mexico:
Additionally
Rev. Garrett Hart serves as the new Executive Director of KIMA and can be contacted by either telephone, email or Facebook Messenger as listed below.
Any contributions to help finance the above project may be sent to:
KIMA
8121 Amistad Court
Fort Worth, Texas 76137
or you may contribute electronically by going to the Internet at:
https://app.moonclerk.com/pay/3npxmz29g32a
Board members:
Rev. Leigh-Garrett Hart, Rev. Donald Berg, Dr. Gerald Brunworth, Sylvia Bulot, Rev. Gregory Finke, Debra Hill, Mike Shaw, Lois Wolf, and Rev. Juan Zamora
Contact with KIMA can be made through the phone: 818-303-6371
or by email: thekingwasachild@yahoo.com
Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
KIMA (Koinoneo Independent Mission Agency)
KIMA is a mission agency that is seeking opportunities to assist individuals, congregations, and synods in extending and strengthening the Lord’s Kingdom among Hispanics and Mexicans, locally, along our southern border, and into Mexico.
It only takes a spark
To get a fire going
And soon all those around
Can warm up in the glowing
That’s how it is with God’s love
Once you’ve experienced it
You’ll spread His love
To everyone
You’ll want to pass it on
KIMA started out as a little tiny spark. In fact, it was so small that it didn’t even have an identity. It was a spark that flew off out of a question asked by Mike Shaw, a long time Christian and a new Lutheran adult confirmand. He said, “I feel the Lord is telling me to get involved in missions. How do I do that?” We contacted Synodical officials in St. Louis and soon Mike was off to Togo, West Africa and an eye opening, spiritually edifying experience.
In the meantime, Pastor Norman Finke, pastor of Christ the King Lutheran Church, encouraged the youth of his congregation to get involved in some mission trips. With the help of Jerry & Debbie Welk and later the addition of Mike Shaw, that sparked into a start of missional living at Christ the King in Waxahachie, Texas.
Contact was made with CAN-DO of the Texas District and the youth began to go on some mission trips:
- Mercedes, Texas
- Alaska
- Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico (staying overnight at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and School in McAllen, Texas);
- And finally, to Saltillo, Nuevo Leon, Mexico south of Monterrey
This eventually led to trips to:
- San Lorenzo, Chihuahua, Mexico
- Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico
- And Rio Bravo, Tamaulipas, Mexico
While being involved with the formation of San Esteban Lutheran Mission in San Lorenzo, Chihuahua, Mexico we became acquainted with Rev. Martin Tovar of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico and Rev. Dr. Karl Heimer of the Ysleta Lutheran Mission in El Paso, Texas and the fire was fanned a little more. Rev. Norman Finke, Rev. Greg Finke, Rev. Carlos Boerger, and Rev. Delton Weiser hopped into Pastor Norman Finke’s car and headed to El Paso, Texas 633 miles away. While in El Paso they met with Pastors Martin Tovar and Karl Heimer and made plans to support the new mission at San Lorenzo, Chihuahua, Mexico. They had no name, organization, or financial backing; just four pastors who had a desire to help in God’s Kingdom in Mexico, sparked into action by God’s love.
A year or so later, one sunny, summer day in 1999, while they were on a mission trip to Rio Bravo, Tamaulipas, Mexico, helping to build Betania Lutheran church, the officials of the Lutheran Synod of Mexico met in Rio Bravo and approached several of these same pastors and asked if they would be willing to enter into a “long term” working relationship with the Lutheran Synod of Mexico. They said that people often came down to help out but, after a few days or so, they would leave and left the leaders in Mexico feeling like their ministry was not important and if, indeed, they were a part of the Body of Christ, they were only a minor part of it.
These officials asked the pastors if they would commit to helping them long term in fine-tuning their Ministry Plan which included:
- Christian education
- Identifying and training of leaders in the local congregation and the church at large
- Meeting the needs of the youth
- Developing outreach strategies
- Planting new churches
- Instilling sound stewardship principles
The pastors and leaders of these mission endeavors thought and prayed about what should be done. The smoldering fire jumped into flame and at St. Paul Lutheran Church and School in McAllen, Texas an agreement was signed! Hands were shook! Hugs were given! Prayers of thanks were said and the concept of KIMA was born.
Out of this grew an agency of like-minded, Spirit led, individuals and congregations seeking and adopting opportunities to assist individuals, congregations, the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, and the Lutheran Synod of Mexico in extending and strengthening the Lord's Kingdom among Mexicans and Hispanics. The names of the original Board of Directors that appeared on the original Articles of Incorporation were Rev. Norman Finke, Rev. Gregory A. Finke, Rev. Delton Weiser, Mr. James Gass, Ms. Lois Wolf, and Señor Jesus Chavez.
Rev. Isaac Guadalupe Garcia serves as an honorary member of KIMA’s Board of Directors and at his discretion KIMA helps support the following by providing:
- Financial subsidy to congregations and their pastors
- A loan for a mission to buy a van
- Funding for water and sewer system at a mission
- Finances for cataract surgery for the Lay-pastor of two churches and a mission
- Spanish Sunday School and Vacation Bible school material, through Concordia Publishing House
- Assistance in registering church vehicles and repairs to the same
- Computers
- Internet theological classes
- Video projectors for theological education at the congregational level
- Repairs and painting at El Calvario Lutheran Church in Brownsville, Texas
- Funding for gasoline to go out to the desert missions in Sonora
- For a worker or workers to attend the Theological Convocation in Austin, Texas
- Spanish Portals of Prayer to congregations requesting the devotionals (Portales de Oración)
- Funding for three leaders to attend the Dwelling 1:14 workshop at Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Irving, Texas
KIMA is a 501 (C) (3) Public Charity and contributions to KIMA are deductible under section 170 of the Internal Revenue Code.
All funds received by KIMA are dispersed as designated by the givers. Projects picked to be funded become part of KIMA's budget and line items will be dispersed, as funds become available. The President of KIMA, upon advice of the Board of Directors, will disperse undesignated funds.
Over the last two-and-a-half years KIMA has had expenditures of $75,583 in 2017, $69,535 in 2018, and $51,394 up to June 30 in 2019. Subsidy was supplied in each of those years, $55,775 in 2017, $53,935 in 2018, and $26,045 through June of 2019.In addition to that KIMA spent $4,400 in 2017, $4,641 in 2018, and $1,057 in 2019 on educational materials. In addition, during those same three years, KIMA has given the SLMAR $6,000 a year to open a new or reestablish some missions each year. KIMA has paid for air transportation fees for seminary students, and for Pastor Isaac to make a few trips to the Baja and Chiapas. In 2017, $3,550 was spent on medical emergencies among the workers in the SLMAR. These expenses did not include donations that helped rebuild El Mesias in Rio Bravo, donations of two altars, communion ware, advent wreaths, altar cloths, Bibles, catechisms, and Christmas gifts for the Mission children in Tamaulipas. Over the years we have paid for burials, hospital expenses, cataract surgery, car repairs, computers, trips to Theological Convocations, and years ago, seminars on Evangelism and Stewardship, and even paid for delegates to come to the National Assemblies.
KIMA is to be an agency to funnel God's love and resources to help fulfill Jesus' Great Commission of going and making disciples. Because we do not know the day or the hour of His second coming (Matthew 25:13) this is not to be just a casual walk but a rushing forth with a sense of urgency.
In order to pick up the pace, fan the flames into a roaring fire, we need more people to commit themselves to the ministries that KIMA is undertaking. We invite you to become a part of this ministry through prayer, financial assistance, and getting involved by donating of your time to fill the needs of this ministry through the Website, Facebook, Newsletters, word of mouth, sending encouraging words (Google Translate helps) to congregational leaders and Seminary students, and when necessary help to gather up needed supplies for specific needs.
You can begin by including the following in your prayer time:
Pray for the pastoral candidates of the Lutheran Synod of Mexico:
- Genaro Arcos, Chetumal, Quintana Roo
- Josue del Carmen Cruz, Oaxaca
- Alvaro Velázquez, Chiapas
- Job Jiménez, Tijuana, Baja California
- Aristarco Lopez, Tijuana, Baja California
- José Reyes Macias Castañón, Guasave, Sinaloa
- Saul Silva, San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora
- Jesús Corona, San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora
- Samuel Garcia, Tio Bravo, Tamaulipas
- José Luis Moreno, Rio Bravo, Tamaulipas
Additionally
- Pray for Rio Bravo, Mexico, its citizens, and the members of Betania Lutheran Church and El Mesias Mission as there is a great deal of unrest in that part of Mexico.
- Pray for San Juan Lutheran Church in Mexicali that they may be able to complete the restoration of the church’s parsonage.
- Pray for financial assistance so that Rev. Benjamin Quezada may complete his studies and thus be able to give more time to the ministry of San Pedro.
- Pray that congregations, missions, and others, who feel the calling of the Great Commission, would financially support the SLMAR so that proper supervision and assistance may be given to the constituency.
- We would like to ask that you would pray for KIMA and all the facets of its ministry. Pray for wisdom, understanding, humbleness, and a spirit of service as we join Jesus on His mission of reaching out to the lost.
- Pray for the missionary trip that Betania Lutheran Church of Rio Bravo, Mexico is going on this year to Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico to conduct Vacation Bible Schools and Evangelism services. We ask for the blessing of a place to rent and leaders to step up to facilitate the beginning of another new mission.
- Thank God for all the dedicated people who have supported, prayed, given of their time and talents, and those, theologically trained and the untrained brothers and sisters who give unselfishly of themselves so that others can hear and believe the Good News of our God’s love and the gift of salvation.
- Pray for reliance, trust in God, sacrificial hearts, and a resolve for all to stand up and join Jesus on His mission.
Rev. Garrett Hart serves as the new Executive Director of KIMA and can be contacted by either telephone, email or Facebook Messenger as listed below.
Any contributions to help finance the above project may be sent to:
KIMA
8121 Amistad Court
Fort Worth, Texas 76137
or you may contribute electronically by going to the Internet at:
https://app.moonclerk.com/pay/3npxmz29g32a
Board members:
Rev. Leigh-Garrett Hart, Rev. Donald Berg, Dr. Gerald Brunworth, Sylvia Bulot, Rev. Gregory Finke, Debra Hill, Mike Shaw, Lois Wolf, and Rev. Juan Zamora
Contact with KIMA can be made through the phone: 818-303-6371
or by email: thekingwasachild@yahoo.com