It is a rare person who combines the diverse skill sets that Juan Garza possesses. He has ministered bi-vocationally on the pastoral staffs of both English and Spanish speaking churches, he has worked as a business professional in the financial services industry, he has served internationally, and in the non-profit sector in workforce readiness services. And Juan has more than experience – he has the credentials as well, with a Masters degree in Organizational Leadership (from FPU!). But the first thing you think when you meet Juan is, “This is someone who enjoys me, someone I like, someone who has my best interest in mind.” You think that, because he does. This comes from his belief in servant leadership, that we succeed when equipping and supporting others to achieve their goals.
Juan came to Christ at twelve years old at small church during an alter all on a Friday night during a youth event. He knows the power of engaging the community with the gospel in ways that make sense to them, and he looks forward to equipping Valley congregations with the specialized tools they will need in this new era. Juan is married to Nory for 21 years. (Nory also has her Masters from FPU). They have two sons, John-Paul (12) and Christian (10). Juan loves to compose and play music, and travelled with the Celebrant Singers as a vocalist to 13 countries and 45 states.
Juan will be responsible for helping to ensure that churches in California’s Central Valley from Merced to Bakersfield benefit from the training resources and certifications funded by the $1,000,000 grant from the Lilly Endowment Inc. In most cases, these trainings which normally cost hundreds of dollars, are now cost-free through the Lilly scholarships. All churches can benefit from the social and economic tools being offered. We especially look forward to helping under-resourced churches.
These full scholarships include:
- An expanded CCT Certificado program, including scholarships serving Spanish speaking leaders as they seek to engage and serve their neighborhoods, some of them the poorest in the region
- An expanded CCT financial literacy facilitator training, including scholarships for congregations to help them minister to parishioners in financial crisis
- New Bi-monthly convenings designed for valley congregations to build biblical and pragmatic foundations for addressing social issues and thriving in their community contexts
- Facilitated church/school matches with the help of a local partner ministry organization
- And 2/3 scholarships to our micro-enterprise training program for people who need to start their own small business to meet their family’s needs.
If your church could benefit from any of these resources, please contact Juan at 559-453-3454.
