Welcome Our Mission Our Convictions Leadership Profile Bible Conferences International Ministry APOYO: Our Latin American Ministry Books and Conference CD Sets Opportunities to Partner Current Schedule How to Contact Us 12575 Ridgeland Ave. Palos Heights, IL 60463-1867 800-980-2226 E-Mail APOYO - Training Pastors in Latin America The Latin American church is experiencing explosive growth. Our formal training institutions like Bible schools and Christian universities are not keeping pace with the influx of new believers into the Church. More than ever before, we desperately need equipped pastors who are trained in character, knowledge and skills, and committed to model the Christian faith before an unbelieving and changing culture. In 1992, Américo Saavedra, founder and executive director, assembled a team called APOYO (a Spanish word for "support"), a partnership ministry of HCJB World Radio and Leadership Resources International, both committed to leadership development. Since its inception, APOYO has strategically labored to meet the ever-growing needs for adequate training, particularly non-formal training for the lay leadership. APOYO has held numerous leadership conferences and workshops throughout Latin America. Vision: every local church with a trained pastor. Mission: to train and equip church leaders by providing an in-depth biblical teaching and a mentoring system. Strategy: Pastors' Training Workshops APOYO conducts 3-5 day Pastors' Training Workshops with particular focus on those with little or no formal Bible training. These workshops, known in Spanish as "Bibliotecas Básicas," provide pastors with a set of Bible-study resources, including a Bible dictionary, Bible atlas, Bible handbook, concordance, and commentary. The workshop, often held at a Bible camp or retreat center, serves as a mini-Bible institute. We teach pastors how to use Bible study resources, how to study the Scriptures and how to develop biblically based messages. Christian Education Workshops These workshops focus on Sunday school teachers and cell group leaders. Our staff both teaches and models how to effectively communicate biblical truths in relevant and age-appropriate ways. All Church Conferences and Seminars Our staff is often invited to teach in local churches. They teach in-depth seminars on a variety of relevant topics, such as family relationships, evangelism, missions, leadership, and spiritual gifts. TNT (Training National Trainers) TNT is a new initiative whose aim is to go deeper and spread wider in the training of national leaders. Following the model of 2 Timothy 2:1-2, it is teaching the Word to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. It involves a layering process of teaching and mentoring a single group of pastors over a period of 3-5 years. They, in turn, will train other national pastors. Through its regional offices, APOYO serves throughout North, Central, and South America, and the Caribbean. Partnership APOYO is a partnership ministry between HCJB World Radio and Leadership Resources International. Partnership is central to our philosophy of ministry. APOYO partners with many other mission agencies and national churches throughout Latin America. How to Partner with us Click here to fill out an email form giving us your contact information