The Rev. Pedro Lara | A Heart for Service

Monthly Community Meal

Tell us about your passion for outreach, missions, or ministries you've been involved in...

I love when the Church steps beyond its walls to serve, listen, and love in the world. Over the years, I’ve been blessed to engage in different outreach ministries, shaped by the unique needs of each community I’ve served.

While serving as rector in Delavan, WI, we focused on building community and providing for those in need. We partnered with local schools to distribute food students could take home for the weekend, and we organized monthly community dinners—not just to offer meals, but to foster fellowship and reconnection after the isolation of the pandemic.

I was also part of the founding group of pastors who launched the Groundswell Collective in our county. This initiative brought together clergy, nonprofits, and people of goodwill to address pressing community needs. One significant outcome was advocating for—and achieving—an expansion of the county’s public transportation system to include Sunday service for seniors, helping them overcome isolation and regain access to church, groceries, and social gatherings.

A ministry especially close to my heart began in 2012, when I helped launch a church-supported boxing gym in Dallas through the church plant my father led. This outreach offered local youth a safe, supportive environment and helped many of them form the church’s first youth group. The gym is still active today, mentoring and empowering young people through community and discipline.

For me, witnessing the Church's presence and activity in the world, demonstrating the love of Jesus through tangible service and lasting relationships, is essential. I look forward to continuing this work and serving alongside you all.

See y'all soon!

In Christ,

Pedro