Welcome to a Church of friends!
We are very happy to meet people like you who are hungry for the living God and desperate to meet Him. We want to meet you, learn from you and grow together in community.
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We are living in an unprecedented time in history: the threat of COVID-19, the possibility of an economic catastrophe; fear and anguish have seized multitudes. There is no doubt that our world is experiencing a profound crisis. In these desperate times we must seek God's help and the support of others.
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An African proverb says: "If you want to go fast, travel alone, if you want to go far, go with others."
We must not go through this crisis alone. With a strong community of friends, you will be able to share your burdens, grow, and serve with people who genuinely care about you.
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We are very interested in growing together in Christ so that we can serve our families, our communities and make a positive impact in our world. More than a Church we are a movement of followers of Christ.
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We are a multicultural group of business owners, farmers, homemakers, gardeners, carpenters, construction workers, loan officers, and a few pastors and missionaries with a common passion to follow Jesus Christ in intimate fellowship and obedience. We want to change the world with the power of your Holy Spirit.
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Our mission is very simple: "To spread an intimate friendship with Jesus Christ throughout the earth."
Some key scriptures that guide our movement are the words of Jesus to his followers:
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“I no longer call them slaves, because the master does not entrust his affairs to the slaves. You are now my friends, because I have told you everything the Father told me. "John 15:15 NLT
"Well, where two or three gather in my name, I am there among them." Matthew 18:20
On behalf of our ministerial team, we offer you our sincere friendship.
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Our Leaders Pastor César Buitrago
Cesar and Patty transmit a contagious joy for they are enjoying the most beautiful days of their lives. What is the secret of their happiness? They feel deeply loved by God and they pour that love into their marriage, their family and all their friends. Cesar teaches that the climax of spirituality is to become like John, the beloved disciple of Jesus. John was not the disciple who loved Jesus, but the one whom Jesus loved.
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The Buitragos are seasoned pastors, marriage counselors, church planters, and community social leaders. Born in
El Salvador, God saved their lives and brought them to the United States as young missionaries to spread the Gospel in this nation.
After several decades of service to the Lord, they had a revelation where Jesus Christ was calling them to be His close friends.
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From this intimacy with God, Cesar and Patty have a mission to help married couples and families find peace, reconciliation, and the full and abundant life that God offers. Isaiah 61
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The Buitragos are pastors of Patterson Christian Fellowship in Patterson, California. They joined the Evangelical Covenant Church in 2018. By the grace of God they are leading a young movement of intimacy with Christ called Friends of Jesus, with groups in California, Cuba, Argentina, Mexico and Uganda.
Cesar and Patty reside in California and have three grown children: Patty Alice, married to Adam Bishop, Cesar de Jesus, and Abby, married to Derek Dotinga. Cesar enjoys the music of Handel, Bach, the Beatles, and Chicago. He has fun playing chess and playing his guitar. He loves to go out with Patty along the Pacific coast near Monterey, CA. Patty enjoys spending time with our granddaughter, Tori, watching old movies with her kids, like the Avengers, the Mandalorian, the Ten Commandmends, etc. etc. etc…
