What
An in-progress Spanish language ministry of relational evangelism and discipleship with a special access, applicability, focus on an unreached “people-group” – influential of Latin American society.
Where
The Houston´s began this ministry of relational evangelism and discipleship in The Woodlands, Texas. As churches, pastors and friends in Colombia and Peru learned more about this type of ministry, they invited the Houstons to teach them the principles and practices of a relational approach to evangelism and discipleship.
Who
Richard and Margarita Houston and 4 teams of Latin American Christians who, due to long term friendships, have access to influential people in Latin America.
50
Zacchaeus team total
67
Years of experience
6
Training retreats
2250
Books sold
Ministries
God has called, equipped and opened the doors to Richard and Margarita Houston a ministry of Relational Evangelism in Latin America.
What is The Zacchaeus Project?
The Zacchaeus Project
Is a focused application of the principles of Sentido a Tu Vida to an overlooked and underserved demographic – the Influencers of the upper-middle and upper classes of Latin American society.
This is a paradigm shift from a bottom-up to a top-down approach to impact Latin America.
What is Sentido a tu vida?
Sentido a tu vida
Is a ministry of Relational Evangelism and Discipleship. Richard and Margarita Houston – and a group of their disciples – have successfully adapted, field-tested and are practicing the relational approach of Search Ministries in the Spanish language and to the Hispanic culture. This is an on-going and growing ministry.
Why Latin America?
• Relational Evangelism is one of the few – if not only – approaches to reach the Influencers of Latin America.
• Though there are many sincere religious practitioners at that level of society, by their own admission, most have a “checkthe- box” religion that rarely impacts their daily life. In fact, they are rapidly becoming like the “Nones” of the Anglo world, as in “None of the above” with regard to religious practice.
Urgency
This ministry is currently on-going and in-progress. But it has taken several years to adapt, field-test and polish the specialized ministry resources – not only to do the ministry but, more importantly, to be able to transfer and repeat the ministry in other places.
Team
Richard and Margarita are discipling teams relational evangelism and discipleship
teams in The Woodlands, Texas; Bogotá, Colombia; Lima, Perú and a couple in
Mexico.
Richard Houston
Richard has been actively involved in ministry since his days as a volunteer Young Life leader during his university years.
After graduating from TCU (1973), Dallas Theological Seminary (1978) and The Spanish Language Institute (1980) he began his missionary career in Lima, Perú.
Richard has ministered as a teacher, preacher and consultant outside the USA in 15 countries. He is highly fluent in the Spanish language, has an intuitive understanding of Hispanic culture and is highly respected by pastors and other Christian leaders all over Latin America.
In 2002, Richard re-engaged with his relational evangelism experience as Area Director with Search Ministries.
God led Richard and Margarita to minister increasingly more with the local Hispanic business and professional community as they translated and adapted the excellent Search Ministry materials not available elsewhere in the Spanish language.
In 2018, Richard published Interrogantes, a book that addresses the 12 most commonly asked questions about God, the Bible and Christianity.
Margarita Houston
Margarita Ordóñez de Houston was born into a nominally Catholic family in Bogotá, Colombia. She graduated from the Gimnasio Feminino in 1980 and obtained a degree in Financial Administration from Politécnico Grancolombiana (University) in 1983.
Many from Margarita’s group of friends during those school years are currently in positions of great influence in society, business and government, such as the Canciller (Secretary of State) from 2010-2018. Those friends still hold Margarita in high regard with great affection.
Margarita came to faith in Jesus in her mid-20’s as a result of an extreme personal crisis. Within a few short years she became recognized for her Christian leadership and impact on women.
Upon moving to The Woodlands in 2002 she built a women’s Bible Study ministry that has reached more than 400 different women in The Woodlands.
After many years of informal ministry, Margarita received Search Ministries staff training and has been a part of the Search staff since 2012.
In 2017, Margarita published a devotional book, Un Corazón como Él de Jesús, which has been very well received.