SPIRITUAL MATTERS—Above, Oxnard resident Javier Velasco, left, leads a prayer during a Bible study March 24 at the home of Moorpark resident Jose Luis Topete. Below, before the Bible study Topete, left, and Pastor Dennis Bradshaw practice a song on their guitars. The men are part of a new Hispanic ministry that is geared to serve people who don’t regularly attend church. WENDY PIERRO/Acorn Newspapers Jose Luis Topete was walking to the liquor store to buy beer last summer when a teenager handed him a flier inviting him to a barbecue at a nearby park.

Topete, who was struggling with drug and alcohol addiction at the time, didn’t think much of the offer, but kept the piece of paper in his pocket.

Upon returning home, the 38-year-old separated father of two said his conscience kept nudging him to attend. After finishing the beer, he took a shower, dressed in nice clothing and walked to Villa Campesina Park in downtown Moorpark seeking inspiration and assistance.

“I wanted to talk to somebody to find a home church to help me out so I could stop the bad things I was doing and get back with my family,” Topete said.

Once there, he met Lutheran missionary and pastor Dennis Bradshaw, who had organized the neighborhood barbecue to launch a new Hispanic ministry in Moorpark called Centro Cristiano Hispano.

Topete said he was struck by Bradshaw’s fluency in Spanish and his kinship with the Latino community.

“(The pastor) spoke Spanish really well, so I went up to him and told him I had a problem.”

Moments later, Bradshaw and others at the event gathered around Topete and began to pray with him. What happened next, the man said, changed his life.

“They used the power of prayer to help me get away from drugs and alcohol,” Topete said. “I’m now fighting the good fight for sobriety and health.”

Topete is one of about 20 members of Centro Cristiano Hispano, which operates out of Faith Lutheran Church at 123 Park Lane in Moorpark but isn’t officially affiliated with the church.

The vision for the new ministry stemmed from discussions between Bradshaw and the Rev. Robert Hiller, pastor of Faith Lutheran. The two met at an event hosted by Centro Cristiano in Oxnard about three years ago.

“Since the neighborhood around our church is predominantly Hispanic, it’s important that we do what we can to make sure that our closest neighbors are getting the news about Jesus,” Hiller said.

Faith Lutheran was established in Moorpark 25 years ago. The church has been associated with Bradshaw’s Centro Cristiano for many years, but didn’t have an Hispanic ministry because no local Lutheran church leaders spoke fluent Spanish.

The new ministry is geared to serve people who don’t regularly attend church.

Bradshaw has been a missionary for the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, the conservative branch of Lutheranism, since 1983. He started Hispanic congregations in Oxnard and Santa Paula before coming to Moorpark to establish Centro Cristiano Hispano about a year ago.

He said he aims to provide services for Moorpark’s large Spanish-speaking population.

“I want to take news of Jesus and his love for humanity to the (Hispanic) community and to see lives transformed by his presence during economic challenges, helping people with social needs as well as personal needs and give young people a strong sense of who they are,” said the Oxnard resident.

Bradshaw said he’s been networking with other church leaders at Faith Lutheran, Fountain Foursquare and Evangelical Free churches to host monthly barbecues for residents of Park Lane and surrounding areas.

In addition to offering English and music classes at Faith Lutheran at 4 p.m. Saturdays, Centro Cristiano Hispano has a Bible institute at 5:30 p.m. Saturdays to train future church leaders. Recently, the ministry began hosting monthly worship services on the fourth Sunday of each month at 12:30 p.m. at Faith Lutheran.

The budding congregation also has a weekly Bible study group at Topete’s home on Wednesday evenings.

In addition to participating in the programs of Centro Cristiano and learning to become a leader in the ministry, Topete said he at- tends regular church services at another Latino congregation in Moorpark.

For more information about Centro Cristiano Hispano, call Bradshaw at (805) 660-3377.