Healthy Church, Growing Church:
How Agua Viva is Mobilizing Thousands for the Great Commission
In early 2024, leaders from some of the most influential Spanish-speaking churches gathered in Southern California to be trained in Healthy Church principles and to hear the vision of Finishing the Task (FTT). Among them were pastors Sergio and Carla Hornung of Agua Viva Church in Lima, Peru. What began as a time of learning and fellowship inspired Agua Viva to make changes within their church—changes that are now bearing fruit both at home and across their region.
An Inspirational Gathering in California
Reflecting on her time with Pastor Rick Warren and other Hispanic leaders at Saddleback Church’s Rancho Capistrano campus, Pastor Carla shared:
“My impression of time with Pastor Rick can’t be exaggerated. He really is a one-of-kind person. He is so genuinely kind and caring while being world-famous; it’s so unusual. The messages were good. It simplifies a lot of difficult concepts. My favorite was the one about receptiveness and evangelizing (the 4 soils), so that was the session that I chose to preach when we replicated the FTT message in Peru.”
For the Hornungs and their church, the gathering was catalytic. Carla explained:
“My husband and I had been feeling to focus more on evangelism and discipleship, and this really confirmed and energized that push in us and our church.”
Transformación 24: A Historic Gathering in Lima
Just months later, Agua Viva took what they had learned in California and multiplied it on a massive scale. In July, over 15,000 leaders and believers gathered in Lima, Peru for the TRANSFORMACIÓN 24 Conference, hosted by Agua Viva. For several days, Pastors Sergio and Carla Hornung, alongside leaders like Israel Chaparro, David Scarpeta, Rodrigo Palmer, and Pastor Rick Warren, shared Healthy Church principles and inspired pastors to mobilize their members into an “army of love.”
Pastor Rick reminded the crowd of the urgency and opportunity before the Church:
“Pentecost Sunday, June 5, 2033, is the 2,000th birthday of the Church, and you get to be alive for it. What do we give Jesus for the 2,000th birthday of His body on earth? We give Him what He wants most: He wants His lost children found. All around the world, Christians of every kind are planning to complete the Great Commission by 2033. And I came to Lima to ask, is there anybody here who wants to join us?”
The response was overwhelming—those gathered committed to take the vision back to their congregations and communities.
The Fruit at Agua Viva
The impact at Agua Viva has been remarkable. Carla shared that since embracing FTT and Healthy Church training, their church has seen record-breaking attendance and, for the first time in 15 years, growth in their number of small groups.
“We have always felt like our church in particular had a call to evangelism. FTT gave us some fresh tools,” she said.
Even more importantly, Agua Viva is multiplying what they’ve received by equipping other pastors and leaders across the region.
A Spirit of Unity and Encouragement
Another fruit of the Southern California gathering has been a new sense of unity among Hispanic church leaders. Carla noted:
“There is always value in meeting like-minded people to encourage each other and share good practices.”
That spirit of encouragement and shared mission continues to ripple outward as leaders stay connected and committed to the goal of completing the Great Commission by 2033.
Looking Ahead
What began in Southern California as training for a few is having a multiplying effect across Latin America. Agua Viva is not only experiencing renewal within their own church but is also playing a central role in mobilizing pastors and congregations throughout the region.
The story of Agua Viva is a powerful example of how God is using healthy churches to mobilize believers to reach nations and accelerate the vision of the Great Commission’s fulfillment in our generation.
If you would like to join the movement of churches working together to fulfill the Great Commission by 2033, sign up here. To learn more about the Healthy Church Teaching Network, visit healthychurchglobal.com.
