In preparation for our church prayer meeting this coming Sunday evening, we’re going to focus our attention today and tomorrow on Esglesia Evangelicade Vilassar de Mar (Evangelical Church of Vilassar de Mar).

A bit about Vilassar de Mar
Vilassar de Mar is a small town about 30 minutes northeast of Barcelona, in the Catalonia region of Spain. (Click on the map to enlarge the image.)

This coastal town is both a tourist centre and a dormitory town for those working in the big city of Barcelona, and is well known for its horticulture, particularly its flower industry.

Boasting a population of approximately 20,000 people, it is a peaceful, affluent and religiously indifferent seaside town.

The area enjoys excellent weather, Summers are dry, hot and humid with plenty of sunshine and sea breezes. Temperatures average around 30 °C. But there is enough rain (in the Spring and Autumn) to keep the vegetation green. There are decent beaches, dotted with shacks, vestiges of a bygone era when Vilassar was a fishing village.

A bit about the church.
Esglesia Evangelicade Vilassar de Mar is the ONLY evangelical Christian church in the entire town!

The church “started up” a little over 10 years ago, when a group of believers in the town had a desire to see a evangelical Christian church established, because there was no gospel witness in the town. After a time the work was “adopted” by a Baptist church from Barcelona, whose pastor began offering significant help by visiting the group and organising guest preachers for their Sunday services.

In October 2000, Steve Phillips received a call to come and be the pastor of the group, and in 2004 the group was officially constituted as an independent local church.

On an average Sunday, the attendance is about 80 people, including 15 or so children.

The congregation is a good spread of both young and older married couples, and some singles.

Tomorrow, we will meet our friend Steve Phillips (the pastor) and his family, find out more about Esglesia Evangelicade Vilassar de Mar and how we can effectively pray for them.