OZARK – Often, the most desperate places on earth are thought of as places for missionaries and ministries to see people saved. But a retirement home for Missouri Baptists can also be a mission field.
The Baptist Home in Ozark is the ministry area of campus maintenance director Joe Sisneros. Besides his full time duties keeping the home’s physical plant operating well, he also assists campus pastor Ron Adrian with chapel services and is a seminary student, church planter and bi-vocational pastor. He pastors Jamesville Baptist in Clever.
“His church has several residents as members, and he has led several Baptist Homes staff to Jesus,” says Rodney Harrison, President and CEO of the Baptist Homes and Healthcare Ministries. Through his witnessing activity Sisneros has seen four people come to Christ at the Ozark home since he started last September.
“I view each person that walks through the BHHM doors as an image bearer,” Sisneros says. “It’s my heart’s desire to plant seed or water the seed and see God give the increase.”
Working at the Baptist Home gives Sisneros opportunities to minister to the residents through visits, prayer and Bible study. However, it also gives openings to present the gospel to staff and suppliers.
“My ministry is to the church I pastor (and) the residents and staff at the BHHM,” he says. “In such a business as a care facility, there can be a lot of turnaround in staff. I have had the opportunity to share God’s Word with staff and lead them to accepting Christ as their Savior and baptizing them. I have been able to minister to our vendors.”
After leading a supplier representative to Christ, Sisneros says he “had the privilege of baptizing him and his son, who are now members of our church.”
Since becoming Jamesville’s pastor 18 months ago, he says the church has started “a discipleship class in our church, (and) seen the church grow spiritually and numerically.” The church’s average Sunday morning worship attendance has doubled from around 15 to 30.
Despite his many roles Sisneros testifies that “all glory goes to the Lord. I am just a vessel in the master’s hand.”
In 1991, God called Sisneros into pastoral ministry. While working full time he completed undergraduate work at Baptist Bible College in Springfield. He is currently a full-time student at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
He’s maintained full-time employment while being a seminary student. “I was employed at Cox hospital in the engineering department, looking to go into the chaplaincy through the hospital,” Sisneros remembers. “Through much prayer and seeking the Lord’s will I believe He led me here to BHHM. I see that the Lord has used the ministry of BHHM to lead me into other areas of ministry.”
Before accepting the call to the Jamesville church Sisneros planted churches in Arkansas and Nebraska, and served on church staff in New Mexico.
Wearing multiple hats presents Sisneros with an obvious challenge: “As a bivocational pastor attending seminary full time and working full time, I must be a good steward of the time the Lord gives me.”
His ministry goals are to see continued growth in the Jamesville congregation’s spiritual life. He also hopes to start a prayer time with and for Baptist Home staff around their shifts.
Another ministry he’s considering is starting a local GriefShare ministry—a Christ-based recovery support group. Sisneros and his wife, Barbara, still have an adult son and daughter but lost their youngest son three years ago. “Through the ministry of GriefShare we were able to learn how to grieve in a godly fashion.”