What we believe...
The purpose of Esperanza Ranch is to glorify God by loving and helping those who need hope in a broken world. “Esperanza” is Spanish for “Hope” and we seek to “raise hope through faith and love.” The primary focus of Esperanza Ranch is to provide Godly alternatives to mothers so that they may choose to give their child life over having an abortion. However, we are also committed to helping, when able, anyone that needs a safe place to live, needs to learn life skills, and, most importantly, needs the truth Gospel of Jesus applied to their lives so that they may be freed from the bondage of sin. As such, Esperanza Ranch is fundamentally a religious charity and committed to traditional Christian principles found in the Bible and consistently interpreted throughout church history.
Esperanza Ranch’s has been granted 501(c)(3) status by the IRS (EIN: 83-2291435).
Mission and Specific Objectives...
The specific mission and objectives of Esperanza Ranch are:
• to directly provide counsel, support, material aid, and physical care to mothers in order to give them options and empower them to choose life for their child or children.
• to facilitate the connection of these women with other charities, nonprofits, churches, and individuals who seek to help them. These include, but are not limited to shelters, adoption agencies, legal assistance, counseling, medical care, etc.
• to provide safe living arrangements where women can be safe from threats, coercion, intimidation, and violence. An alcohol and recreational drug free environment is essential to meeting this goal.
• to encourage, build, and nurture healthy nuclear families where husbands, wives, and children are safe, provided for, and growing to their full spiritual, physical, emotional and intellectual potential. Breaking generational cycles of abuse, dependency, and selfdestructive patterns is impossible without good role models, accountability, and a desire to change. The Holy Spirit empowers and enables this transformation.
• to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and apply it to life through counseling, life skills instruction, vocational training, and academic studies (High School/GED, professional certifications, College, etc.).
• to sponsor, host, and/or participate in events and activities that promote Pro-Life principles and biblical worldview.
• to use the facilities and animals of Esperanza Ranch to promote emotional healing and teach life skills.
Core Beliefs...
Esperanza Ranch is built on the following historical Christian beliefs. They have been written to promote unity in essential doctrines and yet allows for individual liberty in secondary doctrinal issues.
God: We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.
Scripture: We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. As the verbally inspired Word of God, the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.
Humanity: We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image, but they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath. Only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled, and renewed.
Jesus Christ: We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, one Person in two natures. Jesus—Israel’s promised Messiah—was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate.
Salvation: We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for salvation.
Holy Spirit: We believe that the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its guilt. He regenerates sinners, and in Him they are baptized into union with Christ and adopted as heirs into the family of God. He also indwells, illuminates, guides, equips, and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.
Church: We believe that the true church comprises of all who have been justified by God’s grace through faith alone in Christ alone. They are united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ, of which He is the Head. The true church is manifest in local churches composed of confessing believers. The Lord Jesus instituted two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which visibly and tangibly express the gospel. Though they are not the means of salvation, when celebrated by the church in genuine faith, these ordinances confirm and nourish the believer.
Christian Life: We believe that God’s justifying grace must not be separated from His sanctifying power and purpose. God commands us to love Him supremely and others sacrificially, and to live out our faith with care for one another, compassion toward the poor and justice for the oppressed. With God’s Word, the Spirit’s power, and fervent prayer in Christ’s name, we are to combat the spiritual forces of evil. In obedience to Christ’s commission, we are to make disciples among all people, always bearing witness to the gospel in word and deed.
Christ’s Return: We believe in the personal and bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ. The coming of Christ, at a time known only to God, demands constant expectancy and, as our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service, and energetic mission.
Human Response and Eternal Destiny: We believe that God commands everyone everywhere to believe the gospel by turning to Him in repentance and believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that God will raise the dead bodily and judge the world, assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal conscious punishment and the believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth, to the praise of His glorious grace.
*Adapted from the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA) “What we believe” and was modified in content and scope to meet the specific needs of this nonprofit ministry.
Who is Esperanza Ranch?
Esperanza Ranch is governed by a five member Board of Directors that share a common vision and are committed to the above mission, values and beliefs. The President and Executive Director, Mr. Judson Stone, provides the day-to-day leadership of ministry operations. Jud has degrees in Engineering, Business Administration (MBA), and a pending Seminary degree from Reformed Theological Seminary (RTS). The heart of Esperanza Ranch is the entire Stone Family. Jud and Susan have been married for 21 years, have 5 biological children (ages 13-21), 3 adopted children (ages 10-18), and several foster children. They have homeschooled their children and are actively ministering in their local church. They both have extensive ministry and biblical counseling experience. Susan is also an experienced birth coach and doula. The family, including the children, make Christian hospitality a way of life, taking in people from all backgrounds that need a safe place to live, need to learn life skills, and most importantly, need the truth of the Gospel applied to their lives.
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