In the heart of Albuquerque’s most underserved neighborhood, a small Acts 29 church is quietly and faithfully doing the hard work of gospel ministry. 

Restore Church, led by Justin Pearson, is more than just a church plant — it’s a picture of a church planter and a network committed to long-haul, obedient ministry, even when progress feels slow. Planted in August 2020, mid-pandemic and mid-chaos, this church has chosen the difficult soil of Albuquerque’s International District — known locally as the “War Zone” — as its mission field.

While praying over a map of southeast Albuquerque, God opened a door — literally — through a free-use building offered by another church in town. That building now houses Restore Church, planted in the very neighborhood Justin had been interceding for.

This part of Albuquerque, once famous for the neon energy of Route 66, is now often overlooked and struggling. It’s a neighborhood marked by poverty, crime, and spiritual darkness. But rather than turning away from these challenges, Restore Church has turned toward them.

“Big gates, big dogs, and locked doors.” That’s how Justin describes the reality of ministering in the International District. With one of the highest poverty rates in a state that already ranks near the bottom nationally in child welfare and education, the neighborhood is both physically and spiritually needy.

Restore Church isn’t a large operation. On any given Sunday, about 50 people gather. There’s no staff team, just Justin. But there is grit, grace, and a deep-rooted commitment to the mission. Restore’s commitment to presence, faithfulness, and service outsize their impact. They’ve served local Title I schools with weekend food bags for students, stepped in to pray for school staff during crises, and remained a steady gospel witness in a place where few others are willing to go.

As Justin puts it, “It’s slow, hard work here.” But it’s also deeply needed — the kind of place where gospel roots matter most. 

Becoming a part of Acts 29 has provided not just theological alignment, but a sense of belonging and support — “It feels like family,” Justin says.

Through his Acts 29 cohort, Justin has been equipped and encouraged alongside other church planters in similar seasons of ministry. He is learning how to lead and love in contexts that require deep resilience and conviction, such as his own.

That’s the heartbeat of Acts 29: church planters on mission, not alone, but surrounded by a global family of pastors and leaders who are pressing forward together—even when the work is slow, even when it feels like nothing is happening, because Jesus is worth it. That’s a network on mission.

Pray For Restore Church

• For endurance in all seasons
• For more laborers to join the mission in Albuquerque
• For hearts in the International District to be softened to the gospel