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5/9 @ 5pm |
-Grace Community Church, 4247 Van Buren, Riverside |
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Welcome! Please allow me to share a few
words with you. Below, you will find my brief testimony of God's
wonderful mercy and grace, a story about a man who got more from
this world than he ever expected, yet found himself empty and
without hope.
If you are wondering about the name of C28, C28 is a verse from
Colossians 2:8. This verse is special to me because I had become
real good at the things of this world ( traditions & basic
principals of this world, rather than Christ) only to realize I
was chasing all the wrong things. As I became more empty and
full of despair, I was led to Jesus Christ for the peace and
purpose I never had! Soon after, I was moved by God's Holy
Spirit to reach the hurting and the lost in malls. Why Malls?
Because malls get tens of millions of visitors each year. The
mission statement at C28 is to
"To glorify God by sharing the life
changing gospel message of grace, truth and love found in Jesus
through prayer, evangelism, and God's written word on apparel."
After 10 years and the sale of Dogloo Inc., an International company which I was
cofounder and CEO, I found myself with all the material things of this world,
but felt without much purpose in life. I was a responsible man , a moral man, I
loved my family and prayed every night, but I had never heard the gospel nor did
I have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. In March 18, 1998 by the grace
of God, I became aware that I was also a sinner (pride, jealousy, selfishness),
that I would face judgment at death someday and the due penalty of my sins was
eternal death in hell. I finally realized I needed Jesus. It was clear that I
could not work my way into heaven and as a mere moral man, I was headed straight
to hell without a Savior. That's when I repented and turned away from my sins,
asked Jesus into my heart as Lord and Savior of my life!
My life began to change from a self centered life to a God centered life. I
began to experience the peace I never had before and the assurance of my
salvation.
I began attending church and was baptized as my public acknowledgment of my new
found faith in Jesus. I joined a weekly bible study called BSF
http://www.bsfinternational.org/ and began obeying the words in the bible.
I listened to multiple daily sermons on the radio. I could not get enough of
God!
I began praying that God would use the gifts and talents He had given me, for
His glory. In December of 1999, while driving home through Victorville, the Lord
led me and my son "JR" to a little store called "Christian Headshop". The store
was very cool, like nothing I had ever seen before! It was that night that God
gave me the vision to share His life changing gospel message of grace, truth and
love found in Jesus. I felt the Lord speaking to me about opening stores for
youth. Initially, I was not sold on the idea since it did not make much business
sense to start a retail store in this day and age. I prayed for months, I wanted
to be obedient to God even though there were many uncertainties. This retail
concept had never been proven before. There were thousands of Christian stores,
but none for youth. Only by prayer and faith did I proceed. I started praying
about a name and after much prayer C28 ( Colossians 2:8, not about this world
but all about Christ ) became evident since it brought Jesus Christ all the
glory! In April of 2001 after much opposition from malls, the Lord opened our
first door at the Tyler Mall in Riverside, California! I learned it was all
about praying, obeying and trusting in God's sovereignty. God began opening
doors! |
Have you or someone you know come to Christ as a result of this testimony?
Please let us know at testimony@c28.com |
There have been many challenges, but with God's strength and direction we have
persevered. God is so faithful.
Today and by God's grace we have 6 company stores, 4 franchise stores, NOTW
clothing and C28.com for online shopping. God is graceful and faithful! Many
people come to C28 stores to pray. There are countless testimonies. As an
example, a young girl on a wheel chair came into Temecula asking "is this the
store that prays for people?" . This says it all. Since the first store opened
in April 2001,
10950 people have been led through
the sinners prayer and accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior! All
praise goes to our almighty sovereign God! Little did these people know that
what started as a usual day of shopping would end them up with the best gift of
all, salvation through Jesus! Many, many lives have been eternally changed. God
is so good!
For 38 years no one ever shared the gospel with me! I was one of those that
looked like I had everything, but was actually lost inside. We want to help
people realize God’s plan for them without having their life pass them by.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans
to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Jeremiah 29:11.
Can you imagine a normal day of mall shopping turning into your
day of salvation! It happens at C28! The Lord is using C28 to save lives, give
people a hope, a promise and a future. God uses C28 stores to bring people
closer to himself in a secular environment, imagine that! All praise goes to
God!
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We want to reach the unreachable and to love the unlovable.
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We want people to know there is an alternative to the things of this
world.
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We want people to realize there are answers in this life and hope for
a tomorrow.
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We want to make people realize that without Jesus, there is no today
or tomorrow ( Eternal Life)
God forgives us no matter what we have done. When we repent of
our sins, ask for forgiveness and accept Jesus into our hearts, we can be
forgiven and filled with God's Holy Spirit forever. Christians are in no way
close to perfect, they are a work in progress. We are sinful people and we live
by God's loving grace. Praise God!
"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance:
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst." 1
Timothy 1:15
Aurelio F. Barreto III
Founder & CEO
Have you or someone you know come to Christ as a result of this
testimony? Please let us know at
testimony@c28.com
Most Often Asked
Questions About C28 Founder
and CEO Aurelio Barreto
Q: The Lord has
blessed you with things that people of this world go to great lengths to achieve
(such as success in business and accumulating financial wealth), but is that
what life should be about?
A:
I thought I was fortunate in life to achieve the "things of this
world" early in my career. The reality was very different, the reality was that
money, success, and power could never buy me happiness, peace or purpose in
spite of how much money I made.
Q: What was the driving force in your life before you were
saved? And did it satisfy your heart?
A:
Material Success and Achievements were my motivation, yet
achieving these things ultimately lead me to thoughts of despair and suicide.
Q: When C28 and NOTW was just an idea, were there spiritual
battles going on to prevent you from stepping out in faith?
A:
Totally, my wife Peggy and I went through a 4 year full bore
attack on our marriage, if it were not for Christ, we would of divorced. Another
thing was going through a period of years experiencing an overall
discouragement, in spite of the awesome ministry and people coming to Christ, I
doubted that we would ever make ends meet and that God was truly behind me. To
make things worse, I also lost about $4 million in stocks immediately after I
made the decision to start C28.
Q: Can a true Christian also be a shrewd business person in this
world? If so, how?
A:
Totally, I think God calls us to be good stewards of what God
has given us. The bible actually calls us to have the heart of a dove and be
shrewd as a snake.
Q: I know there are Christian business owners out there that
have been definitely called to open a Christian store and some that may be not.
What kind of advice can you give to them?
A:
Go into business only if you are certain that your God given
gifts and talents are truly in business. God is a logical God.
Q: C28 has grown from 1 store in 2001 to a total of 10 stores
throughout the USA. What do you attribute that to?
A:
God's grace! It has also taken faith in what the Lord has called
me and equipped me to do. It has been extremely scary at times, yet God has held
my hand every step of the way. He is an awesome God! I love Him so much!
Q: Your C28 website states that 8027 people have accepted Christ
as their Lord and Savior through C28. Could you have ever imagined that God
would use a retail store to touch so many lives?
A:
No way, I remember when it was just 7 people that had accepted
Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior!!! This is a huge blessing in my life that I do
not deserve.
Q: Anything else you would want to add?
A:
After 9 years of walking with the Lord I know Him to be an
extremely merciful God, full of grace. The awareness of the grace I have today
is 100 times greater than when I initially came to Christ. He is my loving God
who cares for me and takes care of my daily needs. I want the world to know
about my God! Don't you?
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