Hispanic (Latino) Ministry for Beginners

Ideas for Mostly Anglo CongregationsRev. Richard Schlak

Lutheran Hispanic Missionary Institute

Pentecost – May 27, 2012

Table of Contents

Prologue 1

“Hispanic” or “Latino”? 2

Steps to Take 3

Chapter 1: Purpose (Why are We Doing This, Anyway?) 4

Chapter 2: Prayer (God’s Power and Guidance) 10

Chapter 3: Power (Connected to God through Word and Sacrament) 15

Chapter 4: People (Discovering Characteristics of Your Hispanic Community)20

Chapter 5: Preparation (Preparing the Congregation for Cultural Differences)27

Chapter 6: Preparation, Part 2 (Cultural Differences, Continued) 36

Chapter 7: Pattern (Evangelistic and Human Care Ministry Models) 43

Chapter 8: Pattern, Part 2 (Word and Sacrament Ministry Models) 48

Chapter 9: Planters (Leaders and Material Resources) 59

Chapter 10: Plan (Details, Details) 68

Chapter 11: Pre-launch (Preparation for a Big Day) 79

Chapter 12: Post-launch (Persevere and Multiply – still being written) 86

Resources 87

Hispanic Missions for BeginnersPrologue (Introduction)

Do you hear God calling you to share Christ’s love with your Hispanic neighbors? Are you looking around and noticing how many Latinos you meet in the supermarket, at your kids’ school, at the bank – but not in church? Do you feel that an important group of people is largely missing from our church family? Do you wonder what to do about it?

This booklet is for you. During these past three years, I have met so many people who have a burning desire to do something to reach out with God’s love amongst the people of Latin American heritage whose population is growing so dramatically here in the United States. But what is that “something”? How can we get started?

In these pages, I want to encourage you and give you a little guidance. I do not have all the answers for every situation. There are many different types of congregations, and Hispanics have many different backgrounds, cultures, and circumstances. However, by God’s grace I have learned a few things and I’d like to share them with you. This handbook is designed particularly for congregations or groups of congregations that would like to begin a Hispanic mission or ministry. However, with a little adaptation, the chapters presented here will be helpful for others as well.

I hope that this booklet will help you avoid some of the mistakes that I and others have made. (You can find new ones to make!) But mostly, I hope to give you the tools you need to launch out as God guides you! Don’t let fear of failure hold you back! No one gets everything right 100% of the time. But God works through us, even in our weakness!

So read these pages and talk to the Lord about what he wants you to do. And then go for it! Risk a little to reach out! I know God will be by your side. The only real failure is if you do nothing when God calls!

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“Hispanic” or “Latino”: a Note about Terminology

Periodically, people ask about the terms “Hispanic” and “Latino” and wonder which one is appropriate. At the present time, both words are in use in many different parts of our country. Neither one is intrinsically derogatory. However, some people are offended by one or the other, and a few people are offended by both – they feel that no distinction should be made at all. We want to be sensitive to each individual and try to use appropriate vocabulary in their presence. However, we simply cannot escape the need for a term to describe people of Latin American heritage who share a number of cultural characteristics.

For several reasons, the Missionary Institute most often uses the term “Hispanic” for people of Latin American heritage. For one thing, the word “Hispanic” is used more commonly than the term “Latino.” For example, “Hispanic” is the term used in the U.S. Census statistics and in virtually every official form (from schools, businesses, or government) that asks about ethnicity. Some people feel that the term “Hispanic” is more inclusive than the term “Latino.” For them, “Latino” refers more to Latin Americans who live and work in the U.S., while “Hispanic” also includes those who live in Latin American countries. Furthermore, the term “Hispanic” seems to be more widely accepted by the Hispanics (Latinos) themselves. The Missionary Institute has students from many different countries, including the United States, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Cuba, Chile and Venezuela, and so far, none of the students has felt that “Hispanic” was an inappropriate word to use. My own wife and children proudly identify themselves as Hispanics and I feel that I am a Hispanic “at heart.”

Nevertheless, any word can become derogatory if it is used in an insulting way or as a way to label people without appreciating their personal gifts. There is, unfortunately, quite a bit of prejudice against Hispanics (Latinos) here in the United States, and certain words may acquire negative connotations in specific regions or among certain groups. Recently a man from Idaho informed me that the Latinos in his area feel that “Hispanic” is an insulting label. Furthermore, he noted that the Mexicans in particular don’t care to be called either “Hispanic” or “Latino.” In his area, they want to be identified simply as “Mexicans.”

This means that you need to be sensitive to the feelings of the individuals with whom you will be building friendships. Officially, both “Hispanic” and “Latino” are correct. However, you’ll need to find out how the people in your area consider each of those terms. Adjust your vocabulary as necessary in order to communicate clearly Jesus’ love!

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Steps to Take(This is an overview of the steps to take to get a Hispanic ministry started from scratch.)

1. Prayer: Pray before, during, and after everything you do. (See chapter 2.)

2. Power: Be very clear that God is the one at work through you. Remain connected with God through daily repentance and forgiveness, through God’s Word and communion. Point others to the Lord, not yourself. (See chapter 3.)

3. Purpose: Gather together a small group of leaders who are committed to starting the new Hispanic ministry. There should be 5 or 6 of you, including the pastor.

Be very clear about the overall purpose of Hispanic ministry.

Share the vision with the rest of the congregation. (See chapter 1 for suggestions.)

4. People: Investigate the characteristics of the Hispanics in your community. Think through how you can show Christ’s love to the Hispanics around you, in their particular situation. (See chapter 4.)

5. Preparation: Prepare your congregation for the cultural differences the members are likely to experience when the Anglos have more and more contact with Hispanics. (See chapters 5 and 6.)

6. Pattern: Think through what model of ministry would work best in your setting. (See chapters 7 and 8.)

7. Planters: Look for resources. Particularly, you want to find people who are willing and able to work (“planters”) and material resources to support the planters in their work. (See chapter 9.)

8. Plan: Now for the details. Plan out some intermediate objectives that will help you reach your overall goal. As with any plan, these objectives should be clear, specific, attainable and measurable. Figure out who will do what, when. Lay out a covenant with guidelines for how Anglos and Hispanics will work together in this ministry. (See chapter 10.)

9. Pre-launch: Put your plan into practice! The “launch” is the public beginning of the ministry. You will be doing a lot of work (visiting, evangelizing, teaching the Bible, etc.) before the public launch. (See chapter 11.)

10. Post-launch: After the ministry begins its public phase, you’ll need to continue and to grow. Evaluate and correct things as God leads you.

Don’t become complacent. The devil will be looking to cause divisions and difficulties. God’s power, however, is your strength and your shield. (See chapter 12.)

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Purpose

Who is Your Neighbor?Who is your neighbor? There’s a story – perhaps you have heard it – about a Christian who lived in a house next to an unbelieving neighbor. This Christian saw his neighbor quite often, in the mornings when they both left for work, in the evenings when they returned, on the weekends when they would be out working in their yards. When one of them would go on vacation, the other would take care of the house, water the plants, feed the dog. Sometimes their families would get together for a barbecue. The Christian at times felt the urge to talk to his neighbor about his faith, but he felt uncomfortable. He was afraid that the neighbor would feel offended or would ridicule him. He was unsure that he could respond to the questions the neighbor might raise. So he preserved his friendship and said nothing.

After a number of years, both the Christian and his neighbor both died and appeared before God’s judgment. There they were separated, and the unbeliever was condemned and sentenced. In despair, he looked at the Christian and exclaimed, “I lived right next to you all these years, and you never said a word to me about all this! How could you do that? What kind of a neighbor are you?”

Why Hispanics?That kind of story is a pain, because it lays a guilt trip on us for not witnessing to their neighbors. That’s the function of the Law – it points out our failures. There are plenty of neighbors to whom we have not been particularly good about sharing Christ’s love and salvation. Many of those neighbors are Hispanics.

An expert in the Law once asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus responded with the parable of the Good Samaritan. Who were those “Samaritans?” The Samaritans came to exist when God allowed the Assyrian Empire to conquer northern Israel. He did this because of the Israelites’ gross idol worship. The Assyrians took the wealthy and educated Northern Israelites into exile and brought in non-Jews from other conquered nations to live in Northern Israel. The non-Israelites mixed with the poor Israelites of the north, and mixed their religions as well. So the Samaritans were a mixed race, with a mixed religion.

At Jesus’ time, the Jews lived in the south, in Judea, and to an extent in the north in Galilee and in the east in Perea. The Samaritans lived right in the middle, in Samaria. They were the close neighbors of the Jews. However, the two groups did not get along. The Jews did not care for their neighbors the Samaritans and would just as soon not have them in the synagogue.

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Nevertheless, Jesus told his disciples, “You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) God made the Samaritans and the Jews rub shoulders for a reason. Jesus loved the Samaritans and wanted them to be saved.

I submit to you that Anglos and Hispanics have the same sort of relationship as the Jews and the Samaritans. God has made us neighbors. It’s not just that the United States and Mexico share a political border. More and more, Hispanics and Anglos live in houses right next to each other. Yet there are cultural and religious barriers between Anglos and Hispanics, just as there were between Jews and Samaritans. There are some Anglos who would just as soon not have Hispanics in their church – unless of course they change and become just like Anglos.

However, Jesus has commanded us to make disciples of all nations. That means Anglos and Hispanics. It means other people groups also, but as we open our eyes and look around, we see that in the United States of today, a very large portion of the neighbors to whom Christ has sent us are Hispanic. Are we being good neighbors?

Mission is the Reason for the Church’s ExistenceMission is the reason for the existence of the church here on earth. In the New Testament, the word for “church” is “ekklesia”. Literally, “ekklesia” means “called out.” We are called out from the world around us, separated to be holy to the Lord.

God has called us to leave the wickedness of the world

However, the question comes, why did Jesus call us out? If he just wanted to save us, he could have taken us to heaven immediately. But although we are to be different from the world, we are still in the world. We are still in the world because God wants to use us to reach others with the good news that Jesus is the Savior.

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WorldChurch

Galilee

Samaria

Judea

Pere

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Matthew 28:19-20 – “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

John 20:21 – “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”

2 Corinthians 5:20 – “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though god were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.”

The church is God’s beachhead, his foothold, from which he wants to reach the world with the message of salvation. Take away mission, and there is no reason for you to remain here on this earth. Some day, our particular job here on earth will be done. You can go to heaven and relax. But as long as you are here on this earth, you have a mission.

God sends us into the world to proclaim his salvation

Sometimes, we have not done a good job of carrying out God’s mission. Sometimes our love has been rather cold. We haven’t been good neighbors. However, Jesus still loves us. He died for all our failures, including our lack of love for those who are lost. After Jesus rose from the dead, he spoke with Peter, the same Peter who had denied knowing Jesus, the same Peter who had failed to give a good testimony. Jesus asked Peter three times, “Do you love me?” Peter said, three times, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” And Jesus replied, “Feed my sheep.” To us he says the same. Yes, we have failed. But in Jesus we have forgiveness and a new opportunity to do better today. He sends us out again. That forgiveness is the great thing, the unique thing, about being a Christian. That forgiveness is the very thing that our unbelieving neighbors need most.

So What is the Purpose of a Hispanic Ministry?There is only one good reason to start a Hispanic ministry: the fact that God is sending us to share Jesus’ love with our neighbors, and many of them are Hispanic. We want to share God’s love in ways that reach the hearts of the Hispanics around us.

On the other hand, there are lots of bad reasons to start a Hispanic ministry. Some congregations start Hispanic ministries because their membership is declining and they want to fill the pews again. Of course, it’s not bad to fill the pews, but these congregations are not really concerned about their Hispanic neighbors, they’re just worried about meeting their budget with ever fewer members. The motivation is self-preservation, not God’s love.

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WorldChurch

Again, some people want to get involved in Hispanic ministry in order to feel good about themselves. They like it when people praise them for being benevolent or for being racially inclusive. Of course, it is praiseworthy when someone makes sacrifices for God’s mission. However, we’re not after human praise, but God’s approval.

All the selfish reasons for beginning a Hispanic mission are simply out of tune with God’s love and his desire that all people be saved. If your ministry is based on a selfish purpose, problems will inevitably result.

Of course, sometimes it has happened that someone starts to serve in a Hispanic setting for selfish reasons, but in the course of his ministry, the Lord touches his heart and changes his life. However, if you’re reading this, why not start off on the right foot? Ask the Lord to forgive and eliminate any selfish motivations on your part. Then fix your eyes on God’s purpose: to share his love in word and deed so that people will come to trust in Jesus Christ. Let that purpose be on your lips and your heart as you wake up every day. Let it be stated clearly at every meeting of the mission leaders. Let it be the thing that unites every person who participates in this ministry!

Share the VisionNot everyone in your congregation will automatically be on board with God’s purpose in Hispanic ministry. Many people will be leery of any change. Others will not see the need for expending effort to cross the cultural barrier. A lot of them will expect the Hispanics to become just like Anglos once they join the church.

Patiently and lovingly, share with the whole congregation what God’s Word says. I suggest the following:

1. Form a “Hispanic missions group” of five or six people, including the pastor, who will commit time and energy to making this Hispanic ministry a reality. If possible, include Hispanics in your group.

Be very clear about your purpose. You may even want to elaborate a mission statement (a short, clear declaration of the purpose of the ministry). For example: “Our mission is to demonstrate and proclaim Christ’s love to the Hispanic people that God has brought to our town, so that they become sincere believers and faithful disciples of Jesus.” Or more simply: “Our mission is to connect our Hispanic community to Christ.”

2. Each member of the group should do his or her part to share this vision with the congregation as a whole. The pastor may preach about God’s mission for the church. Public prayer in worship includes petitions for the development of Hispanic ministry. Bible studies reinforce the vision. Bulletin inserts, articles in the church newsletter, prayer chains communicate to everyone the steps being taken and the decisions being made. Reports start to come to the attention of the church council and committees. (Permission will be needed to use church funds and/or the church building for different activities, and it would be well to lay some groundwork well in advance.)

3. It is a good idea to organize some special congregational activities aimed at sharing the vision for Hispanic ministry. Perhaps you could host a day-long congregational conference or retreat. The resource Together in Mission by Rev. Ken Behnken contains a series of powerpoint presentations which could easily be used at such a retreat, or alternatively as a series of 10 weekly Bible classes. Perhaps you would like to invite the Lutheran Mariachis from San Pablo Lutheran Church (El Paso, TX) to give a concert at

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your church. Alternatively, perhaps you would like to invite a special speaker to preach on Sunday and/or address the congregation at a pot-luck or at a missions fair. There are a good number of inspiring speakers who also have experience in Hispanic mission work: Dr. James Tino (Global Lutheran Outreach), Professor Mark Kempff (Center for Hispanic Studies, Concordia Seminary), Pastor Mark Junkans (Lutheran Inter-City Network Coalition), Pastor Richard Schlak (Lutheran Hispanic Missionary Institute), Pastor Adolfo Borges (“Príncipe de Paz” Lutheran Church, Orlando, FL), Pastor Dennis Bradshaw (“Centro Cristiano Hispano”, Santa Paula, CA), and others.

4. Expect that there will always be a small minority that will oppose anything you do, in spite of your efforts to share God’s vision. Some people are simply blinded by their own interests (or their own selfishness). Some of them may come around in time, but some may not. I know of one man who left his church because the congregation decided to start a Hispanic ministry. That congregation was in an area where 82 % of the population was Hispanic. How sad! But as for you, don’t let the planned ministry be derailed by the inevitable critic or two. Leave them in God’s hands.

5. On the other hand, if in spite of your efforts the majority of the congregation is just not supportive, think carefully before you launch out. God wants us to work together as a church, and if the church is not ready to do this, perhaps the time is not ripe yet. Also, do you really want to share God’s love with Hispanics only to bring them into a congregation where the majority of the people will not be ready to show God’s love? Perhaps the ministry should take place in a different setting.

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of this step. More than a few Anglo congregations have launched Hispanic ministries only to see them fail because the majority of the congregation was not on board from the beginning. If the people see the “Hispanic ministry” as the responsibility of some small group “doing their thing” on the sidelines, then sooner or later the ministry will die on the vine. On the other hand, if the people see the “Hispanic ministry” as their own ministry, a ministry entrusted to them by God himself in his Word, a necessary priority in their present circumstances, then that ministry will bear fruit for God’s glory. Instead of a small group working in isolation, the whole congregation will work together, each person using his or her own gifts as God calls. Some may make visits, some may help organize, some may give financial support, some may serve coffee – but it will be everyone’s ministry under God, and anyone who comes to the church will be able to see Christ’s love in action.

I say again, if you are an Anglo wanting to participate in Hispanic ministry, prepare the way beforehand! Together with your fellow believers, study God’s Word and underline his call to mission. When you are in one accord, go forward with his guidance.

ConclusionSo what are you waiting for? Start praying and getting your mission group together! And may God bless and guide you as you follow his purpose for Hispanic ministry and communicate that vision to others.

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Steps to TakeBe very clear in your mind about the overall, biblical purpose of Hispanic ministry.

Gather together a small group of leaders who are committed to starting a new Hispanic ministry. There should be 5 or 6 of you, including the pastor.

Share this biblical vision with the rest of the congregation. If you wish, you can use some of the resources mentioned in this chapter.

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Prayer

Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. (Psalm 127:1)

We Need God’s PowerWe Lutherans like to pray. Paige Mathews, who is the director of development for the Lutheran Hispanic Missionary Institute, comes from a background in the Church of Christ. He says that during the time he has worked with the Lutheran Church, he has been impressed with how readily we pray – during visits, during meetings, before starting any endeavor.

That is great! However, I’ve found that even though we pray often, we don’t always pray with a lot of faith. Perhaps you’ve heard the story of the farmers who got together during a drought to pray for rain. However, no-one except a little girl thought to bring an umbrella.

Often we are like those farmers. In Acts 12, the Bible tells of a dangerous time for the Christians in Jerusalem. Herod killed James and imprisoned Peter. As Peter sat in prison waiting for his trial and probable execution, the Christians gathered to pray for him. During the night, God sent an angel who brought Peter out of the jail under the noses of four squads of soldiers. Peter went to the house where the prayer meeting was taking place. Although he knocked and called out, the Christians refused to believe that it was him. Peter had to keep on knocking until they finally opened the door and were astonished to see him. Although they had been praying for Peter, they didn’t really believe that God would answer their prayer.

We also sometimes pray, not expecting that God will really answer. Sure, we say that God answers prayer. But we often act like it all depends on us. Prayer is a last resort. Once a woman was on a ferry which was struggling through some high winds. Being inexperienced on the water, the waves frightened the woman, and she sought out the captain. When she saw him, she exclaimed, “Captain, is there any hope for us?” The captain, wanting to reassure her, replied, “Ma’am, don’t worry. We are in God’s hands.” The woman exclaimed, “Oh no! Has it come to that already?” For her – and for us many times – turning to God was a measure of desperation.

I believe that this is a symptom of a deeper problem: we want to be in control. You see, God is beyond our control. He may answer our prayers affirmatively, but he may also answer no, or ask us to wait. And because this is outside our control, we often pray hesitantly, not boldly. We are pessimists when it comes to prayer. Oh, I affirm that prayer is powerful, I preach sermons about it, I have examples where prayer brought miraculous healing or rescue from danger. But when it

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comes to specific prayers, I often have the feeling that although God can help me, I don’t want to get my hopes up too high. I don’t want to count the chickens before they’re hatched. If I can’t control it, I don’t trust it.

In other words: we absolutely need God’s power, and we give lip service to the value of prayer to connect us to God’s power, but in practice we depend primarily upon our own weak efforts.

We Need God’s GuidanceIn the same way, because we want to be in control, we often have difficulty following God’s guidance. In our prayers, we ask God to bless our plans. Sure, we say that we want the Holy Spirit to guide us, but we usually already have an idea of the direction we want the Holy Spirit to go. It’s only when we’re really desperate and don’t have a clue that we sincerely beg God to help us with a key decision. Again, we act like the woman on the ferry: “Has it come to that?”

There is a part of us – the old, sinful nature – that doesn’t really want to follow God’s guidance. In the Bible, King Saul was chosen by God but didn’t want to follow God’s instructions. Joshua followed God’s strange instructions to the letter in the battle for Jericho, but later didn’t bother to consult the Lord with regard to the Gibeonites. Deep in our hearts, we would like to do our own thing, not what God wants.

Why is it that prayer so easily becomes something we do by rote? We very often recite the Lord’s prayer without thinking about what we are saying. Even prayers that are supposedly made up on the spot, can become vain repetitions. I’ve noticed that my daughters say almost exactly the same words every evening in their prayers during devotions. It’s like a magic formula – recite the words correctly, and you get what you want. You can recite magic by rote. Magic allows you to stay in control.

But prayer is communication with God, not magic words. Nor is it a good work which merits a positive response from God. Sometimes even people who promote prayer talk as if prayer were a good work that we do, that will bring blessing if we only dedicate ourselves more thoroughly to it. Well, prayer is certainly good, but it is not a good work which merits something from God. It is simply trusting God and asking for his help. (And also thanking him for his help, and asking for forgiveness for the many times we screw up.) God is in control.

God’s Mission – Not OursWhen we think about starting a Hispanic ministry – or any ministry – we can’t do it with our power and plan. We absolutely need God’s help and God’s guidance. We may think that what’s needed is a full-fledged Spanish Lutheran worship service – but maybe what God has in mind at this time is simply an English class in a small room. Or perhaps we think that we just need a small food bank to help our community, but God has much bigger plans.

In 2009, unexpectedly, a rather large property in Juarez, Mexico, was donated to San Pablo Lutheran Church, with the proviso that they use the property for outreach. San Pablo had not planned for this at all. They had no money budgeted. Today on that property there are worship services, a very low-budget soup kitchen on Wednesdays, and over 200 children attending Bible classes. Lutherans from all over Juarez have helped to fix the place up and build a retaining wall. This happened in spite of all the drug wars and gang violence in Juarez at this time. God had bigger plans.

In 2010, Pastor Andrew Dimit from Sterling, Colorado, called me. His circuit was planning to begin a Hispanic mission, but probably not in his particular congregation, because Pastor

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Andrew and others felt that there was not as big a need for Hispanic outreach there. But Pastor Andrew was serving as a volunteer to help people with English at the local library. Knowing he was a pastor, one Hispanic girl there got together with two of her friends and asked Pastor Andrew to teach them about God and Jesus. Her parents then also asked for instruction. Pastor Andrew went to the one Hispanic member of his congregation – a woman – and expressed his pleasant surprise that these Hispanics were seeking him out with regard to spiritual things. The woman looked at Pastor Andrew askance and said, “You mean you don’t know? Everybody knows you as the pastor who treats us Mexicans with respect. You better get ready, because you’re going to have a lot more Hispanics knocking on your door in the days to come.” A year later, Pastor Dimit called me to say that he had just officiated at a “quinceañera” (a special celebration for a Hispanic girl’s 15th birthday) and had gone out on a limb to actually preach in Spanish! Afterwards, more Hispanics sought him out for Catechism classes or for leading other special services.

This did not happen according to Pastor Andrew’s plans or through his power. It was God’s doing. Actually, our ministry is always God’s doing, but sometimes we don’t see it so clearly. What will come of this in the future? Is this the beginning of a new Hispanic mission? Or will it be just a few people who study the Bible and maybe join the church? I don’t know. You don’t know. Pastor Andrew doesn’t know. And that is the point. God knows.

Encouraging Our Congregations to Pray in FaithReggie McNeal states: “Prayer may be the most untapped and underused resource available to the church for accomplishing its mission. Let’s face it, most of the praying that goes on in many ministry organizations and congregations is spent on members and member activities.” (Missional Renaissance, p. 70) Imagine what could happen if we gave that same attention in prayer to God’s mission.

What can we do to encourage ourselves and our congregations to pray in faith for new ministries and missions?

There are many good resources for encouraging prayer. Recently a number of churches have been following the program of “Acts 29” which encompasses 50 days of prayer, guided by readings from the book of Acts. Perhaps you know that the book of Acts only contains 28 chapters. The program “Acts 29” encourages participants to understand that today we are living and writing the 29th chapter of Acts. In prayer, we ask that God would use us to spread the Gospel as he did in Acts. You can obtain the “Acts 29” guide by writing to Pastor Glenn Weber at prayerrenewal@sbcglobal.net.

Another way of encouraging prayer for missions is to hold Prayer Walks. There are two different ways to hold a Prayer Walk. One way is to gather a group together from the church and walk through the neighborhood, pausing periodically to pray together for the businesses, schools, and families along the street. This type of Prayer Walk can help focus our attention on God’s work in a particular area. During the Prayer Walk, we not only pray for the community around us; we also pray that God would open our eyes so that we will clearly see what he would like to do in this place through us. Reggie McNeal tells about one congregation that sent its staff (each individual leader) out to different places in the community to spend an hour just watching and praying “Lord, help me see what you see.” They came back fired up with an urgency to share Christ’s love with a multitude of people who were not being engaged by their church ministry.

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A second type of Prayer Walk, which more and more Lutherans are promoting, involves going door to door in the community, asking people for their prayer requests. These prayer requests are brought to the church to a group of intercessors who pray specifically for each need. At a later time, a follow-up visit can be made to the people who requested prayer. During the follow-up visit, we find out what results came about through our prayers, and ask if there are other requests.

This second type of Prayer Walk accomplishes three things at once. First of all, we get to know the residents and businesspeople of our community, and their needs. Secondly, through prayer we do something very positive for those needs. Thirdly, the people of our community get to know us and see the love of Christ in action. This type of Prayer Walk is being used very effectively in many new missions on the east coast, particularly in New Jersey. For more information, contact Pastor Jim Buckman at jbuckman007@cs.com.

If you don’t care to go door-to-door, some congregations look for other ways to encourage people in the community to share their prayer requests. For example, you might leave a note on the doorknob of each house, letting the neighbors know that you are praying for them and asking them to send an email with specific prayer requests. Alternatively, some churches make “prayer boxes” which can be set out at workplaces and/or in front of the church building, where people can leave their prayer requests. Another example: McNeal suggests that the church “adopt” local community leaders (teachers, administrators, government officials, police, firefighters, sanitation workers, etc.) for prayer. In this situation, the church writes to each “adopted” leader to invite them to share their challenges, and specific individuals at church pray for each leader every week.

In all of these examples, it is absolutely necessary to have a group from church that is committed to praying regularly for these requests. Furthermore, it’s a very good idea to provide for some sort of follow-up contact, if possible.

Here are still more ideas for mission praying:

In the congregational prayers on Sunday morning, include prayers for specific challenges facing the community (economic, social, political problems).

Use the church prayer chain to pass on mission-oriented prayer requests.

Organize special prayer meetings. For example, on the first of every month, Ascension Lutheran Church in El Paso, Texas, meets for 45 minutes of silent prayer for the drug-related violence in Juarez, Mexico. Jennifer Cummings provides a written guide for each participant – see www.projectps.com.

Encourage church members to seek prayer requests from people that serve them – grocery store clerks, waitresses, etc. For example, Luis Palau encourages Christians to pray for their servers in restaurants. When the server comes to take your order, simply let them know that you’ll be praying before the meal and ask if there is something specific they would like you to pray for.

Use a prayer calendar or series of devotions to pray specifically for different aspects of God’s mission on different days.

No matter what means you use to encourage congregational prayer, it is important to teach the whole church what was said at the beginning of this chapter. Prayer is not a “good work” that one has to pay in order to buy blessings from God. On the contrary, prayer is talking with God,

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trusting that he can and will help, and seeking his guidance. God may very well answer in unexpected ways. He is in control!

ConclusionPrograms for encouraging prayer are great – and I hope you’ll find these ideas helpful – but they’re not enough. More than anything, we need forgiveness and help. Yes, we Lutherans know we should pray and trust the Lord. However, just like everyone else, there’s a part of us that wants to stay in control. That part of us needs to die in daily repentance. We need Christ’s forgiveness and the Spirit’s help to pray boldly, to launch out in faith, and to change our plans in accordance with God’s leading.

Steps to TakePray before, during, and after everything you do. Encourage the rest of the congregation to pray. Look for ways to pray specifically for God’s mission in your community.

Be ready and willing to change your plans, according to God’s guidance.

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PowerThe God Connection

The battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand. 1 Samuel 17:47b (ESV)

IntroductionBack when I was in high school, for a while I tried to learn some simple juggling. Appropriately enough, I bought the book Juggling for the Complete Klutz. The book came with three small bean bags that one was meant to juggle. The very first instructions in the book told me to pick up the three bean bags, toss them gently in the air and let them hit the ground. “This,” wrote the author, “is known as the ‘Fall’. As you learn to juggle, this will happen a LOT. Get used to it. Don’t let it stop you.”

In a similar way, as we go about Hispanic ministry – or any part of God’s mission – we WILL make mistakes. LOTS of mistakes. Some of these will be due to the normal trial and error that happens whenever someone tries to learn a new thing. Other mistakes will be due to our weakness or our sinful nature causing us to stumble.

On the one hand, we want to avoid as many mistakes as we can. (In fact, that is part of the purpose for this handbook.) However, we also have to recognize that if the ministry depends on our human strength and skill, it will fail. We need God! “We are weak, but he is strong!” We need God not only to guide us and help us but also to pick us up when we stumble. We need God to wipe away our failures and give us new opportunities. We need God to turn even our mistakes into good (Romans 8:28). As we go about God’s mission, how can we remain connected to God’s power and God’s forgiveness?

God’s WordOne of the rallying cries of the Lutheran Church is Sola Scriptura (Scriptures Alone). We base our faith on the Bible, God’s Word, not on human philosophies or theories. However, the Word of God does not only inform us about God; it is also God’s instrument for touching and changing our lives.

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The Holy Spirit uses God’s Word to convict us of sin, that is, to show us where we have gone wrong. As you listen to a sermon (or participate in a Bible study, or simply read the Bible), sooner or later you will come to realize that you have fallen short of God’s standards in some way. The theologians call this the “Law.” The “Law” reveals what God expects of us, how we have failed, and what the consequences are. It breaks down our defenses, strips away our masks, and dissolves the lies we tell ourselves.

The Holy Spirit also uses God’s Word to convince us that Jesus is our Savior. As you listen to a sermon (or participate in a Bible study, or simply read the Bible), you will hear again and again that God forgives you through Jesus Christ, wiping away the past and giving us a new beginning. The theologians call this the “Gospel.” The “Gospel” reveals that God loves us, that he forgives us through Jesus Christ, and that he promises us eternal life with him. Through God’s Word, the Holy Spirit sparks faith in our hearts.

God uses his Word for two main purposes. He wants us to:

Know Christ

and

Grow in Christ

These are things that we can’t do by our own strength. God works these transformations through his Word (Romans 10:17, 1 Peter 2:2, 2 Timothy 3:16-17).

The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12, ESV) The Word of God connects us to the power of God – and yet, surprisingly, we Lutherans are often a bit lazy about using this great gift. I’ve noticed that very often, once a person becomes a leader in ministry, he or she starts reducing the amount of time spent reading the Bible and thinking about God’s message. Perhaps some of us feel that as leaders, we don’t have as much time as we used to. Or perhaps we feel that the time that we spend doing work at church somehow accomplishes the same thing as personal Bible study. Or perhaps we simply think that we “already know that stuff” and don’t need to go over it yet again.

Whatever our reasons, we end up separating ourselves from the main channel by which God transforms and energizes our lives. Martin Luther said that even though he was a doctor of theology, he needed to remind himself each day of the basic Biblical teachings in the Catechism. It’s like recharging your spiritual cellphone.

Of course, it’s not just a matter of “how much time” we put into reading the Scriptures. Sometimes we spend time with the Word but don’t pay much attention to what God is saying. For example, we can sit through a sermon daydreaming without really listening to it. From time to time in Bible class, I ask someone to read a couple of verses, and then I ask them to say in their own words what they just read. All too often they can’t. They have to reread what they just read – and the second time, they pay more attention.

We leaders are often tempted to skip paying attention to God’s Word. Instead of listening to a sermon, we critique it. We think, “He could have said that better,” instead of thinking “What does God want me to understand here?”

Why do we so often neglect the beautiful gift of God’s Word? Well, there’s a part of each of us – the old sinful nature – that simply doesn’t care for God’s way of doing things. Furthermore, the

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devil knows very well that God’s Word has power, and he does everything he can to distract us or to tempt us away. Have you noticed that when you try to make a habit of daily devotions (meditations on God’s Word), it seems like the phone starts ringing, the kids start crying, schedule conflicts arise, just about anything and everything works against it. And yet, when we do make time to listen to the Word of God, the Lord strengthens us. There have been plenty of days when I’ve been rushed and didn’t feel that I had time to spend in God’s Word; but since I am a pastor (and should set an example!) I would grudgingly get out my Bible, thinking “I’ll just read a verse or two to fulfill my obligations, and then I’ll get going on the real work.” However, as I would read, almost invariably I would find words that speak to me and my situation. I would read “just a little more” and then “just a bit more” until finally I’d read a couple of chapters instead of a couple of verses.

You don’t necessarily have to read a couple of chapters each day; but all of us need to have a plan for regularly listening to what God has to say. As leaders, we should be aware that we will be tempted to skimp on God’s Word, just as others are tempted. Nevertheless, we absolutely cannot accomplish our mission and ministry by our own strength. If/when we find ourselves neglecting the Word of God, it’s time to ask God’s forgiveness and with his help start anew.

The power of God’s Word is important not only for our own spiritual health but also for when we share Christ’s love with others.

The Bible is, of course God’s Word. However, reading the Bible is not the only way that God’s Word comes to people. Whenever you or I share Biblical truths, we are sharing God’s Word. In this sense, a good sermon could be said to be “the Word of God.” A sermon is not the Bible; it is not infallible; the pastor might make a mistake (remember that we humans are weak). However, when the sermon accurately communicates the Law and the Gospel, taken from the Bible, it is presenting the Word of God. And the Holy Spirit will work through it to change lives. Sometimes even when the sermon is not the best, the Holy Spirit still uses some part of it to touch peoples’ hearts.

In your new mission or ministry, God is calling you also to present his Word. You will want to do everything you can to accurately communicate Christ’s love and salvation in what you say and what you do. The more clearly you apply what the Bible says, the better. Nevertheless, please keep in mind that the power to touch peoples’ hearts is in God, not in you. You cannot change peoples’ lives, no matter how eloquent your words are. However, God can and will use you to change peoples’ lives, no matter how simple your words are.

For this reason, in your ministry, if things go really well and you see lots of exciting results, don’t get a big head. To God be the glory! The Holy Spirit is the one who deserves the credit. Be happy and grateful that God is doing some wonderful things through you. However, he might just be doing it in spite of your mistakes instead of because you are so great. It’s not about you. You are weak, but God is strong.

In the same way, if things are difficult in your ministry and you don’t see many results at first, don’t think that you are a failure. By all means, evaluate what you are doing, so that you can correct any mistakes. However, sometimes God calls us to be faithful in trying circumstances, and to trust that he is working even if we don’t see immediately what we hoped to see (Isaiah 55:10-11). Remember that it’s not about you. You are weak, but God is strong.

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Daily RepentanceWhen you drive your car down a road, you constantly have to use the steering wheel to adjust the direction the car is going. You as a driver need to constantly guide the car around curves. Even on the straight patches of road, you often need to make little adjustments to the steering as bumps or slopes cause the car to drift ever so slightly to one side or the other.

Since we are weak, and make so many mistakes, our lives also need regular adjustments or corrections in order to keep following the way that God wants us to travel. Whenever we discover that we have failed to live up to what God wants of us, whenever we see that we have “drifted” to one side or the other, we ask the Lord to forgive us and to help us change. In fact, we regularly go to the Lord for forgiveness and direction even when we can’t point to something specific that we have done wrong, because we often sin without even knowing it. Whenever we pray the Lord’s Prayer, we ask God to “forgive us our trespasses.”

These regular life corrections are called “repentance.” Repentance means acknowledging our moral failures and trusting that Jesus died and rose again to wipe away those failures and their eternal consequences. It means forgiveness and an adjustment in our direction in life.

Regularly receiving God’s forgiveness and correction is absolutely essential for our spiritual life. For those of us who are involved in Hispanic ministry, it is even more important. Some congregations have begun a Hispanic outreach with the idea that the ministry will be easy. They think, “We’ll just open the doors and welcome the Hispanics in our neighborhood, and they will jump at the chance to become members of our church, and we will all live happily ever after.”

However, ministry always involves sacrifice, especially ministry that seeks to cross the cultural barrier. There are many obstacles – and some of those obstacles are not outside of us but within us. We ourselves are often self-centered, blind, stubborn, and not really all that concerned about others’ feelings and needs. We are often quick to take offense and to blame others. We are often resistant to the changes God wants to make in our lives and ministries. We get comfortable with things the way they are, and it is not easy to keep up with God, who is continually on the move and seeking to bring his salvation to new people.

Do you want your ministry to “bear much fruit?” Then according to John 15:1-6, you need to remain connected to Jesus. We remain connected to Jesus when we receive his Word and his love and pass them on to others. At the same time, the Father “prunes” us, that is, he calls us to repentance, forgives us, and corrects us. The fruit that we bear is both good works (Galatians 5:22-23) and new people coming to faith (Colossians 1:5-6). That is, we show the love of Christ and we speak about the love of Christ, and God makes the fruit to grow.

So, in spite of our many mistakes, God still makes our ministry “fruitful.” However, the fruit will end if we are not connected with Jesus – if we don’t want to admit our mistakes and receive his forgiveness and correction.

Baptism and the Lord’s SupperThe Bible says that “the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7) and that Jesus knows “all people” and knows “what is in each person” (John 2:24-25). God knows very well how prone we are to stray from his way. Because of that, he not only gives us his Word but also connects that Word to something physical, something we can touch and see and even taste. In Baptism, God’s Word is connected with water. In the Lord’s Supper, the promise of salvation is connected with bread and wine – and the body and blood of Christ.

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Our hymnals and theology books describe Baptism and the Lord’s Supper with such poetic words and elevated rhetoric that we sometimes pass over the main point of it all. The purpose is not to perform some ritual that will help us gain points with God. It is not just to strike awe into the hearts of the worshippers or to make us feel good. The main point is simply this: in these two acts, God seeks to awaken and strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ.

This means that Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are important for strengthening our personal relationship with God through faith. They are even more important for leaders in new ministries, whose presence and work are essential and who consequently face more obstacles from Satan and from non-Christians.

In addition, we desire others to also come to faith and to grow in faith. An important aspect of Hispanic ministry is to encourage people not only to listen to the Word but also to be baptized and to commune. Furthermore, we want to help them not to participate mechanically in a ritual, but to hear and believe the promise of salvation through Christ, which is made concrete in these two special acts. Regrettably, there are quite a few people who have been baptized and who attend the Lord’s Supper, but whose hearts are far from the Lord. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper cannot save anyone if they don’t trust in Jesus as their Savior. The whole point of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper is to increase our faith in Christ.

ConclusionAs you go out to serve God’s mission, keep in mind that you are weak and will inevitably make mistakes. This ministry will fail if it depends solely on your abilities and performance. However, God wants to work through you in spite of your weaknesses. It is absolutely essential that you remain connected with God’s strength, hearing his Word, receiving his forgiveness and correction, growing in faith through Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. It is also of key importance that you connect others with those same tools by which God works changes in our lives. This chapter could apply to any ministry – not just Hispanic ministry. The bottom line is that we are weak – but God can and will do great things through us, as we remain connected with him.

Steps to TakeBe very clear that God is the one at work through you. Remain connected with God through daily repentance and forgiveness, through God’s Word and communion. Point others to the Lord, not yourself.

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PeopleCharacteristics of Your Hispanic Community

Get to Know the People in Your CommunityThe German theologian Karl Barth said that the preacher needs to have a Bible in one hand and a newspaper in the other. God’s presence and power, his forgiveness and salvation, need to be communicated in a such a way that the people of this specific time and place can grasp it. The missiologists like to speak of “contextualization,” translating the message of the Bible for a particular culture. If you are going to faithfully communicate God’s Word, you need to not only understand thoroughly the message of the Bible, but also understand the people to whom you are going to speak that message.

What is true for preaching is also true for starting a new ministry. You need not only to understand the gospel, but also have an idea of how to connect that gospel to the people God has sent you to reach. What is the culture and context in which these people live, and in which the ministry will take place? Find out as much as you can about the people and their situation.

How Can You Find “People” Information?How can you learn about the people in your community? Well, talk to them! Nothing can substitute for going out and talking to people. Ask the leaders of existing churches in the area about the characteristics and needs of the people there – and how they are ministering. (For example, you may find that every church in town has a program for teaching English, and there is no need for one more – but there might be a need for a food pantry.) Ask the community leaders and business owners what things are like. Ask people you meet about what they feel the most urgent community needs are.

Don’t just talk to leaders. Talk to the Hispanic people you see every day in different settings. When a Hispanic lady cuts your hair at the beauty shop, take some time to ask her about her family, where she is from, and yes, what church (if any) she attends. Over lunch break at work, go over and sit with the Hispanic group and talk with them. At the P.T.A. meeting, go meet the parents of the Hispanic boy who studies with your kids. You know how to make conversation with Anglos – it’s not any different with Hispanics. The culture may be different – you may misunderstand something once in a while – but you can manage. And you will be surprised at the rich friendships that you have passed by all this time!

Frankly, even if you never launch a formal Hispanic ministry at your church, you will be advancing God’s mission and purpose if you just make friends with the Hispanic people whom the Lord places as your neighbors, and if you share your faith in Christ in a friendly way with

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them. In fact, if you don’t have this part – personally sharing and telling Christ’s love – the formal ministry will not do any good at all.

Talking to people is important. However, if you base your ministry decisions only on the people you personally talk with, you may miss the bigger picture. Demographic studies can help you get that bigger picture of the community. The Lutheran Church Extension Fund can provide you with solid demographic data. Often they provide this service for free! The census data is another good source to consult. Local schools can also be a gold mine of information.

Some missionaries do a Prayer Walk at this point. They go door to door and ask people if they have a special need for which they would like someone to pray. They note down the prayer requests, and set aside a time with an intercessory group to pray together for those community requests. Later, they go back and follow up, asking how things are going. (In this way, they combine gathering information with prayer and outreach.)

If you feel challenged by this idea of gathering community information, you can always ask a consultant for help. Some of us just don’t have the gifts to draw useful conclusions from a demographic survey, and we may feel that the press of time doesn’t leave a lot of room for doing surveys of community leaders. I think that making connections with people is always worthwhile, but yes, we sometimes feel that we need some help. For example, Dr. James Tino, a man with experience planting Lutheran churches here in the U.S. and in Latin America, offers consulting services for new church plants, especially Hispanic church plants. He takes about a day to gather demographic information, spends about two days on site talking to everyone he can find, and then presents all his findings in an easy-to-understand report which also offers his recommendations for the new mission and its strategies. Dr. Tino charges $2000, which includes travel and other expenses, and part of which is donated to mission work. Other people who do consulting tell him he should be charging at least three times this amount. You can write to Dr. Tino at revtino@hotmail.com.

Where Did They Come From?When you gather this information about people, what are some things to look for? And how do those things affect the type of ministry that you are planning?

First of all, it’s important to note where the Hispanics in your community are coming from. That is, what country did they call home before they (or their parents or grandparents) came to the United States? Are they from Mexico? Cuba? Chile?

Many Anglos have the idea that all Hispanics are alike, because they all speak Spanish. That’s like saying that everyone who speaks English is alike. But there are obvious differences between a person from Texas and a person from England, for example. An English-speaker from India will be very different from an Australian. In the same way, Hispanics from different countries often have different customs. Sometimes, Hispanics from one country do not get along well with those who come from another country.

Furthermore, not all Hispanics speak Spanish. Many speak Portuguese. A fair number of others speak Dutch, English, French, German, “patois” or other languages in their home countries. Even among those Hispanics who speak Spanish, there are different accents and often different vocabulary. Sometimes a word which is perfectly innocent and acceptable in Venezuela (like “chupeta,” which means a pacifier or lollipop) can be offensive in some parts of Mexico. Many

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Hispanics can immediately pinpoint what country someone comes from, by their accent and word choice.

For example, you may find that the Hispanics near you are mostly from Mexico. There are a lot of Hispanics of Mexican origin in the United States, particularly in the Southwest and in small towns all across the country. Not only do we share a very long border with Mexico, but also many parts of the U.S. originally belonged to Mexico. Some Mexican-American families have been in the United States for generations – even before the Pilgrims arrived! Many others have moved here quite recently. In the past, Mexicans have often borne the brunt of discrimination and prejudice in this country. By far the majority of the Mexican Hispanics in the U.S. are here legally. However, there is also a growing minority of illegal immigrants among them, which may affect how you go about your ministry.

On the other hand, you may find that most of the Hispanics in your community are originally from Cuba. This would be the case particularly if you are in Florida or certain large cities. Cuban families are often here in the United States as a result of seeking political asylum. They usually (not always) have no problems with immigration. Very often Cubans are professionals (doctors, lawyers, business people, etc.) who earn a bit more than the average Hispanic in the U.S. Their access to material resources might help a new-born Hispanic ministry become self-sufficient more quickly. However, sometimes there are conflicts between Cubans and other Hispanic groups.

One more example: you may find a large number of Hispanics from Puerto Rico living near you. Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens by birth. A Puerto Rican is not an immigrant – Puerto Rico enjoys a special status within the United States. However, Puerto Ricans share many characteristics common to Hispanics. They keep many traditions from their place of origin. Yet they also sometimes find it easier to feel at home in a predominantly Anglo setting.

What does this mean for the Hispanic outreach you would like to start? Just this: get to know the people in your particular community. Don’t assume that because you have had contact with Hispanics elsewhere, you automatically know what your Hispanic neighbors are like. Listen before you speak!

For example, the posadas (traditional Christmas celebrations) which are so important in Mexico are utterly unknown to most other Hispanics. Mention mate to a non-Brazilian and you will get a blank stare. Unless they are from Venezuela or Colombia, most Hispanics do not know what an arepa is (it is made of corn meal and eaten with almost every meal in some places).

Furthermore, if you speak Spanish, be ready to adjust your vocabulary when necessary, in order to communicate well with the group in your community.

Finally, realize that even if a church worker is Hispanic, he or she may still have to bridge some cultural barriers in order to reach Hispanics who come from different backgrounds.

How Long Have They Been Here?It also makes a big difference how long a Hispanic family has been in the U.S. Someone who moves from one country to another is called a “first-generation” immigrant. A first generation Hispanic usually speaks Spanish (or Portuguese) as his or her principal language. He experiences “culture shock” in the U.S. He may have left most of his family in the home country, hoping to bring them later. He may have serious financial obligations with his extended family, and yet, as an immigrant, he may not have access to higher-paying jobs. A first-generation immigrant may

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need a lot of help finding the services he needs (like doctors, schools, etc.). He may need help understanding the customs and culture of the United States. He will likely desire to worship in his mother tongue, the language of his heart. Most of our existing Hispanic ministries are directed towards first-generation immigrants.

If a first-generation immigrant has children born in the U.S., they will be called the “second generation.” Second-generation people are likely to be completely bilingual, speaking English in school and Spanish at home. Some of this second generation do not speak Spanish at all. Something similar happened in my own family. My grandfather came to the U.S. from Germany – he was first generation – and spoke fluent German. However, my father – the second generation – never learned German at all.

Second generation people will be much more assimilated to the way things are done in the U.S. They are likely to want to worship in English. However, they will also still probably retain many of the characteristics of their parents’ culture. They often will not automatically “fit in” to an Anglo congregation just because they speak English. We still need to cross a cultural barrier – although it may not be as large a barrier as with the first-generation immigrants.

Frankly, reaching our own youth with the gospel is always a challenge, even without the cultural baggage. Very few Hispanic ministries here in the U.S. are making a concerted effort to reach the second generation. Many Hispanic ministries have an English-language children’s message and English Sunday School, but that’s about it. When the kids get older, they are lost.

However, the second generation is full of untapped potential. Second generation people are much more likely to put down roots and be stable geographically. They are much more likely to be financially stable and to earn more than their parents. This means that the Hispanic ministry that reaches the second generation may more easily be able to become financially independent! Furthermore, second generation people are often very gifted. Several studies have been done on the children of missionaries who go to other countries to serve the Lord. So-called “missionary kids” (“MK’s”) on average test much higher academically than children who never leave their home country. They tend to excel in their chosen fields, and of course are fluent in at least two languages. These children may not feel completely “at home” in any country – but they tend to be more “on the ball” as a result.

A special case are the children who were born outside of the U.S. but came here with their parents while they were still very young. These children are sometimes called the “1.5 generation.” Depending on how old they were when they immigrated, they may be similar to either the first or the second generation, or they may have a mix of characteristics from both.

By the third generation (the grandchildren of the original immigrant), Spanish may or may not be spoken, but English is definitely the primary language. A lot of assimilation has taken place, but there are still many “Hispanic” elements in the third generation world view.

To put this into perspective, there are Hispanic families who have lived in the United States (particularly the southwest) much longer than any Anglo. They have been here so long that it’s hard to keep track of how many generations have passed. They are fully integrated into the mainstream of the U.S., yet they often retain perspectives and customs from their particular traditions. Some few of these multi-generation Hispanics have found their way into the predominantly Anglo congregations of the Lutheran Church. However, many of them still feel less than welcome in a place that is not very open to other cultural traditions.

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On the other hand, there are also Hispanic families who have moved to the United States in the past month due to the violence in Mexico. They may or may not even have papers. They are not very assimilated culturally, and might well prefer to be back in their home country. Often the Hispanics who have been in the U.S. for a long time, look down on the Hispanics who have just arrived.

As you can see, then, trying to reach multiple generations of Hispanics will be a challenge. There are often major differences, even antagonism, between these groups.

However, there are also some bright spots. First of all, you do not necessarily need to know Spanish in order to reach out to Hispanics. With first generation immigrants, you can help them learn English! With second or third generation people, there is no language barrier. So please, no more excuses that “I can’t do anything because I don’t know Spanish!”

Secondly, in spite of the differences between generations, Hispanics in general value the family very highly. If key members of the family come to know Jesus Christ as Savior, the door will be open to share Christ with all the generations represented in that particular family.

Thirdly, if there is any friction between different generations of Hispanics, if you are an Anglo, you can avoid taking sides. The door is open for you to reach all of them.

Fourthly, Jesus transforms lives. As Hispanics of different generations come to know Jesus, you can be sure that the Holy Spirit will be working on their hearts to break down the barriers and make us all one.

What is Their Current Situation?In one Midwestern town in Iowa, a seasoned church planter spent years trying to establish a stable Hispanic congregation, only to give up and move on to another place. What happened? The Hispanic families in that area were very transient. Some of them worked temporary jobs and moved on afterwards. Others took entry-level jobs in a local food processing plant, but whenever they heard of better opportunities elsewhere, they moved. The church planter was frustrated because just when the group was starting to grow, suddenly half the congregation would pull up roots and move away to a better job. The Hispanic community was very mobile. In a situation like this, perhaps it would be better not to try to establish a permanent congregation, but simply find ways to reach out with Christ’s love in the limited time that the people are present. For example, perhaps someone could serve as a “chaplain” at the plant; perhaps you could offer English courses and job skill development; perhaps after-school programs could help the children with homework and at the same time expose them to the Gospel.

On the other hand, in New Mexico there are Hispanic families who have lived in the same area literally for centuries – certainly longer than any Anglo families there. These people have deep roots and are not likely to be moving away at the drop of a hat. If the Hispanic community surrounding you is settled and stable, then starting a permanent congregation would be a feasible goal.

So then, it is good to find out not only where your Hispanic neighbors are from, and how long they have been in the States, but also what their situation is like. Are they transient or settled? Are they financially shaky or financially stable? How much education do they have? Are they citizens, legal immigrants, or undocumented? Please note that some of these questions are very personal, and you normally will not want to ask your Hispanic acquaintances directly. In particular, if you go around asking people their immigration status, you are likely to offend those

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who are citizens and cause suspicion in those who are undocumented. Also, financial information is private, not something you discuss with just anyone. You can, however, find some general statistics about the Hispanics in your area through the local schools, or through demographic studies.

One thing you can ask people about directly, is their opinion about the needs of the community. How can the church best serve in this area? Normally, people will answer with physical needs. In low-income communities, perhaps the needs will include food, housing, medical care, English learning, or orientation (or referral) to appropriate places where help can be found. In higher-income areas, perhaps the needs will include after-school programs for children, parenting classes, youth programs, or money management (budgeting) conferences.

Since you come from a church, you will also often have the opportunity to ask about spiritual needs and beliefs. Many Hispanics call themselves Catholic. However, a study by George Barna years ago found that almost half of the Hispanics in the United States do not identify themselves with the Roman Catholic church. Furthermore, those who do call themselves Catholic often have different ideas about what that means. Some (a minority, unfortunately) are Catholic by conviction, active in their church and trusting in Jesus Christ as their Savior.1 Others are Catholic in name only, because their parents and grandparents and other family members are Catholic. For them, being “Catholic” is part of the culture, and their personal beliefs might include almost anything from atheism to reincarnation. The majority seem to believe that it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you are a good person. Still others have a veneer of Catholicism mixed with what we might call “popular religion” (spiritism, witchcraft, santería, animism, and the like). Rev. Douglas Groll has noted that Catholicism in Latin America has two main branches. The “official” Catholic religion is led by the priests, holds formal (traditional) worship services in special church buildings, focuses on the Triune God (the saints are secondary) and adheres to a doctrine that is developed and defended by logical arguments. The “popular” religion, on the other hand, is led by lay people, has rituals performed in homes or outdoors, focuses on many different spiritual entities (from angels to spirits to saints) and is extremely subjective or even contradictory with respect to doctrine. The theory behind the rituals is unimportant, as long as it produces the desired result.2 In Latin America, a large number of people go to Mass in the Catholic Church, but also go to the local “brujo” (wizard) when they feel the need. This attitude is perhaps less prevalent here in the United States, but it is growing.

Notice that the “official” Catholic religion has a lot of apparent similarities to our own church body. This is both an advantage and a disadvantage. On the one hand, it is one less barrier for a Hispanic to overcome, if he wants to join our church. On the other hand, it would be easy for a new member to think that the churches are “the same” and joining our church means “business as usual” without really repenting and trusting in Jesus for salvation. Even worse, the new member might continue to worship other spiritual beings – and believe that this is OK!

So, what do the people in your community believe? What are their physical and spiritual needs? Find out!

1 We don’t need to waste our time and resources reaching them (except to show them Christ’s love as we do any neighbor). It’s true, we cringe at some of the unbiblical points in Catholic theology, but our purpose in Hispanic ministry is not to rob sheep from some other church body, but to seek the ones that are lost.2 Groll, Douglas, La Adoración Bíblica, Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis.

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What Services are Already Available in the Community?In addition to finding out what the needs are, it’s also a good idea to find out what is already available to meet those needs. For example, perhaps in your neighborhood there are many first-generation Hispanics who need to learn English. However, what if ten local churches are already offering English classes during every conceivable time slot? Perhaps opening yet another English class would not be the best use of your limited resources.

On the other hand, perhaps there is also a need for after school programs for children having trouble in school, or children whose parents work. If all ten churches are focusing on English classes, perhaps none are doing anything to reach the kids. You might do well to pray and consider this kind of ministry.

Here’s another example: suppose that there are already quite a few Spanish-language worship services in an area with a very limited first-generation Hispanic population. Perhaps it would be better to reach out to the second generation Hispanics, with bilingual worship services or English worship services which have a Latino flavor. Of course, if you already have a core group of Spanish speakers who dearly want to worship in their heart language, that changes things. Then go ahead with the Spanish service. However, don’t be tied down to Spanish as the only way to reach out! Find out what the needs are in your community and try not to reinvent the wheel if others are already meeting those needs.

How can you find out about the services already available in the community? First, visit the nearby churches and ask what they are doing to reach out among Hispanics. Secondly, contact community leaders and public and private agencies to find out what they have to offer. Sometimes, the programs are already in place, but Hispanics don’t know about them. You might be able to connect the people with the services. As you speak with church leaders and community leaders, you might find people willing to partner with you in your own efforts – or you might be able to support them in some way. Listen, learn, and ask God to guide you in your decisions about the new ministry.

Steps to TakeInvestigate the characteristics of the Hispanics in the community around you. Start thinking of ways you can show Christ’s love for them, in their particular situation.

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PreparationPrepare for Cultural Differences

Why Focus on Just One Culture?Why do we need to form a ministry specifically for Hispanics? Shouldn’t we preach the gospel to everyone, not just one group? If we single Hispanics out, aren’t we guilty of a bit of discrimination ourselves?

Yes, we should reach out to everyone. The problem is that we usually don’t. Unless we make a special effort to bridge the culture gap, we tend to stay within our own cultural group, where we are most comfortable. The sad reality of our Lutheran church is that here in the United States, we have not, by and large, done a good job of sharing Christ’s love with the increasing numbers of Hispanics that God is bringing to our doorstep.

In New Testament times, God had to repeatedly resort to extreme measures in order to get the Jewish Christians off their rear ends and witnessing to the Samaritans and the Gentiles (people of other cultures). Even though Jesus specifically told his disciples to be his witnesses “in Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth,” they were at first content to stay in Jerusalem among the Jews. God therefore allowed them to suffer persecution, and even held back the Holy Spirit on one occasion, until the apostles themselves came out from Jerusalem to see that the Samaritans could become Christians too. With regard to reaching out to the Gentiles, the disciples were even more reluctant. It took a vision and a direct command from God to get Peter to go to the house of a Gentile. Once there, God again sent the Holy Spirit in an unusual way, just to get Peter to leave his prejudices behind and baptize the Gentiles.

The Bible states that God called Paul specifically as a missionary to the Gentiles. Of course Paul wanted all people to be saved, but God called him to witness specifically to the Gentiles, who were being neglected by the Jewish Christians. In the same way, today, if our normal, comfortable habits are not connecting the Gospel with the people around us, then it is time for some extra effort. It is legitimate and biblical to look for ways to effectively share Christ’s love with people of a specific culture group. That’s what “Hispanic ministry” is.

It is true that we do not want our specifically Hispanic ministry to become so exclusive that it results in a segregated church body. We’ll talk more about that danger later on. However, if we don’t make a specific effort in Hispanic ministry, we will by default remain segregated, as a mostly Anglo church body which doesn’t see a pressing need to share Christ with its Hispanic neighbors.

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Crossing Cultural BarriersIf we desire to share Christ across cultural barriers, it would be extremely helpful to know what some of those cultural differences are. Also, very often cultural misunderstandings can cause divisions that cut off promising ministries.

I am assuming that most of you reading this are Anglos; but if you are a Hispanic, I hope this section will be helpful for you as well, as you try to understand your Anglo brothers and sisters.

What is “Culture”?3

What is “culture”? According to T.S. Elliot (Notes Toward the Definition of Culture):

“Culture” is the total pattern of the particular society, with all its assumptions,

values, and forms, a whole way of life.

Every human being is part of a specific society, with its own culture. Different people groups have different norms, perspectives, values and behaviors. Each group has its own particular way of living together, resolving conflicts and satisfying each person’s needs.

Although many different cultures exist, each group believes that its own culture is superior.

Each person feels that his culture is the best, because:

This is the culture that we learned from our parents This is the culture which we know and value. This is the culture that has shaped our lives.

Cultures change very slowly, over time. Culture is transmitted from parents to children, and with the passing of generations, culture changes little by little. There is no culture on the face of the earth which has remained exactly the same.

On the other hand, it is very difficult to bring about rapid, specific changes in a culture. Our cultural values are rooted deeply in our being. Few people dare to examine, much less challenge, their cultural perspectives and values. Unconsciously we learn the assumptions, rules, and behaviors of the society around us. This way of life seems “natural” to us. Other cultures seem “strange.” We judge other people from the perspective of our own culture.

For this reason:

No culture is naturally better All culture is learned Nevertheless, cultural values run deep We all judge others on the basis of our own culture.

No culture is perfect. From the Christian perspective, each culture has its good points and its bad points. Some of its norms reflect the biblical standards and others contradict biblical values. Of course, it is always easier to criticize someone else’s culture than to acknowledge the flaws in our own culture. (See Matthew 7:3-5.)

Nevertheless, each culture functions for the members of a given society. Some customs and ideas may seem strange to the people who are not part of that group. However, for the group members, those things form part of a way of life that is both coherent and comprehensive. For this reason, we ought not ridicule cultures which are different than our own.

3 Many of the points in this subsection come from Ken Behnken, Together in Mission.

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Culture clashes occur when two people from different cultures wish to have a relationship, but their values and rules of behavior are different. Each one judges the other from the perspective of his own culture – but the other doesn’t follow the same cultural norms. Thus each person feels that the other is acting in bad faith.

An Example of Culture Clashes in MinistryThis is one of the biggest challenges in reaching out to neighbors of another culture. Let me give you an example. At Peace Lutheran Church – that’s a made-up name – almost all the members were white. But in the church’s neighborhood, the Hispanic population is growing every year. The members of the congregation, motivated by the love of Christ, wanted to share their salvation with their Hispanic neighbors. They studied and planned carefully, and finally launched a social ministry to serve the Hispanic community. A Hispanic leader began to make visits and start home Bible studies. Soon a small Hispanic group began to celebrate worship services in Spanish at Peace Lutheran Church.

Regrettably, before long problems arose between the Anglos and the Hispanics at the church. The Anglos began to complain that the Hispanics didn’t take care of the church building and all the material things that they had sacrificed to buy – particularly in the kitchen. The Anglos felt that the Hispanics never ended their activities on time, and so they often had schedule conflicts with the activities planned by the Anglo group. Some of the Anglos were disillusioned with the slow growth of the Hispanic group; they felt that they were sacrificing and making such a great effort for relatively little results. Furthermore, the Hispanics were doing almost nothing to contribute towards the expenses of the congregation.

For their part, the Hispanics felt that the Anglos did not take them into account. They had effectively no voice in the decisions of the congregation. All the important meetings were in English, and there was only one token Hispanic on the church board. After hearing so many complaints by the Anglos, most Hispanics felt that the Anglos did not care about them as people – they were only interested in material things like the building and the silverware in the kitchen. The Hispanics felt that they had no freedom to organize their own activities at their own time. Some of them thought that in fact it was the attitude of the Anglos which was causing the slow growth of the Hispanic group, since visitors immediately saw that Hispanics were second class in this church.

Thus, at Peace Lutheran Church, there was no peace.

Peace Lutheran Church was suffering from a cultural clash. The Anglo Christians expected that the Hispanics would act in accordance with Anglo cultural norms. When the Hispanics behaved according to other cultural norms, the Anglos felt that the Hispanics were irresponsible, careless, and ungrateful. The Anglos expressed their feelings in the Anglo way, that is, they went directly to the Hispanics and laid it all out. But in most Hispanic societies, people speak very indirectly – the way the Anglo Christians expressed themselves was very rude and nasty for the Hispanics on the receiving end. The Hispanics then interpreted the actions and attitudes of the Anglos in terms of the norms of Hispanic society, and therefore they felt that the Anglos were full of pride and materialism and utterly lacked love and respect.

Both groups undoubtedly had their failures. But cultural misunderstandings made it look worse than it was, and caused judgment rather than reconciliation.

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Getting Past Cultural ClashesCultural clashes produce feelings of anger, disillusionment, resentment and sadness.

How can we get past the cultural barriers to work together in the kingdom of God?

Pray , seeking God’s guidance and help. Realize that my own culture is not perfect. Learn about other cultures and appreciate their good points. Put in practice the biblical principles of reconciliation. Forgive and ask forgiveness.

Living and working in unity requires work. It is much easier to insist that others change, than to have to make changes in one’s own life. It is much easier to remain immersed in anger, disillusionment, and hurt, than to make the effort to understand and forgive and love. In fact, real unity eludes our best human efforts. We are not capable of doing what we ought.

Nevertheless, although we are weak, God is strong. Jesus Christ achieved – and still achieves what is impossible for us. Through Jesus, we have forgiveness – and that forgiveness opens the door for us to forgive one another. Through Jesus, we have the strength to resolve cultural clashes and to work together across the cultural barriers.

Differences between Anglos and HispanicsSo what are the differences between Anglos and Hispanics? Here we have to be a little careful. A common myth amongst Anglos is the idea that all Hispanics are alike. Not so. No one would presume that all Anglos are alike. Someone from England has a different accent and often different ideas than someone from New York. A farmer from the Midwest has a different outlook than a city-dweller in San Francisco. In the same way, different Hispanics also show different characteristics and behavior. Hispanics come from different places, from different social and economic classes, and have different accents. Here in the United States, Hispanics may have very different immigration situations. First-generation Hispanics may be markedly different from the second or third or fourth generations.

Furthermore, even if we were to ignore all these important differences, we all know that each person is an individual and may differ significantly from his or her cultural norm. For example, even though Anglos as a whole tend to value being on time, we all know Anglos who are perpetually late!

For all of these reasons, we need to be careful when we talk in general about “differences between Anglos and Hispanics.” We will be generalizing, and our generalizations may or may not apply to the people you will get to know personally. Any given person may have some characteristics that are “Anglo” and other characteristics that are “Hispanic.” Reading this chapter does not excuse you from doing everything you can to understand the individual characteristics of your particular Hispanic neighbors.

Nevertheless, in spite of all the differences among Hispanics, and in spite of the fact that there are always exceptions to every rule, there are certain issues that crop up again and again when Anglos and Hispanics try to work together in the Kingdom of God. These are some characteristics which many Hispanics share, and which are different from many Anglos. Difficulties arise because both Hispanics and Anglos assume that everyone should see things according to their own cultural perspectives. For these reasons, we are going to go ahead and

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make some generalizations in order to try to understand each other, realizing that every generalization has its exceptions.

Personal Identity: Family or Work?Who are you? If you ask someone who they are, after you get past names, an Anglo is very likely to say, “I am a mechanic (or a teacher, or a welder, or an accountant, etc.).” For an Anglo, work is a source of identity. For Anglos, your personal value is wrapped up in what you do or have done in life.

On the one hand, this is a good thing. Martin Luther insisted that every person has a “vocation”. That is, God has called each person to do different work in life, and whatever you do at work, you do for God. This idea was developed into what we today call the “Protestant work ethic.” Work is of great value before God, and each person should be proud (in a good way) and do it well.

However, this can also be a destructive thing. Some people come to concentrate so much on their work that they practically forget about their family. This kind of person is called a “workaholic.” Sometimes even pastors can get so caught up in their jobs that their family suffers.

On the other hand, many Hispanics derive their personal identity from their family. If you ask them who they are, they are likely to respond with family relationships: “I’m Manuel’s son.” For many Hispanics, work is primarily a source of income for the family, not a source of personal identity.

On the one hand, this is good, since people are more important than your job. But on the other hand, if you take it to extremes, it means that you don’t see the importance of work or do it well for the Lord.

Remember, please, that this is a generalization. You will undoubtedly meet Hispanics and Anglos who do not fit this description. However, this is an issue which does often crop up in Anglo-Hispanic relations. Some Anglos feel that Hispanics are lazy if they don’t put their job first. Some Hispanics feel that Anglos are cold-hearted if they aren’t ready to immediately put their work on hold in order to help family. In the church, we need to stop judging others by our own cultural norms. In this case, there are good and bad sides to each way of looking at things.

Personal Relationships or Practical Results?Related to the identity question is the question of doing or being. What is most important in your life?

For many Anglos, the principle goal in any activity is to get the job done. Anglos tend to measure success in terms of practical results. An Anglo will very often not want to interrupt his work in order to just talk with people (unless the talking is related to work). Personal relationships are for one’s “free time.” If an Anglo uses his position at work to help out a friend or relative, it is often seen as a bad thing, something that should not be done. Sociologists say that Anglos have a “Culture of Doing.”

On the other hand, for many Hispanics the principle goal in any activity is to build relationships with people. Hispanics tend to measure success in terms of good friendships and sharing, in other words, personal relationships. People are more important than the things that one does in life. A Hispanic will usually be much more apt to interrupt his work in order to take care of a friend or relative’s needs. In business, Hispanics often see nothing wrong in using their position to help

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out people who are close to them, even if this is technically against the written rules of their company. In Latin American countries, very often the best way to get something accomplished is to make friends with the person in charge. Sociologists say that Hispanics have a “Culture of Being.”

As an Anglo missionary in Venezuela, at first it was a bit difficult for me to put my work on hold for a while and spend quality time building relationships with people. I often felt guilty when I wasn’t “working” to finish the Bible Study or sermon, but instead was “wasting time” just talking. However, in the end the “talking” produced more results than finishing different projects.

When it comes to starting a new ministry, Anglos usually are primarily concerned with numbers, that is, “metrics.” Success is measured by how many people are in church on Sunday and how many ministry goals were achieved. Sometimes Anglos get frustrated with Hispanics because the Hispanics do not seem to care as much about counting and about reaching goals.

On the other hand, in starting a new ministry, Hispanics are usually concerned primarily with building better relationships. Success is measured in terms of friendships and shared love. Often Hispanics do not understand why Anglos are so caught up in the numbers game.

Again, please remember that this is a generalization and may or may not apply to the individuals you work with. It is simply something which often comes up when Anglos and Hispanics get together.

Cooperation or CompetitionMany Anglos value individualism very highly. The independent, self-sufficient individual is the ideal. Competition is important. Unless he is sick or incapacitated, every individual should work in order to provide what he needs in this life (see 2 Thessalonians 3:6-10). If he doesn’t, he is considered lazy.

With Anglos, your family may help you out, but each person seeks to be self-sufficient. Anglo families are proud when their children grow up and leave home to go out “on their own.” If an adult is still living with his parents, we wonder why. We make excuses: “Well, it’s just till he gets back on his feet again after that job loss.”

On the other hand, many Hispanics value the group very highly. The group, particularly the family, where each individual depends on the others, is the ideal. Cooperation is more important than competition. (Actually, competition occurs, but is more often related to groups that compete, such as soccer teams, rather than individuals.) Each individual contributes to the group (see Galatians 6:2). The person who is not willing to share is considered selfish, not a true friend.

With Hispanics, the family laments the time when the children leave the house, because this means separation from the family. I have known of young people who turned down full-ride scholarships at prestigious universities because it would have meant going to college far from their families, and their parents were not in agreement. If a Hispanic adult is not married, it is usually expected that he will stay with his parents if his job makes it possible, even if he is older.

In ministry, this means that a Hispanic individual may find it rather difficult to become a Lutheran, particularly if his immediate family is not supportive. He belongs to a family and a country that are probably identified as Catholic. His Hispanic friends are probably Catholic. It is not easy to leave that group identity behind. Furthermore, if he goes to a non-Hispanic Lutheran church, the Anglos may not give him all the group support that he feels he needs.

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On the other hand, once a Hispanic makes the break to the Lutheran Church, the family often starts to come along too. It is not uncommon for a Hispanic congregation to be full of people from just a couple of extended families.

Once again, please recall that this is a generalization. You can probably think of exceptions.

Sense of TimeWe all know that there is “American time” and “Hispanic time.” But why?

Anglos tend to think of time as a straight line. Time has a beginning and an end, it goes by and never comes back. You can’t swim in the same river twice, because the water you swam in earlier has moved downstream. That’s how Anglos view time.

Since for Anglos time has a beginning and an end, it follows that time is a limited resource which should be conserved. You do not want to waste time or lose time. Time is fixed. If you don’t get a task finished today, you have lost time. We need to hurry, because time is running out.

Anglos tend to be punctual. Meetings start “on time,” according to the clock. It’s important to get to appointments on time. To not do this is to be inconsiderate of other peoples’ time. It is considered to be almost equivalent to stealing other people’s money. In fact, an Anglo saying is, “Time is money.”

On the other hand, most Hispanics consider time to be a cycle. The sun rises, the sun sets, and then it rises again. One day goes by, only to start again in the next day. One week goes by, but then another week starts. One year goes by, but then another year starts. Time repeats, over and over again.

Since for Hispanics time is cyclical, it follows that time is an abundant resource that you can use without worrying so much. Don’t be so uptight about time. Time is flexible. If you don’t get something done today, well, there will be time tomorrow. It is more important to enjoy the moment than to worry about future appointments. Meetings begin when everyone arrives, not when the clock hits a certain time. People are more important than the clock.

Now, of course, there are many exceptions to these generalizations. For example, often Hispanics are very punctual when arriving for work. However, in most social situations (such as going to church), Hispanics are not worried about clock time. Actually, in some situations, it is considered discourteous to arrive exactly on time. When I was in Venezuela, I quickly learned that if the party was set for 7:00 pm, I should not even think about arriving before 8:00 pm. If I did, the host and hostess were likely to be still running around preparing for the event. Furthermore, for Hispanics in many cases it would be considered discourteous to cut short your conversation with someone (remember, the moment is important) in order to go to an appointment.

On the other hand, for most Anglos, coming late to an appointment shows irresponsibility. Even worse is if you don’t show up at all just because something else came up at the moment. For Anglos, the clock is important precisely because people and their time is important.

Obviously, this has big implications for the church. If at all possible, do not schedule the Anglo worship service just after the Hispanic worship service. In fact, do not schedule any Anglo activities at a time that is counting on the Hispanics to finish “on time.” Furthermore, it may take

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a bit of education – on both sides – to work out a plan for meetings when both Anglos and Hispanics are going to be present.

Of course, as always, there are plenty of Anglos and Hispanics who don’t fit this generalization. I know some Anglos who are perpetually late and some Hispanics who are very punctual. However, this is definitely an issue which often causes difficulties when Anglos and Hispanics work together.

Spontaneity or OrderRelated to the issue of time is the issue of organization. Do you like to plan and organize your time and your possessions? Or are you impulsive?

Most Anglos value order and organization. This is not to say that all Anglos are organized, just that it is an ideal that they appreciate and strive for. For example, Anglos like to:

Organize their time: Most Anglos schedule their time. They usually don’t like to change plans at the last minute. They like to know beforehand what is going to happen. Anglos tend to plan their schedule so that they have enough time to accomplish what they have to do (remember that doing is very important for Anglos). “Put it on the calendar!” For Anglos, honoring time commitments is more important than enjoying the moment.

Organize their possessions: Many Anglos also value order in their physical possessions. They like to put things away in the same place all the time, so that they don’t lose time looking for them when they need them again. Some Anglos are of course messy and don’t keep their things in order; but even they believe that order is good and they wish they were more orderly. They are embarrassed that they are disorderly. There is an American saying: “A place for everything and everything in its place.”

Compartmentalize the different parts of their lives: Anglos in general live a compartmentalized life. They feel that every activity has its own time. There is a time for work, a time for family, even a time for God. When it is work time, you should not be doing personal stuff, much less talking about God. You visit friends during your “free time,” not during office hours. Religious activities take place when you go to church, not at school. For most Anglos, life is divided into parts, and you shouldn’t mix those parts.

By contrast, most Hispanics value spontaneity, the opposite of orderliness. For example, Hispanics like to be:

Spontaneous in their time: Among Hispanics, it is common to change plans at the last minute. You might say that you are going to do something, and even sincerely intend to do it, but then you meet a friend unexpectedly or you suddenly think of a better idea. Whatever you had planned before, you can always do it tomorrow. It is more important to not offend the people you are with at the moment. For this reason, when a Hispanic makes a commitment to attend a certain meeting, in reality he is saying that he likes the idea and thinks he will be there. However, if something else comes up at the time when the meeting is to take place, it is very possible that he won’t feel obligated to follow through on what he said before.

Spontaneous in their possessions: Many Hispanics are not very concerned with putting things away in the same place all the time. As long as the things are not strewn about or dirty, who cares where they are kept? Why be so uptight about putting things in the very same place all the time?

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I am an Anglo by birth, and even though I have spent years immersed in Hispanic culture, I still like to put things away in their “proper” place. My wife, however, is from Venezuela, and as long as things are neat and clean, she doesn’t much care where they are stored. On the one hand, I get frustrated when I go into the kitchen and have to search through the drawers because my wife decided to change the location of the potato peeler. On the other hand, my wife thinks I am way too picky about where things go – and anyway, it’s her kitchen!

Holistic in their lives: Hispanics generally view life holistically, that is, as a whole. They don’t divide their lives. For example, one’s work and one’s personal life are not separated so much. Hispanics may very well do “personal stuff” during business hours. In the same way, they don’t separate the “religious” and the “secular” very much. Life for Hispanics is a whole: God, family, work, friends, are all mixed together.

Now, once again I want to emphasize that these things are general, cultural norms. There are always exceptions, particularly among different groups of Anglos or Hispanics! For example, I know a Hispanic man (who serves on the Board of Directors for the Missionary Institute) who is extremely organized. He has even led strategic planning initiatives for the army! On the other hand, I’m sure you can think of Anglos who are extremely disorganized.

However, in spite of the exceptions, these differences do come up frequently, and they can cause big misunderstandings in the church. Anglos may be offended when Hispanics renege on their commitments or fail to put material things away in their proper places. In those situations, the Anglos feel that the Hispanics are inconsiderate.

On the other hand, Hispanics may be frustrated because Anglos are so rigid and inflexible. They feel that the Anglos don’t allow them room to even breathe. Why can’t those Anglos understand that you have to “seize the moment?” Plans are made to help, not to oppress. When Anglos insist that everything be planned, they come across as very cold. People and their needs seem to be unimportant.

ConclusionWe’ll continue to explore more cultural differences – and their implications for ministry – in the next chapter. Just remember that whatever generalizations we may make with regard to the group, individuals will have their differences!

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Preparation, Part 2Cultural Differences, Continued

IntroductionHere we continue to explore the cultural differences between Anglos and Hispanics. Remember, please, that these are sociological generalizations based on how groups of people are likely to act. Individual Anglos and Hispanics often differ from the generalizations in certain points. You need to get to know the individuals around you, in order to connect them with Christ’s love and salvation.

However, blindness to cultural differences all too often causes misunderstandings and resentments between Anglos and Hispanics. This can stop Hispanic ministry in its tracks. For that reason, it is important to review some of these differences, in spite of the dangers of over-generalization.

MoneyIn marriage, one of the most frequent sources of conflict involves different attitudes towards how to handle money. In the church, it is the same.

Friendship and MoneyMost Anglos feel that friendship should not be mixed with money. The saying goes, “Lend your money to a friend and lose them both.” Friendship for Anglos does not imply any financial obligation. In fact, if an Anglo finds that someone wants to be his friend because he has money, he will feel offended. A friend should be valued for his friendship, not his money.

Anglos do believe that we have an obligation to help the poor, and sometimes they are very generous in that regard. However, they are likely to insist that there be some sort of accountability in the money they give. For this reason, many Anglos like to give to institutions (such as a food bank) rather than to individuals who ask them for money on the street.

By contrast, Hispanics often do mix friendship and money. For Hispanics, good friends are those who share. In fact, friendship often implies a financial obligation towards one’s friends who have less. Godparents for baptism are often chosen for their ability to help the child financially. And there is an expectation that the godparents will help pay for the baptism party and many other things. Hispanics invest in friends more than banks. Many Hispanics are more likely to give to individuals – even strangers if they are in need – than to institutions.

Money and the Church

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Anglos like to manage money in an organized way. In the church, Anglos feel that you need to handle money according to the rules. The rules exist to curb abuses and to protect the funds designated for ministry from being used in other ways. Many Anglos make sacrifices to donate money to the church and want to see that money used for ministry and not for the personal needs of the treasurer’s family.

Furthermore, although many Anglos do not tithe, they generally know that they should. They know and understand that the church is utterly dependent on their offerings to do its ministry. Thus they often understand the concept of stewardship – even if they don’t always practice it.

By contrast, Hispanics tend to put people first, not rules. People’s needs are often messy and disorganized. A Hispanic is more likely to break the rules if he feels keenly the need suffered by someone he knows. He feels an obligation to help, even if the Anglos would label this “personal” rather than “ministry.”

Furthermore, most Hispanics come from a Roman Catholic background, where people are accustomed to give “alms,” that is, whatever little bit is left over in your wallet, rather than tithes and offerings, that is, the first part of your income. The Roman Catholic church in Latin America often gets most of its income from wealthy donors, the government, properties, investments, and charging for services like marriages and funerals. Moreover, many Hispanics are not quite so organized in their personal finances as Anglos. For this reason, Hispanics are often less likely to contribute significant financial gifts to the church as an institution.

You can see how these different perspectives could cause misunderstandings in the church. The Anglos may think that the Hispanics are careless – even irresponsible – about a serious issue like the handling of money. On the other hand, Hispanics may feel that the Anglos are cold and materialistic, caring more about money than people. The Hispanics may feel offended when their Anglo friends are slow to help them out directly with money. The Anglos may feel offended when their Hispanic friends mix their friendship with economic needs.

Furthermore, here in the United States, it often happens that the Anglos in general contribute more money to the church. They then feel that “he who pays the piper calls the tune,” and wish to be in control at the church. This may cause the Hispanics to feel like second-class members. Compounding the problem, it may even discourage some of them from participating at the church or contributing to an institution that doesn’t seem to have respect for them.

Again, please remember that many Hispanics and Anglos are different from this general portrayal. However, money is a sensitive issue, and very often when Anglos and Hispanics work together, there are misunderstandings about money, based on different perspectives on money. We all need to remember that our way is not necessarily the only way.

Truth or LoveThe Bible tells us that we are to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:25). But which one should have priority? Truth or love?

When push comes to shove, many Anglos value the truth more than love in their personal relationships. Among Anglos, it is important to speak clearly and directly, particularly when there is a problem to solve. Anglos don’t value “beating around the bush.” When a person speaks too indirectly, Anglos wonder what he has to hide. Clarity is considered good.

In the same way, many Anglos consider lying to be a serious offence. Even “little white lies” are hard to justify to an Anglo. It is better to tell the truth – even if the truth hurts.

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In spite of this, Anglos do often tell lies. However, even when they tell a lie themselves, they still believe that lying is very wrong. They want to see themselves as basically honest, but consider that circumstances forced them into telling a lie just this one time. “I had to say that because…” Even if an Anglo has told lies in other circumstances, he is highly offended when he catches someone else lying to him. One of the biggest factors in the American public’s reactions against President Nixon (after Watergate) and against president Clinton (after the Levinsky episode) was the fact that these leaders had gotten caught in a lie.

With Anglos, then, friendships often depend on being truthful with one another. If an Anglo catches someone lying, he may let it go once or twice. However, if the situation continues, he is likely to directly confront the individual and insist that the other admit his error. If that doesn’t happen, the Anglo will likely conclude that the person is untrustworthy and a liar.

On the other hand, for the majority of Hispanics, love is more important than the truth. Among Hispanics, it is expected that people will speak indirectly, speak all around the point, particularly when there is a problem to resolve. To speak too directly about someone’s errors is considered rude. It indicates a lack of respect. One needs to listen carefully to what was not said aloud.

In the same way, many Hispanics do not consider little white lies to be something bad. It is the oil that makes the social machinery work. Hispanics point out that even Anglos routinely say things that they don’t really mean. (For example: “Good to see you!” when you really would rather be somewhere else.)

It is very common for Hispanics to tell a little fib, then, in certain circumstances:

In order to help a friend or loved one In order to make the listener feel good In order to avoid the shame of admitting a mistake (“The traffic made me late,” when

actually there was no traffic.)

When the truth hurts, often Hispanics opt for love, instead. For example, if a person has an incurable illness, many Hispanics (even some doctors) would prefer not to tell him the truth, so that he can spend his last days in hope rather than despair.

Of course, you probably know (or will meet) Anglos who are very loose with the truth, and Hispanics who are very cold and unloving. Again let me emphasize that this is simply something that often crops up, not something that is always the case.

High Context or Low ContextEvery gathering or event has a “context.” The context includes:

The environment (the place, the decorations, the background, etc.) The procedure (how the event is run, how the guests were invited, etc.) The appearance (appropriate clothes, jewelry, personal hygiene, etc.) The gestures (body language, facial expressions, tone of voice, etc.)

For Anglos, the context of an event is of lesser importance. The details may be important, but not nearly as important as the event itself. Anglos tend to separate the content (message given by a speaker) from the context (the way he gives it and the environment in which he gives it). The important thing is the message itself, not the surroundings. Anglos are not as concerned about where an event occurs or how the guest speaker dresses.

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Furthermore, among Anglos, one’s private life is kept separate from what one does in public. On this basis, some people defended President Clinton in the midst of the Lewinsky scandal, claiming that his private life should not affect his public role as President. This really doesn’t make much sense, since if someone is dishonest in his private life, he will likely be the same in his public life as well. However, for many Anglos the context of someone’s conduct outside of the event doesn’t unduly influence how he is seen at the event.

In public speaking, Anglos tend to value direct and concrete speech. Pretty and eloquent words are beautiful and desirable, but the content of the speech is more important. Anglos believe that the speaker is responsible for speaking clearly and to the point, so that the listeners can understand.

For Hispanics, by contrast, the context of an event is extremely important. The details (where the gathering takes place, what decorations are used, how the people dress, where one is seated) are often just as important as the event itself. In other words, Hispanics view the event as a whole.

Furthermore, Hispanics tend not to separate one’s private life from what one does in public. It is the same person in both situations!

In public speaking, Hispanics tend to value eloquence. Beautiful words contribute to the context of the speech. It doesn’t matter so much if the speech itself is hard to understand. For Hispanics, it is the listeners’ responsibility to make the effort to understand what is being said.

In Hispanic ministry, this means that perhaps Anglos need to pay a bit more attention to the context of our church events, if we want Hispanics to feel welcome. For example, perhaps we should think about enlivening our church sanctuary a bit more, with some colorful, well-done banners in Spanish (or at least in a Hispanic style). If we want to thank a Hispanic publically, perhaps it should not be just a few words at the pot luck in the basement. Perhaps it would be better to set aside a few minutes during the worship service, in front of the altar, and have a signed certificate of recognition.

This doesn’t mean that every Anglo is informal, nor that every Hispanic is uptight about context. However, if we want to work together in Christ, it is helpful to know what the context (or lack of same) may communicate to our co-workers.

AuthorityAnglos in general are accustomed to shared authority. Anglos value equality and democracy, even in the church. The people have the ultimate authority, and the leader has to persuade the others to follow his ideas. By the same token, the people have the responsibility to make the decisions. The people own the decision-making process.

When making decisions in a group, Anglos tend to express freely their true opinions in public, even when such opinions contradict what the leader thinks. The Anglo ideal is to treat everyone in the group equally and give them a chance to speak and to vote, whether they be powerful leaders or simple members of the group.

Many Anglos are comfortable with a certain level of ambiguity with regard to leadership. They know that they will have a voice in the decisions, no matter who is the leader.

Many Hispanics, on the other hand, are accustomed to a hierarchy of authority. This is particularly the case if the Hispanics have recently come from certain Latin American countries.

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For Hispanics, the leader has the ultimate authority, and the people need to obey him. The most powerful and influential person makes the decisions for the group.

When making decisions in a group, Hispanics tend to support the leader in public but express their true opinions later, in private. Hispanics treat influential people differently. Many Hispanics are accustomed to a patronage system, whereby the followers are obligated to support their leader, and the leader is obligated to see to the followers’ welfare. Hispanics, then, are not likely to express public disagreement with their leader – but they are likely to complain behind his back if that leader does not bring them the benefits they expect.

Most Hispanics, then, are not comfortable with ambiguity in leadership. They want to know exactly who is in charge.

Again, please remember that these are generalizations, not inflexible rules for every individual. We are discussing these issues because they surface so often and because the devil likes to use any misunderstandings he can in order to cause divisions and conflicts.

In ministry, differences with regard to leadership can sometimes cause hard feelings between Anglos and Hispanics. The Hispanics may feel uncomfortable when the Anglos contradict the leader in public. On the other hand, the Anglos may feel that the Hispanics are being hypocrites when they go along with the congregation’s decisions but later voice their disagreements. The Anglos wonder why those Hispanics didn’t speak up when they had the chance.

Moreover, Hispanics may become impatient with all the rules and procedures required to get something done in the church. Once I spoke with a Hispanic woman who wanted to start a children’s ministry at the church. She spoke bitterly about how the Anglo leaders of the congregation were utterly against approving her idea, and yet they did not have the decency to say so. They kept putting her off. I asked to see her plan for this ministry. She didn’t have one. Nor had she spoken with the church board or submitted any sort of formal request to do so. She had simply spoken to the pastor (who was an Anglo) about it. For many Hispanics, that should have been enough. The pastor (the leader) should have approved or disapproved the idea and the church board should have rubber-stamped it. If approved, then there would have been a green light to develop a plan and spend funds. For the Hispanics, these requests by the church board for “more information” were just an indirect way of brushing them off. I tried to explain to this woman how the Anglo authority structure worked, and I helped her to write out a plan for the ministry so that the church board could see clearly what the idea involved. The church approved her plan at the very next board meeting.

In Hispanic ministry, then, we should not assume that Hispanics will automatically know how to “work the system” in a predominately Anglo church body. There needs to be an educational process, so that Hispanics can participate constructively in the governing of the church.

Spiritual IntermediariesIn their view of the world, Anglos tend to minimize the importance of spirits, saints, demons, or other supernatural beings (apart from God himself). A fair number of Anglos do not even believe that such beings exist. When faced with a strange event beyond their understanding, Anglos are usually reluctant to attribute it to supernatural forces. Rather, they prefer to find a natural explanation, no matter how implausible. When they are sick or facing difficult problems, Anglos – particularly Protestant Anglos – do not usually consider going to a spiritist or witch or santero for help.

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Some anthropologists describe the situation this way: in the Anglo worldview, God influences events and humans influence events, but the intermediate spiritual beings (angels, demons, etc.) are not seen as playing a key role. Some anthropologists refer to this as the “missing middle.” It is sometimes difficult for Anglo Christians to account for all the exorcisms performed by Jesus and the apostles. Some Anglos believe that “demon possession” was simply the label given to a number of mental or emotional illnesses. Others think that the demons were more active when Jesus was walking the earth, and that today there is little demonic activity.

This situation has been changing in recent years. More and more Wiccans and New Age practitioners are appearing in Anglo societies. Also, there is more and more acceptance of the existence of many types of spiritual beings in the world. Among Anglo Christians, more and more books dealing with spiritual warfare have appeared. However, even with these changes, many Anglos still do not give a lot of importance to spiritual beings apart from God.

By contrast, supernatural beings such as angels, spirits, saints, and demons play a key part in the worldview of many Hispanics. Most Hispanics believe that God exists, but many feel that he is far removed from the day-to-day troubles we experience. By being morally good, or by attending Mass once in awhile, one satisfies God’s requirements and one can hope to go to heaven. (The fly in the ointment is that it’s almost impossible to know for certain if you’ve been “good enough.”) However, where can you go for help when you are sick, or out of work, or having family troubles, or need money? For those sorts of mundane problems, Hispanics are much more likely to seek help from other spiritual entities. These spiritual beings are not seen as competing with God – in fact, many times their power is strictly limited to a certain site or a certain field (for example, St. Christopher helps travelers). However, they are perceived as being more approachable and more likely to help with specific needs, as long as the person goes through the correct ritual or pays what is required. Some of these spiritual beings are evil, and need to be propitiated or defended against. Some unscrupulous people may try to manipulate the spirit world for evil purposes, such as cursing an enemy. Thus, Hispanics are more likely to see supernatural influence behind strange events or sicknesses or problems. They are also more likely to go for help to spiritists, santeros, or other “experts” in spiritual forces. Furthermore, they are not likely to see any problem with being a Christian and engaging in such practices.

There is not much logic to the beliefs that are held with regard to these intermediate spirit beings. The important point is not whether things make sense, but whether the prayer or ritual or spell (or whatever) works, that is, if it gives the desired results. A good number of Hispanics keep altars in their homes, with pictures or statues of different saints, spirits, and even deceased family members (praying to Grandpa to watch over us).

In the church, Anglos may feel that the Hispanics are superstitious, while the Hispanics may believe that the Anglos are clueless. It may well be the case that Anglos in general underestimate the influence of intermediate spirits, while the Hispanics overestimate it. However, it is not helpful to ridicule one another. Rather, we need to recognize that angels and demons exist and that demons particularly may choose to deceive people by posing as ghosts, poltergeists, “animas” (local spirits), etc. Not every problem is a spiritual problem, but spiritual forces do exist. Nevertheless, as Christians we look to Christ for help, rather than trying to manipulate the spirit world.

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ConclusionAfter reading about all these differences, you might be ready to give up on ever reaching out across a cultural divide. However, remember first of all that in spite of the differences, we have a lot in common – including the fact that we are all sinners in need of Jesus Christ. Secondly, remember that not everyone pushes the extremes of these differences. These are generalizations, not infallible rules. Most people will seem to be more “Hispanic” in some areas but more “Anglo” in others. Finally, remember that God is calling you to share his love and that he will give you what you need to do the job.

Let me repeat here what was said earlier: How can we get past the cultural barriers to work together in the kingdom of God?

Pray , seeking God’s guidance and help. Realize that my own culture is not perfect. Learn about other cultures and appreciate their good points. Put in practice the biblical principles of reconciliation. Forgive and ask forgiveness.

Jesus, of course, bridged the biggest of all the cultural gaps. He left heaven itself behind in order to live in our world, as one of us, in order to save us. With his power, we can follow his example.

Steps to TakePrepare the congregation for the cultural differences the members are likely to experience when Anglos and Hispanics rub shoulders more and more.

Through education and orientation, help your congregation to remove their cultural blinders.

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Pattern, Part 1Evangelistic and Service Ministry Models

Different Possible Patterns (Models for Ministry)So, you are asking God to guide you and help you, and you are beginning to trust in him rather than yourself. And you are opening your eyes and asking what sort of people God has placed around you as your neighbors. With that in mind, what sort of church, what sort of ministry, will be likely to reach these particular people with the gospel? That is, what does God want you to do in order to communicate his love clearly to these people? In this chapter, we’ll look at the overall pattern or model that the new ministry will use. There are a number of different patterns that congregations have used in Hispanic ministry.

Ministries apart from Public WorshipWhen we speak of “Hispanic ministry,” we are almost always thinking about gathering Hispanics into a group that will regularly worship God together, hearing the preaching of God’s Word, baptizing new believers and celebrating the Lord’s Supper. This kind of ministry is often called “Word and Sacrament” ministry. Word and Sacrament ministry is of central importance. Obviously, our ultimate goal is that people be brought to faith in Christ and join a loving Christian congregation where they can use their God-given abilities to share Christ’s love with each other and with the world.

Nevertheless, long before any formal worship takes place, we need to spend some time evangelizing, teaching, and serving. Furthermore, our outreach must extend far beyond a single hour on Sunday morning. In fact, it might not be possible or even desirable for your particular congregation establish its own separate group for Hispanics to worship. Perhaps the Hispanics will join the Anglos in worship. Perhaps the Hispanics will end up worshipping elsewhere. Perhaps the time is not right. As one Hispanic put it, “We have to stop tugging on the green mangos. They’re just not ripe yet!”

For these reasons and others, it may very well be that your congregation at this time will decide to reach out among Hispanics with “other” ministries and not with a separate worship service just for them. I’m using the word “ministry” here to mean “service to God and to one another.” Evangelistic and human care ministries allow us to show Christ’s love and proclaim Christ’s salvation to people who may not be part of a worshipping community yet. These ministries support and lead into Word and Sacrament ministry, but they also usually precede it.

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Human Care MinistriesHuman care (or service) ministries enable the church to show Christ’s love by our actions. Here are some ideas for human care ministries among Hispanics:

Family MinistryIn general (here we go with the generalizations again!), Hispanics hold very traditional family values and make great sacrifices for their children. However, their marital relationships are marred by “machismo,” the idea that real men have lots of women on the line and that those women should all cater to the whims of their men. The congregation might look into ways to help the children and the family, such as:

Parenting classes

Youth activities (sports, music, etc.)

Couples’ night out

After-school programs

Low-cost day care

Conferences on family-related issues (divorce, discipline, being a couple, etc.)

Mark Kempff has an extensive list of ideas for family ministry among Hispanics. You can contact him at the Center for Hispanic Studies at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. His email is kempffm@csl.edu.

Physical NeedsOn average, Hispanics make less money than Anglos. First-generation Hispanics, in particular, may need help with specific material needs. Individual congregations are very often unable to help with serious medical needs, and only occasionally can help with housing needs. However, here are some ministry ideas that might be feasible:

Food bank

Used Clothing store (offer donated clothing at nominal cost, e.g., 25 ¢)

Job skills training

Conferences on health issues (perhaps led by a nurse or doctor)

Exercise classes

List of housing available

Free home repairs for elderly

Free meal each week at the church

Orientation for finding needed services (public or private)

Personal money management class

Rev. Karl Heimer and Rev. Stephen Heimer have overseen a broad spectrum of ministries to physical needs in El Paso, Texas. You can contact them at Ysleta Lutheran Human Care, at the following email addresses: heimer@ylm.org and sheimer@ylm.org.

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Help with Language and CitizenshipMany first-generation Hispanics would love to improve their English skills. Some who have their “green card” (U.S. residency) are working toward the goal of becoming U.S. citizens. Here are some ideas for ways in which your church might help:

English as a Second Language (ESL) classes

Translation help

Citizenship classes

Conferences or classes on cultural differences

Evangelistic MinistriesIn all of the human care ministries, God will give us opportunities to share our faith individually with those who are being served. However, the main focus is on showing God’s love in action.

Other ministries have their central focus on evangelism, proclaiming Christ’s love and salvation to the people in our community. Here are some ideas for evangelistic ministries among Hispanics:

Evangelistic ProgramsThese are activities which directly proclaim the message of salvation through Christ to specific groups of people. Some ideas include:

Conferences which relate the Bible to specific problems and situations (parenting, dealing with stress, anger management, alcoholism and drug addiction, etc.)

Christian concerts

Men’s group (or Ladies’ group)

Christmas programs (posadas?) where the public is welcome and the message of salvation is underlined

Radio messages (Lutheran Hour Ministries can help with this)

Distribution of tracts or Christian literature (Lutheran Hour Ministries has a large selection of evangelistic booklets on different topics, in Spanish and in English)

Dramas or puppet shows (with a Christian message) on the church lawn, in the park, or other public venue (be sure to get permission!)

“Crusades” – a combination of songs, prayers, and an evangelistic message in a public place (with permission!), usually setting up chairs and a stage and loudspeakers

Visiting people – it’s important to make personal contact with people who visit the church, who ask for prayer, or who show an interest in God

Teaching MinistriesA good number of Hispanics are open to studying the Bible, and are willing to send their children and their youth to teaching activities at church which are perceived to be safe and to promote a moral message. Here are some ideas to use in this regard:

Vacation Bible School – most Hispanic kids in the U. S. know English, and their parents love to have them busy with fun activities during the summer.

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Youth retreats or lock-ins

Christian camp (quite a bit more expensive)

Home Bible Studies

Distribution of Portals of Prayer (many Hispanics are open to good devotional material; even if they are not yet Christians, they often would like to understand the Bible better.)

Miscellaneous MinistriesSome ministries can’t be easily categorized, but open the door for getting to know people and sharing our faith with them. Here are some ideas:

Prayer chain or prayer group that meets regularly and visits people who request prayer in the community

Community fair or festival

Celebration of special occasions (Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Thanksgiving, etc.)

Welcome packet for people who move into the area

These ideas barely scratch the surface. Clearly, you can’t possibly do everything. Pray about it, listen to the needs being expressed, consider your own resources, and then find a helpful way to share Christ’s love in this situation.

Models for Starting a Ministry Program rather than a Worshipping GroupIn the following two models, we don’t aim to start an entirely new congregation, or expand an existing congregation to the point of becoming truly multi-ethnic. Instead, a specific Hispanic ministry is launched. The ministry may be social action, human care, Bible studies, etc., but will probably not include a formal Word and Sacrament worship service in Spanish (at least not at first). Also, the church will remain primarily an Anglo congregation.

1. Ministry of the Church. The Anglo congregation decides to launch a ministry, a program, directed at working with Hispanics. This ministry might be organized in a way that is similar to the women’s group at church, or the Christian Education committee. Someone is named as the director or leader of the Hispanic ministry, and reports to the Board and to the Pastor.

An example of this would be an Anglo church which runs a food pantry or English as a Second Language classes for a predominantly Hispanic community. The Anglo congregation would be showing Christ’s love in a concrete way to the surrounding Hispanics. However, it would be just one ministry among many that the church supports.

2. Extra-congregational Ministry. In this case, a congregation or group of congregations (circuit, District) support and run a “parachurch” ministry, that is, a ministry that is not part of the congregation itself. Many times the ministry is not located in the facilities of any particular congregation (such as the used clothing shops supported by the Lutheran congregations in Baltimore). However, other times the ministry shares space with a congregation. Ysleta Lutheran Human Care is an example. It is located on the same grounds as San Pablo Lutheran Church; yet Ysleta and San Pablo are two different entities. Ysleta has its own board of directors and staff and is a 501(c)3 organization. It is a partner with San Pablo in many ways, but is not part of the congregation.

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Advantages and DisadvantagesWhenever our immediate goal is limited to starting a ministry rather than planting a new congregation, there are advantages and disadvantages:

Advantages:

a) It can be a start towards something bigger.

b) It may be just what God wants at the time.

c) This model allows the congregation to engage in Hispanic ministry without having to support a trained, Spanish-speaking church planter.

d) It does not require vast financial or personnel resources.

Disadvantages:

a) Very often there is little connection between ministry and the majority of the members of the church. A few church members help out with the ministry, but the majority are not involved. The ministry usually generates few visitors to the church, and even fewer become members.

b) Sometimes the Hispanic ministry is limited strictly to social help, and Gospel proclamation is left out.

c) Hispanic ministry is kept as a secondary priority. Hispanics often feel like they are second-class members if they join the church.

ConclusionIn Houston, quite a few Anglo Lutheran congregations have begun Hispanic outreach with evangelistic and/or human care ministries as described in this chapter. Generally, the Anglos have organized the ministry itself, while LINC (Lutheran Inter-City Network Coalition) has provided a Hispanic leader to develop personal relationships with the people served. Later, this leader starts Spanish-Language Bible studies. The eventual goal is to connect Hispanics in worship. For example, if the human care ministry is centered around teaching English as a second language, often the graduating students are invited to receive their diplomas or certificates at a special bilingual worship service. Eventually, regular Spanish-language worship services may be arranged. This model has resulted in a number of small Spanish-language congregations sharing facilities with larger Anglo congregations. Of course, it is primarily aimed at first-generation Hispanic immigrants.

Perhaps God is calling you to do something similar. You see an opportunity to start an evangelistic or human care outreach, whether it ends in a Spanish-language worship service or not. Look for the resources you need (chapter 9) and prayerfully plan it out (chapter 10). Then go to it!

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Pattern, Part 2Word and Sacrament Ministry Models

“Word and Sacrament” MinistryAs mentioned earlier, our ultimate goal is that people will not only believe in Jesus Christ but also join a local congregation to share Christ’s love with each other and the world. “Word and Sacrament” ministry means gathering as a group to regularly worship God together, hear the preaching of God’s Word, baptize new Christians, and share the Lord’s Supper.

Ideally, we would like new Hispanic believers to worship in a Lutheran congregation. Sometimes, Hispanics may join an existing Anglo congregation. More often, existing congregations are not very friendly to Hispanics. Pastor Howard Patten tells of a Hispanic in Taos who looked at him doubtfully and said, “You’re from that German church, aren’t you? I wouldn’t go there; they wouldn’t like Mexicans like me.” In this situation, either the Anglo congregation needs to make some changes (sacrifices) or a new worship group for Hispanics needs to be started. Often, both of these things needs to happen.

The following are some models which have been used Word and Sacrament ministry among Hispanics in various Lutheran churches. Some of the models are much more successful than others. Many of them are adaptations of models found in Together in Mission, by Ken Behnken.

The Total Assimilation ModelSome people feel that they don’t need to make any effort to make their congregation more friendly towards Hispanics. They believe that if a Hispanic wants to join their church, he should leave his culture at the door and become just like an Anglo. He should learn to worship in English (never mind that many Lutheran congregations kept German services for a very long time), prefer classical hymns over Latino music, and give up tacos for bratwurst. This is can be called the “Total Assimilation” Model.

1. The Total Assimilation Model: In Together in Mission, Ken Behnken calls this the “Become Like Us” model. He states: “Sometimes, without even realizing it, our goal is to have the new people become just like us. We want the people to speak English, use our liturgy and music, eat our foods, and govern themselves just as we do.

“This will not work. The reality is that this will not happen. Other people’s identity is wrapped up in their own culture. It is important that we allow those of each culture group the freedom to be themselves and not insist that they become like us. Remember the

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Jerusalem Conference (Acts 15:10-11) where the Jews were insisting the new Gentile believers become like them? Peter said, ‘Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke that neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear? No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.’”

Sometimes people try to justify the Total Assimilation Model by claiming that the Holy Spirit will bring in the people he wants to save. Therefore, they say, changing any of our Anglo cultural baggage is unnecessary, and perhaps even morally wrong, because doing so would be insinuating that human efforts can bring people into the kingdom of God.

On the one hand, it is true that the Holy Spirit is the one who brings people to faith. However, the Holy Spirit works through our words and deeds. We are God’s ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20), Christ’s witnesses (Luke 24:48, Matthew 28:18-20). How can people believe in Christ unless someone tells them? (Romans 10:14) When our words and actions reflect the light of Christ, people are moved by the Spirit to glorify God (Matthew 5:16). On the other hand, our words and actions can cause others to stumble (Matthew 18:6, 2 Corinthians 6:3). It is true that our human efforts cannot change someone’s heart. However, it is also true that our action – or inaction – can impede the work of the Spirit through us.

With that in mind, how can we justify proclaiming the Gospel clearly only to people who share our cultural perspective? Where is Christ’s love when we insist that others take on our cultural heritage in order to be part of our congregation? Why do we pass over Paul’s example, who became all things to all people so that he might save some (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)? If the early Jewish Christians had all insisted on the Total Assimilation Model, we would all be dressing, acting, and eating like Jews – if we were in the church at all.

In the end, the Total Assimilation Model is very attractive to our selfish, sinful nature, but it is theologically wrong and unworkable on a practical level. The only legitimate stumbling block to faith should be the cross of Christ (1 Corinthians 1:23), not our lack of love for people from different cultures.

Total Separation ModelsThe models under this category are the exact opposite of the Total Assimilation Model. In these models, each culture group has its own, separate congregation and governance and meets in separate sites. Quite a few of the old-line missiologists used to favor this type of model. Here are some examples:

2. Natural Birth Model: An Anglo mother church starts a culture-specific congregation at its own site. After giving the new, culture-specific congregation some time to mature, it is moved out to a different site and facility.

For example, at Mission Lutheran Church in Las Cruces, New Mexico, a predominately Anglo congregation began a Spanish-language ministry in order to reach out to the large Hispanic community. A pastor was called to serve the Spanish-speaking group. Regrettably, this situation soon changed, and the group is presently being served by the pastor of the Anglo congregation (who is bilingual). The goal is for the Hispanic group to grow into a separate congregation (which will be named “Rey de Reyes” Lutheran Church), with its own, separate place to meet.

On the next page is a graphic of the Natural Birth Model.

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The Natural Birth Model requires that there be ample opportunity for both the Anglo group and the Hispanic group to grow and become financially independent. It is particularly important that the Hispanic group reach out to the 1.5 and 2nd generations. Not all Hispanic groups will have the economic resources to become fully independent in this way.

3. Sponsorship Model: An Anglo congregation (or a group of congregations, possibly a circuit or even the District) sponsors and supports a new, culture-specific ministry in a certain area (not in the facilities of an existing congregation). The supporting congregation or congregations would provide financial support and encouragement, possibly personnel (ESL teachers, youth workers, etc.).

For example, the Northeastern Colorado Circuit spent three years raising funds to support a Hispanic missionary to plant a congregation in Sterling, Colorado. They recently called a Hispanic pastor to begin that work.

Again, the sponsorship model works best in a place where it is possible to reach 2nd generation people who are stable geographically and make it possible for the new work to become financially independent.

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4. Transition Model: An existing Anglo congregation finds itself in the middle of a changing neighborhood and decides to pass its facilities on to a culture-specific ministry. Many English-speaking congregations are presently located in communities that have significant demographic changes. Church attendance and church membership have declined. The congregation is unable to reach people living in the area because of language and/or culture differences. The congregation may decide to add a pastor who speaks the language and understands the culture of the people living in that area. His ministry will be to start an outreach to these people. Eventually, control of the entire site will be turned over to the new worship group.

An example of this model being put into practice may be found in Grand Island, Nebraska. One of the oldest congregations in Grand Island found itself declining, while the Hispanic population in the area was booming. The last members of the congregation decided that God was calling them to use their church property and assets to raise up a Hispanic congregation. The members not only contributed property, but helped the fledgling ministry in any way they could. On the day of the transition, at a bilingual worship service, the members of the old congregation formally gifted the new congregation with the Communion ware from the original church. This was their legacy – a living, vibrant, Hispanic congregation.

This sort of transition is a difficult thing to accomplish. The existing congregation must see this as its mission. The pastor and leaders of the congregation need to help members understand that such a mission will bring about changes. The face of the congregation will change. The congregation is now on the mission field and members are missionaries. It will involve work, understanding, patience, education, and a heart for missions.

At the same time, the new pastor needs to develop a plan to reach the people in the community, working in harmony with the existing members. With their eyes pointed to the future, the congregation needs to see that this mission outreach will keep its church reaching people for Jesus Christ, even if customs at church may change.

It will be important for the congregation to go through some cross-cultural training to help with understanding and preparing for the future.

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Advantages and DisadvantagesWhenever you separate different culture groups to different sites, there are advantages and disadvantages. Some advantages of the total separation models include:

a) Fewer conflicts.

b) More freedom for each group to do as it pleases (particularly, no schedule restrictions).

c) Each group can concentrate on just one ethnic group and make them feel welcome. This is based on the “homogenous unit principle.”

The “Homogeneous Unit Principle”: Back in the 1980’s, the buzzword in ethnic evangelism was the homogenous unit principle. This principle states that people tend to go where there are other people “like” them. St. Paul said that he became “all things to all people. To the Jews, I became like a Jew. To the Gentiles, I became like a Gentile, in order that I might by any means save some.” Therefore, according to these missiologists from the 1980’s, the best person to reach an African with the gospel would be another African. The best person to reach another South American with the gospel would be another South American. Ideally, you should be part of the ethnic group with whom you are trying to share the love of Christ. If you are not a member of that ethnic group, you should do your best to fit in with their culture, not expect that they will adopt your culture.

This is a good idea when you are evangelizing. However, some missiologists have extended that principle to apply to the church itself. They say that having separate facilities allows the Anglos to evangelize Anglos more effectively and the Hispanics to evangelize Hispanics more effectively. Thus they believe that in order to grow, each ethnic group in the church should be distinct and separate.

This separation in the church is controversial. Since the year 2000, a growing number of missiologists have denounced this model as contrary to God’s will and an impediment to the growth of the church. These missiologists point to Jesus’ repeatedly expressed desire that all his disciples be “one.” In the book of Acts, God repeatedly resorted to extraordinary measures to get the original, Jewish Christians to reach out to non-Jews. It was the multi-cultural congregation at Antioch that grew and sent out missionaries, not the mono-cultural congregation in Jerusalem. In Paul’s writings, he repeatedly underlines the importance of Jews and non-Jews forming one body in Christ. In addition, these missiologists claim that separating ethnic groups amounts to segregating the church. They believe that this segregation gives a very bad testimony to the world around us in which different races are increasingly living side by side. For them, one of the biggest obstacles to the church’s growth in the 21st century is the mono-cultural nature of many congregations. You can read more about the multicultural church movement in Building a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church, by Mark Deymaz.

Some church leaders today agree that ideally, the church should be completely united, but as a practical matter, such unity is extremely difficult to obtain and maintain. For them, keeping the peace between different ethnic groups absorbs entirely too much energy and resources – energy which then is not available for evangelism, teaching, and service. For these church leaders, just as we regretfully accept denominational divisions as an undesirable but inevitable situation, so we should consider separate ethnic congregations to be a regrettable necessity until Christ comes again. A fairly large percentage of Hispanic church planting today follows these models.

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Some disadvantages of the Total Separation Models include:

a) As mentioned above, in the end, we’re talking about segregated churches. These models (with the exception of the Transition Model) separate the church rather than unifying it. This defies our doctrine of the unity of the saints. Also, if we can’t love each other enough to get along together, where is our faith? Many missiologists today are very critical of this model.

b) Separate facilities mean more expenses.

c) Resources may be scarce for the new congregation, particularly after the ministry has been going for awhile. Quite a few culture groups in the U.S. – not all, but a good number – will not be able to quickly attain financial independence. Immigrants generally make less than other people, and sometimes are not as rooted geographically in one place. Also, new Christians need to be taught stewardship, whereas mature Christians take it as a matter of course.

Side by Side ModelsThese models envision two separate worshipping groups sharing facilities. This situation is probably the most widely used because it is the most cost effective. In most cases a facility already exists, used by the Anglo congregation. However, these models are also prone to misunderstandings and culture clashes if the two groups have not worked on understanding each others’ cultures and developed a working agreement and covenant which provides guidance for their ministry together. Here are some examples:

5. Rent Model: In this model, two independent congregations share facilities, and the guest congregation pays rent to the host congregation.

Behnken states that This will not work. The host congregation quickly becomes the landlord and the guest congregation becomes the renter. Money becomes the focus rather than mission. This is particularly true if the renter is a group from another denomination. It is also true, however, if the renter is an LCMS congregation. The host church finds it difficult or impossible to see this new group as part of its mission, because it is simply renting on a temporary basis. No one works on long-term relationships. Concerns about property use and care, finances, and misunderstandings become the issues that drive this model. Strong demands, hurt feelings, broken relationships, and the destruction of future mission possibilities are often the end result of this model, according to Behnken.

Behnken is very strongly against this model, and he has plenty of experience to back him up. However, it seems to me that it has “worked” in at least a few cases, at least in so far

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as it provides a temporary working arrangement until other solutions can be found. Grace Lutheran Church in El Paso, Texas, is an example. There, a non-Lutheran Korean group has rented space for several years from the Lutheran congregation. I believe the model has “worked” at Grace because there is little or no contact between the two groups to cause friction. The Korean group uses a portion of the facilities (a large classroom) that the Anglos do not need at all. They rarely if ever use the main sanctuary. Also, their services take place at a time when the Anglos aren’t around. However, although the two groups are not at each other’s throats, and ministry is accomplished, it is also fair to say that they also do not work together at all, and the Korean group could not properly in any sense be called part of the ministry of Grace.

6. Two Congregations, One Roof Model: According to Behnken, this is an excellent model for missions. The Anglo congregation begins a new culture-specific ministry in its facility. A pastor is usually called by the Anglo congregation as an associate pastor for outreach to Hispanics. The new mission is usually considered part of the Anglo congregation and its budget is part of the host congregation’s budget.

Successful side by side ministries may be found in Houston, Texas, where LINC (Lutheran Inter-City Network Coalition) has established a multitude of small ethnic congregations sharing facilities with large, Anglo congregations.

In the Rocky Mountain District, an example of this model could be found in the short-lived Hispanic ministry at Crosspoint Lutheran Church in El Paso, Texas. At that congregation, the pastor was keenly aware of the need to reach out specifically to Hispanics. 82 % of the population of El Paso is Hispanic, and relatively few of them were darkening the door at Crosspoint. The congregation began by offering a simultaneous Spanish translation of their worship service (via headphones). Later, Bible studies in Spanish were offered during the week. Finally, a new, Spanish-language worship service has been started, under the leadership of a Hispanic elder at Crosspoint. The Hispanic ministry was part of the larger congregation, and there were no plans to separate it. Regrettably, this ministry lasted less than a year. The majority of the Anglo congregation did not feel any ownership in this new outreach (it was the pastor’s “baby”), and almost no attempt was made to foster cross-cultural understanding. No covenant between the two groups was ever made. Power struggles occurred over who was in charge of various aspects of the Hispanic ministry, and personal conflicts between leaders brought about the end of the project. Some of the Hispanics now go to the English worship service (still

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listening to the Spanish via headphones). Others have left Crosspoint to form an independent Lutheran mission focused on Hispanics.

Variation: Instead of starting an entirely new mission from scratch, it occasionally happens that an Anglo congregation invites an already existing Hispanic ministry to share their facilities. A Hispanic ministry might get started in a home or other location, and grow to the point where it needs a place to worship. The Anglo congregation would invite the Hispanic congregation to join with them.

Before this is done, it is important that the host congregation has a good understanding of the new culture, and if possible, has had some training in cross-cultural relationships.

Also, the two congregations would have to determine how they will work together:

a) Continue to be two separate congregations, each with its own constitution and budget.

b) Work as one congregation with one constitution and budget.

Once it is determined what the relationship will be, it is important that a covenant be worked out so that everyone understands the working relationship. A covenant is an agreement between the two ethnic groups that spells out their expectations and responsibilities. If the covenant is done with care and Christian love, and is reviewed and revised regularly, many potential conflicts can be headed off. (See chapter 10.)

Also, with the side by side model, care must be taken to continually take steps to help each group understand the other and participate regularly together in joint activities.

Advantages and DisadvantagesWhenever you try to have two congregations side by side at the same site, there are advantages and disadvantages. Here are some of the advantages:

a) This model does better at affirming our unity in Christ.

b) This model gives the opportunity for each group to learn from the other and to participate with each other, facilitating growth on both sides.

c) This model lowers expenses and makes for good stewardship and more complete use of the property.

d) This model offers worship options in different languages, allowing each person to worship in their heart language.

However, there are also several disadvantages:

a) Care must be taken to train both groups in cross-cultural communication. In my opinion, this was the key element lacking in Crosspoint’s Hispanic outreach.

b) There will inevitably be scheduling difficulties.

c) It is not easy for the Anglos to truly give up some of their control of the church and its property.

d) It is difficult for Anglos to accept Hispanics on an equal footing.

e) Running bilingual church meetings is complicated and takes more time.

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f) This model probably works best with bilingual pastors, who are not always available.

“Blended” or Multicultural Congregation ModelIn this model, the Anglo ministry and the Hispanic ministry are joined together even more closely than in the “Side by Side” model. There is only one congregation, one organization. Anglos and Hispanics share the leadership of the whole church.

7. Multicultural Congregation Model: In this model, Anglos and Hispanics – and possibly other ethnic groups as well – form one, united congregation. However, it is not a congregation where everyone must follow Anglo customs. Rather, there is variety in the worship styles and sometimes even in the worship language. People of different ethnic backgrounds share the leadership of the congregations.

There are three variations of this model:

a) In some multicultural congregations, the ethnic groups may still separate most of the time for worship. For example, in San Pablo Lutheran Church in El Paso, Texas, there are English services and Spanish services each Sunday. Occasionally they gather for a bilingual service. However, both Anglos and Hispanics have an equal footing as leaders in the congregation. The pastor is bilingual.

This variation is extremely close to the “Side by Side” model above. The only difference is that in a “blended” congregation there is a higher level of integration of Hispanics and Anglos on all levels of the congregation. For example, at San Pablo (“blended” model), all church meetings have simultaneous translation in English and Spanish. By contrast, Crosspoint (“side by side” model) held all church meetings in English only, and there were very few Hispanics in positions of leadership. At other “side by side” model congregations, the Hispanics will have their own church council and the Anglos will have a separate church council.

b) Everyone may participate together in one bilingual service each Sunday. Few congregations have followed this variation. El Calvario (Calvary) Lutheran Church in Brownsville, Texas, attempted this for a time, but it was so much work and received so much negative feedback, that they stopped. Many groups celebrate an occasional bilingual worship service (sometimes every month!) but few do it every Sunday.

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Shared Leadership

Key Activities Together

Language-specific Outreach

c) Everyone may participate together in one English service each Sunday, which offers a Spanish translation (sometimes via headphones). Although the service is in English, care will be taken to include Hispanic elements in the service (Latin music, bright colors, etc.).

Before launching out with this model, it is of utmost importance that the congregation develop a mission plan (a step-by-step process with goals and strategies that will lead them toward this vision). The congregation must think through how to build relationships between Anglos and Hispanics and truly form one body. How will the mission be funded? What will the constitution look like? How will leadership be shared?

In the beginning, each culture group probably should start with language-specific worship services. This will allow first-generation Hispanics to become familiar with the congregation and feel comfortable going there for worship. The goal then would be to aim towards more integration with the second generation. The pastor and the Anglos must have a heart and a desire to reach out to the second-generation Hispanics. The second-generation youth are English-speaking, and span both cultures. They can easily feel out of place in both English and Spanish settings. However, if they are taken into account and made to feel at home in the church, then they will become a bridge to join Anglos and Hispanics together. They will eventually form a key part of the leadership of the church.

Advantages and DisadvantagesA blended (multi-cultural) congregation will have the same advantages and disadvantages as two side-by-side congregations (see above) – only more so!

The House Church ModelSome non-traditional church models have been used here and there in Hispanic ministry. One of them, which has seen some success on the east coast, involves establishing Hispanic house churches.

8. House Church Model: Instead of beginning a traditional Hispanic congregation, meeting in a facility set aside for worship, one could aim at establishing Hispanic house church. A house church is like a cell group on steroids; it provides Word and Sacrament ministry in a more informal, small group setting. A house church could be considered a ministry within a larger, more traditional congregation, or it could be considered a separate congregation.

For example, Rev. Jim Buckman is an ardent advocate of house church planting. He has established a number of house churches in New Jersey, among them at least one specifically Hispanic house church. You can find out more about his ministry at www.housechurchplanter.com.

One of the biggest challenges with a true house church is that we Lutherans believe that Word and Sacrament ministry should be overseen by a person specifically called as a pastor. At the same time, in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, called pastors are generally required to have a rather high level of theological education, which is extremely expensive and time-consuming. If house churches are to multiply, it is essential to have a large number of leaders available. Many will not meet the educational criteria to be formally called as an LC-MS pastor.

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What can be done? One solution would be to “downgrade” the house churches into mere cell group Bible studies, and save the worship, preaching, Baptism and Lord’s Supper for more formal gatherings at a central location (traditional church worship). This would take away many of the advantages that house churches enjoy. Another solution would be to have the house churches led by specially chosen elders who are supervised by an ordained pastor. Some of these elders might be in the process of studying to be called as a pastor themselves. Some Lutherans are not very comfortable with this idea either. Yet another solution might be to create a special position of “house church pastor” and allow the leaders of the house churches to be called immediately as pastors but without the ability to serve in other, traditional churches. This would probably require a formal decision by the national church body, and would undoubtedly be bitterly opposed by many who have a lot invested in the current system. It would seem that our present way of doing things has no easy way of allowing small churches to meet in homes like they did in the New Testament.

The house church model has its advantages and disadvantages. Some of the advantages include:

a) Facilitating evangelism – non-Christians are more likely to visit an informal, home gathering than a traditional church worship setting.

b) Facilitating spiritual care of individuals – it is easier to share problems and prayer requests in a small group setting.

c) Low cost.

d) Focus on a specific cultural group – with few exceptions, the small group will share the same culture.

The house church also has a number of disadvantages:

a) Preparing adequate pastoral leadership, as noted earlier.

b) Difficulty of supervising a large number of autonomous or semi-autonomous groups. Accountability is a challenge.

c) The groups can easily become turned inward and/or start to wander theologically.

ConclusionThere is no one, perfect model that fits every situation. Every model has its good and bad points. Although some models can be eliminated from the outset (like the Total Assimilation Model), you will still have to prayerfully consider which model best fits your particular goals and needs. With God’s help, decide on one overall pattern – and then work to minimize its drawbacks and maximize its advantages.

Steps to TakeConsider the resources God has given you, the setting in which he has placed you, and the attitude of your congregation. Then think through which model of ministry would work best.

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PlantersPersonnel and Material Resources

Who Will Go?As we think about what the new congregation or ministry will look like, we also ask ourselves who will do it. Who will make this model a reality?

In a vision, God said to Isaiah, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” Isaiah said, “Here am I. Send me!” Suppose God were to say the same thing today: “Whom shall I send to do this Hispanic ministry? And who will go for us?” Most of us Anglos would say, like Moses, “Oh Lord, send someone else.”

Why are we reluctant? Two main reasons:

1) We don’t want to make the effort. Reaching out across cultures is work and sacrifice. It is much more comfortable not to try.

2) We don’t know how. We are scared of screwing up. It is much more comfortable not to try.

The problem is that God has sent these neighbors to us. We can’t fob this off on the pastor or the District. God is calling us to get involved.

Furthermore, God provides the strength and the gifts we need for what he wants us to do. You may say, “I don’t speak Spanish.” You can learn! God said to Moses, “Who gave man his mouth?... Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.” (Exodus 4:11-12) You will be surprised at how positively many Hispanics respond when you have even just a little Spanish.

But would you like to know a secret? For a lot of things you don’t need Spanish. For the 2nd and 3rd generations, no Spanish is required. So you can’t jabber away with a 1st generation immigrant? You could probably teach English as a second language. Can’t teach? You could bring in some coffee and donuts for the English class and serve them with a smile, couldn’t you? You could get together each week with the Hispanic leader and pray with him, couldn’t you? At Zion Lutheran Church, a number of years ago, the elder in charge of the Spanish service spoke absolutely no Spanish. But every Sunday, like clockwork, he was there for the whole service, with a smile on his face and a hearty handshake for everyone who came. That is worth more than gold.

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So whatever you ultimately decide to do, make the commitment right now to get your own hands dirty somehow in the new ministry.

Having said that, however, who is going to coordinate and organize everyone? Who is going to lead? There are several possibilities:

Call a Full-time Church Planter or Ministry LeaderYour congregation or your circuit could call a full-time church planter to lead this new Hispanic ministry. The district could call someone, but most districts today don’t have any funds; the congregations are not giving as much to the district anymore, and things have gotten to the point where the district can’t do what it would like to. However, you might be able to call someone.

If you do call a full-time worker, you should look for someone who has some training and/or experience in missions. Not everyone who speaks Spanish is automatically a good missionary. Furthermore, in order to reach the 2nd and 3rd generations, and to coordinate with the Anglos, it is very desirable that the person you call be bilingual. There are some planters around that only speak Spanish, but most of them recognize the need for English as well, and are trying to learn.

If the person you are calling has no experience in starting a new ministry, it would be very wise to have him or her go through a church planter assessment program. These programs help potential church planters see if their particular gifts and characteristics will lend themselves to the job of planting a new mission. The programs also help church planters identify and work on their weak points while maximizing their strengths. Your district may have a church planter assessment program that they prefer. If not, you can call Rev. Paige Mathews at the Lutheran Hispanic Missionary Institute (pmathews@missionaryinstitute.org) for information about the program he hosts several times a year.

Calling a full-time worker has many advantages:

a) He can dedicate himself to the mission without being distracted with a secular job.

b) He is accountable to the people who have called him.

c) He can count on substantial support.

However, there are also disadvantages:

a) It costs a lot.

b) Anglos often have unrealistic expectations with regard to the results they expect. Funding may dry up if those expectations are not met.

c) Anglos, who may or may not understand the Hispanic culture, are in charge of the funds and the ministry in the end.

d) There aren’t many truly bilingual workers, and many of them gravitate towards better-paying positions than a new mission.

e) The worker may be isolated and lack the emotional support from others.

Where can you find a person who could spearhead a new Hispanic ministry? First of all, you should check with your district president. Some district leaders are in tune with Hispanic work and can give you names of bilingual pastors and deaconesses who could help start a new mission or ministry. Other district presidents may not be so helpful. But start there.

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Secondly, check with the directors of Spanish-language theological education in your area and nationwide. Call Dr. Leopoldo Sanchez at the Center for Hispanic Studies (at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis) and/or Rev. Richard Schlak (me) at the Lutheran Hispanic Missionary Institute. If your district has a lay training program for Hispanic workers, consult them as well. We may be able to put you in touch with someone with the training you need.

Thirdly, ask around in Hispanic circles. People who are already serving as pastors or deaconesses in Hispanic ministry may be able to point you to others who would be able to help in your area.

Call (a) Part-time Church Planter(s) or Ministry Leader(s)If you can’t afford to call a full-time worker, perhaps you might be able to find someone to work part time in the new mission. A part-time worker might be a retired pastor who helps out, or he might be someone who works part time in a secular (non-church) job and part time in the church plant. A person who has a secular job as well as a church profession is called a “bivocational worker,” or a “worker priest” or a “tentmaker.”

It is not easy to find someone who would be willing and able to pull up stakes and move his family to your community only to have to look for a new (secular) job while juggling the pressure of ministry obligations. Again, you want someone with training and/or experience, not just anyone who speaks Spanish. And again, a bilingual worker is much to be preferred. If you find one, he is worth his weight in gold.

Calling a part-time worker has advantages:

a) It costs much less.

b) The worker is still accountable to the people calling him.

c) It is an example and inspiration to the rest of the congregation, and opens the door to planting many more churches without being so limited by the need for funds.

However, there are also disadvantages:

a) The church worker will be able to devote only a portion of his time to the ministry. This problem may be mitigated by having a team of bivocational workers instead of just one person. Having a team would also allow for mutual encouragement and support and prayer.

b) The church worker may find it hard to obtain benefits like health care for his family.

c) Again, Anglos who provide funds may have unrealistic expectations.

d) Bivocational people are usually found and trained where they already live. It is difficult for a bivocational person to pull up stakes and move to another place. He would have to find an entirely new secular job, a place to live, a new school for his kids, etc., all for the sake of a part time ministry. Therefore, you must either find a person willing to sacrifice in this way or find someone in your town and educate him there, on site.

e) The worker will be isolated and lack the emotional support he needs. There aren’t that many bivocational colleagues around, and usually there won’t be anyone nearby to give support and encouragement. This disadvantage might be mitigated if you are able to form a team of bivocational workers in your community.

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Train (a) Leader(s) in Your Own CongregationInstead of looking for someone who is already trained and experienced, more and more congregations are looking for potential leaders in their own backyard and helping them to study and to obtain the coaching they need. These potential leaders are usually – but not always – Hispanic themselves. Today, people don’t need to leave their homes and move to St. Louis or Ft. Wayne to get the training they need. The Internet and TEE (Theological Education by Extension) allow them to study at home.

The Lutheran Hispanic Missionary Institute offers online training for lay leaders and for future pastors and deaconesses. The 16 courses in the Basic Theology program are extremely practical and oriented towards starting new ministries rather than simply maintaining things that already exist. All courses are available in Spanish; many are also available in English. Tuition is extremely low ($50 per course). In order to study online, the student needs a decent computer with a good, broadband Internet connection. The Missionary Institute uses an online meeting web site to gather students and professors for a class in real time. Self-study courses are presently in development.

After finishing the Basic Theology program, students going on to be pastors or deaconesses will enroll in advanced studies at the Center for Hispanic Studies at Concordia Seminary. The Center for Hispanic Studies curriculum consists of 18 courses taken over 3 years. Regrettably, these courses are as expensive as any other seminary course. Also, the students must travel to St. Louis for one or two weeks each semester, for concentrated class time. When the students are not in class, they are given assignments to complete. At the present time, no online classes are available through the Center for Hispanic Studies; however, that may change in the near future. The courses and professors are excellent, and lead to official certification for ordination or consecration in the LCMS. Very often, at this level, the student works part time in the church as a vicar or deaconess intern. This is extremely helpful for ministries that are just getting off the ground. However, the student will almost certainly need financial aid from the congregation or the district. Also, he may have difficulty leaving work so often to travel to the seminary. Students need to be fluent in Spanish.

Concordia University at Irvine, California, has an MA (Master of Arts) program for preparing church workers, which can be taken almost entirely online. This program also leads to official certification for ordination as a pastor or consecration as a deaconess in the LCMS. As with the Center for Hispanic Studies, the courses and professors at Concordia University are academically excellent, in many cases on the cutting edge of missiology. Regrettably, the program is also expensive. Classes are only in English. Students need to have completed a Bachelor’s degree before enrolling in this program.

The Center for US Missions offers a couple of courses related to church planting. These courses are not specifically aimed at Hispanic ministry, but they cover a lot of practical and theoretical points that would be profitable for a church planter among Hispanics. Students need to be proficient in English. Costs vary, but count on paying at least $200-300 per course. One course is online; the others are given face-to-face at different times and in different places.

Rumor has it that Concordia Seminary in Argentina is starting to develop online theological courses in Spanish. As I am writing this, I have been unable to confirm anything, but perhaps by the time you read this page, something more solid will be known. Google Concordia Seminary in Argentina and find out.

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Training a leader “at home” has some advantages:

a) The basic training, at least, costs very little (courses at the Missionary Institute run just $50).

b) The leader already knows the people and their situation.

c) The leader and his family are already settled in the place where his ministry will be.

d) The leader usually already has the secular job that will help support him. Therefore the ministry will be less expensive, economically, for the church.

e) The leader learns “on the job,” in an extremely practical environment. He is not divorced from the world in some ivory tower while he studies.

f) The leader is directly accountable to the people providing for his training.

g) The leader is an example and inspiration to the rest of the congregation.

However, there are also disadvantages:

a) The leader will be able to devote only a portion of his time to the ministry. In fact, it may be very hard for the worker to balance his time between his secular job, his family’s needs, his theological studies, and his ministry obligations. Some students find it difficult to concentrate on their studies in this situation. Some do not take a full load of classes and thus take a longer time to finish the program.

This problem may be mitigated by having a team of student leaders instead of just one person. Having a team would also allow for mutual encouragement and support and prayer.

b) The leader may find it hard to obtain benefits like health care for his family or retirement benefits.

c) Anglos who provide funds may have unrealistic expectations for the ministry, especially with regard to the results obtained and the amount of time that the leader can dedicate.

d) The leader begins his ministry without much training. He usually makes more than his share of mistakes. Some of the ministry supporters may be impatient with him.

e) The leader will often be isolated and lack the emotional support he needs. Unless there is a team of student leaders, usually there won’t be anyone nearby who understands the worker’s situation. Special provision must be made to give the leader support and encouragement.

f) Advanced studies (at the Center for Hispanic Studies or at Concordia University) are very expensive. Financial aid must be sought.

Do It YourselfInstead of calling someone from the outside, or arranging for a leader to be trained, you could start this ministry yourselves, with the people you have right now. You could form a team, look at the gifts that each of you bring to the table, select one person to coordinate everything, and begin outreach using those gifts.

What if you don’t know Spanish? You can learn. There are Spanish classes at many Community Colleges. Even better, you could find a person willing to practice with you on a weekly basis.

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Every year, Ysleta Lutheran Human Care and the Lutheran Hispanic Missionary Institute team up to offer a week-long intensive course in Spanish and Hispanic ministry (see www.ylm.org or www.missionaryinstitute.org). Also, as I’ve said before, there is plenty you can do even if you don’t speak Spanish.

What if you don’t have a clue about what to do? There is training for missions available for Anglos. The Center for U.S. Missions (www.c4usm.org or www.centerforusmissions.org) offers church planting courses (in English) as well as coaching. The Lutheran Hispanic Missionary Institute (www.missionaryinstitute.org) offers a “Hispanic Missions Basics” course in English over the Internet, at very low cost. It also offers online seminars in evangelism and church planting, usually in Spanish.

Forming your own team of workers has certain advantages:

a) It costs very little.

b) There is a high level of local, lay involvement. We are putting into practice the priesthood of all believers.

c) It is “hands on” and practical for everyone involved.

d) It may turn into a full-time ministry (with a full-time worker) later on.

However, there are also disadvantages:

a) You probably need some training, before and during the ministry.

b) You need to carefully work out lines of communication and accountability/authority.

Material ResourcesIn order to start a Hispanic ministry, you not only need leaders – you also need at least some money. On the one hand, if you just go personally to speak to your Hispanic next-door neighbor about Jesus, it doesn’t cost anything at all! However, if God leads you to establish an organized ministry, there will always be some bills to pay. You’ll want to buy tracts, Bibles, hymnals, or other literature. You’ll want to have a computer and maybe other equipment. You’ll want to send your leaders to conferences now and then. And of course any full-time or part-time workers need to be provided for!

The good news is that God provides everything we need! He gives each of us enough for our personal and family needs as well as for the mission. The bad news is that sometimes those resources don’t make it out of our wallets and into the offering plate. Sometimes Christians do not seem to know or understand that God is the one who gives them the strength and skills and opportunity to earn money. A part of that money is to go for feeding our families; but another part is to go to spreading the message of salvation in Christ. Sometimes that second part gets diverted and spent on ourselves rather than the Lord’s work.

We need to teach our congregations a bit more about “stewardship,” that is, good administration of the things that God has given us. This is especially true with regard to Hispanic ministry. Your own congregation is the first place that ought to provide funds for this ministry.

Centuries ago, individual congregations were primarily responsible for planting new churches. Sure, sometimes missionaries would be sent out by other organizations, but for the most part, churches planted churches. In the Bible, think about the congregation at Antioch which sent missionaries near and far. In the past two centuries, however, congregations have increasingly

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left the mission task more and more in the hands of larger organizations: the national church body or a missionary society. Today, funds for larger organizations are becoming increasingly scarce. If the local congregation doesn’t take the lead in starting new Hispanic ministries, it is not likely that the District or Synod will pick up the slack anymore.

When you are seeking material resources for starting a Hispanic ministry, the congregation then is the first place to look.

Another good source of funds – often untapped – is individual donors. Any sort of direct donation, whether large or small, would be helpful. In particular, there are people in our congregations who earn large salaries and who never give all they could to the local congregation. Many times they do not want the church to become too dependent on their donations. So they look for charities outside the congregation, and support them also. If you can identify these people and approach them with a clear vision for ministry, many of them would be more than willing to become partners in the mission with you. God gives different gifts to different people. To some, he gives extra material resources, precisely so that they can help get ministries like yours off the ground.

As you gather economic support for the new mission, remember to ask also for support from the national church. I know I just said that funds are declining for our Districts and Synod. However, you never know until you try. Present your vision and plan to your local circuit of congregations, and ask them for support. Make an appointment and present your plan to the district president and the board of directors. Travel to St. Louis and talk with the people in charge of missions in the national church body.

Furthermore, you may be able to find support from different church-related organizations. For example, the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML) often gives grants to specialized ministries which are reaching out with the Gospel to specific groups. Find out from them what the procedures and requirements are for applying for a grant. Again, you might be able to obtain a grant from a group such as the Schwann Foundation, if your ministry happens to fall within their grant parameters. If you plan on launching a new human care (social ministry) project, you might consider submitting a grant request to Lutheran World Relief. Those are just some examples.

If your ministry will include a strong human care component (food bank, English as a Second Language, medical help, used clothing distribution, etc.), then look into finding support in your community. Some businesses are willing to make donations (money or free services or materials) for social work in their communities. Sometimes local governments have money budgeted for certain types of social services. Sometimes your state government or even the national government have programs or funding which you may qualify for. For example, a couple of years ago, the Ysleta Lutheran Human Care Mission received a very large helping hand through a government program that funded temporary (summer) jobs for youth. The government paid minimum wage for these youth to do certain kinds of work for non-profit human care organizations. The youth accomplished an incredible amount of cleaning, painting, tiling, and other much-needed work at Ysleta. You have access to the Internet, don’t you? You have the address of your city council and your congressmen? Look around and see if you can find support from the community!

In the beginning, of course, most or all of the funds will come from outside the Hispanic ministry itself. However, please do not forget to make stewardship education a priority, when new

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Hispanic Christians start to come in the door! This is extremely important and often neglected badly. Of course, it is true that many first-generation Hispanics have lower incomes and very large family financial obligations. But others have very good-paying jobs and are able to give more. Furthermore, God wants us to give according to our means, even if we have very little. He knows how to multiply small gifts!

Some Hispanic congregations have supplemented the funds available for ministry by starting business ventures run by the church to support the ministry. For example, the church might sponsor a Christian bookstore, a preschool, or even some secular business like a laundromat. A member of the church runs the business and it generates enough revenue to pay his salary and provide funds for the congregation as well. While this may work in some cases, it usually requires a very capable entrepreneur to successfully run the business. Schools in the United States generally become financial drains rather than sources of income. (The exceptions are preschools in wealthy areas of town – for example, the “Open Arms” programs of the LCMS.) The business also absorbs a certain amount of time and effort from the congregation in general. Finally, care must be taken that running the business does not become an excuse for not practicing good stewardship as Christians.

Volunteers and “in kind” donations can also help in supplying some of the necessary material resources. For example, if volunteers paint the place where you are meeting, then you don’t have to pay the painters (particularly if the volunteers go a bit farther and provide their own paint!). “In kind” donations are gifts of needed items rather than money. For example, if the local bank donates a used (but still usable!) computer, then the mission won’t have to pay to buy one.

Whenever you go looking for financial support (or volunteers!), you should always:

a) Pray!!

b) Present a clear and compelling vision and plan for the ministry, including your estimates of how much it will cost.

c) If possible, create a brochure for distribution.

d) Give the person or organization time to pray and consider the ministry. But be sure to make an appointment to get back to them at a certain time, in person if possible!

e) Ask them directly and clearly for what you need.

f) Thank those who respond positively, and give them appropriate recognition. Recognition of a mission partner might be as simple as a personal thank-you letter or as formal as presenting a plaque or certificate at a sit-down banquet. (It depends on the situation.)

Be aware that very often people (and institutions) do not respond positively the first time you ask them for economic support. It often takes 3-5 separate contacts before a check is written. So don’t be discouraged! Don’t be a nuisance, but on the other hand, don’t throw in the towel if people don’t immediately jump on board. Give the Lord time to bring you the mission partners you need.

If you have other questions about looking for support, you can contact Rev. Paige Mathews at the Lutheran Hispanic Missionary Institute (pmathews @missionaryinstitute.org).

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Steps to TakeLook for resources. Particularly, you want to find people who are willing and able to work in this ministry. They may be full-time, part-time, or volunteer leaders.

In addition, you want to look for material resources to support the ministry leaders in their work.

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PlanLaying out What to Do and How to Work Together

What Are You Going to Do?So we’re praying for God’s power and guidance, and we’ve opened our eyes to see the people God is sending us to reach, possible patterns which will serve, and the resources God has given us. The next step is to plan. You’ve heard the saying, “If you aim at nothing, you will probably hit it.” Planning does not mean that we now take control of things. It does not mean that everything is set and there will not be any future changes. Planning does mean that with the Holy Spirit’s leading, we lay out the things that need to be done, and we make arrangements to do them. It does mean that we continually evaluate our direction and our activities, and as God opens other opportunities, we respond accordingly.

Prepare the Congregation. Just because you see God leading in a certain direction does not mean that the rest of the congregation automatically shares this vision. Yet God has called us to work together in his mission. There may be times when a person has to launch off on his own. But usually, God provides resources and encouragement and manpower for ministry through the church.

Furthermore, changes are often daunting for our congregations, and we are not called to just step on people who have not yet come to understand what we understand about our Hispanic neighbors. Therefore we need to make every effort to educate and prepare our brothers and sisters so that their hearts are ready to go forward with a new mission or ministry.

There will always be a few people who oppose any new project. Whenever you first propose any kind of change, there will always be some people in favor, some against, and a great majority who are lukewarm. What can you do? You publicize the project, you preach about the underlying commands and promises of God, you invite questions and respond, you talk to people individually – and little by little, more people get on the bandwagon. If the congregation as a whole is not on board with this new mission or ministry, perhaps you should rethink it.

Perhaps you think I’m beginning to sound like a parrot, repeating this same point again and again in this Handbook. That’s because this is utterly essential and all too often neglected. The graveyard of dead Hispanic ministries is full of tombstones that read: “The congregation didn’t support me.”

By the way, remember that Ken Behnken has written a great resource to help you prepare the congregation for reaching out to a different ethnic group: Together in Mission, available from the Pacific South-west District (www.psd-lcms.org).

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Gather the mission team. The mission team is 4 or 5 people, plus the pastor, who desire to participate in some way with the new outreach. They should be people who are able to work together in harmony, to compromise and support each other. (You don’t want the church grouch to be on this team.) It will be invaluable to have at least one Hispanic on this team, provided he or she shares the common desire to share their salvation with other Hispanics.

God will bring people of different gifts. In fact, the talents of the people in the mission team may be one indication of the strategies you should use. If God sends you a bunch of teachers, maybe the outreach should focus on using their gifts in English classes or helping kids with homework. If no-one speaks Spanish - yet - maybe you should avoid trying to set up Spanish worship services immediately. You need 4-5 people (plus the pastor), ideally – though God may send you a few more, or even a few less.

Start meeting together regularly for prayer and for study. By study, I mean, study God’s Word and study the people around you. Again, Behnken’s materials (Together in Mission) are good. I hope you will find this Handbook useful also.

Lay Out Your Ministry PlanSome people are extremely organized, like my mother who keeps the spices in her kitchen in alphabetical order. If you are like that, perhaps your mission team will find it helpful to lay out a detailed, strategic plan.

Other people are more relaxed and informal, like my wife who tends to put things in different locations when she cleans. If you are like that, perhaps your ministry plan doesn’t need quite so many details.

Nevertheless, it is helpful to at least sketch out your plans so that all of you are on the same page. Otherwise, it is all too easy to let important things slip through the cracks. Perhaps you have heard the story about Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody:

There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done

What kind of things should be in your mission plan? Let me suggest the following:

Why?Start out by laying out, on paper, why you are engaging in this ministry. What is the purpose? You can do this very simply by making a brief statement like the following: “The mission of our ministry is…” or “Our ministry exists in order to…”

If you want to go into more detail, a full-fledged strategic plan usually specifies the group values, as well as including a mission statement and/or vision statement.

“Essential Values” are the things that define the heart of an individual or group. They are the things which are “non-negotiable.” One would give one’s life rather than compromise on these values. The values chosen by the mission team should be biblical, constant, and passionate.

Writing down these values can be extremely useful. Values can help determine the unique character of the group. They distinguish between the really important activities and the not-so-

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important. They help the team maintain its focus. Values also communicate to new members, the level of personal commitment that will be expected.

You probably have lots of different values, like “taking time for family,” “being honest,” or “loving your neighbor.” For a strategic plan to work, however, you need to select 5 or at most 6 values and focus directly on them.

Once you know your group values, you should work on a mission statement. “The Mission” of the group is a brief phrase that explains why this particular group exists. It should be memorable and easy to memorize. It should be limited to a single sentence.

A mission statement is valuable for 5 reasons. It signals the direction the ministry will take. It emphasizes the purpose and function of the ministry. It provides a rule by which to measure the decisions made by the group. It promotes unity. Finally, it helps in the evaluation of what is being accomplished.

Most strategic plans also include a vision statement. The “Vision” of the group explains the results or the situation that the group wishes to bring about. Most of the vision statements that I have seen are a longer than the mission statement, but still brief. Hard core planners debate whether the vision statement should be shorter or longer than the mission statement, and what should be the focus of each. Please don’t get hung up on this. If you want a full strategic plan, that’s fine, but don’t spend so much time on the details that you miss doing the ministry itself.

In the end, the important thing is to be clear on why you are doing this.

Who?Based on the information you have gathered about the people, the mission team should write down the characteristics of the Hispanics (Latinos) whom you hope to serve with this ministry. Are you seeking to serve mainly first-generation immigrants, or Hispanics who have grown up in the United States? Are they mainly Mexicans, Cubans, Puerto Ricans, or others?

By doing this, we do not mean to say that other groups are not welcome. In Christ, we hope that mature believers will become one in spite of differences. However, the people God wants us to reach are not yet mature believers. We need to meet them where they are. God very often sends us to specific people. So who are those people in the case of this new ministry? Write down – briefly - what their characteristics and needs are.

What?The mission team should then very briefly describe what ministry you propose to launch in order to effectively communicate Christ’s love to these particular people. Which model will you follow? Will you launch a food bank or English classes or an after-school program? Will you hold home Bible studies or youth retreats or evangelistic conferences? Will you launch an evangelistic ministry, a human care ministry, or a Word and Sacrament ministry – or some combination of the three?

How?Your mission team should then consider the specific steps that they need to take in order to accomplish this particular mission and ministry. Divide the ministry into individual tasks. For each task or step, write down who will be responsible, what precisely they are to do, and when it should be done and where it is to take place. Also, write down the material cost, that is, what material resources (if any) will be needed, and where the money (or items) will be obtained.

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For example, if you are planning to have English classes, one of the necessary tasks would be to create publicity for the classes. As part of the plan, you would assign one of your team members to create a flier on his computer by May 15, have it printed by May 30, organize the men’s group of the congregation to take the fliers to different stores in the neighborhood on June 5, and organize the youth group to distribute fliers door-to-door on June 10. The funds for the fliers would come from the congregational budget (which would have to be approved by the appropriate group).

If you wish to create a full strategic plan, at this point you would break down the overall mission into smaller objectives. The objectives should be specific, clear, attainable, and measurable. You probably know the drill. You don’t just say, in the Lutheran Hispanic Missionary Institute, for example, “Objective 1: train more Hispanic missionaries.” You say, “Objective 1: enroll 30 more people in the LHMI program by May 2013.”

When you have your smaller objectives, the next step in a strategic plan is to consider what actions you must take to accomplish each one. As noted earlier, the mission team needs to assign divide up the work so that different people are responsible for different tasks, with deadlines to get certain things done. Many strategic plans include several “action steps” with each objective. Each action step should detail the who, what, when, where, and cost, as well as where the money or resources will come from.

We don’t have to go into details of strategic planning. If you wish to plan to that degree of detail, you can find help via the Internet or check out a book on strategic planning from your local library. However, just keep in mind what we are doing here. We aren’t taking over control of this ministry from God. We are seeking to coordinate and clarify so that important tasks do not fall through the cracks. Remember that planning is not the end, but the means. The amount of detail you include in your plan is up to you. However, your plan needs to serve the ministry, not the ministry serve the plan.

Do We Really Need a Plan?A couple of years ago, I presented some of this to a group of pastors. One of them said that this sounded a lot like a business plan. This kind of plan is used a lot in different settings and can be very effective. But it is very typical of Anglos, not necessarily Hispanics. The pastor said, “How necessary is this plan? Did the apostles Peter and Paul have a business plan?”

Well, I’m not sure how much Peter and Paul planned ahead of time. The Bible doesn’t really say. But I am sure that God has a plan. The Bible states clearly that God planned long ago how he would send Jesus as our Savior and how he would send us as his witnesses. God very carefully prepared the way for putting this plan into action. And Peter and Paul’s missionary activity in the book of Acts very clearly follows a particular strategy of God, to reach Jerusalem first, then Judea and Samaria, and finally, the ends of the earth.

So I don’t think God is against our planning, as long as we continually seek the Lord’s guidance and adjust our plans to fit God’s plans.

Furthermore, let’s face it. Most of us are Anglos. The reason we are concentrating on Hispanic ministry is not because the Hispanics are clueless and Anglos have all the answers. It is because we know that God doesn’t just love and save Anglos, he saves everyone – and we don’t have all that many Hispanics among us. And sometimes we Anglos need some organization – a plan – to get us off our duffs and doing what God wants. Sometimes we need someone to tell us, “Joe,

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would you please take care of making up some fliers about our English as a Second Language class? We need them by next Saturday so we can pass them out in the neighborhood.”

So this plan is a tool – it is not the gospel, it is a tool – to clarify God’s will in this particular place and time (our mission) and to define for us some steps that we can sink our teeth into. Anglos often have a reputation for organization and getting the job done. Well, OK then. Let’s do it.

Making a CovenantSince we’re talking about plans, I should mention one very helpful tool for Anglos and Hispanics to work together: a covenant. A covenant is an agreement stating how the two groups will work together and how they will resolve conflicts when they arise. At the very beginning, you may not need a covenant. Perhaps the Hispanics will have their own facilities, or perhaps there are no Hispanics around yet. However, in most situations, sooner or later you will have Anglos and Hispanics rubbing shoulders and sharing resources. In that case, you’re going to need some guidelines in place that will help minimize cultural clashes and maximize good understanding between ethnic groups.

Now, please don’t misunderstand me. A covenant is not a rent document or a list of rules to be used to club the other guys over the head. Rather, a covenant is an agreement, a guideline, a statement of your working relationship. It can certainly be very helpful when conflicts arise, but mostly it should be a positive reminder of our mutual love in Christ and our commitment to work together. Also, if we see that changes need to be made in the covenant, both groups need to be flexible enough to make them.

Together in Mission, by Ken Behnken, has a very good discussion of covenants, along with a sample covenant. Much of what is said here is an adaptation of his comments.

Forming a Covenant TeamThe first step in developing a covenant is to form a group that will lay out the details. This group should include leaders from both ethnic groups, as well as their pastor(s).

Anglo ExpectationsThe group should first of all look at the expectations that the Anglos have for the new ministry. Anglos are usually the “hosts” in this situation, that is, the congregation that owns the facilities to be used is usually composed mostly of Anglos and is characterized by Anglo cultural elements.

The Anglos should be able to expect the following from the Hispanic group:

The Anglos should be respected as brothers and sisters in Christ. There should be open communication between the Anglos and the Hispanics. There should be regular meetings between the leaders of both groups. The church facilities should be used properly and left locked and in good order after

activities are concluded. The building should be kept clean and reasonably maintained. The Anglos should have a voice in decisions that will affect the facilities (particularly

with regard to signs). The Hispanics should respect the time and place of the existing worship and ministry

activities of the Anglos. The Hispanics should supervise and be responsible for their children.

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The Hispanics should honor all the agreed-upon commitments, including time and financial commitments.

Three months’ notice should be given before terminating any agreement.

Anglo ConsiderationsAt the same time, the Anglos will have to make some sacrifices for the sake of this new outreach. Some of the things that the Anglos should consider are:

Worship: Are you (as Anglos) aiming to include Hispanics in your Word and Sacrament ministry? If so, are you willing to allow your worship to include Hispanic elements as well as Anglo traditions? Are you ready to encourage worship that best reaches the Hispanics and their culture? Are you ready to participate in an occasional bi-lingual worship service for the sake of unity? How can you provide for the needs of second-generation Hispanics (the children of immigrants)?

Decisions: How do you plan to allow Hispanics to be a part of the decision-making process in the congregation? Will there be one governing body for both groups? Will meetings be translated into Spanish? Or will there be two different governing bodies? If so, how will they maintain communication?

Anglos should be careful in this area of decision-making. It is easy to fall into the temptation of controlling everything with money. Also, Hispanics often are used to a more authoritarian way of making decisions, and they may not always speak up in a meeting the way Anglos do.

Growth expectations: Anglos should understand that Hispanic congregations are not likely to grow as quickly as Anglo missions normally do (at least in the suburbs). They will also very likely not become economically independent as quickly.

Finances: Anglos should realize that new Hispanic believers are not used to tithing or even giving regularly to a church. Furthermore, many Hispanic immigrants have heavy financial commitments to their families, many of whom may remain in their country of origin. The new congregation may not be able to afford to pay a pastor for a long time. It may be more realistic to allow the Hispanic group to share a percentage of their offerings with the Anglo congregation, rather than ask them to contribute a fixed amount each month to the budget.

Facility: Anglos should not expect that the Hispanics will automatically understand all the church rules and regulations. Just the other day, my parents (both Anglos) were complaining that they had given a substantial gift to a young Hispanic girl for her 15th birthday party, but she had never sent them a thank-you note. My wife (a Hispanic) told my parents that until she married me, she had never encountered this custom of sending notes to thank someone. It’s just not a common custom among many Hispanic cultures. This doesn’t mean that Hispanics are not thankful for the gifts they receive; it just means that they express their thanks verbally, in the moment, and not later in writing. My wife suggested that perhaps this Hispanic girl had no clue that a written note was expected of her. In the same way, Hispanics in the church may not know that certain behaviors are expected of them. Anglos should resolve right from the start not to jump to conclusions but to talk things out when something goes amiss in the church facility.

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Children: Anglos should realize that the children of Hispanic immigrants are caught between two worlds, two cultures. The children may prefer to speak English, but they still have many Hispanic customs. How can you make Hispanic children welcome in English Sunday School, in your Anglo youth group? Are you ready to learn about the challenges faced by children and youth of immigrants?

Are you (as Anglos) ready to carry out Christ’s command to “go and make disciples of all nations”? Do you desire to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ outside your own ethnic group? Do you see your facilities, not as buildings set apart only for your own use, but as a gift from God to be willingly shared with others for the purpose of outreach, regardless of their social status? Do your pastor(s) and leaders agree that God is calling you to carry out this mission? Are you willing to make the sacrifices and changes that will be necessary?

Hispanic ExpectationsThe covenant team should also look at the expectations that the Hispanics have for the new ministry. Hispanics are usually the “guests” in this situation, that is, they are using facilities owned by a different ethnic group, the Anglos.

The Hispanics should be able to expect the following from the Anglo congregation:

The Hispanics should be respected as brothers and sisters in Christ. There should be open communication between the Anglos and the Hispanics. There should be regular meetings between the leaders of both groups. The Hispanics should be able to have adequate space and time for their ministry,

including using the kitchen and having set worship times. The Hispanics should have a voice in decisions that will affect their ministry. The Hispanics and the Anglos should agree on permission to erect signs that are clear and

in good taste, in agreed-upon sites, to publicize the Hispanics’ ministry and to show the way to bathrooms, ministry areas, etc.

The Hispanics should have a secure (locked) place to store their equipment. The Hispanics should have the freedom to use music, musical instruments, liturgy and

worship style, decorations, and activities in keeping with their own culture. The Anglos should honor all the agreed-upon commitments, including time and financial

commitments. Three months’ notice should be given before terminating any agreement.

Hispanic ConsiderationsAt the same time, the Hispanics need to be willing to understand and adjust to different customs and ideas on the part of the Anglos. Here are some things the Hispanics need to consider in this partnership:

Worship: Hispanics would often like to be free to be themselves in worship, and not be forced to adopt Anglo culture. However, at the same time the Hispanics should not expect the Anglos to worship or to behave in accordance with Hispanic norms. If you (as Hispanics) are worshipping in an Anglo facility, or in an Anglo congregation, are you willing to allow your worship to include Anglo elements without constantly complaining about it? Are you ready to participate in an occasional bi-lingual worship service for the sake of unity?

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Decisions: Hispanics often complain that they do not have a voice and that Anglos dominate the decision-making process. However, are you (as Hispanics) willing to learn the Anglo customs for governing the church and making decisions? Are you ready to speak out at meetings when you are given the opportunity? When Anglos seem to speak all too directly and accusingly, are you willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and continue dialoging with them? Are you willing to work “within the system”?

Growth expectations: As Hispanics, you should understand that the Anglo fixation on numerical growth and statistical results is not necessarily an accusation or an opposition to your ministry but a concern that your ministry prosper. Will you take the time to patiently explain your situation to the Anglos who wonder why your group is growing so slowly?

Finances: Although Hispanics have many family financial obligations, they can and should learn the importance of regular, sacrificial giving for the Lord’s work. Also, they need to understand that the Anglo insistence on fiscal responsibility does not mean that they are lovers of money. Rather, they want to be good stewards, good administrators, of God’s gifts.

Facility: Hispanics should not assume that they automatically understand the Anglos’ customs and rules with respect to the church building and the material resources of the congregation. It is a very good idea to walk through the church with the Anglo brothers and sisters and discuss the accepted use of different areas and utensils. Then make sure to communicate what was learned to the rest of the Hispanic group.

Children: If you are part of the Hispanic group, what are you doing to reach out to children, particularly those who may prefer English? Can you partner with the Anglos to have an effective children’s ministry or youth ministry? Are you willing to incorporate English elements into your Spanish worship service, in order to help the children understand?

Content of the CovenantAfter considering the expectations of each group, the covenant team should lay out what the agreement will cover. Generally, the following points should be part of the covenant:

1. The leader(s) responsible for each group.

2. The dates for which the agreement is in effect.

3. A list of rooms and equipment (kitchen utensils, appliances, audiovisual equipment, etc.) which the Hispanic group may be using. (You should expect to be able to readily change these details by mutual agreement.)

4. A procedure for scheduling activities for the Hispanic group.

5. Parking rules (if any).

6. Cleaning arrangements, including who is responsible for clean up, set up, moving and putting away implements that are used by the Hispanic group.

7. The use of telephones, office space, and storage space by the Hispanic group.

8. Person(s) responsible for locking up after Hispanic group activities.

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9. Mutual agreement with regard to signs for the Hispanic activities.

10. Financial responsibility for damages in connection with Hispanic group activities.

11. Financial commitments on the part of Hispanics or Anglos.

12. Commitment on the part of the Hispanics to participate in work days organized to maintain the facilities.

13. A procedure to terminate the relationship if that becomes necessary.

(As with everything in this section, these points are adapted from Together in Mission by Ken Behnken. Behnken in turn adapted them from “How to Share Your Buildings without Losing your Church,” by Ralph Wilson.)

Sample CovenantHere is a sample covenant (adapted from Together in Mission) which you can alter to fit your own situation:

Covenant for Working TogetherUse of Church Facilities

This agreement is between: ______________________________________ (host congregation)

and _________________________________________ (guest congregation or ministry)

Leader(s) from each group in this agreement: _________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Dates when the agreement is to be in effect: __________________________________________

Facilities and equipment to be used by the ministry: ____________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Times when the facilities will be used:

a. Sundays: _____________________________________________________________

b. Weekdays: ___________________________________________________________

Procedure for scheduling other activities for the guest ministry: __________________________

________________________________________________________________________

Special conditions or rules with regard to:

a. Parking: _____________________________________________________________

b. Cleaning: ____________________________________________________________

c. Use of office or storage space: ___________________________________________

d. Security and locking up: ________________________________________________

e. Signs: _______________________________________________________________

Financial commitment: _________________________ from _____________________________

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The guest ministry assumes financial responsibility for damages which may occur as a result of its use of the facilities.

Other conditions: _______________________________________________________________

The above agreement may be amended by mutual consent between the host congregation and the guest congregation or ministry. If either group intends to terminate this agreement, a 60-day notice needs to be given to the other group so that appropriate plans may be made.

Date: ______________________________ Date: ______________________________

Signature: __________________________ Signature: __________________________

Striving for UnityA covenant is a useful tool. However, the covenant team should not rely solely on a document to bring unity between Anglos and Hispanics. Here are some additional suggestions which the team, together with other leaders, can put into practice to help foster unity and harmony:

1. The leaders of both groups should meet together regularly and often, to pray together, to communicate, to discuss any difficulties that arise, and to encourage each other.

2. Have the same rules of use for both groups, and post them in both English and Spanish. For example, in the kitchen, both Anglos and Hispanics should be required to wash their dishes, put things away, and take out the trash afterwards.

3. With regard to the kitchen, have ladies from the host congregation meet with women from the guest ministry to explain their customs and expectations regarding use of that facility.

4. Create a master calendar and honor it. The host congregation should post its yearly activities on the calendar, and then allow the guest group to post its activities. Later, when new events need to be scheduled, place them on the calendar on a first-come, first-served basis.

5. Try to schedule worship service times so that there will not be conflicts, particularly if the Hispanic group goes overtime.

6. Work on building trust, especially between the leaders of both groups. Be scrupulously fair in your dealings with each other. Follow through on what you promise.

7. Look for ways to help each culture learn about the other. Hold activities that foster respect and appreciation and help people get acquainted with those who are different.

8. Help Anglos to be patient when Hispanics make mistakes. Help them understand that Hispanics generally have a “shame” culture in which direct, public criticism is seen as a personal attack which deeply dishonors the one criticized. Instead of complaining about the Hispanics or raising their voices in front of others, Anglos should look for ways to share their concerns with the Hispanic leader or privately express their concerns – with respect – to the people who have erred.

9. Help Hispanics to be patient when Anglos make mistakes. Help them understand that Anglos generally value direct speech, particularly when dealing with conflicts. They most likely do not mean to offend or hurt. They are not cold, but different.

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10. Consider including Hispanics – along with Anglos – in work days at the church to do needed maintenance. This helps build relationships between the two groups as well as teaching good stewardship and giving Hispanics a chance to contribute to the well-being of the host congregation without having to come up with funds.

11. Assign adequate storage space for each group and make fair rules regarding the common use of resources and equipment.

12. Consider forming a maintenance committee, made up of members from both groups, to deal with maintenance issues.

13. Think through insurance and liability concerns, and determine ahead of time if the guest group needs its own insurance or is covered by the host congregation.

14. Make very clear to both groups that each one needs to provide means for supervising children while on the premises. It is expected that children will not be left unattended in the facilities at any time. Make clear that this is for the children’s own safety. Secondarily, we also want to teach the children how to behave in church and how to take care of the books and other items that are used in church. However, we need to be careful; sometimes, an aging Anglo congregation can become so focused on taking care of its facilities that there is no provision made for messes and mistakes that all children make as they grow up. Children also need to feel that they are welcome in church, even as they gradually learn how to behave there.

Steps to TakeGather your mission team and lay out your ministry plan. Clearly articulate the overall direction which this ministry ought to take. Formulate a mission statement, and if you like more detail, add your essential values and a vision statement.

Map out some intermediate steps that will help you accomplish your overall goal. Lay out who will be responsible, what each one should do, when and where they should do it, and how much it will cost.

If you want to lay out more details, put together a thorough strategic plan, with clear, specific, attainable, and measurable objectives. Each objective should have its own action steps.

At some point, have Anglo and Hispanic leaders sit down and develop a covenant to help guide their relationship.

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Pre-LaunchPreparation for a Big Day

What’s a “Launch”?Missiologists sometimes talk about the “launch” of a new congregation or ministry. The “launch” is the public beginning of the ministry. In the case of a congregation, it is usually the very first public worship service. In the case of a ministry, it might be a ribbon-cutting ceremony, or something similar.

The public beginning of your ministry is an important event. It is a milestone, something to remember. The “launching” event should encourage those who will work in the ministry and those who support it. It should help publicize the ministry among the people who will be served. The “launch” also sets the tone and the direction for the ministry to follow. It is important to start your ministry “on the right foot,” to “begin as you mean to go on.”

Remember that for many Hispanics, the context of an event (the place, the decorations, the invitations, the appearance, etc.) is very important. Sometimes the Anglos’ informality leads Hispanics to feel that they are not really serious about what they are doing. This doesn’t mean that you have to spend a lot of money; it just means that you should take some time to make sure that the details are covered.

Launching an Evangelistic or Human Care MinistryObviously, launching a particular program or ministry is simpler than launching an entirely new congregation or worship service. However, it is still important to mark the beginning in some way, to celebrate, to encourage, and just to get the word out to the community. What you do to start things off will depend a lot on what kind of ministry you are launching.

Now, please do not misunderstand me. “Launching” a ministry may not always involve a lot of fanfare. On the one hand, fanfare is appropriate in some cases. If you are starting a significant human care ministry to the community (for example, turning your basement into a weekly food pantry), then you could have a ribbon-cutting ceremony and invite community leaders and even the press. If you are hosting a Vacation Bible School for neighborhood kids, you could kick things off with a dynamic, child-level opening worship service, inviting the parents to sit in.

On the other hand, other ministries should be launched without a lot of hoopla. If you are starting some evangelistic home Bible studies, “launching” may just mean taking special care to confirm the details with the invitees, to make sure everything is ready, and to perhaps serve some special

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refreshments. If you are starting a small English class, maybe “launching” just means paying special attention to the publicity and having a special table for registration on the first day of classes.

Therefore, the first day of a new ministry may take different forms, from a big public ceremony to a special worship service to a simple gesture that says “welcome.” However, one way or another, you need to do some work beforehand to make the first day special and smooth-running.

For many ministries, it is appropriate to “install” or “consecrate” the leaders. This would usually take place before the big launch day. For example, if your congregation will be offering English classes, why not call the teachers to the front of the church during a worship service some time before the classes are to begin? The pastor and/or elders can ask the teachers to promise to serve in this ministry, and they can lay hands on the teachers, blessing them and asking God to help them in their work.

Installing ministry leaders in a worship service is a good idea for several reasons. First, it’s just good practice to ask for God to help and guide anyone who is serving in a specific way, whether they be elders or helpers in the Vacation Bible School. Secondly, the installation declares to the whole congregation that this is an important, official ministry of the church, which deserves support and encouragement. Thirdly, by publically acknowledging the ministry workers, you communicate to them that what they are doing is important and appreciated.

As you organize your big opening day, pay attention to the details as well as the big issues. For example, if you are going to begin parenting classes for the community, don’t just make sure the conference room is clean. Think about making a poster or a banner to call attention to the theme. Perhaps you can set some biblical parenting books in Spanish and/or English on a table, for the participants to look over before the conferences start. Perhaps you could arrange coffee or snacks. Perhaps you will want to set out a table where people can enroll in the class, giving their contact information and receiving a name tag and/or a folder with information. What about signs? Make sure way to the conference room – and the rest rooms! – is clearly marked in both English and Spanish.

What kinds of details should you be thinking about?

Anything that helps Hispanic visitors feel welcome. Pretend that you are a Hispanic from the community. What details would help you feel “en casa” (at home)? What details would cause you to feel marginalized and unimportant?

For example, once I went to a church where the entrance was full of old Bibles and items from the history of the congregation. Most of them were under glass, and big signs warned visitors not to touch or to get the glass dirty. On the one hand, I understand that the congregation wanted to preserve its memories and avoid unnecessary cleaning. However, it didn’t leave the visitors feeling very welcome – particularly those that had children. What can you do to help new people feel the love of Christ?

Anything that helps Hispanic people understand what is going on or find their way in your building. For most Hispanic people in your community, going to something sponsored by the Lutheran church will be a strange and new experience. Things that you take for granted, they might not understand. What details can help them in this regard?

For example, if you are starting a food bank, you need to have adequate signs in both English and Spanish, indicated where people are to go, what the requirements are, and

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what the hours of operation are. Contact information might also be helpful. You might also need to leave the church secretary with information (in English and Spanish) about other human care services in the community, in case you need to refer someone. Furthermore, why not set up a stand with Lutheran Hour booklets in English and Spanish, somewhere visible, with a sign indicating that the booklets are free? And don’t forget to indicate where the bathrooms are!

Anything that helps draw attention to important aspects of the ministry. Decorations, informative posters, appropriate music, useful resources, etc., can all reinforce certain ideas and at the same time communicate how important the church considers this ministry to be.

For example, if you are launching a Vacation Bible School for the Hispanic kids in the neighborhood, decorations remind the kids of key themes. They also demonstrate silently that the church is willing to put some effort into this children’s ministry. Take-home music CD’s can reinforce the VBS message. Clear directions to different areas – particularly the registration table – can make a big difference.

In short, any detail that can help communicate Christ’s love. Be creative! Put yourself in the shoes of the people who will be served by this ministry.

Good publicity is also extremely important, prior to the beginning of the new ministry. How are you going to get the word out to the Hispanic people in your community? Signs? Fliers? Posters? Radio or local TV? Personal invitations? Word of mouth? Do you need to provide information in Spanish as well as English?

When a brand new ministry is just getting started, sometimes the community response is initially less enthusiastic than we might wish. People don’t know about what is happening, or they feel a bit leery of participating in something unfamiliar. It can take months or even a year before word of mouth overcomes these obstacles.

However, many times the lack of response is not due to community reluctance but our own failure to adequately get the word out about the ministry. In El Paso, every year the Lutheran churches get together to celebrate the Reformation with a bilingual worship service, special music of many different styles, and fun activities. Every year, the organizing committee vows to use the press, local radio, and other means to invite the public to this unique event. However, every year they fail to follow through. Even some of the local Lutheran congregations are slow to announce the event! Some of the musical groups are not notified until the last minute! As you plan the beginning of your new ministry, pay some attention to getting the word out.

Preparing to Launch a New or Extended Word and Sacrament MinistryGenerally, launching a new Hispanic worship service – or even just making your present worship service bilingual – requires a bit more groundwork.

Waiting to Begin WorshipIn the case of a new congregation, missiologists usually say that it is best to wait until you have at least 50 people before starting regular worship services. Some missiologists say 100. I believe they are thinking of Anglo congregations when they say 100, and I’m not so sure I agree with them even in that situation. Personally, I think even 50 may be high for Hispanics in the U.S. We have started churches with far less than that. Some of them have prospered, while others have not

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lasted. However, the point is that we should have a fair number of people ready before the first worship service. Why?

1. When you have relatively few people in church, everyone gets discouraged quickly, from the visitors to the leaders. Most of the people who attend your new worship service will be new Christians, who may not yet have the maturity to persevere in the face of discouragement. This is especially the case with Hispanics who often live in the moment and for whom the context of an event is particularly important.

2. Organizing and leading worship (and preaching) take up a very large amount of time and effort, particularly when there are relatively few people to help. Once you start worship services, you need to continue. At the very beginning, your time and effort need to be concentrated on evangelism and discipleship. Therefore it is useful to hold off on worship services for a time.

According to most missiologists, beginning worship services prematurely usually results in weak and unhealthy churches.

The downside to waiting to begin worship, of course, is that all of us – especially new Christians – need the refreshment and the spiritual discipline of regular public worship. Furthermore, we don’t want to just sit around and wait for 50 people to show up on our door. We want to actively work towards the launch of public worship. So what should we do?

Weekly GatheringsDr. Tino and others suggest that we should begin gathering a group of believers in a house or at some provisional site before beginning Sunday services. These gatherings should take place over a period of 3 months to 1 full year.

As we go into our community evangelizing and reaching out, we invite people to a weekly gathering in a home or other site. Usually we will want to choose a time that will approximate the future worship times (i.e., Sunday). At the gathering, we study the Bible and talk about how to evangelize (share our faith). Often it is helpful to plan Bible studies around practical questions or topics (how to be a good parent, how to overcome depression, etc.). There are many different kinds of Bible study that may be used. It is also helpful to teach the children Bible stories (eventually having a separate children’s group while the adults meet).

Little by little, we will begin to add elements of a worship service:

Singing Prayers Offering

Eventually, the group will be fully prepared for a transition into a regular public worship service.

In Rogers, Arkansas, a new Hispanic mission has followed a slightly different pattern. For the first two years, a local Lutheran congregation reached out to the Hispanic community through a food pantry and English classes. A Hispanic leader from a nearby church volunteered to begin visiting and forming relationships with the people who came for food or for English lessons. After a time, he began mid-week Bible studies at the church. Later he began to lead the small group in monthly Spanish worship services. His present goal is to begin weekly services soon.

One way or another, before you ever begin special worship services, you should prepare the groundwork.

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Leadership TrainingDuring the time we are preparing to launch, we also need to begin training the leaders of the group. If you have begun to have weekly gatherings, little by little the mission team needs to teach the participants how to do different things that are necessary for a healthy church. For example, one week, instead of talking about a topic (like how to overcome anger), we might lay out how to lead Bible classes for kids. We can then ask one of the participants (who seems to have a gift in this area) to put this into practice. We give them some materials and ask them to prepare the children’s class for next week.

In this way, little by little we form leaders for different tasks:

Teaching children the Bible Music Taking care of the finances of the group Recording attendance statistics Visiting the sick and needy Follow up on visitors

If you don’t have weekly Bible studies, you can still identify certain people with gifts or abilities, and ask them to help you in particular tasks. As you supervise them, you give them on-the-job training. You prepare them for doing these things on their own, later.

EvangelizationWhile we build up to launching a worship service, we should not just sit around and wait for people to come to us. On the contrary, this is the time to concentrate on evangelism. First of all, we should cultivate personal relationships with Hispanics who have already been touched through human care or evangelistic ministries. This gives us an opportunity to share Christ not only with them, but with their families and friends. Secondly, we should plan further activities or programs which will allow us to share our faith with people we don’t know yet. Sometimes the Hispanics who are already part of the “group” can help organize these activities.

For example, you could have a “couples’ night” for the Hispanic community, at the church. You could organize a “block party” in the community, or hold a talk on drug abuse, or host a fun family evening, or start a prayer ministry for community needs. These are all opportunities to get to know new people. Sometimes, you can talk about the Gospel during the activities themselves (for example, during your talk on drug abuse). Other times, you meet new people and have an opportunity to talk to them personally on other occasions. If you run short of ideas, other people can help you out. Paul Brink, for example, has put together a list of evangelism ideas for Hispanic church planters called “Recursos para Sembradores de Iglesias.” (You can request a copy from the Lutheran Hispanic Missionary Institute. Unfortunately so far it is available only in Spanish.) Mark Kempff has led seminars on family issues among Hispanics and different ways to reach out with the Gospel to those families. (You can contact him at kempffm@csl.edu.)

In any case, in this prelaunch stage, evangelism should be our top priority. Not only are we gathering new believers, we are modeling what the new church should be like. We want to pass on to the new congregation the DNA of our commitment to spread the Good News!

Name of the Congregation

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If you are aiming to establish a new, independent congregation, it is good to choose the name before regular worship services begin, ideally when there are very few people attending. This is the sort of thing that has no value theologically, but can cause great strife and division. Everyone has their own idea. Choose the name early, and people who join later come into a fait accompli and just accept it without grumbling.

Legal IncorporationAgain, if the congregation is going to be separate, get the legalities out of the way. You do not need a constitution in order to incorporate as a church. Once you have the name, the rest is absurdly easy.

Note: Dr. Tino insists that this is not the time to draw up an entire constitution. Constitutions are generally only used for resolving disputes, and at this point, you as the mission director are the one who resolves problems and disagreements. The constitution is a necessity, but later on. Concentrate on evangelism, discipleship, training leaders, and preparing for worship, not bureaucracy.

Look for a Site, if NecessaryThis needs to be done if you are starting a new congregation at a separate site, not if you are sharing facilities with an existing congregation. The site should be something permanent or semi-permanent for worship services. Undoubtedly it will take some effort to remodel or otherwise accommodate it for the needs of the congregation and ministry. The site should be large enough, visible, and easily accessible to the people you want to reach. It should not have a bad reputation (for example, as the site where someone was murdered or the site where a Wiccan group used to meet). It will be difficult for potential visitors to overcome their aversion to a place with a bad reputation.

Draw up a Covenant, if NecessaryIf a Hispanic group will be sharing facilities in any way with an Anglo congregation, you should draw up a covenant. A covenant spells out the expectations and the obligations of each group. It indicates how you are going to work together. Personally, I believe that a covenant is helpful even for a ministry like English classes; for a new worshipping ethnic group, it is essential. You can find out more about covenants in chapter 9.

Organizing the Launch ItselfChoose a date with care for the launch of formal, public worship. This is an important day. It will become the formal anniversary for the ethnic group. For worship, it is better to begin at a time in the year when one can count on faithful attendance on the part of the participants for at least a couple of months after the launch date. So, for example, it is not usually good to begin in late April or May, with the summer months close at hand (when many people go on vacation). It is also not a good idea to begin in November (with the hectic Christmas activities coming up).

Make the launch day special. Invite the press. Get as much publicity as possible. Encourage people from other churches to come, to show support. Have food and fellowship afterwards. Acknowledge people who were of special help in getting things going. As much as possible, arrange for good music and a simple, straightforward worship service without confusion.

As discussed earlier in this chapter, pay attention to the details. Organize things so that Hispanic visitors will feel welcome, so that they will understand what is going on, so that they can find

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their way in this unfamiliar building, and so that they clearly hear and see Christ’s love at work. Formally install the leader(s) of the group.

And Finally…Houston, we have ignition!!! You are off and running! May God continue to guide all of your steps.

Steps to TakePrepare carefully before the “launch” (the public beginning of the worship service or other ministry).

If you are launching a human care or evangelistic ministry, get all the pieces into place and publicize it appropriately.

If you are launching a congregation or worship service, begin meeting in smaller groups before the launch. Concentrate on evangelism and training leaders.

For the public launch, choose the date carefully and make the day special.

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Post-Launch Persevere and Multiply

This section is still being written.

Continuing to Multiply: As soon as the new church launches, that is the time to start talking with the new church leaders about how they are going to start the next new congregation. Do not wait until the new group is in good shape or has “adequate” resources. The day never comes when we feel like we have adequate resources. We always want something more. Do not let the group get focused inward on just themselves. They may not be able to launch a new work in two days, but they can get started praying and looking at another people group or another area. The time to start is immediately.

Continuing to Evaluate and Modify

Continuing to Prepare Leaders

Continuing to Organize

Continuing to Work on Relationships

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Resources

Books and Written Materials(* They are all good, but stars indicate what I consider the most helpful resources for you.)

Appleby, Jerry, Missions Have Come Home to America. Available from Beacon Hill Press (www.bhillkc.com).

* Behnken, Ken, Together in Mission. An excellent ten lesson study to help Anglo congregations work through the process of sharing their facilities with people from another culture. Powerpoint slides, text, and student manual (which may be photocopied) are included. Available from the Pacific South-West District of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.

CTCR, Racism and the Church, Report of the Commission on Theology and Church Relations of the LCMS. Available from the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod.

* Deymaz, Mark, Building a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church. Theological and practical points in favor of developing a multi-ethnic congregation rather than culturally separate worshipping groups. Has some very good points. However, it comes from a non-Lutheran perspective. Available from Amazon (www.amazon.com).

Hesselgrave, David, Planting Churches Cross Culturally – A Guide for Home and Foreign Missions. A very old resource but still makes some good points. Available from Baker Book House (www.bakerbooks.com).

Lane, Patty, A Beginner’s Guide to Crossing Cultures. Available from InterVarsity Press (www.ivpress.com).

* Rogers, Glenn, North American Cross-Cultural Church Planting. A guide to help Anglos plant churches among non-Anglo groups in the United States. Makes some very helpful points. As a non-Lutheran, Rogers sometimes strays from a purely Biblical perspective. Available from Amazon (www.amazon.com).

Salomon, Esaul and Melissa, Harvest Waiting, Reaching Out to Mexicans. Available from Concordia Publishing House (www.cph.org).

* Tino, James, Who Are Those Americans? A simple and direct look at cultural differences between Anglo Americans and others. Written in very simple English for immigrants to the United States, but very appropriate for Anglos to read as well. Available from Pastor Tino at: Director@GlobalLutheranOutreach.com.

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Organizations and Internet Links(* They are all good, but stars indicate what I consider the most helpful resources for you.)

* www.cph.org Concordia Publishing House: Lutheran Spanish (and bilingual) resources, including bilingual Catechisms and the Book of Concord in Spanish. Unfortunately there is still only a little in the way of practical ideas for cross-cultural ministry.

www.centerforusmissions.org Center for U. S. Missions: Courses and coaching for planting churches in general in the U.S. Directly pertains to Anglo church planting, many of the ideas work also for Hispanic ministry.

* www.ethnicharvest.org Ethnic Harvest: Statistics, ministry resources, ideas and links for culture-specific ministry.

www.hispanicstudies.org Center for Hispanic Studies at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO. Advanced theology courses in Spanish for leaders who seek to serve as ordained pastors or consecrated deaconesses in the LCMS.

www.joyfullheart.com/church/share.htm Ralph Williams’ site with ideas for developing a covenant between two ethnic groups sharing facilities.

www.linchouston.org Lutheran Inter-City Network Coalition: They have a lot of good ideas, but the web site is mostly talking about their ministry events without a lot of resources to help you. There is contact information, however…

* www.missionaryinstitute.org Lutheran Hispanic Missionary Institute: Online courses for Hispanic ministry leaders in English and Spanish, bilingual worship resources, Spanish catechism helps, prayer chain for Hispanic outreach.

* www.paraelcamino.com Lutheran Hour Ministries’ Spanish Web Site: Excellent resources including booklets in Spanish, videos with Spanish subtitles, and free Spanish devotionals online.

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