I left last Thursday for Cuba on a Herald of Truth trip and returned yesterday afternoon (just in time to teach class at ACU). I want to tell you a bit about that trip, but I’ll wait until I have some pictures available. In the meantime, I wanted to mention about the bilingual group at the University church here in Abilene. For a number of different reasons, things are going very well with the group right now. Attendance is up, we’ve had several baptisms over the last few months, and the cohesion between members is stronger than ever. This Sunday, for the first time since I came to University three years ago, our group is getting to meet in the auditorium with the rest of the congregation. [Edit: This is the first time the service will be bilingual, not the first time we’ve met together.] I’ve been asking for this for over a year, so I’m glad that it’s finally happening.
So I ask you to pray for our gathering this Sunday, that it will be an encouragement to all involved. Above all, pray that God will be glorified.
God bless your efforts. I pray that all goes well. Where I worship, the last Sunday of each month (since our move to the new building in April 2008) is set aside for a combined service, in English and Spanish, with songs sung in both languages at the same time, men from both groups at the Lord’s table, and for prayers shared in both languages. I know some in the congregation are not happy about this and absent themselves on those days, but it is a very valuable and uplifting time for my husband and me. Those people miss out on so many blessings. Our church library is gradually including Spanish volumes of study, and I am pressing for more as I am the librarian. The elders have truly committed to supporting this work. Twice the Spanish group has hosted our Sunday fellowship meal, muy delicisioso (spelling?), and they are always included in the “English” ones so we eat together quite often. Gratefully, in heaven, we will not have language problems, and will all sing and worship God together with no barriers.
Thanks Jeanne. I had remembered your commenting about that. I don’t think UCC is ready for monthly combined services, but we may get there!
Cool! I’ll be praying. We have a small, but growing, Spanish-speaking group here too, but aren’t ready to have a separate service. Most of them speak some English, so they worship with us, but often have their own class in Spanish. One of our elders dreams of having a minister specifically for the Spanish-speakers. I pray it won’t take too long to get there!
Lisa,
Dan Rodriguez out at Pepperdine says that the fastest growing Hispanic churches are all-English or predominantly-English speaking. That model (Spanish class, English worship) can work in a lot of places.
Grace and peace,
Tim Archer
Another split in the church , some want to welcome the Spanish speaking into the church, others want to kick them out of the country.
hummm, go figure.
Laymond, WHY would you have to insert a negative comment here?!
I’ll be praying. I love it when churches are able to reach a variety of people around them.
Lisa, can you point me to all those positive ( at a boy) statements made by Jesus when he was talking of all the good things men were doing, and just how it could not be done better. All I was saying was that is good, but we (as a whole) need to do better. I am sorry but you probably will never hear me say that was perfect, it could not have been done better.
I feel really sorry for you, Laymond, that you can’t see the incredible positives in a work or ministry and praise God for those, instead of focusing on what other churches elsewhere are doing wrong. I hope, for the sake of you and your family, that your life off of the internet is not so pessimistic. What a burden to carry!
Lisa, I suppose you are right as all young people think they are today, old men should mind their own business instead of focusing on what other churches are doing wrong, Such as churches in Rome, churches in Corinth ,Churches of Galatia, churches at Ephesus, church at Philippi, church at Colosse , and the church of the Thessalonians.
I just can’t understand why Paul thought it his business to intercede here. in today’s world he would probably be asked to mind his own affairs.
Paul was also rather encouraging, Laymond; and he might have had a little more authority for criticizing than you or I do. But, actually, I thought Paul was off-limits. I didn’t think you liked to quote Paul.
Lisa, Paul has never been off limits to me, and neither is Tim Archer who travels far and wide teaching, and I don’t know how he succeeds at teaching if there is never any corrective instruction that takes place.
Even though I do take exception to some of Paul’s teachings such as.
1Cor:14:34: Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
1Tm:2:11: Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
1Tm:2:12: But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.
I still take many good things away from the teachings of Paul.
OK, time to call a truce. There’s a time for praise and a time for correction, as long as all of it is done in a spirit of edification.
If only there were an “Ephesians 4:29” filter on my computer…