Reaping the Hispanic Harvest the Bible and Immigration Latinos Reshaping American Evangelicalism
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Online Edition CHURCH OF GOD EvangelNovember 2011 REAPING THE HISPANIC HARVEST THE BIBLE AND IMMIGRATION LATINOS RESHAPING AMERICAN EVANGELICALISM ON MY MIND Hop Till You Drop LANCE COLKMIRE NE OUT OF every seven Amer- content. But when they are asked to EDITOR ican adults changes churches make a serious commitment of time, Oevery year. talent, or treasure, they look for another Hop, Jane, hop. place of rest. See Jane hop. 4. Short-term leaders. When the typi- Another one out of six adults cal pastor hops to a new sheepfold every attends a handful of selected churches three or four years, sheep are prone to PEOPLE COME TO on a rotating basis, reports the Barna look for greener pastures too. Research Group. 5. Fear of being known. God designed Hop, Dick, hop. the church as a place to love and be A CHURCH ASKING, Hop, hop, hop. loved, to know others. But that gets To get a grip on this phenomenon, messy. Genuine relationships mean car- some churchy terms must be defined: rying one another’s hurts . being hurt “WHAT DO YOU • Shop: To look for a new church . revealing one’s own sins and weak- • Hop: To move from one church to nesses. It’s easier to run away. HAVE TO OFFER ME another In a Lee University course I once • Stop: To stay at one church for a taught, I explained how church mem- few months, then go shopping and hop- bers should be in covenant with one AND MY FAMILY?” ping again another. One student was amazed at • Flip-flop: After stopping at a new the idea that long-term church rela- church, to bad-mouth the church the tionships should be the norm. She IF IT’S NOT GOOD person just left explained how her parents had always • Drop: After a lifetime of shopping, moved from congregation to congrega- hopping, stopping, and flip-flopping, to tion, “ministering” everywhere they ENOUGH, THEY’LL give up going to church because there went. So she thought bopping was are no more places left to try normal. What has turned so many American Sorry . I used another churchy term CHECK OUT THE Christians into church hoppers? Here without first defining it. To bop means are five factors: “to hop to different churches, stopping WORSHIPMART 1. A rootless society. A century ago, long enough to demonstrate one’s spiri- most people lived and died in the town tual superiority before moving on.” where they were born. Today people After being bopped, long-term DOWN THE STREET. move from place to place—four times church members have to mop—“clean is the norm—as they pursue education up after the damage inflicted by bop- and careers. pers, hoppers, or shoppers.” 2. A consumer culture. Americans are As a long-term leader at my church, always looking for the best price, the I know how much it hurts to see people newest gadget, and the latest fashion come and go. Why can’t today’s church . and the church is seen as one more be the body Christ calls us to be in place to shop. People come to a church Ephesians 4:16? “From him the whole asking, “What do you have to offer me body, joined and held together by every and my family?” If it’s not good enough, supporting ligament, grows and builds they’ll check out the WorshipMart itself up in love, as each part does its You may contact the editor down the street. work” (NIV). by writing to him at [email protected] 3. Unwillingness to serve. As long as Stay, Dick, stay. or by calling 423-478-7592. they can sit and soak, some folks are See Dick stay. EVANGEL | November 2011 3 ONLINE EDITION November 2011 Contents volume 101 ■ issue 11 HISPANIC MINISTRIES COLUMNS 3 On My Mind 10 Reaping the Hispanic Harvest Lance Colkmire An unprecedented opportunity by Carlos S. Morán 6 Forward Together Raymond F. Culpepper 12 Providing Hope Through a Home 27 Where Are They Now? Casa Hogar in Poza Rica, Mexico David G. Roebuck by Tony P. Lane 30 Creative Church 14 ‘The Firewall of Righteousness Jerry Lawson and Justice’ An interview with Samuel Rodriguez Doing What Isn’t Easy in Nogales DEPARTMENTS 23 New Life Home for Children 8 Currents 16 Diary of an Evangelist’s Wife by Yvette Santana 28 People and Events Trusting the Lord’s calling by Irma Macias FEATURES 18 Walking in the Spirit on the Streets 24 Finding Financial Freedom Serving a Hispanic community Out of a half-million-dollar hole by Abel Cuen by Lance Colkmire 20 God, the Bible, and Immigration 26 What I Am Thankful For A call to compassion Expressing gratitude to God by Miguel A. Vega by Homer G. Rhea Subscribe to the Evangel by calling 800-553-8506. PUBLICATIONS MINISTRIES DIVISIONAL DIRECTOR David M. Griffis DIRECTOR OF PUBLICATIONS Terry Hart ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT David Ray MANAGING EDITOR Lance Colkmire SPIRIT-FILLED CENTRAL DISTRIBUTION COORDINATOR HISPANICS Robert McCall CFO FERVENCY IN WORSHIP, com- Wayne Walston mitment to family, and a willingness PRINTING DIRECTOR to work hard are three traits of the Mike Burnett Hispanic church that serve as an example for the entire Church of God: EVANGEL STAFF • Hispanic congregations typically EDITOR do not rush through worship services. Lance Colkmire They forget about time as they sing, EXECUTIVE SECRETARY preach, and pray. Elaine McDavid • Prioritizing family relationships COPY EDITORS helps Hispanics to build strong com- Tammy Henkel, Esther Metaxas mitments within their larger church GRAPHIC DESIGNER family. Bob Fisher • Hispanics are known for their hard labor in the secular workforce, EDITORIAL AND PUBLICATIONS BOARD and when this ethic flows into a church, its ministries are enhanced. Stephen Darnell, Raymond Hodge, Ray E. Hurt, Timothy Brown, David Nitz , Tony Cooper, Jeffrey Robinson OCTOBER EVANGEL POLL RESULTS* INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Raymond F. Culpepper, Timothy M. Hill, Mark L. Williams, David M. Griffis, Wallace J. Sibley Q. What is your belief about the Rapture of the Church? CHURCH OF GOD congregations meet through- out the United States and in more than 180 More prophetic other countries. To find a church and times of The Rapture coulduld services near you, access the church website, take placee aatt events must be fulfffulfilled before www.churchofgod.org, or fax your request to any moment.nt. 423-478-7616. ChCChrist returns. Publication of material in the Evangel does not nec- essarily imply endorsement of the Church of God. 83% The Church of God Evangel (ISSN 0745-6778) is ThTThe Rapture will edited and published monthly. ■ Church of God ttakeak place during Publish ing House, 1080 Montgomery Ave., P.O. 111% thet middle of the Box 2250, Cleveland, TN 37320-2250 ■ Subscrip- Great Tribulation. tion rates: Single subscription per year $17, Canada (1.5%) $24, Bundle of 15 per month $17, Canada $28, Bundle of 5 per month $7.50, Canada $11.25 ■ The Rapture Single copy $1.50 ■ Periodical postage paid at Cleveland, TN 37311 and at additional mailing will occur at the offices ■ ©2011 Church of God Publications ■ All conclusion of the ■ I have a different rights reserved POSTMASTER: Send change of Great Tribulation address to Evangel, P.O. Box 2250, Cleveland, TN belief. (3%) (1.5%) 37320-2250. (USPS 112-240) *as of 10/29/2011 Participate in the current poll by visiting the pathwaypress.org home page. MEMBER OF THE EVANGELICAL PRESS ASSOCIATION AND THE INTERNATIONAL PENTECOSTAL PRESS ASSOCIATION FORWARD TOGETHER Hispanic Ministries and the Great Commission RAYMOND F. CULPEPPER N HIS LETTER to the church at Rome, Spain led the church world in modeling GENERAL OVERSEER Paul said, “Whenever I journey to these significant principles of the Great Spain, I shall come to you” (Rom. Commission as set forth by Paul. 15:24 NKJV; see also v. 28). In the Through the dedicated lives of Spanish Icontext of these words, the missionary missionaries, the Church journeyed to an THE SPIRIT OF GOD apostle expressed four great-but- unreached world. Thousands of unnamed practical principles of fulfilling the Great ministers of the Word were “brought on PLACED THE COUNTRY Commission of the Church: their way” by those who had been blessed 1. The mission of the Church must by the “fullness of the gospel of Christ.” OF SPAIN IN THE HEART always extend to the unreached world (vv. Almost one and a half millennia after 20-21). the death of Paul, on August 3, 1492, 2. Missionaries rely on fellow believers Christopher Columbus set sail from Palos, OF PAUL. CENTURIES to be “helped on [their] way” (vv. 23-24 a coastal port in the country of Spain, on a NKJV). journey that would “discover” a “new world.” LATER, THE SPIRIT 3. Believers who have been blessed This historical voyage was led by an should bless other believers in need (vv. Italian believer who loved the Bible. His 26-27). explorations ensured that Christianity OF GOD DIRECTED 4. Mission ministries bring the “fullness would be in the forefront of the settling of the blessing of the gospel of Christ” (v. and developing of the Western Hemisphere THE AFFAIRS OF THE 29). during the next five centuries. Biblically, these principles guided Paul Today, many people—especially in as the “minister of Jesus Christ to the the United States—tend to downplay the NATIONS SO SPANISH Gentiles” (v. 16 NKJV). His twice-expressed Church’s significant impact on the New desire to go to Spain was founded on his World. It is easy to forget that over 200 MISSIONARIES WOULD desire to preach the gospel “where Christ years before the Pilgrims landed in New was not known” (v.