III. Every Church with an Effective Spanish Ministry Has Loved People and Found a Way to Reach Them

When Jesus was asked, “What is the Greatest Commandment in the law?” He replied, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all they soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.” Then our Savior continues, “And the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself” (Matthew 22:37-39). Those who have been effective in reaching Latinos share a passion. They are totally in love with God. They have cultivated their personal relationship with God in such a way that they love what God loves – people! They see every person as a soul who is either going to heaven or hell. They allow the love they have for God to spill out onto others as they try to reach them with the gospel. You may be the most ignorant person when it comes to the Spanish language and Hispanic culture; however, if you love Hispanics with this kind of love you will find a way to reach them.

I have been so encouraged by the Berean Baptist Church in Pella, Iowa and the way they have reached out to Latinos. Pella is a predominately Dutch community. The only Hispanics are those who work at the one Mexican restaurant in town. Even though there are so few Hispanics, Berean Baptist is reaching them. Their ministry began with a church family who left a tract in the Mexican Restaurant. As a result, the cook’s wife, Teresa, came and visited their church. As it turns out, she was a Christian! Teresa did not know English, but this did not stop the church family from ministering to her. Teresa began attending faithfully. A bi-lingual couple in the church began a Bible study with her husband, Sebastian. Eventually, Sebastian made a profession of faith! When the couple had their first child one would have thought that the infant had five sets of grandparents in the way that the people at Berean Baptist showed love and affection to that child. Berean’s pastor did not know much about the Hispanic culture but he began asking around and learned all he could to know how to best minister to them as a church. Sebastian and Teresa have since moved to a different town; however, the people at Berean Baptist still make the trip to visit them and have worked to connect them with a Spanish ministry in their new town.

This church made a lasting impression on me. Here is a church in a community with almost no Latinos yet they are winning those who are there. How are they doing this? They are first simply loving them and then are finding a way to reach them.