Reaching the Generations

Reaching your Hispanic neighbors for Christ can be done if you keep in mind several things.

First, how do you reach the parents? If the parents are recent immigrants or if they have not learned English well, this can be challenging. If your congregation has a Spanish speaker that is willing to receive calls and give the gospel, even those who speak no Spanish can learn a few phrases and pass out tracts with that phone number. You could also partner with a Spanish speaking church to pass out information in neighborhoods that they haven’t visited. Keep in mind that many adult Hispanics may have been born or raised in America and wouldn’t have any English language issues.

If you have the personnel, starting a Spanish Bible study or Sunday school class could be effective for people who are willing to come and learn more about the gospel. Hispanic adults are generally more relational than typical Anglos so showing genuine love and concern is even more key to opening the door for the gospel in this community.

If the parents are reached, the kids kind of come along, but you can reach the second generations of immigrant families directly through your English-speaking youth group. These young people are usually bilingual. Some of them may even speak English better than Spanish. As the Hispanic population in America grows there will be a greater need for bilingual pastors, those who can reach both Hispanic and Anglo families. Many of these pastors will come from the second generation because they are not just bilingual but bicultural. They know how to relate to Hispanic families but they are just as comfortable with the American ways of doing things.

Reach out to all people, but don’t neglect the second generation. They may be the future leaders that could see revival in our country and send a fresh wave of missionaries across the world.