To The Ends Of The Earth

Yesterday I met with the President of Baptist University of The America's along with two professors from the university. As we discussed the great need of hispanic churches and the demographic tsunami crashing over North America there was a sense of urgency as well as excitement. Over the next 15 year the United States will become predominantly hispanic and the population densities will be more spread out than ever before. That means all over North America hispanics will be living and working and raising families. The present strategy to take the gospel is insufficient, it is focused on anglo, suburban church plants neglecting the need for a massive infusion of equipped, trained and deployed mulit cultural planters. The networks of immigration are also the networks of salvation and yet we are still attempting to colonialize. In other words planting a spanish speaking church in an area may provide a beach head into that community but likely only if the immigration network has already affirmed the church through the word of mouth network all the way back into mexico, brazil, colombia etc....If we plant along the lines of the immigration highway to destinations then it is possible to build trust and community. So rather than an outpost it is more of a train depot...interconnected along the way...by a church planting network and brand that conveys integrity. Immigrants talk, they call and say I have a job for you or come to this town and they meet in barrios, bars and homes...but the church is seldom part of the conversation and this can change maybe even must change. The ends of the Earth is always next door.