Hispanic Outreach Ministry (Vision Meeting 02/27/2024)

Time Started: 5:40 pm
Attendees: 7 members

Minutes:
We recapped on the minutes of previous meeting (02/04/2024) and assessed the outstanding points to new targets.

Dio Cochrane introduced himself and shared a bit more of his vision and expectations in his role and outreach method. He also shared minutes of a few offline interactions he has had with local partnered ministries and organizations in the valley that outreach the Hispanic populations. And the vast need of Hispanic interaction and support these ministries need.

As part of the Olde Hispanic outreach for the past two weeks we have shown presence at the Rescue Mission Downtown serving the Hispanic Beneficiaries at the food pantry through Mana Ministry.

We have also been meeting with local establishment on Williamson Road, such as Barber Shop, the Hispanic Market “La Bodega

Dio has also shared he has initiated to contact some of the Hispanic church in the valley, and has managed to gather the contact information of 8 pastors and their churches serving in Williamson Road and the Downtown ones.

We have had interaction with Greenfield Elementary School and served them with translation in registering new Pre-K students. Also have met with Ms. Duncan an ELL Teacher of Lord Botetourt seeking ways how we can partner with them to both serve the Hispanic Student in After School or weekend tutoring while we also serve the word.

Jenny Estas shared about Ministries in the area such as “Casa Latina” and “Friendship Help” that both help in ELL Classes and After School programs. But she also shared that there would be a need for transportation and volunteers to even get students to Casa Latina downtown.

The Current Bible Study held on Saturdays has been struggling with assistance and volunteers. For the past three weeks we have not had assistance. Dio’s Vision is to pause the Bible Studies for the season and continue to meet as a team to come up with a blueprint and strategy to assist Cynthia and Evert with this initiative. The vision is to create a team committed team of volunteer in the mean time and then relaunch the Bible Studies and potential Hispanic Worship Session with a new approach when the weather is nicer and at a more convenient time and or venue to the families.

However Dio suggested the idea of Peer Micro churches and Community groups to help & kick start building deeper bonds with the families one at a time.

It was also made aware to the group that we are currently serving the Hispanic community not just through OHAC. But also through small groups Bible Studies held weekly by Steve Forbes and #fourth at SNL with the middle school groups every Sunday at 5:30 pm. Dio also mentioned the need of more volunteers to drive the buses on Sunday to open up the possibility to host Hispanic high schoolers at SNL at 6:00 pm each Sunday.

Dio also recentered the group that our long term goal is to plant our first OHAC Hispanic church in the future. Yet we first need to start building those relationships now and start changing the view the Hispanic community have towards church, since most of them have had a negative legalistic experience with church in the past.

What’s Next:
Next we want to meet on Saturdays at 4:00 pm to start envisioning and planning on outreach strategy to uplift the current Bible Studies. To see what was done, how we can empower the possible approach and how we can improve the negative approach.

We want to relaunch the Bible Studies and other interest classes at the end of April. Taking advantage of an OHAC event in that time to communicate and access assess the interest of for the OHAC parents toward the Bible study and its setup chosen time, and other areas of interest we can use to share the gospel.

 

Hispanic Ministry Meeting February 6th

   # of attendees: 15

   4 reached out via email and asked for more information


    Various group members read scriptures regarding 

    Widows, orphans and our role in helping.

     Prayer followed.


Where we´ve been/ Vision/ Where things are now


Where we´ve been:

Orchard Hills has established a relationship with the children attending the Achievement.

There has been various attempts to connect with  the children’s parents, but without much success.

OHC has also tried to offer Spanish speakers the opportunity to listen to a service being translated in real time and it was not successful. 

OHC used to have mentor families that would pick up and bring to church children from the Hollins area. The hope would be that the parents would join them, but very few ever attended.


Vision:

Establish strong relationships so that we can earn the right to be heard and come along to strengthen a relationship with Christ or begin one. Orchard Hill’s vision is  a separate church where the worship service represents the style reflected in the Hispanic culture.


Where thing are now:

Orchard Hills has enlisted the help of Dio Cocharne. Dio is our contact person in the Dominican Republic. He is a missionary with extensive experience proclaiming the gospel as well as meeting the needs, physical as well as spiritual, of many people in the DR. 

Dio will be joining OH and will be an asset to the Hispanic Ministry.

Our congregation has various hispanics that attend services and all are bilingual. 

The Achievement center now includes middle school students.

Steve Forbes has a weekly Bible study for young hispanics in middle and high school. Steve has to alternate between the middle and high school students and there are many that are waiting to be able to attend.

Currently we find ourselves with many questions and searching for answers. Discussion centered around what are the needs of the Hispanic community, how do we know those needs and address them.

Areas of focus:

  • Bible Studies

  • High school students

  • Achievement Center

  • English Language Learner classes

  • Area Hispanic Churches



Bible Studies

  • Cintya and Ever shared their struggles to grow their Bible study. They are simply 2 of them and cannot be the only ones going door to door. The door to door method has not been very successful.

  • Culture and way of worship is quite different for Hispanics. Cintya mentioned music, worship styles and cultural differences that would hinder Hispanics from attending OH and would benefit from a hispanic service. 

  • Flyers for Bible studies and other forms of communication is a need. 

  •  A list of bilinguals in our church would be helpful to help engage, teach or support the hispanic community.


High School Students

  • Irma shared her observations of the high schoolers.  Many are coming to Botetourt and do not know English, are lower income and need academic support. There is no program for their age.

  • Ways to engage and meet them in their world were discussed. 

  • Sports/ music and food is part of the culture. 

  • Pick up soccer games would be a potential way to establish relationships with fathers and athletes.

The Orchard Hills Achievement Center (OHAC)

  • Jenny Estes shared that there are  many opportunities to engage Hispanic families, but there are not enough drivers for transportation. Potluck dinners and movie nights would be ways to engage families, but man power is needed to put these events together.

  • Jenny also mentioned that once relationships are established there is a bond of trust that is developed. Without that bond, 

Hispanics are not apt to come to worship or activities.

  • Accepting cultural differences and being able to adapt to differences has helped establish a better relationship. For example: Turkeys used to be given for Thanksgiving. Hispanics do not typically celebrate Thanksgiving with turkeys, so more ethnic type foods were distributed to the OHAC students.

  • More drivers, more volunteers are needed.

  • Years ago many OH families picked up Hispanic kids and brought them to church on a regular basis. Many of the students from the OHAC program would like to attend church. They do not have transportation.


English Language Learner Courses

  • Jenny volunteered to do a bit of research and find out when classes are offered and where. 

  • Currently there are no ELL classes in the Botetourt area.

  • Curriculum for the course may be available.

  • If courses were offered, we would need transportation and child care.

  • It was discussed that this would be a tool to establish relationships and meet the needs of the community.

  • More information will be provided at the next meeting.

Area Hispanic Churches

  • One of Scott’s desires is to invite area Hispanic pastors to join ONE church

  • Scott Felts is gathering information about local churches, pastors and emails. 

  • North Roanoke’s Hispanic pastor Job Marquez could be a potential resource. 

  • Would be interesting to see what is and isn’t  working in these local churches.

Additional /miscellaneous topics 

  • Cintya shared that a Spanish Christian radio station is needed in the Roanoke/Botetourt area.

  • List of Hispanic businesses in the area so church members and the community can support.

The group concluded that a bit of research needs to be done in regards to the needs of the Hispanic community. It would be helpful to survey the families and ask them. 

We do believe that Dio will be instrumental in helping the Hispanic community feel welcomed and will help establish trust. Once this trust is established, it will allow us to have a greater impact.

Next meeting will be Tuesday, Feb. 27th @ 6:30