Hispanics are responding to the gospel.
It is well known that this is a time of unprecedented harvest among Hispanics. This community that for centuries remained rather shy in its response to the gospel, has now awaken and taken its call to ministry seriously. New pastors have been ordained and new churches are planted. This thrust is naturally followed by extraordinary results in conversions to the gospel. According to the US Census Bureau, the average age of Hispanics in the Unites States is of 26. Needless to say most 
converts are young and vibrant people. They are tired of the fallacy o pornography, the gangs, drugs and the MTV culture. They are now searching for what is real. Because they want to know truth they are receiving Christ Jesus. A new scenario has emerged among Hispanics—a generation of young leaders committed to evangelism and church planting. They are full of the Holy Spirit and incidentally are assuming their responsibility to share the gospel with their generation. Conversions are significant in numbers. Churches are growing and a major awakening has begun. This is indeed a window of opportunity that must be taken for planting churches. Most new pastors as young and energetic leaders with a great vision for the harvest.
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LOVE & FAITH MINISTRIES’ SECOND ANNIVERSARY
Vision of love in Christian service. Love and Faith Ministries celebrates its second anniversary. The congregation of the Church of God meets at the Chapel of Jubilee Park in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Pastor William Surita’s vision to serve a multi-cultural community started to make a difference in the City. 
Although the composition of the crowd is mostly second and third generation Hispanic, there are people from other cultural backgrounds that have joined the Church. Obviously they have found a friendly environment whereby they are able to experience Christ in a Christian community that serves them adequately. This church is headed into building a multi-cultural environment that may be critical in facing contemporary needs in the city. The local leadership is well aware of this purpose so they are investing their energy and resources that are necessary to accomplish the mission of the congregation.
Vision for the future. Reaching out to second and third generation of Hispanics has become very important in the Church of God. “We have reached the time when to be able to evangelize the Hispanic community we have to go cross-cultural in our approach to ministry,” said Bishop Miguel Alvarez. Second and third generation Hispanics are integrated to cross-cultural America. However they still preserve their Hispanic culture—music, food, customs, and traditions. They are impacting America in the different fields of education, business and professional disciplines. A Church that wants to be effective among Hispanics in the 21st Century must include second and third generation ministers and lay leaders. They ought to be properly trained and qualified in order to reach out and face the needs of the said generations.
Vision that is intentional. The Church of God of the Northeastern Hispanic Region is committed to church planting among second and third generation Hispanics as well. Pastors are requested to secure programs that serve efficiently the children born of Hispanics. First generation Hispanic congregations must be intentional in serving the children and the youth. The tendency to neglect or ignore them could be dangerous for the future. The Church of God is also committed to multi-cultural ministries. People ought to be reached out and served in their own context. To accomplish this the church must be flexible culturally and extend its ministry beyond race or cultural borders.
Vision that expands beyond borders. With this framework in mind, pastors and congregations of the Church of God congratulate Love and Faith Ministries and commend Pastor William Surita for the work they are currently doing in reaching out a multi-cultural community. They are therefore commissioned to set up a model in the church panting efforts of the denomination nationwide. We pray that the Holy Spirit will continue to empower their service in deep bindings of love, so that the Lord Jesus Christ will take the honor among his people. Way to go Love and Faith! Congratulations Pastor Surita!
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Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
From The Children And Juveniles Department
Rev. Sammy y María Velazquez
Season’s Greetings! Warmest thoughts and best wishes for a wonderful holiday and a very Happy New Year! May this New Year bring Health, Happiness and Prosperity!
Working together for our children
May the Lord Bless you all. Minister Josue Tax and I are joining together to save our children in our community. We are Preparing a group of leaders to go to each church and prepare them in how to win the children for the Lord. Josue Tax was saddened to see that so many children are not being attendant to and was concern. He set –up a workshop to teach current leaders and those who want to become children leaders in bible studies, puppets, clowns, etc. Each church will have its own call and mission in order to fulfill Christ’s commission. The children are a very important part of the church today. Without children there is no future. For the New Year we are preparing various workshops to ensure this effort will come to pass. If you are looking for help to lift up the children department in your church please call or Email us, we are going forward to prepare our churches and community for a better place. “…If we’ll acknowledge God in all our ways, God will continue to direct our paths.”
-Rev. Sammy Velazquez
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HE IS RISEN TABENACLE FIRST ANNIVERSARY: AND THE BRONX IS STILL BURNING
Surrounded by the excitement of his congregation, Pastor Alex Pagani of the HE IS RISEN TABERNACLE (HIRT) of Bronx, New York, reports that the first anniversary of the church was a tremendous success—August 3, 2008. In an email to his friends Pastor Pagani said, “We had a great time celebrating our first church anniversary. I am still trembling on how God showed up yesterday (it takes a lot for me to tremble) all morning. I have been going through my emails from the members’ testimonies of what God did for every one at the anniversary.” 
The theme of the anniversary was "HISTORY IN THE MAKING." The guest speaker was Bishop Emilio Alvarez of Stamford, Connecticut. He delivered a message entitled "Making history by killing giants." When referring to that message, Pagani said, “Wheeze! All I can say is, Wao! I have never seen a Spanish speaking minister preach like that, I thought I was listening to a Spanish T.D. Jakes.”
Expanding the vision. It has been only 1 year since Pastor Alex Pagani initiated this historic urban “hip hop” type of church called: "He Is Risen Tabernacle" (also known as HIRT, for English speaking people). Now he makes history once again with the initiation of a Spanish speaking outreach to serve that 
community in the Bronx. This is served at another location named “PARA TODA MI GENTE,” near the YANKEE STADIUM area of the Bronx! A young Pastor is full of energy and can be creative in finding ways and opportunities to share the gospel. This is the case of Alex Pagani. Of course by being in the front lines he does need to power of intercession from those who appreciate him so that the Holy Spirit will keep him healthy physically, economically and spiritually.
Creative strategies for ministry. Obviously there is a variety of ways to present the gospel in a multicultural city like New York. The people of that City are exposed to innumerable cultures; the media and the different fads that emerge in the urban world that continually bombard particularly the youth. In this case, those who are trapped in hip hop world can received the testimony of a church that cares about them. Someone once said, “It takes a man to wear pink;” well, in this case it takes a 
courageous congregation to go out and reach out to these people. Since the task is overwhelming, they will need the prayer and the understanding of those who are truly concerned for the lost. This is New York, the world’s most multicultural City. Each church will have its own call and mission in order to fulfill Christ commission—the gospel made available to every people group—so be it. Pagani claims that the aim of this ministry is about walking in the Spirit and planting churches. This congregation is part of the great harvest that is taking place at the Bronx, New York. Revival is coming to the Great Apple to reap the most diversified City of the world.
The HIRT Church does have a video presentation for its 1st year of history that could be found on youtube here. Also a photo album of the new Spanish Church can be found at myspace.com/hirtonline, and you can visit holyghostexplosion.com for more information and radio programs.
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ATTITUDE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE
From the Bishop’s Notebook
Enhancing quality and performance. In every endeavor successful people would look for the most adequate methods that would provide ideal techniques to get the most productive results out of the opportunities set beforehand. During the first half of 2008 the focus of the Church of God in the Northeast Hispanic has been on reaping the harvest that has become plentiful, indeed, in the midst of troublesome times. God has called faithful and capable men and women for this very moment. This generation is called to reap God’s harvest, but to be able to accomplish that task, this will have to find ways that would enhance the quality and performance of God’s ministers.
It is okay to talk about methods of service. Ministers need to find ways that are feasible and workable within their context of service. They also need to learn about the most successful methods of ministry utilized by successful congregations today. This means that pastors will have to review their past and present models of ministry. The world where they serve has become more complex and the demands for ministry are also complex. To ignore or avoid this reality may cause a great deal of harm the future generation. Successful ministers are not afraid to discover new methods and to implement them intelligently. I believe being responsible with these issues is also spiritual.
Today Pastors face a society with incredible demands. The increase of postmodern technology also demands new ways of approaching Christian service. For instance, in Jakarta, the 700 Club is formally using text messaging to provide counseling to the public. Oral communication through the telephone is still there but is no longer necessary. They have developed counselors who are experts in using both the regular telephone and text messaging in counseling. This should not be a surprise to us any more for that is the way most people are communicating today. Hence, today people tend to group around common interest, such as job, hobbies, language, etc., that means that to reach them with the gospel churches have to work on strategic small group ministries. As a method, small groups for ministry demand discipline, training, strategy and solid communication. The maintenance of the small groups also demands (1) powerful preaching, (2) solid teaching, (3) exquisite music, (4) healthy encounter-retreats and (5) and excellent leadership, just to mention some qualifications. To these qualities, healthy ministries must add clear vision for the church, identification of the mission and purpose for that particular congregation and to move on with faith, understanding that this is the time to conquer, and if necessary (as in most cases), to fight for what legitimately belong to God’s people.
Relevant methods work. I grew up classical Pentecostal. I love my heritage and I believe I have been faithful to it. All of my life I have served as a Pentecostal minister. Indeed, I am grateful and honored to have been part of this blessed movement. Henceforth, I understand that being a true Pentecostal makes me an intelligent man. Learning new methods to serve in new emerging context of ministry makes me a true Pentecostal. Unfortunately the negative influence of fundamentalism caused some of us to close the doors to change or renewal. The effect was so devastating that some thought that Satan or the evil forces of the world influenced any source of change or renewal. This caused some to fall behind in finding new methods for ministry or to simply develop an attitude of condemnation against anything that was new. This was seen as product of the carnal mind that falls under the influence of the enemy. I believe that is one the reasons the Holy Spirit causes some key individuals to think and operate out of the traditional box, for there is no way one could force him to stay in one’s personal opinion or denominational interest. He will always keep renewing, relocating, refreshing and reviving His church. After all, the Lord said, “…I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18 NIV).
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HAYS – HISPANIC ASSOCIATION OF YOUNG SCHOLARS
La Asociación de Jóvenes Académicos Hispanos en los Estados Unidos
Cleveland, TN hosted the first planning session of Young Hispanic Scholars in the United States. Rudy Girón, an experienced educator in the Church of God called for young scholars from all the United States to attend the meetings. 
It was an inspiring time for all who attended because it was an opportunity to address the educational needs of Hispanics in the United States – a group that lags behind in the pursuit of higher education.
Some of the renowned scholars included Daniel Sánchez, who wrote a provocative text titled “Hispanic Realities”; Abraham Ruelas, from Patten University; Loida Martell-Otero, a PhD scholar; Joan Rodriguez, the chairperson of the Hispanic Theological Initiative. These individuals shared with the group of young scholars about the opportunities available to young people to complete their higher education. 
They also challenged these young people to help their communites, and to use their Hispanic culture to influence North American culture. Other distinguished guests included Dr. Steve Land, from the Church of God Theological Seminary; Dr. Donald Aultman, from the Church of God Division of Education; and Dr. Carolyn Dirksen, vice-president at Lee University.
The Church of God has a great assortment of young leaders under the age of 35. These include Dr. Sammy Alfaro from Arizona and Dr. Daniel Costelo, who teaches at Seattle Pacific University, and Kevin Chavez, a lawyer from Houston, TX. Undoubtedly, there is a need for Hispanic scholars in higher education as only a limited number of Hispanics in the US achieve a higher level of education. The young scholars from HAYS were deeply impressed with this challenge and developed strategies in order to move toward that purpose. The vision of HAYS is that it will empower and equip Hispanic/Latin@s from a GED to a PhD to become highly qualified scholars that impact the wider world with their gifts.
Its mission is to provide effective informational, instructional and mentoring programs for Hispanic/Latin@s that:
- Lead to an increase in the academic achievement at the secondary, undergraduate and postgraduate levels;
- Produce, support and network scholars and professionals; and
- Develop a culture within the family, church, and community that values higher education at all levels; thereby impacting the wider world.
If you would like to participate, please contact the HAYS office. hays-usa.org
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BRIDGING THE GAP TO A NEW GENERATION
Bengie speaks to a captive crowd.
The wonderful experience of the youth’s Winter Camp at the Northeast Hispanic Region has raised several points to be considered at this particular time. In 60 years of ministry two generations have passed, the gospel continues to advance in this region, the church becomes stronger, faith increases and the Kingdom of Christ continues to expand. There is no doubt that Christ is in control of his church even in the middle of change.
This is a 21st Century generation. The world has changed and continues to change drastically and church leaders must be strategic on this. It is clear that all methods of ministry and must be revisited and adjusted to the reality of the new order in which the church serves. Of course, I am aware of the pain that this self-assessment brings about, but we are not here to stay, we have to keep moving in order to be effective. There are new methods of ministry, education and praise and worship. Obviously the Holy Spirit is bringing the church into a closure and for that he is using all means available amongst God’s people to accomplish his mission.
Emerging young and promising leaders. The most exciting thing now is to see a new generation emerging, powerful and committed to Christ Jesus. These are our own children, they were birthed from us, and look at them now they are the new movers and shakers of this young generation. We’ve got to fill in the gap to make their ministry possible in a hostile anti-Christian society.
Different kinds of congregations. Indeed there will be different congregations in the near future. 
The young ones are getting stronger and mature and the congregations keep growing and being planted everywhere. It is going to be a different music, a different liturgy and ministration. But don’t get me wrong, the Spirit is the same and the church continues to be the same. It’s just a new generation, get it?
Times of harvest and great revival. Truly we are living in times of great revival. The Holy Spirit keeps doing his thing. At times we don’t know exactly what he has in mind, but then, there is very clear to our minds. He is perfect. He works his ways much of the time “out of the box.” He has ways to make us uncomfortable, especially when we become a little too religious and shakes those cords of religion from us to make us free once again. That’s why he is our leader at all times.
Discernment at all times. A few years ago I learned that education today is not attached to just knowledge but to discernment. This generation is overloaded with information and our people are to make the right choices. To do that right they need discernment. So let’s pray that the Holy Spirit will pour out this gift in this very precious time. We are praying for a wild 21st Century Pentecost. That will be the Lords way to bridge the generational gap so that the church will continue his mission in this loco millennium.
Love to all,
Bishop Miguel Alvarez
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HISPANIC PASTORS MEET WITH THE GENERAL OVERSEER
The General Overseer, Dr. Dennis McGuire, addresses the pastors.
Hispanic pastors representing the eight Hispanic regions of the Church of God in the US were invited by the General Overseer, Dennis McGuire, to discuss the growing ministry of the church among Latinos. The Director of Hispanic Ministries, Fidencio Burgueño, coordinated the event which took place January 11, 2008, in Cleveland, TN.
The topics discussed were relevant to the dynamics of the growing Hispanic churches. Furthermore, the event helped pastors from the different regions get to know one another and to fellowship as friends and partners in ministry.
Immigration continues to be a pressing issue among Hispanics. Pastors expressed their opinions and discussed possible solutions to this problem. Ministers are aware immigration issues require solutions in light of the Word of God, which exhorts us to favor the poor, the orphans, the widows, and foreigners (Exodus 22:21-24).
On the other hand, the General Overseer reminded the Hispanic ministers to be faithful to their denomination in times of growth and prosperity. Dr. McGuire stated, “In a way, you need the Church of God, and remember the Church of God needs you in every moment and circumstance.”
According to ministers who have seen the growth of the Hispanic community in the Church of God, these meetings are necessary and church leaders should facilitate more dialogue and reflection among ministers. Prayer is needed to continue the integration and cooperation among the departments of the Church of God at the national and international level.
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