Thread: Churchs catering to influx of immigrants

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascit ... 087590.htm

Posted on Fri, Jul. 21, 2006
Churchs catering to influx of immigrants
LISA HORN
St. Joseph News-Press
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. - The Mexican flag, along with the St. Joseph and American flags, waves expectantly in the breeze in front of South Park Assembly of God.

The Revs. Sharon Spiegel and Oscar Gris hope the banners are a welcome sign to immigrants. Inside, the flags of various Spanish-speaking nations circle the church sanctuary.

Though the influx of immigrants hasn't exploded quite as expected, churches such as South Park Assembly are continuing their outreach efforts to a population that is slowly trickling into the community.

"They're hungry for something different. They need help with their situation for them being in a different country - it's hard for them," Gris said. "They need encouragement."

In June, the church celebrated its Spanish worship service's first anniversary. What began with less than a handful of people, including Gris' wife, Elizabeth, and children, has now grown to 40 or more congregants each Sunday. The church's main service also is translated into Spanish.

St. Patrick Church, which has had a Spanish Mass since 1997, has increased its services from monthly to weekly. They, too, have seen an increase in attendance. Each week, the church has anywhere from 50 to 70 worshippers in attendance.

"It fluctuates," said Tina Black, a member of Hispanic Outreach based at St. Patrick. "It stays kind of in those numbers."

Many Hispanic Catholics hear about the special Mass at St. Patrick by word of mouth, and they also find Black, Faustino Barbosa and other members of the Hispanic Outreach group the same way - contacting them for rides to work and having them translate everything from doctor visits to helping purchase a car.

A day rarely passes that Gris, who is originally from Mexico City, doesn't receive phone calls to help church members and other Hispanics in these areas.

"There's still people coming into town, and that's our job - to share and to reach out to them," he said.

The Rev. George Ssebadduka, pastoral administrator of St. Patrick and a native of Uganda, is learning Spanish to better communicate with his parishioners. Zulima Lugo-Knapp, a member of the church, is his instructor. She also is the editor of the Hispanic Outreach's monthly bulletin, "Ojos Sobre Papel," which aims to guide the spiritual and day-to-day life of Latinos new to St. Joseph.

"It's always easier to transform an individual through personal contact," Ssebadduka said. "If we are to build faith among immigrants or the Hispanic community, we need to be present to them physically, pastorally - in so many ways."

The churches have lofty goals, including the Mid-America, Northwest Area Christian Church, who with the visit of a Mexican pastor to nine area churches last summer hope to eventually plant an entirely Spanish-speaking church in St. Joseph.

Starting the church requires a special kind of person who speaks Spanish, preferably is Hispanic and is willing to be a minister on a part-time basis, said the Rev. Sandi Mull, area pastor for the Christian Church, Mid-America, Northwest Area.

"The best way to start a church for any group of people of any culture is to have someone who speaks their language and understands them to gain their trust," Mull said. "An Anglo can learn the language, but that doesn't mean that you understand the culture."

Finances also are a huge problem for already-strapped churches hoping to extend their ministries.

A Spanish GED program last year sponsored by Wyatt Park Baptist Church, the St. Joseph School District and Fort Scott Community College in Kansas relied on a federal grant that wasn't renewed this year, said Jim Stuck, minister of evangelism and outreach at the church.

Though a grant submitted to Catholic Charities was recently denied, South Park Assembly has been encouraged to reapply.

Hispanic Outreach, which helps Hispanics and others who come to them in need, received a grant through the organization in April.

"People don't understand how far it goes," Black said, "and we may not ever get another grant again."

"Our church is a church that seems to receive people that are mostly in need. They will, eventually, as they become productive citizens in our community contribute," Spiegel said. But until then, she added, "I feel like we have a lot of other things to give out - compassion and love and the love of Christ."

They are all praying they will get to stay.

Dixie

"They're hungry for something different. They need help with their situation for them being in a different country - it's hard for them," Gris said. "They need encouragement."

With 12-20 million of them here, they apparently have all the encouragement they need.

How do you say BINGO in spanish?