Andrews Church Breaks Down Language Barriers
Late spring of 2020 saw many changes, people were hospitalized, families were forced to learn and work from home, and much more. When most individuals think of early 2020, they think of COVID-19. However, a group of people in Andrews, N.C., think about the Andrews outreach ministry, targeted at those who were in need in the community. For many years, the large Hispanic population in the area was not directly being reached by the Adventist Church, primarily due to the language barrier present. This changed with the outreach ministry, “FOR Andrews.”
The idea for the outreach began as a local food distribution in Andrews. Before this outreach started, Craig Fish, pastor, and his wife, Soraya, observed the lack of Spanish-speaking churches in the area. “We felt that the Hispanic community was really underserved, and we wanted to change that.” explained Fish. “My wife Soraya speaks Spanish, so she could break down the language barrier.” But even with this, there were setbacks regarding the time necessary to invest in the Spanish community. However, that challenge was overcome when Soraya’s parents moved into the area, and her father, Ronald Lopez, a retired pastor to many Hispanic churches and an avid church planter, had the time and drive to do this same work in Andrews and the surrounding area.
Bible studies were held where numbers from two to 24 people would meet, primarily during Saturday mornings. An English as a Second Language class was started on Sunday evenings in Andrews. Word of these services spread quickly.
The group met in the fellowship hall of the Andrews Church or the conference room of the Murphy, N.C., Church. As the group grew, Andrews Church provided a larger room the group could use on a regular basis. Currently, the Hispanic group meets each week at Andrews, and joins the other Andrews Church members for fellowship lunch every fourth Sabbath. For his part, Fish and the church members look forward to continuing to support this important outreach to the Andrews area.
Georgia-Cumberland | June 2024
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