Fresh Expressions is an international, trans-denominational movement to start new forms of Church for people who would never come to a traditional weekend church gathering.
Now, we’re excited to announce the launch of Expresiones Divinas. This new opportunity will provide a stream of training for those passionate about seeing fresh expressions of Church specifically for the hispanic population in the US. We believe that these new forms of Church are crucial for reaching 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation members of the Hispanic diaspora.
Why should we focus on the hispanic diaspora in the US?
The U.S. Hispanic population reached a record 59.9 million in 2018, meaning the Latino share of the total U.S. population is approximately 18% and were the second-largest racial or ethnic group behind whites. This significant demographic reality is important for the church to pay attention to, because (1) God wants the church to proactively reach all people with his love and (2) the Hispanic-American population is an ever-increasing people group that must be paid attention for the present and future vibrancy of the church in America as a whole.
It’s due time for the church to start thinking about how to effectively engage the hispanic community, in all regions of the US, and that is what Expresiones Divinas is all about.
Five Key Features of Expresiones Divinas
What are Expresiones Divinas, and in what way are they “Church?” Dr. Mejia notes five key features:
- Christ-Centered Starting Expresiones Divinas is a Christ-centered process. Through the power of the Holy Spirit drawing people to Jesus, environments can be transformed beyond what we can imagine.
- God’s Effort Expresiones Divinas are “Divine Expressions” because we cannot do it alone! This work will require both a human and divine effort to reach people who do not take part in an established church.
- Missional Expresiones Divinas are missional. The mission of the Church to the Missio Dei — Mission of God. It calls us to listen, feel, and see what God is doing around us and join Him in the process.
- Community on Movement While inherited churches benefit from helping start Expresiones Divinas, they are not meant to be a step towards church, nor a substitute for it. The ultimate purpose of any effort in starting an Expresiones Divinas is to foster a mature church that honors God and makes sense for its context.
- Perceive subcultures These new communities pursue populations that share interests, hobbies, needs, or similar jobs as places in which God is working. Expresiones Divinas allows us to hear and see the hand of God in each context.
Is Expresiones Divinas Training For Me and My Congregation?
You may be thinking, “I have hispanic people all around me, but I don’t speak Spanish. Do I need to speak Spanish or be Hispanic to start expresiones divinas within the hispanic community?”
No, you don’t have to speak Spanish in order to have a heart for the hispanic community around you. Remember, you are a missionary, and missionaries are not equipped and then called. They are called and subsequently, God equips you to do his work.
Ask God if you and/or your church are sensing a call to reach the hispanic populations that surround you. Through continued listening and relational connections, God can work in an innumerable amount of ways to empower you to establish an expresiones divinas movement in your town or city.
One way God often works is by proving a ‘person of peace’, or a community gatekeeper so to speak, that may open the doors for you and/or your congregations into the community. He/she may even be bilingual, and can be raised up as a spiritual leader among the hispanics in your context.
The possibilities are endless. So long as you and/or your congregation are sensing God’s call, He is with you and will empower you to do His work.
Request an Event
You can request we bring a one-day Expresiones Divinas or a Spanish-language Dinner Church Encounter to your church or organization. Learn more at https://freshexpressions.com/request.
