[This post is a part of the WikiConference 2014 series of posts]
Joanne Solis-Walker has a PhD in Organizational Leadership and Development with an emphasis in Ecclesial Leadership and is committed to the formation of Hispanic-Latino pastors and leaders. She volunteers at Love INC Brevard, which partners with churches to help people with needs discover life transformation.
We have a situation in the United States. The hispanic population continues to grow, but the speed by which hispanics are joining our churches is not balanced. No matter what you think about your context, the growth of the hispanic population affects you.
The question we must then ask, “What have we done?"
[tentblogger-youtube 3_fzmVSZZdQ">https://www.youtube.com/watch]
Joanne suggested that this happens all the time. Unaccompanied alien children have reached record highs; this question is a real question. What have done? These children are in search of a new life and a better hope, so as the Church, what have we done?
Missional churches are growing internally to have an impact externally. We must move from having a church-shaped mission to a mission-shaped church. Every church has a culture, so is your church culture becoming that of a mission-shaped church?
As missionaries, we need cultural intelligence. Are we open to learning the languages, behaviors, and values of the cultures around us. If our community is not reflected in the church, it means re-thinking the ways we are reaching out to the community around us.