Two Keys to Effective Ministry

We’ve had several friends ask, “Since you & Sherri already speak Spanish, why do you need to go to Mexico to study Spanish?”

It’s true, we do speak Spanish (or at least we thought we did). However, the real question is, are we communicating well enough in Spanish to have the most effective ministry possible?

We’re discovering that to adequately learn another language takes time & dedication. It’s not a simple one-time event, but rather an ongoing process. In fact, it takes 4,000-5,000 hours of consecutive study & exposure to a foreign language in order to fully acquire it.

Our desire is that God get all the glory for all that we do. With that in mind, proper language acquisition is vital to an effective, God-glorifying ministry in any culture. It’s of the upmost importance that the people with whom we’re sharing the Gospel understand precisely what we’re trying to share with them. After all, what more precious a message is there than the Gospel? It’s imperative that we communicate it accurately & understandably.

For instance, we don’t want a strong foreign accent or bad grammar to hinder our listeners’ reception of what we say. We must always strive to speak in such a way that there’s as little distraction as possible. Being able to communicate in the heart language of a people is one of the keys to effectively reaching them for Christ.

Understanding our listeners’ culture is the other major key to effectively sharing the Gospel with a people. For example, are we saying things in the way they’d say it so there’s as little distraction as possible? Are we properly using culturally appropriate words & phrases so that our message will be understood in the context of the culture? Or, are we offending or miscommunicating by using the wrong words & phrases?

The Spanish language program here in Chihuahua is built around these two keys of language & culture. To emphasis this, the program is called Culture & Language Acquisition (or CLA for short). Beyond just Spanish, the principles we’re learning in the program can be applied to learn to effectively communicate in any culture & language.

To put our need to improve our Spanish in perspective, let me point out that Spanish has 14 verb tenses & each of these are conjugated 5 times. The CLA program incorporates the full range of activities needed to learn a language. It allots classroom-style time for grammar study, sessions with native language helpers, and opportunities for excursions outside the classroom to observe & participate in culture & language acquisition. Since we already speak some Spanish, we’re moving through the program at a faster rate, working to fill in the “holes” in our language ability.

We praise God for you, our partners. Thank you for your prayer & financial partnership with our family. Your support allows us to concentrate on improving our Spanish so that we may have the most effective ministry possible.