Torch, Spring/Summer 2012

A bout 40 people are seated in small clusters across the dimly lit auditorium. We have greeted one another with a handshake and a kiss, and we wait expectantly for the service to begin. A young man wearing a crisp, white shirt and a broad smile welcomes the regulars and guests like me to Mission Hispana Nueva Creaci Ó n as the worship band begins to play. We stand and clap along to the Latin rhythms. “ Ven conmigo a la casa de Dios ,” we sing. “ Celebraremos juntos Su amor .”* It is Sunday afternoon in the house of God, and as the banner on the wall attests, our God reigns. Gloria a Dios . *English translation: “Come with me to the house of God. Together we’ll celebrate His love.” A Place to Listen Carol Lee, Torch Managing Editor Founded in 2010, Nueva Creaci Ó n, or New Creation, serves Spanish-speakers in Springfield, Ohio, regardless of immigration status. As Pastor Jose Sanchez relates, “Jesus asks for our hearts, not our papers.” An English-speaking church meets in the building Sunday mornings, and Nueva Creaci Ó n meets Sunday afternoons, often following their service with a meal, open to all. Sanchez can relate to the unique struggles in his congregation. Born in Nicaragua, he immigrated to the United States in the mid- 1980s when then-President Ronald Reagan signed the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. He has learned to live in two worlds — when he is not working full time in En la Casa de Dios by Carol Lee, M.S. A modest Hispanic church expands its outreach by welcoming people into the house of God. Make the Most of the Opportunity 28 TORCH | Spring-Summer 2012 SCOTT HUCK | CEDARVILLE UNIVERSITY