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Strategy
Here are some thoughts from awhile back...

Increase Awareness
The Hispanic population in Dallas is vast and growing. To ignore this fact will be tantamount to ignoring half of the Dallas population by the year 2050. As a result of these findings, it is imperative that the Presbyterian Church in America position itself to harvest this universe next door. But in order to do so, we must first understand the magnitude, location, and strategy required to accomplish this great task, as well as the obstacles which face us as a presbytery and a denomination. We need to develop solid answers the obvious questions:

1) Why should we do it? What are the Biblical foundations and imperatives for the foundation of multiethnic & multicultural churches?
2) Who are we reaching out to? Are we targeting Spanish-speaking immigrants or their predominantly English speaking children, people who are culturally more Latin or more Anglo?
3) What are our resources? Does a predominantly white, upper-class denomination have the tools to reach this population? What tools do we have?
4) What are our liabilities? Where have we succeeded before? Where have we failed before? Where can we find/develop the tools we lack?
5) What is our plan of attack?

Create MNA Sub-Committee
Because the Hispanic need is going to become much greater and more demanding in the future, and because there will need to be visionaries and overseers for this emerging challenge, it is recommended that a permanent MNA sub-committee be created in order to deal specifically with the Hispanic situation and the ministries that will seek to address it on a presbytery level. Further, the sub-committee should not be limited to ruling and teaching elders of the PCA, but should be open to members in good standing of the PCA because those who are most able and equipped for the planning, execution, and oversight of Hispanic Presbyterian ministries may not necessarily be elders. If a Hispanic outreach is to succeed, the presbytery must assure the efficient use of its gifts.

Pursue Bilingual/Bicultural Ministers
Hispanics are a people who constantly navigate a complex web of cultures and languages and who have radically different needs based on their level of acculturation. First generation immigrants need help with the basic necessities of life and coping with the challenge of operating in a new culture and a new language. They tend to retain their mother tongue and those who reach out to them must be able to speak it and lead in it. Second generation Hispanics are torn between two worlds. At home, they generally speak the language of their parents, but when they emerge from la casa, they must learn to operate by a different set of sounds and rules. Depending on the bent of the child and the push of the parents, these children will reject their Latin culture, reject Anglo culture, or most likely combine the two in a curious blend that is impossible to stereotype. Third generation Hispanics may not even be able to speak their language, but they still move in the family circle and still retain their cultural identity as Latinos. While many cultures have been assimilated when placed in the "melting pot," Hispanics refuse to lose their cultural moorings, and with their rapid growth, they often impact Anglo culture as much as Anglo culture impacts them.

In order to raise up strong ministries among diverse generations of Latin Americans, the right kind of models and ministers must be identified and cultivated. In his Manual for Planting Churches Among Hispanic Americans, David Moran profiles three target groups for Hispanic church planting, the qualities of a church planter needed to work among these target groups, and models of church growth and planting for existing churches and future plants.

The highest priority target group among Hispanics is the second through the sixth generation. According to Moran, people from these generations are bilingual and bicultural, prefer English, and are comfortable with Anglos, at home in Hispanic or Anglo neighborhoods, progressive educationally, upper blue collar or white collar, the largest group of Hispanics (63 to 75%), the fastest growing group of Hispanics, and currently found in many Anglo churches. This group is the least reached, and in fact is being lost by many churches which plant only for the first generation and do not accommodate the second generation. This group is also overlooked as we tend to think of Hispanic ministry as something which requires learning another language and working with the educationally and financially impoverished. The second through sixth generation church planter must be one of them. He must be a discerning, hopefully bilingual, bicultural person who is able to appreciate and adapt to the dynamic evolution of Hispanic cultures. The only model for starting a church like this is from the ground up.

Moran's second priority is the Spanish proficient Hispanic. Members of this group are predominantly Spanish speaking (though with some level of English proficiency), from the first generation, culturally Latin (some dynamically acculturating while others remain static), less educated, hardworking blue-collar laborers, and make up 30% of the Hispanic population in the US (which will be continue to be the case as long as immigration remains high from Latin America). They are relatively open to the gospel because they are far away from all of their traditional cultural and religious moorings, and if they are converted and discipled they could be key to raising up second generation church planters and continuing to reap a harvest among incoming first generation Hispanics. A church planter for this group must have a "strong affinity to Latin culture", be able to analyze, understand and appreciate evolving Hispanic culture, speak Spanish fluently and have adequate English skills to communicate with the second generation, understand three cultures, and be viewed as a progressive by the second generation. This kind of church must be built from the ground up as well.

The North Texas Presbytery must actively seek men with the capacity to become church planters among the dynamically expanding Hispanic population, both English dominant and Spanish dominant. It is therefore recommended that men with contact and responsibility at Westminster Dallas and with Dallas Theological Seminary identify bilingual, bicultural students of a Reformed persuasion in order to encourage and aid them so that they might emerge to reap the harvest in Dallas.

Pursue Interim Ministries
We do not have to wait for church planters in order to reach out to the Hispanic community in many ways. At the present, the resources that have been identified are sufficient for a number of ministries, of which the following are possibilities (and just the tip of the iceberg!):

· Moran's third priority is "Anglo churches reaching Hispanic Americans Cross-Culturally from Existing Congregations." This is a category into which NTP churches could fall and which Moran says "may represent the most effective way to reach Hispanic Americans and raise up church planters." Moran suggests assimilation of English speaking Hispanics through friendships in the community, as well as through adding or sponsoring a Spanish language church. Some NTP churches may be close enough or connected enough with the Hispanic community to reach out in this way.
· Short-Term Mission Trips: Groups from congregations or a group of members of different NTP congregations could take short-term mission trips to Dallas Hispanic areas as a preparation for or as an alternative to more costly overseas trips. These mission trips might consist in a one week vacation Bible school, a local youth seminar with the help of a bilingual individual (or not if the audience is 2nd generation English proficient), after school aid of local school children, or some other community service project. These could be done in coordination with the work that Saul Pulido will begin in central Dallas, in apartment complexes in concentrations identified by this study, or based from NTP churches which are located in or near Hispanic concentrations (Lakewood, Park Cities, New Covenant, McKinney). Several churches are even now realizing "busing" ministries, in which they drive through Hispanic neighborhoods and pick kids up for some sort of after school activity. If the target group is sufficiently English proficient, there would not be a need for translation. The elementary-aged kids in ESL classes taught by several PCA members might be excellent candidates for such an after school or VBS program, as these teachers have already built relationships with the children and have the trust of their parents.
· English as a Second Language: ESL programs are an excellent way to reach out to the first and second generation immigrants from Latin American countries. Park Cites currently has an ESL program with several classes weekly and an attendance of 70 to 80 students from which other NTP churches could be trained and gain experience. There are also a number of training and material resources locally which can be obtained through the Dallas Baptist Association and Project Reach. ESL does not require Spanish ability, only proximity to Spanish speaking populations that want to learn English.
· Apartment evangelism and Bible studies: Some missionaries, the Nazarenes in particular, have been having success showing Christian films in low cost apartment complexes or even empty lots. They have been able to attract about 100 people each time they have gone out and the events have been at least successful in generating contacts in the community. They have also used sports contacts and speakers to reach the Hispanic community (using sports idolatry to gain a hearing for the gospel). It would take no language ability to set up the film and show it, and with the help of a few bilinguals there could be some good interaction.
· Financial advising: Bilingual or monolingual members could offer some short seminars on basic financial planning. This could be advertised in lower class Hispanic communities and include some hands-on use of principles.