ARLINGTON, Va. — Latino churches and institutions in Virginia are distributing 5,000 Christmas-themed CDs this month with an evangelistic message in Spanish — the culmination of a two-year project coordinated by the Latino Network of Virginia Baptists.
“Un regalo para tí esta temporada de fiestas” (“A gift for you this holiday season”) contains Christmas music and five short messages based on the J-E-S-U-S acrostic.
“Un regalo para tí esta temporada de fiestas” contains Christmas music and five short messages.
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“The aim of the CD is openly evangelistic,” said Daniel Carro, the Latino Network’s coordinator. “The CDs are being distributed to people who are not committed Christians. Leaders and pastors of Latino churches are distributing them among their congregations with the understanding that each of them will bless someone who is not a Christian with the CD during this Christmas season. Later, the one who gave the CD away will follow up with his friend about the message contained it.”
Carro said the project involved collaboration with a myriad of partners. It began two years ago with a $1,000 donation from the Virginia Baptist Mission Board’s glocal mission team, which covered costs of blank CDs, labels and sleeves. Last year, content was prepared by Rafael Pola, founding pastor of Iglesia Bautista Monte Hermón in Mexico City, and six members of the church’s worship team: Luisa Hernández, Nohemí Díaz Loaeza, Marisela Díaz Loaeza, Carlos Valenzuela, Luisa Valenzuela and Gerardo Martínez. The Mexico City group also produced a master CD to be duplicated.
Susan Moore, executive director of the Network for Theological Education, coordinated duplication of the master CD, working with First Baptist Church in Newport News, Va., and other congregations in Hampton Roads, along with the Baptist collegiate ministry of Christopher Newport University in Newport News, then led by Kim Dougherty and Lindsay Ray.
“The distribution of the CDs is being done through churches and institutions related to the Latino Network,” said Carro. “Five thousand Latino lives — perhaps even more — will be touched by a CD with Christian music and message in their heart language this Christmas.”
The Latino Network seeks to promote the work of both Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking congregations in Virginia and encourages English-speaking congregations to adopt a multi-cultural mentality which fosters hospitality and outreach among their Latino neighbors.
The network is supported by the Virginia Baptist Mission Board, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Virginia, Woman’s Missionary Union of Virginia, Baptist Theological Seminary at Richmond, the John Leland Center for Theological Studies, LUCHA Ministries, and the Network for Theological Education.
Robert Dilday ([email protected]) is managing editor of the Religious Herald.