How to Start a Church
Starting a Hispanic Church
Launching a Hispanic church is an excellent opportunity as long as you can attract a loyal and engaged congregation. Here is some nuts-and-bolts information on successfully starting and operating a religious organization.
Wondering how to start a Hispanic church? We take you step-by-step from start to success.
Religious Overview of U.S. Hispanics
Hispanic/Latino Americans are a rapidly growing people group, representing more than 16% of the U.S. population. Interestingly, Hispanics/Latinos are also an extremely religious people group with strong ties to various Christian denominations.
Approximately 70% of U.S. Hispanics/Latinos are Roman Catholic while 20% identify with Protestantism. But these numbers don't tell the whole story. Although first generation American Hispanics tend to maintain Catholic affiliation, large percentages of younger generations have abandoned their Catholic roots in favor of independent evangelical and Pentecostal churches -- the kinds of congregations that are most attractive for Hispanic church planters.
Independent Hispanic churches are usually conservative congregations with gender, social and theological standards that exceed their non-Hispanic counterparts. In many instances, Hispanic churches have become cultural gathering places as well as spiritual centers, underscoring the need for religious entrepreneurs to be immersed in Hispanic culture and language.
The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHLC) is the largest Hispanic Christian organization in the U.S. and offers a range of resources for Hispanic/Latino religious entrepreneurs.
Hispanic Churches: Ministries & Programs
As your new Hispanic church begins to take shape, attenders and members will express a desire for more than just weekly worship gatherings. To compete with the multitude of spiritual opportunities that are available in your area, you'll need to launch a selection of programs and ministries that cater to your congregation's demographic and religious needs.
If your target demographic is young families, it's important to quickly launch children and teen ministries as well as ministries that strengthen marriages and parenting skills. If your Hispanic church is located in an underprivileged neighborhood, jobs skills and literacy programs can likewise drive growth and offer benefits to current attenders.
Every ministry or program you initiate must meet a real need, and serve to advance your church's strategic plan and mission. If you aren't conversant in strategic planning concepts, it's important to explore the basics of getting started with strategic planning in order to grow your church in a coordinated and intelligent manner.
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