Religion and Theology

In Reaching Hispanics in North America Helping You Understand and Engage One of Gods
Greatest Mission Fields, published by North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, the author(s) provide demographic profiles of potential Christians in North America, that is, the growing Hispanic community.  Unsurprisingly, there are plenty of statistics accompanying the demographic profile of this community.  By describing potential Christians among the Hispanics of North America thus, the author(s) have presented a study that can be used to reach out to the Hispanics.  The author(s) describe various features of this community, including its diversity, familial structures, and other personal and social relationships.  This research may not only be used by Christians who seek to deliver the Gospel to the Hispanic community, but also healthcare policymakers and marketers to boot.  After all, there are various entities apart from churches that seek to reach out to this community for its own purposes.
   
Author(s) of Reaching Hispanics in North America have further detailed how meaningful relationships can be built between churches and the Hispanic community in North America.  Such relationships can only be built if churches and ministers are respectful of the fact that the average Hispanic is deeply attached to his or her family.  The author(s) assume that it is essential to appreciate Hispanic psychology before the Gospel can be effectively delivered to the target community.  Clearly, D. N. Entwistle, author of Integrative approaches to Psychology and Christianity An Introduction to Worldview Issues, Philosophical Foundations, and Models of Integration, would agree with this viewpoint.  According to Entwistle, it is essential to appreciate both the Word of God through which Christian faith is birthed, and the works of God manifested as mankind on earth.  These works of God include the Hispanic community with its own set of psychological characteristics.  By increasing its understanding of these characteristics, the church would be integrating science and religion for the reason that God is the author of all truth.
   
Additionally, George Hunter, author of Radical Outreach The Recovery of Apostolic Ministry and Evangelism, would be appreciative of the effort expended to deliver the Gospel to the Hispanic community in North America.  Hunter advises the church of North America to reclaim its right to practically and actively reach out to those that are in need of the Gospel and yet do not approach the church.  The author asks some penetrating questions to point the way to the church.  First of all, what are the differences between the methods of outreach that the New Testament church used versus the methods of teaching that are used by contemporary churches  Certainly, the churches of old were far more successful in guiding people.  So, what was it that gave tremendous success to the early church versus the contemporary church  According to Hunter, the obvious reason for the success of the early church was that it actively reached out to people rather than waiting for the people to enter its walls.  And, the contemporary church that has realized its essential duty is one that forms an outreach ministry offering everything it possibly can to people in order to help, heal, and guide them by way of the Gospel.  
   
The author(s) of Reaching Hispanics in North America are cognizant of the fact that it is necessary to use Biblical examples to teach the modern church how to reach out to the Hispanics of North America.  According to their book, the Bible should be the foundation for every ministry, program, event, and activity that the church plans, promotes, and produces.  Thus, churches of North America that apply the models developed by the author(s) of Reaching Hispanics in North America can follow Hunters advice to boot.  Moreover, the fact that the author(s) of Reaching Hispanics in North America describe the diverse Hispanic community in depth must be appreciated for reasons apart from the ones that have already been explained.  Hunters arguments raise the following question What if Hispanics have previously refused to enter the walls of the church because most churches of North America do not even understand this community
   
Then again, it is not for us to judge whether or not members of the Hispanic community can be saved from eternal damnation even if they have never entered the church or heard the Gospel.  Osburn contends that people can be saved even if they have not heard the Gospel.  Just the same, it is most essential to believe in the right God before attaining eternal salvation.  Osburn explains that knowledge about the Creator of the universe may reach people through Scriptures if not the Gospel of the Christ.  Even those who have had contact with believers must have learned about the one true God without going to church.  What is more, as the God of mercy works in the hearts of mankind by way of His Spirit, knowledge about Him may reach people through visions as well.
   
By no means do Osburns arguments discount the importance of Reaching Hispanics in North America.  Furthermore, Osburns article makes it clear that Hunter should not consider it a failure of the modern-day church of North America if it appears to have failed to reach out to all people.  After all, the church continues to try to deliver Gods messages, and it never stops its efforts in this regard.  Reaching Hispanics in North America is just another step forward.