Alexandra Zamora spends her time teaching, training, and equipping churches in North America to engage in God’s mission around the world. Zamora’s passion for prayer, for knowing God deeply, and for the church to reach out to those who have not yet heard the gospel is evident. Perhaps her heart and mind for bringing the…

Pastor Silvina Kosacki serves as a pastor at both Arbol de Vida Foursquare Church and First United Methodist Church in the neighboring communities of Chino and Montclair outside of Los Angeles, California. In her ministry she encounters “stories of loss, of uprooting, of broken dreams” among Latino immigrants who learn painfully and quickly that the…

About ten years ago, Dr. Peter Cha was approached by 2nd and 3rd generation Asian American pastors serving in northern Virginia and Maryland area. They were concerned at the number of their seminary peers who were no longer serving in ministry after two to five years. They were concerned as well for themselves, who teetered…

No one unifying experience or identity exists within Latino communities across North America, as Dr. Juan Martínez discussed. Pastor Marcos Canales continued this thread through his theological reflections. He proposed that “a variety of experiences” within Latino community churches raise themes that can form, nurture, and influence the living and doing of theology together. Canales…

Greg Jao spent formative years of his life in a Chinese immigrant church, now serving as a National Field Director for Intervarsity Christian Fellowship in New York City. He brought his ability to weave leadership, humor, and teaching gifts together most recently as the emcee of Urbana12, making even the most mundane and necessary logistical…

Facilitated by Dr. Soong-Chan Rah and Dr. Daniel Carroll Rodas, the Public and Local Witness Track brought their collective knowledge and love for Scripture, ministry experiences, and personal stories to the lively table. They also brought their humor and personalities, creating a sense of family as they discussed difficult topics, such as stereotypes of Latinos…

Migration is an increasingly visible topic within mission conversations today. For example, in August 2012, the International Association of Mission Studies organized their 13th quadriennial assembly around the themes of Migration, Dislocation, and the Good News. Additionally, an increasing number of articles and books shed light on the migration of peoples as relates to rising…

A 1st generation Latino was known in his church for having conflicts with the young people. He never interacted with him with love or patience. But, one day he was invited to participate in an intergenerational activity, designed to creatively engage 1st and 2nd generation Latinos in relationship. Together they walked through their community, taking…

Each track is engaging in four hour working sessions throughout the remainder of HANA Day 3. The Developing Lay Leaders track discussed the challenges experienced in developing lay leaders. They noted the following as some of the challenges: personality-driven nature of Latino churches, hierarchy and a lack of willingness to share leadership among pastors, gender,…

Dr. Peter Cha introduced two distinct themes that the HANA consultation will carry through the remaining days together. He invited groups to use this week to discuss the struggles of identity construction that occur in HANA communities. Who are we? Who am I? Within HANA communities, outside groups continually try to define, or impose/ascribe, identities…

Dr. Jerry Park noted that 25% of Asian Americans are native-born and 59% of Hispanic population. Check out the maps here to interact with the origins of HANA communities. Hispanic Origins in the USA Asian American Origins in the USA

What if the Gospels didn’t include Jesus weeping at Lazarus’ death? What if the story of Christ’s life simply did not include his crucifixion and those who wept with him along the way to Golgotha? What if the word suffering was removed from the Gospels and the epistles? What if the Psalms’ laments were omitted?…