April 7, 2003

BGCT releases new curriculum for Spanish language and culture
___By John Hall
___Texas Baptist Communications
___DALLAS--The Baptist General Convention of Texas has released a new Spanish-language adult Sunday School curriculum.
___The convention sent five free copies of the first 13-week study to each BGCT Hispanic church. New material will be available every three months.
___The program, the result of cooperation among two BGCT offices and Hispanic Baptist Theological School in San Antonio, allows Spanish speakers to simultaneously study the same lessons as English speakers.

"Not only will it have Hispanic culture, it will have Texas culture because our writers are Texans."

___"We're meeting a need our churches have been crying for for years," said Chuck Padilla, ethnic consultant in the BGCT Bible Study/Discipleship Center. "Its ministry will unite our Hispanic churches in Texas."
___Hispanic Baptist leaders will use the same outlines as writers of the English-language Sunday School curriculum, but they will tailor the language and examples to better fit their culture.
___"Not only will it have Hispanic culture, it will have Texas culture because our writers are Texans," Padilla said.
___Organizers believe the curriculum will strengthen Hispanic churches by helping pastors focus training efforts. Before these lessons, Spanish material would be the translated English studies from the prior year, and pastors had to instruct leaders for two different efforts.
___Additionally, the material will bring English and Spanish students closer spiritually as they discuss the same lesson at the same time, BGCT leaders said. They think this venture can help non-Hispanic churches form a stronger kinship with their Hispanic missions.
___The curriculum will teach traditional Baptist doctrine and encourage evangelism and prayer for non-Christians, leaders said. The lessons are undated and can be used at any point of the year in the church or can be used for evangelism in Mexico and Latin America.
___The lessons also will include information about BGCT resources and events.
___Additional copies of the material may be purchased for $1.60 per book. Teacher material may be downloaded for free online.
___For more information, call Angie Rodriguez at (888) 265-3826.
___

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