Several years ago, the Board was made aware of an immediate need growing among their Hispanic sisters. A desire for spiritual training that was culturally relevant and in Spanish was present among the demographic. With this new revelation, a movement to engage the Hispanic women more fruitfully within the Women of Grace USA network emerged. It was first put into action during two retreats in Indiana hosted by Hispanic leaders.
Encompass Associate Rosa Munoz, whose husband leads the Ethnic Ministries in the Southeast for Encompass World Partners, was invited to attend one of the Indiana retreats along with some of her friends from Florida. All of them were wildly impressed with how engaging the gathering was. Shortly after that experience, Rosa was asked to join the Board of Directors at Women of Grace USA as a representative of the Hispanic movement.
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.” -Nelson Mandela
Rosa knows personally the need for teaching Hispanic women in their heart language. Although the available Spanish literature is a blessing, it often is not enough for fulfilling spiritual enrichment. What is needed more is Hispanic leadership, mentorship, and fellowship. Rosa and the rest of the Board decided a Hispanic Summit would help enable learning God’s truth in a comprehensible way, which is not always guaranteed for them at an English Summit.
Since that decision, a few Hispanic Summits have been conducted incorporating the Women’s Leadership Studies through Grace Theological Seminary. The curriculum has been translated into Spanish and teachers, like Rosa, have been trained to lead them. Some of the leadership classes include Spiritual Formation, Soul Care, and Equipping Others in Ministry.
The most recent conference was held in the backyard of the Encompass Home Office, Atlanta.
Several women from Indiana, Florida, and local Georgians came to the summit. The speaker who led the ladies was an old friend of Rosa named Agnes Torres. Hailing from Puerto Rico, Agnes works as a certified life coach for the International Coach Federation (ICF) and is a team developer for Association of Training and Development (ASTD).
The women explored the importance of leadership and how God specifically designed them with talents and strengths. Everyone had an incredible time. Rosa was blessed to see some of the women she has known for years grow in the little time they had together. Also, some of the women made a commitment to pursue leadership at their church and become more involved in ministry. Next year, the group plans to meet in Florida.
Rosa is excited to see how the group will grow. Already, a newsletter is being organized to keep the ladies connected and focused. To ensure next year’s gathering is a success, Rosa formed a planning committee to begin organizing the event now. Hopefully, the scope of the ministry will be able to expand throughout the entire country. Your prayers for this ministry would be greatly appreciated.
