Updated June, 2025
The atmosphere was electric. Worshipers came in, greeted each other with friendly chatter, and found seats as close to the front as they could. It was obvious even before the service began that this worship time would be much more energetic and celebratory than what our English-speaking Christian Reformed congregation was used to!
Ten years ago, our church planted a bilingual congregation called Iglesia Evangelica Christiana Reformada. On this morning, the worship team—made up of members of our English-speaking and bilingual congregations—led us through worship in our two languages, both congregations united in our worship of one God.
As the opening of worship neared its conclusion, an English-speaking man behind me nudged my shoulder and said, “This is the kind of worship our congregation needs!” His statement echoed the views of many others in our English-speaking congregation and reflected a greater acceptance within the congregation of different worship styles.
As the opening of worship neared its conclusion, an English-speaking man behind me nudged my shoulder and said, “This is the kind of worship our congregation needs!”
Following God’s Leading
Thirteen years ago our English-speaking congregation had voted not to start a bilingual ministry. Many people remember that as a dark period in our church and felt that God was not pleased by the dissention among us. Three years later the congregation voted again—this time deciding (by a large majority) to plant a bilingual ministry. We were finally ready to follow God’s leading.
We began by worshiping together four times a year. At first people from the English-speaking congregation came as a sign of support for the new bilingual ministry we had helped to begin. But they continued to come for the love they felt there and the enthusiastic, authentic worship they experienced together.
The ministry at Iglesia Evangelica Christiana Reformada will celebrate ten years this coming December. During that time the bilingual church has expanded to two full-time pastors and the congregation has grown. And since then we have started two more bilingual ministries in nearby towns.
A Foretaste of Heaven
Over the last ten years these shared worship times (the English-speaking and the bilingual congregations) have continued on a quarterly basis. In addition, our community has embraced bilingual worship for community-wide services of celebration several times during the year.
Both congregations—Hispanic and English-speaking—have benefitted from participating in each other’s style of worship.
Our English-speaking congregation has been blessed to see that enthusiastic worship is no less worshipful than the more subdued style that it was used to. We’ve come to realize that the energetic worship of the bilingual congregation stems from sincere joy flowing from people’s hearts. Though not all in the English-speaking congregation participate in shared events with our Hispanic brothers and sisters, these shared worship services and meals continue to attract more participants. Those who once were antagonistic towards “planting” a Hispanic ministry soon found themselves sitting down with and learning from their Hispanic neighbors.
The bilingual congregation has come to appreciate the parts of the English-speaking worship that lead them into a more subdued time of introspection and contemplative worship. As worship administrator for several years, I was privileged to be a part of the planning for some of those combined services. It was a joy to explain why we in the English-speaking congregation did things a certain way, and thus help people from another culture come to appreciate that sincere worship takes place in a variety of settings and formats.
Together both congregations have come to a better understanding of one another, and we have seen how different worship styles are a great blessing! Together we are experiencing a foretaste of heaven—where all races and cultures will join together in the worship of the one true God!