Date: August 3, 2022
The second of our strategic priorities this year at TryTank has been a focus on Latino ministry. We are fortunate that we have been able to work closely with the Office of Latino Ministry of the Episcopal Church (TEC).
Last Fall, we created, printed, and distributed 10,000 copies of a Spanish-language missalette. The goal of this was to save time each week for the clergy in the congregations by replacing the weekly worship bulletin. We discovered that indeed it saved congregations an average of 4 hours a week. These are hours which can be used for some of the many other needs in the congregation. TEC has now taken this on as an ongoing ministry and the second edition has been published by them.
Our Latino Ministry in a Box (also now a ministry of TEC) is expanding in three designated dioceses. In a related experiment, we also have launched a new experiment called La Misa in English. The experiment aims to reach later-generation Latinos which research tells us prefer their information in English. We are hoping to create an “in-culture” worship experience that is authentic without it having to be “in-language.” If this works, it could be a game changer for how TEC does Latino ministry in the future. This is important because while Latinos will soon be the largest minority in the US, they are only 2% of TEC.
Rev. Lorenzo Lebrija
Chief Innovation Officer and Executive Director, TryTank