4,000 HISPANIC CHURCHES BROUGHT EDUCATION ISSUES TO THE PULPIT & PEWS ON 9/7/14

4,000 Hispanic Churches Brought Education Issues to The Pulpit & Pews on 9/7/14

Strongest Participation Ever for NHCLC’s “National Hispanic Education Sunday”

Sacramento, CA –The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference (NHCLC), the nation’s leading organization for 16 million Hispanic American Evangelical Christians, announces that over 4,000 churches celebrated National Hispanic Education Sunday on September 7, 2014.  This fourth annual event included more registered churches than previous years, and was focused on “Raising the Standards” for Hispanic student achievement. Education Sunday is designed to build bridges between the faith and educational communities, and to eliminate barriers that have separated the two in the past.

During this year’s National Hispanic Education Sunday observance, thousands of NHCLC churches proclaimed that the separation of church and state need not mean the separation of faith and education. These churches believe a partnership between congregations and local schools forms a powerful alliance in support of student success in school and in life. On Education Sunday, thousands of pastors preached on the importance of education as congregants prayed for local schools, teachers, administrators and students. In some churches, staff members wore T-shirts from their alma maters as special guests emphasized the critical importance of Hispanic student success and our nation’s future. A congregation in Alexandria, VA, pastored by Josue Urritia, invited an education expert to address the congregation, and reported the message was received in a powerful way with a strong sense that God was speaking to them in a new way regarding education.

 

Dr. Carlos Campo, who leads the NHCLC’s education directive, comments: “Hispanic churches place a high value on education, and we’re encouraged that Latino high school graduation rates are on the rise. Yet too often a high school diploma does not adequately prepare the graduate for college or a career. The NHCLC’s goal is to unite the 16 million American Hispanic Evangelical Christians in support of public education that equips all students with the skills they need to succeed.”

The NHCLC recently launched a new website, https://faithandeducation.com, where pastors and parents can access resources for supporting Hispanic student success, including:

  • Parent Toolkit: parents can plan for a successful school year with tips for student success, parent-teacher conference guides, suggestions for homework help, help discovering local afterschool care, and links to educational standards by grade level
  • Church Resources: information and ideas for church leaders, including a sample sermon, details on programs such as “Becas and Bibles,” “Praying Over Report Cards,” and an invitation for volunteers to become local Education Liaisons
  • Raising the Standards videos: available in English and Spanish, several videos are offered to promote greater education advocacy and to support for consistently high educational standards
  • Education Partnerships: details are provided for various educational partnerships the NHCLC has forged with Christian colleges and universities, an annual Education Summit and scholarship opportunities.

NHCLC/Conela is the largest Hispanic Christian organization serving millions of Evangelicals, 40,118 U.S. churches, and more than 500,000 churches across the globe. Seeking to reconcile evangelist Billy Graham’s message of salvation with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s march of prophetic activism, the NHCLC/Conela emphasizes “7 Directives” of Life, Family, Compassionate Evangelism, Stewardship, Justice, Education and Youth. For additional information, visit http://www.nhclc.org.