Three 2020 education initiatives to encourage sound knowledge, wisdom, and understanding in your church

Colossians 1:9-10 reads, “We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.”

The apostle Paul reminds us that living a life pleasing to the Lord is predicated on an infilling of sound knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. The FE Coalition desires for Hispanic Christ-followers, students and families, across the nation to walk boldly into the work that God has prepared for them, and our part is to not only advocate for high quality education and rigorous college- and career-readiness standards for all students but to also provide you with resources and encourage initiatives within your congregation that give you the wisdom and knowledge to promote the development of our students’ hearts, souls, minds, and bodies.

Today I want to remind you of three events on the horizon that do just that. If you are part of the FE Coalition and NHCLC familia, or just care about the education of Hispanics in America, you will want to make sure you put these dates on your calendar and share these resources.

On Friday, June 5, 2020 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Rice University in Houston, TX, Dr. Gus Reyes, COO of the NHCLC, and I (Girien Salazar) will participate in a national conference “How Science Can Strengthen the Faith of Your Church” which is organized by Rice University’s Religion and Public Life Program. The conference is free and open to the public. All attendees will receive a free copy of the book Why Science and Faith Need Each Other: Eight Shared Values That Move Us Beyond Fear at the conference. Register here.
September 13, 2020 is Education Sunday! On this day we invite thousands of pastors, parents, and church members from across our nation to focus sermons, bible studies, and Sunday school curriculum on the importance of education in the lives of Christ-followers. We believe NHCLC churches should encourage spiritual and academic growth for the wholistic formation of Christian citizens. Over forty different resources for Education Sunday are provided to all who register. This year’s theme will be announced soon. You can find out more information on this page.
Finally, on Tuesday, October 20, 2020 at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, OK, the NHCLC will hosts its eleventh annual National Hispanic Education Summit. The Summit brings together university and faith leaders from around the nation in order to to: (1) connect university leadership with Hispanic denominational leadership, (2) help universities understand Hispanic evangelical students in order to improve recruitment, retention, and graduation rates, (3) equip the local church in advancing student achievement in their congregation, and (4) advance knowledge and efforts of education equity. As always registration is free and lunch and dinner are provided. The registration page is up though some event details are still TBD.

Thank you for coming alongside the FE Coalition and for your commitment to the ministry of advancing Hispanic student achievement. I hope to see you soon!

Forward and higher in Christ,

Rev. Girien R. Salazar
Executive Director, FE Coalition