Some BJU students spend their Saturdays expanding their comfort zones and linguistic abilities at a Hispanic Bible club.

Iglesia Bautista Calvario, a church in Greer, hosts the Bible club, which Josh Csire, a graduate assistant, has been attending for the past two years. He now oversees the activities and conducts the Bible lesson for the outreach.

The regular outreach workers include three members from Iglesia Bautista Calvario, BJU staff member Hanna Alexander and, occasionally, other members of the church.

Every Saturday at 2 p.m. the workers meet at the church before heading out to Hispanic neighborhoods.

They knock on doors and invite children to their Bible club, which runs from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Bible club is located at Victor Heights Community Park, a small neighborhood park in Greer.

During the Bible club they play soccer and other games, sing songs with their guitars, teach a Bible lesson and sometimes provide a snack.

The children who normally attend are between the ages of 6 and 10. The number of children who come to Bible club varies, but usually around three to six children come. According to Csire, two children from Bible Club are now faithfully attending Sunday morning church.

Though the outreach ministry is part of a Spanish-speaking church, students don’t need to know any Spanish to join.

“We use our Spanish when knocking on doors to invite the kids to our Bible club, since that is mostly what their parents speak,” Hanna Alexander said. “However, during the actual Bible club time, we speak with the kids in English, since that is what they learn at school.”

Alexander began attending the outreach toward the end of the summer and has grown spiritually through the challenges that come with the
outreach. “I’m learning that it takes patient endurance to win people to Christ,” Alexander said. “Many of the children we invite act excited about coming to our Bible Club or to church, then never show up. Consistency in follow-up is important.”

Csire said that the challenges that come with the ministry have allowed him to grow as a teacher and bilinguist.   

“This ministry challenges me to sharpen my teaching skills as I am learning to communicate the great truths of Scripture to small children,” Csire said. “The opportunities to knock on doors of Latin American immigrants also challenges my Spanish ability and pushes me out of my comfort zone.”

Both Alexander and Csire stressed that more workers, especially girls, would be a great help for the outreach. If you are interested in being a part of this outreach please email Josh Csire at [email protected].