Mision Metodista Nueva Vida
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Aqui usted es bienvenido! – Here you are welcome!That’s the message heard over and over again at Nueva Vida, a Hispanic fellowship congregation at Spring ValleyUnitedMethodist Church in North Dallas. Led by 30-year veteran pastor Carlos Nascimento, Nueva Vida is one of a very few Hispanic Methodist congregations in the North Texas area. Twelve different countries are represented in the Nueva Vida community: Venezuela, El Salvador, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala, Cuba, Mexico, and the USA. This diversity is reflected in all activities of the Church, from singing and fellowship to the rich culinary heritage of all the represented countries.
Over 200 people attended the Nueva Vida Mother’s Day celebration on May 11th. The celebration began with a worship service inspired by the musical contributions of members of Nueva Vida and nearby ArapahoUnitedMethodistChurch. The anointed message, “God is Calling,” was presented in English by the Rev. Rick Hawkins of Northgate UMC in Irving, and simultaneously translated to Spanish by Carlos Nascimento. After the benediction, a terrific Mariachi group entered Wesley Hall to entertain the mothers in a great Mexican tradition. In the midst of the Mariachi music, an enchilada dinner was served with “Tres Leches” cakes and other rich desserts. Other recent events have included a celebration of Día del Amor y de la Amistad (the Hispanic version of Valentine’s Day), and a resurrection service on Easter Sunday. In keeping with the grand tradition of Methodism’s founder, John Wesley, each of these services was followed by a home-cooked meal, with dishes typical of each member’s country of origin.
One of the most exciting programs of the Nueva Vida community is its implementation of English as a Second Language classes. In response to the need in the community, Nueva Vida and Spring Valley United Methodist began offering ESL classes in August 2007. The number of students in the ESL program has more than doubled since its inception, with 54 students in the beginner class, and 23 students at the intermediate level. Sharon Burton, chair of this exciting endeavor, reports that the instructional teams' teaching strategies, lots of help from volunteers, and Carlos Nascimento’s hard work handing out flyers advertising the classes have all contributed to this ministry’s remarkable growth. Additionally, members of Nueva Vida provide free child care to encourage and make it possible for women to attend. The classes are held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 8 p.m., and four classes are planned for the fall semester--beginners, intermediate, and advanced.
Spring Valley United Methodist Church founded the Nueva Vida congregation in 1993 in response to the changing demographics in the North Dallas area; the church wanted to reach out to Hispanics who did not have a church home or religious community. Today, the congregation is flourishing, and two other churches, Arapaho United Methodist and First United Methodist–Richardson, now help sponsor the Nueva Vida ministry.Weekly church activities at Nueva Vida include worship services each Sunday afternoon, with Sunday School for children, youth, and adults commencing at 4:00 p.m. An exciting vibrant worship service, conducted in Spanish, follows at 5:00 p.m. Prayer meetings are held each Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. at the church. All are welcome to come and experience the Nueva Vida (“new life”) that the congregation offers.
SPECIAL EVENTS
Over 200 people attended the Nueva Vida Mother’s Day celebration on May 11th. The celebration began with a worship service inspired by the musical contributions of members of Nueva Vida and nearby ArapahoUnitedMethodistChurch. The anointed message, “God is Calling,” was presented in English by the Rev. Rick Hawkins of Northgate UMC in Irving, and simultaneously translated to Spanish by Carlos Nascimento. After the benediction, a terrific Mariachi group entered Wesley Hall to entertain the mothers in a great Mexican tradition. In the midst of the Mariachi music, an enchilada dinner was served with “Tres Leches” cakes and other rich desserts. Other recent events have included a celebration of Día del Amor y de la Amistad (the Hispanic version of Valentine’s Day), and a resurrection service on Easter Sunday. In keeping with the grand tradition of Methodism’s founder, John Wesley, each of these services was followed by a home-cooked meal, with dishes typical of each member’s country of origin.
ESL CLASSES
One of the most exciting programs of the Nueva Vida community is its implementation of English as a Second Language classes. In response to the need in the community, Nueva Vida and Spring Valley United Methodist began offering ESL classes in August 2007. The number of students in the ESL program has more than doubled since its inception, with 54 students in the beginner class, and 23 students at the intermediate level. Sharon Burton, chair of this exciting endeavor, reports that the instructional teams' teaching strategies, lots of help from volunteers, and Carlos Nascimento’s hard work handing out flyers advertising the classes have all contributed to this ministry’s remarkable growth. Additionally, members of Nueva Vida provide free child care to encourage and make it possible for women to attend. The classes are held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 8 p.m., and four classes are planned for the fall semester--beginners, intermediate, and advanced.
Spring Valley United Methodist Church and Nueva Vida are located in Far North Dallas at 7700 Spring Valley Road. Contact Carlos Nascimento at 972-239-9440 for more information on Nueva Vida.
