{"id":5622,"date":"2021-05-19T11:32:58","date_gmt":"2021-05-19T15:32:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/disciplescef.org\/blog\/?p=5622"},"modified":"2021-06-24T11:42:05","modified_gmt":"2021-06-24T15:42:05","slug":"sacred-space-extends-beyond-the-sanctuary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disciplescef.org\/blog\/sacred-space-extends-beyond-the-sanctuary\/","title":{"rendered":"Sacred Space Extends Beyond the Sanctuary"},"content":{"rendered":"

New Kitchen Caters to Fellowship, Funds Ministry<\/h1>\n

Everything starts here: Ministry. Fundraising. Fellowship. And, of course, lunch.<\/p>\n

The heart of La Iglesia Cristiana La Trinidad in Corpus Christi, Texas, is la cocina<\/em> \u2014 the kitchen. So, a loan<\/a> from Disciples Church Extension Fund<\/a> to remodel this important room means much more than improved plumbing or a bigger stove.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Hispanic churches, the kitchen is as important as the sanctuary,\u201d says Rosario Ibarra<\/a>, DCEF Building and Capital Services Advisor.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

While she laughs when she says it, the truth behind the statement holds for the Corpus Christi faith community.<\/p>\n

\u201cI knew this loan application was all<\/em> about the ministry, the church\u2019s income stream, the fellowship of the congregation,\u201d Rosario adds. \u201cThe kitchen is where it all starts.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Pastor Liset Uria, who serves the congregation alongside her husband, Carlos, says the loan is a blessing.\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough 15 years of living in Corpus, we use the kitchen every Sunday for fellowship \u2014 and to build our community,\u201d says Pastor Liset.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

That might also explain why Pastor Carlos Uria, who serves as a minister, also manages and performs much of the renovation himself, when time allows. Pastor Carlos also holds down a full-time job outside the church.<\/p>\n

He also cooks. Whether it\u2019s ropa vieja<\/em> \u2014 tender shredded beef cooked in tomatoes and served over fluffy rice (in English, \u201cold cloths\u201d) \u2014 or festive roasted pork shoulder, known as pernil<\/em>, the food created in this kitchen does more than satisfy hunger.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople who like the food buy it,\u201d including some special orders by groups, Pastor Liset reports.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Catered dishes like barbeque and Mexican rice bring income for maintenance of the rest of the building and underwrite the ministry.<\/p>\n

\u201cPlus, the kitchen is a way to reach out to the community and build relationships,\u201d she adds.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Before the loan, \u201csome purchases and expenses were charged to credit cards of the pastors or the people in the congregation,\u201d she says, adding that high credit card interest rates make such practices unsustainable. \u201cThe loan is a good thing!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTerms of the loan are really good for the church,\u201d she adds. \u201cDisciples Church Extension Fund was very compassionate and understanding of our needs.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The congregation boasts 40-45 members; mostly Spanish speaking, primarily from Cuba, Pastor Liset\u2019s family, included. Her parents preceded her in pastoring the church.<\/p>\n

But the fellowship also includes members who hail from places like Mexico and Ecuador \u2014 as well as a few born in Texas who speak only English.<\/p>\n

Fellowship dinners are an international affair:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s potluck and everyone brings favorite dishes from their own culture,\u201d Pastor Liset says.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

While the food matters, Spirit-filled worship draws participants, who \u2014 regardless of language or culture \u2014 find a connection in the music and hope preached in a time of pandemic.<\/p>\n

Liset\u2019s brother and her spouse lead the worship team, featuring music that literally comes from the hearts of some of the members \u2014 composers whose gifts are part of growing music programs for other congregations. The group has been featured in Southwest Regional gatherings. They also teach music lessons for other congregations, helping start other worship leadership groups in the area.<\/p>\n

Like other congregations, La Iglesia was forced to cease in-person worship as lockdowns shuttered the building. In on-again, off-again fashion the congregation has shifted back and forth from in-person to only virtual worship as Texas protocols have allowed.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe never stopped being a church,\u201d Liset says, \u201cif not in the building, then online. And we always stayed in contact with our people.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Their YouTube channel<\/a> now broadcasts the community\u2019s masked worship on the many weeks when gathering together is not an option. It will continue after in-person worship is restored, reaching worshipers who need only access to wifi to join the congregation.<\/p>\n

Even as La Iglesia brings music and other gifts to the region, sister congregations have supported the establishment of this congregation, including First Christian Church in Corpus Christi, which provided land with a small building many decades ago. In 1974, La Iglesia built a sanctuary, fellowship hall, classrooms, bathrooms and the first kitchen.<\/p>\n

Today, FCC purchases ethnic food for some of their events, an arrangement that benefits both congregations.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt has been a tough year, but by the grace of God, they were able to pay the bills,\u201d Rosario reports. \u201cThey are very encouraged to continue the ministry.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"Members took advantage of building closings, using the time to repair and remodel the building. They learned to use new communication tools that have taken their ministry \u201cbeyond the building.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCOVID has required us to expand our thinking about what church is,\u201d Pastor Liset says.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Even so, there will be a feast to celebrate the end of the pandemic, no doubt, once it\u2019s possible to return to the kitchen.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s enough to make one\u2019s mouth water just thinking about it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New Kitchen Caters to Fellowship, Funds Ministry Everything starts here: Ministry. Fundraising. Fellowship. And, of course, lunch. The heart of La Iglesia Cristiana La Trinidad in Corpus Christi, Texas, is la cocina \u2014 the kitchen. So, a loan from Disciples Church Extension Fund to remodel this important room means much more than improved plumbing or […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5624,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,5],"tags":[33,49,90,25],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nSacred Space Extends Beyond the Sanctuary - DCEF<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The heart of La Iglesia Cristiana La Trinidad is the kitchen. 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