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Who Is My Neighbor? is a field-tested resource through which English speakers of any church and congregation can learn basic Spanish-speaking skills to be able to communicate and provide a welcoming atmosphere to the Hispanic communities surrounding them. The six-session resource developed by the Northern Illinois Conference covers basic conversational Spanish, and simple and easy to follow Spanish-language worship material. The program encourages openness toward Spanish-speaking neighbors, understanding of different cultures, and compassion for those who struggle to learn English. This resource is easily implemented by congregations of any size, and it results in a program of hospitality that will help include Hispanic communities in your church congregation.
About the author
Ruth Cassel Hoffman, PhD, has been a lover of languages since childhood. She first experienced the power of speaking another s language as hospitality on a UMC youth mission trip to Vieques, PR. She earned her doctorate in Romance Languages from the University of Chicago and taught French at St. Mary s College in Notre Dame, IN. Ruth founded Language Resources Ltd. in 1983, providing corporate foreign language training, translation, and interpretation, and has developed active curricula in French and Spanish for students from preschoolers to adults. She is an active member and a former Lay Leader of Kingswood United Methodist Church in Buffalo Grove, IL. She lives in Lake Zurich, Illinois with her husband Miles and their dog Isabella.
