Andrew Earnshaw, director of U.S. ministry for Bible League International, tells American Family News churches in many parts of the country are at a quandary as to how to reach out to the immigrants who are arriving in their cities.
"We are working to equip people and to reach people with the gospel," Earnshaw reports. "The way we do that is through scripture engagement. We train up a church body to actually go and to talk to others about Jesus, to build relationships, but then to invite them in to study the Bible and see what the Bible says itself."
In the Dallas-Ft. Worth area, where one in five residents is foreign-born and 42% of the population is Hispanic, the ERV (Easy to Read Version) Bible is used.
"That is a text that is perfect for people maybe that don't have an education or that are coming to read the Bible for the first time," Earnshaw explains. "We use that a lot with children, we use it in prisons, and we use it around the world. We have this text in Spanish and English and many other languages."
Utilizing local churches to reach out also helps give immigrants a church home where they can worship, hear a solid sermon, and take part in Bible study.
