Notes

Building a Bilingual Church
A bilingual church is one that provides worship services in more than one language, either simultaneously or sequentially. Whether it is in two different languages at once, or in a combination of English and Spanish, or even with simultaneous translation through visual or audio help (personal headsets), many churches are finding that multilingual services can strengthen their congregation by building bridges to new members from other parts of the world.

The use of multiple languages has been a practice in the church for centuries, going back to the earliest liturgical texts from both the Old and New Testaments. And there are many examples of churches that offer services in more than one language, from the Papal liturgies chanted in Latin and Greek because of the city's ancient bilingual character, to various Eastern Churches which proclaim the Gospel in several languages.

But a bilingual service can also be tricky to pull off, with the possibility of miscommunication and cultural misunderstandings. That's why it's important for a church that wants to offer a bilingual service to plan carefully and to be prepared for the challenges.

Fortunately, there are some best practices that help cultivate lively and cohesive bilingual churches. These include having a good plan for translation, ensuring that everyone knows about the service, and making sure the sermon is of high quality in both languages. A good start is to have someone with the expertise to host the celebration of the Eucharist, a person or team that understands the needs of the multilingual congregation.

That person or team should be well-versed in both languages, and preferably have experience preaching or leading a worship service. And it's important to be careful with the sermon: a sermon is a key part of a service, and people need to hear life-giving messages that are not just literal translations. The celebrant or team of celebrants should avoid sounding like they are reading from a script, and instead be comfortable with improvisation.

Iglesia en Houston of a service should be clearly labeled in both languages, including announcements and requests for prayer, instructions or invitations, and congregational reading and recitation of the Nicene Creed, Lord's Prayer and confession. Similarly, music should be labeled in both languages and provided with a clear description of its origin and meaning.

The use of visual aids is also essential for a successful bilingual service, and some churches have found that it helps to use an onsite interpreter and have volunteers translate into both languages at the same time. This way, everyone can follow the flow of the service, regardless of which language they are hearing in.

Another way to improve the quality of a bilingual service is to use a software tool such as Interactio, which can stream live interpretation into attendees' phones, tablets and computers. This allows churches to reach a wider audience and provide a more meaningful service for all. And because the interpretation is in real-time, it can be used at any time, not just during designated bilingual services.
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