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Hernando Today

New Year Celebrates New Home For Spanish-Speaking Church

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By MAUREA SLEESMAN

Published: January 4, 2008

SPRING HILL - SPRING HILL - For the past few years, about 100 mostly Spanish-speaking or bilingual church congregants met at various times and locations. They are happy to be meeting regularly on Sunday mornings, conveniently in their own spacious facility.
"We can arrange schedules and have the facilities just as we want them," said Pastor Alexander Torres. "No more transporting everything back and forth each week and fretting over logistics. We can develop our own multi-cultural and non-denominational identity with more ease in this beautiful new church. We feel so blessed. We are working hard and our plans are to be here for a long, long time."
Abundant Life Christian Center's new facility is southwest of the old Wal-Mart on U.S. 19, across from Timber Pines, in what was a large restaurant building.
Pastor Torres has been ministering in Hernando County for about 20 years, along with his wife Martha. Until recently, Abundant Life Christian Center met at a Methodist church on Sunday afternoons. Before that, they met on Sunday mornings, but the small building was a cramped rental. It was demolished to make room for more vehicles that the auto dealership landlord wanted to display and sell.
The church did purchase some land to build on, but encountered time-consuming problems with permits, building plans and the stresses of extensive financing. When their recent lease expired, Torres and the church governing officers became perplexed as to just where God would have them meet.
They prayed about the problem.
"Our prayers were answered," said Torres. "A friend of my wife knew of someone in local realty, and we were offered a chance to view a defunct restaurant building that was for sale. Fortunately, it turned out that we could obtain a long-term lease. The location is ideal. We can remodel within the county permits for what we need for office space and classrooms. The industrial kitchen equipment had already been removed; so a part of the remaining space has a sink and ample room for snacks and the occasional covered dish or potluck celebration.
"Also, we had comfortable maroon upholstered, stackable chairs in storage, and they just happen to work well with the warm beige and maroon décor, carpeting and color scheme. Lyrics and graphic visuals can be shown using projectors and additional PowerPoint as we acquire the equipment. We already have a good sound system positioned where the overhead glass racks and beverage area was built. Behind the pulpit area, there is a wide section for microphones, lighting and musical instruments as needed for keyboards, drums, congas and guitars."
Martha Torres pointed out that there is also abundant space for drama, mime and dance movement to illustrate sermons and biblical stories and for praise and worship in the live and taped music segments of worship or celebration times.
She heads the ministries that engage girls and women for the interpretive and creative expression of those arts and often translates sermons for her husband from English to Spanish or preaches herself. She also teaches classes.
Her master's degree in Christian psychology is from Tampa Bay Bible College. Her husband has a doctorate in Christian ministry from the same college. Both are authors of Christian books.
Martha Torres wrote two inspirational books used in teaching women about their changing and emerging roles as Christians in today's church, home and workplace. One book is "A Life with Purpose and Destiny," based on the life of Esther, with biblical inspiration for change and encouragement toward self-development for women. On April 18 and19 she will lead a workshop using the book to help women discover and employ their evolving Christian roles. This workshop retreat for women will be at the Hilton hotel in Tampa
Her other book, "An Attack to the Image of God?," is published in both Spanish and English. It describes some of the oppression and brutalities women face in various countries and cultures, with biblical references for change, support and guidance. Its intent is to help women who have decided to hear God's call and who daily face the challenges in a world fashioned by the will of men.
"Immigrant or Citizen?" is a book written by Alexander Torres, which focuses allegorically on having a proper Christian perspective and daily life regarding immigrants and citizenship.
"A lot of changes are coming," he said. "We need to do what is legally and ethically correct and also be informed, to be as strong as we can be in our walk with God."
Both Torreses talked about expansion in church programming now that the facility allows for growth and more varied special ministries. "On Friday evenings we are picking up growing attendance for the youth events from local kids as they exit Spring Hill Movie Theater, which is one building west of us, " Pastor Torres said. " We call it 'Get Connected.'
"Some local kids enjoy bringing their skateboards to the huge parking areas and lighting," he added. "They are attending the youth programs more and more, so we are reaching out already from our relocating here. The youth enjoy live and taped music, skits, games, fellowship and discussion, led by the youth counselors."
Martha Torres added, "I am pleased that some of the youth also play instruments on Sunday mornings and are in the mime and dance segments."
The children's lessons on Sunday mornings emphasize learning how to live a Christian life every day. Their lessons are titled "From the Inside Out."
Wednesday evenings feature testimonials, praise and worship and biblical lessons in "Celebration Night."
A series on marriage strengthening will be offered for Spanish-speaking people on March 21 and 22 at the Tampa Hilton. Enrollment is anticipated for 30 to 50 couples. Led by the Torreses and an aide, the beginning session will feature a dinner, while the Saturday workshops will follow breakfast and conclude in the afternoon.
"We want to be supportive of the family in a marriage for solid Christian values, even as there are increases in single parent families," Pastor Torres said. "The ideal is for both a father and a mother to be married, with each parent learning how to realize their roles for each other and the children."
Interested persons may contact the church for more information.
Both Torreses will travel again in mission trips and to international church workshops including Cartagena, Colombia, Brazil and Argentina. They will also visit a church the congregation networks with in Costa Rica, in addition to attending or working at several seminars, retreats and rallies in Florida.
Church members Carmen and Francisco Alvarado moved to Florida from Rochester, N.Y. They drove to Tampa to find a Spanish-speaking church and later attended Abundant Life when it was in its rental building on Cortez Boulevard.
"We also kept membership as we relocated to the church rental," Francisco said. "We are all much happier now that we have our very own place to be our church — it feels like home. We are comfortable and have lots of room for everything."
Both like the traditional and the newer Christian music and think of Pastor Torres as a good spiritual man.
"He is committed," Francisco said. "He will help win the county and beyond for Jesus. He's truly a friendly preacher and helpful person."
Other church members, Yvonne and David Valle, also appreciate the new location. Yvonne serves as the church secretary, works with church music, finances and its treasury. She knows the Torreses well, as she has been a member for 16 years.
"Pastor Alex is a humble and sincere man, and his sermons are so heart-felt and helpful," she said. "Both he and Martha want to win people internationally for Jesus, and they work tirelessly for God."
Their daughter, Jackie, 20, likes the music and dance, participating in both.
"Churches are like families," Pastor Torres said. "Each has its own flavor. Here, we strive to have a family atmosphere, with the presence of the Lord, demonstrations of love and elements of surprise. We offer a spirit-filled and an anointed ministry where people can be born again as they learn to live what the Word of God says and be filled with the Spirit of God. We believe people's purpose in life becomes revealed as they master their walk with God. Our family here includes young, old, blacks, whites, Latinos, Spanish-speaking, English-speaking, bi-lingual, diverse cultures … so many gifts to learn about, express, develop and share as we work and worship together in harmony. Welcome to this new church home and this 2008 and ongoing new life journey at Abundant Life Christian Center."

When do they meet?
Sunday school adults and youth: 9 a.m.
Sunday worship: 10 a.m.
Children's church: 10:30 a.m.
Wednesday "Celebration Night": 7:30 p.m.
Youth: Friday 7:30 p.m.

Abundant Life Christian Center is located at 2971 Commercial Way, Spring Hill (U.S. 19, southwest of the old Wal-Mart). For more information, call 688-7722, or visit www.ccvabundante.org.

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