Attending church should be a time of unity and connection. However, for many bilingual church members, that experience can sometimes bring feelings of disconnection and isolation. While they may love the worship, the community, and the message – language barriers can truly make it challenging to understand and connect.
Many people are unaware of the struggles bilingual or multilingual churchgoers face each week, and that’s why acknowledging and addressing those difficulties is so imperative. According to the Pew Research Center, roughly 23% of Americans are bilingual, and that number continues to rise. This means that practically one in four people in your congregation may experience some level of disconnect when the service is only delivered in one language.
Below, let’s explore all of the hidden challenges bilingual church members face and how you can solve them. Let’s begin!
Even bilingual attendees who understand English could struggle to keep up when a pastor speaks softly, quickly, or uses theological terms that don’t translate easily. This can cause members to miss key points of the message or feel like they are being left behind.
Solution:
You could offer sermon outlines, key verses, live translation, or summaries in multiple languages.
Even though music is said to be a universal language, the lyrics aren’t. While bilingual members may enjoy the beat of the music, they won’t feel the complete connection when they can’t understand the lyrics. This brings a level of disconnect.
Solution:
On a slide, you could include translated lyrics or provide worship materials in multiple languages.
Relationships are often formed during an after-service fellowship or small group. However, these can be scary and even overwhelming moments for bilingual members.
Solution:
You could encourage if you have any bilingual volunteers, to facilitate mixed-language small groups or informal meetups. This would build friendships and your members’ confidence.
Missing church announcements or updates may not seem like a huge deal, but it can definitely be frustrating for a member who ends up missing events because they missed key details.
Solution:
Post important announcements on your church website or social media in multiple languages. You could also add them on a screen during church announcements in different languages.
Attending church when English isn’t your first language can be overwhelming, especially when all you crave is to feel connected in faith and with the other members.
These tips should help make everyone feel more included and welcome. However, if you still feel like you need a better way to make bilingual members feel more welcome, Sermon Live could help.
Sermon Live is a real-time translation tool that allows members in your congregation to follow along in their preferred language as the message is being delivered. It’s a tool specifically designed to make your services more inclusive. With Sermon Live, churches can instantly translate sermons for bilingual members using a never-changing URL or QR code. This will help visitors fully understand the message in a simple and effective way. Because the Word of God should never get lost in translation, and everyone in your congregation should feel like they belong there, because they do.
Q: Should we offer bilingual or separate language services?
A: It depends on the size of your congregation. While some churches thrive with dedicated services, others use tools like live translation to keep everyone together.
Q: How can we encourage English-learning members to stay connected?
A: Don’t be afraid to host small groups or Bible studies that aim to help improve conversational English within a spiritual setting.
Q: Is it disrespectful to mix languages in worship?
A: Nope! Mixing languages celebrates diversity and reflects the global nature of the Church.
Q: What if we can’t afford full-time translators?
A: That’s perfectly okay! You don’t have to with tools like Sermon Live. This tool provides affordable and simple-to-use translation without needing extra staff or complex setups.
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