Con Confianza

In this cultural moment, America's experiencing a much-needed racial reckoning. We're crying out and working for justice for black men and women. And "they are us."

The Latino community carries a remarkable diversity - ethnic, cultural, and racial. Some of us look brown, others white, others black. And if we look deep enough into our Latino heritage, we find African roots.

This interview features Melyssa Cordero, LaFe Director of Collaboration. Melyssa has extensive ministry experience - campus ministry, worship leading, and church leadership. She's a proud Afro-Boriqueña.

NOTES
Melyssa mentions the PBS series "Black in Latin America" by Henry Louis Gates (https://www.pbs.org/wnet/black-in-latin-america/category/video/).

Steve mentions "Harvest of Empire" by Juan Gonzalez (https://www.amazon.com/Harvest-Empire-History-Latinos-America/dp/0140255397).

You can connect with Melyssa on Instagram at @melcordero03

In this raw cut, Steve interviews Rev. Dr. Orlando Crespo on grief. They cover a range of topics across a broad set of issue. This episode is unedited. We're planning to transcribe it, edit, and release it as an eBook.

Dig deeper into the Beloved Paradigms with Natalia Kohn Rivera, LaFe's Associate Director of Spiritual Formation. On this episode, Natalia answers questions about the paradigms - the Bridal Paradigm, the Child Paradigm, and the Friend Paradigm. She helps us see how these paradigms affect every aspect of our ministries.

SHOW NOTES
In this episode, Steve and Natalia talk about the book Hermanas by Kristy Garza Robinson, Natalia Kohn Rivera, Noemi Vega Quiñones. This book offers insight into leadership, intimacy with God, and the Bible from a distinctly Latina lens. To pick up a copy or check out the book, click here.

Natalia also mentions the book Redeeming Love, a romantic novel exploring the story of Hosea. To pick up a copy or check out the book, click here.

Steve and Natalia also talked about Natalia's prayer experience cohorts, one of the most powerful spiritual formation opportunities in LaFe. To learn more, email Natalia at [email protected].

What's it look like to start to engage with the Beloved Paradigms? In this episode, we hear from Angelica Morelos - InterVarsity's Campus Staff Minister at UC Davis - and her journey to engage these paradigms. This is a fresh, honest testimony from someone right in the midst of it.

SHOW NOTES 
In this episode, Steve mentions the book Divino Compañero: Toward a Hispanic Pentecostal Christology by Dr. Sammy Alfaro (click here to check it out).  

To see / purchase the Thirsty Proxe Campaign evangelistic tool Angelica mentions, click here (http://2100.intervarsity.org/overview/thirsty-campaign). 

Steve also mentioned the novel I'm Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika L. Sanchez (click here to check it out). 

Angelica and Steve have also both participated in prayer experience cohorts with Natalia Kohn Rivera (LaFe's Associate Director of Spiritual Formation). If you're interested in joining a cohort or just want more information, email Natalia ([email protected]).

In John 15:15, Jesus said "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." In today's episode, we hear from Alyssa Read - Team Leader with InterVarsity at Chico State - on the Friend Paradigm.

SHOW NOTES
Alyssa refers to "Seeking God's Face" in the episode, an excellent devotional you can use to make space in your life to connect with God as a friend. Check it out! (click here).

In this episode, Alyssa refers to a Global Program she's directing this summer. We'd love for you to consider participating (click here to learn more: http://gp.intervarsity.org/where-go/ecuador-2020).

Alyssa also shares about LaFe20, a national event for Latino students and faculty coming up in December 2020. Learn more at http://lafe20.org.

Connect with Alyssa at [email protected]. She's also available on Facebook and Instagram.

God loves us the way a perfect parent loves a child. In this episode, we hear from Molly Ramos - Regional Community College Coordinator with InterVarsity in the Greater Los Angeles Region - about this Child Paradigm. Molly shares from her experience working on community college campuses, with Latino students, and as a parent who will always love her children.

SHOW NOTES
To connect with Molly Ramos or to get access to her paper "Helping Staff Thrive in an Urban Commuter Context," email her at [email protected]. 

God invites us to see ourselves as his beloved, to be the Bride of Christ. In this episode, we interview Ben Sosa - Associate Pastor at The Refinery Church in Fresno, CA - about the Bridal Paradigm ... how it challenges Latinos (especially Latino men) and how it can bless us in our ministry.

SHOW NOTES
Connect with Pastor Ben Sosa on Instagram (click here)

Interested in visiting Ben's church? Learn more about Refinery Church - West McKinley in Fresno, CA (click here).

Your perspective on God and your relationships with him has a significant impact on what you do with the ministry that's been entrusted to you. Join Natalia Kohn Rivera, LaFe's Associate Director of Spiritual Formation, as we learn about the Beloved Paradigms and see how we can engage more deeply with God's great love for us.

Show Notes:
Natalia recently wrote Hermanas (click here to purchase) together with Kristy Garza Robinson and Noemi Vega Quiñones, an exploration of God's call to live a life of influence. The book speaks directly to a Latina audience and has also been widely received and found beneficial by the wider church.

In this episode, Steve also references a great commentary on Hosea by Bo Kim and Daniel Castelo (click here to purchase).

To connect with Natalia with questions, comments or for more information about the Prayer Experience Cohorts, email her at [email protected].

We need healthy intimacy with Jesus in order to have a healthy ministry. This interview with Natalia Kohn Rivera (LaFe's Associate Director of Spiritual Formation) explores the challenges we face along the way. 

Show notes: 
Natalia recently wrote Hermanas (click here to purchase) together with Kristy Garza Robinson and Noemi Vega Quiñones, an exploration of God's call to live a life of influence. The book speaks directly to a Latina audience and has also been widely received and found beneficial by the wider church. 

To connect with Natalia, email her at [email protected].

God has great reasons for creating diverse communities. In this interview with Stacy Rafferty (InterVarsity's National Director of Diversity), we dig into how our health impact our ability to fully participate in diverse communities and how inclusive teams produce healthy ministry.

Show notes:
Stacy references a video from Ram. Unfortunately, that video is not available at this time.

Connect with Stacy via email at [email protected]. Or, as she mentioned in the episode, you can click here to friend her on Facebook: Stacy Rafferty.