Conference on ESL outreach scheduled for March

USA (MNN) — There are millions of immigrants living in the United States. Many of them have a limited English vocabulary, but want to learn. Cornerstone University wants to train churches to help those immigrants learn to speak English and share the Gospel at the same time.

Cornerstone’s Michael Pasquale is coordinating their 4th Annual ESL Ministry Conference. “We are able to reach our neighbors through English classes. Often one-on-one tutoring is really good. It helps them. You’re able to help them specifically, but also build a relationship with Christ.”

The conference will be held Saturday, March 19 on the campus of Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Pasquale says this is the perfect conference for churches considering ESL ministry. He says the conference tells you “how do you do it, step one all the way to step 10 of putting together a ministry in your church, having classes. It gives ideas for that, practical steps.”

Fluency in English is seen in many parts of the world as the key to a better life. It opens the door to better educational, employment, and social opportunities, both in the local setting and abroad. Immigrants to English-speaking countries learn English to become active members of their new community. Second, it provides opportunities for building relationships with people of all backgrounds and sharing with them the love of Jesus Christ. TESL is a great tool when used effectively in outreach ministries to build bridges between the church and people in their community.

You can get more information on the conference at http://www.cornerstone.edu/academics/tesl/ or by calling (616) 949-5300 and ask for extension 1378.