“When you die and stand before God, He is not going to ask, “Do you speak English?’ He’s going to ask, ‘Do you know me?’” Beth Childs, director of FBC Midlothian’s ESL ministry, believes that her teachers reinforce this with the students on a weekly basis. “We want to be the best teachers we can be because we want them to succeed in this country. I want them to go to everything at their kid’s school. I want them to talk to their [kids’] teachers. I want them to have a great job. I want them to be able to go to the grocery store and be able to read everything. I want this to feel like home to them.” About four years ago, the last thing on Beth’s list of possible personal ministry opportunities was ESL. She didn’t speak Spanish, and she didn’t have teaching experience. That all changed when she visited similar programs at churches nearby. “That’s when my heart was just so touched,” Beth said. “There were people from Iraq, Mexico, some South American countries. And a lot of them had worked all day—some were professionals, some were manual laborers. And they would come and sit for two hours and study English, just desperately wanting to learn the language so that they could interact better in their community, they could get better jobs, they could go to the school meetings. Some were moms that just wanted to be able to read to their children or help with homework.”
Shortly thereafter, Beth and seven other women from FBC Midlothian attended the Texas Baptist Literacy Program. In less than two years, FBC opened its doors to an average of 35 ESL students every week.
Current Program Since its first semester, the ministry has grown and adapted its student’s needs. The church provides free child care, serves meals, provides entertainment during mealtime, and has occasionally brought in business owners from the community—nurses and other special guests who can provide services to the students. Class levels range from Level 1, where students speak virtually no English, to Level 5, which is intended mainly for professionals who speak fluent English but want to refine their language skills. Students go through an intake interview process where Beth, and her assistant director Rosanna, evaluates what level the student will be best suited for. Wednesday evening ESL runs from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. Students have the opportunity to read, listen, and speak every week. They get up, and often move around to work with a partner or small group. They also include a light meal, entertainment, and games. ESL finishes the evening with a time of prayer and spiritual reflection.
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