Spanish Pentecostal Church – Najla Boufateh

Relative Location 

A church located in Northeastern Ohio. Northeast of the Metro parks zoo. South of Lake Erie and Edgewater Park.

Place

The Spanish Pentecostal church has a modern baronial exterior and bright and comforting interior.  Every side of the premises is richly adorned with stain glass windows.  The small land areas on both sides of the front entrance are landscaped with beautiful floral greenery. Known for its missionary work and public outreach this Spanish Pentecostal church stands as a strong structure of aid for the community. In recent years the church has been able to open a bilingual daycare facility which has contributed as a place of stability for many working families. This church is located near a predominantly Hispanic community.  Due to the cultural and language diversity of the church it has been able to reach out far beyond its neighboring streets and into international territories.  Many of the churches congregates have traveled to Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe to send supplies to people in need. During the pandemic the church utilized technological applications to minister to people around the world. In relation to geography the Spanish Pentecostal church is a place that has impacted the environment that surrounds it (physical, and human) in a significant way.

Concentrates of Place

My sense of place

Why this specific church? Growing up I was taught that a church is not a building with walls a church is the people/followers who congregate inside the church. The people who I fellowship with have helped me grow and mature in my faith. Most of them have watched me grow up. I value and respect every individual who has contributed to my growth as a person. At my church I feel a sense of safety, love, and freedom (Freedom to express myself without hesitation). Every aspect of this church physical and human geography creates a place unique to me. For many people this building is just a church but for me it is a rock of strength which has brought me through the hardest times of my life.