How Souls Harbor is Building a Thriving Hispanic & Bilingual Ministry with Exousia

“Jump in and do it. Exousia will guide you every step of the way, and you’ll be surprised at what you’re already doing that can be funded.” – Chelsey Williams, Souls Harbor UPC

At Exousia, we love seeing how churches expand their reach and impact through sustainable funding and practical strategy. Today, we’re honored to share how Souls Harbor United Pentecostal Church in Calhoun, LA is transforming its Hispanic and bilingual ministry through clear vision, intentional outreach, and partnership with Exousia.

A Heart for Hispanic & Bilingual Ministry

“It actually started in 2020 when a Hispanic family visited our church and ended up staying,” shared Chelsey Williams of Souls Harbor. “They had been pastors before and invited others, and we realized we needed to start translating services.”

Souls Harbor began with in-ear translation devices and expanded to monthly bilingual services and a fully Spanish service once a month.

“As we’ve added more bilingual and Spanish services, our Hispanic community at the church has grown a ton.”

Partnering with Exousia

Chelsey shared that their partnership with Exousia began with a workshop, which opened their eyes to funding opportunities for programs they were already running.

“They came over and did a workshop with us, and that was very beneficial. If we had questions, we could call or email anytime, and they always answered.”

Souls Harbor chose co-writing with Exousia, allowing them to learn the grant process while getting expert support.

“Exousia helped us understand what questions to answer and how to think about what people would want to fund,” Chelsey explained.

Discovering New Opportunities

Working with Exousia helped Souls Harbor see the value in what they were already doing, like providing community meals and inclusive children’s programs, and how these initiatives aligned with funding opportunities.

“It’s hard to step back and realize, ‘Oh, we could use this for a grant.’ Exousia helped us see that.”

Chelsey shared that what surprised her most about the grant process was how detailed some applications could be, making it helpful to have Exousia’s guidance, especially during larger proposals.

“Some grants, you open up and it’s like, ‘Oh my word, they want 10 pages!’ For the bigger ones, I definitely needed co-writing experience before I could jump in alone.”

Even during unexpected life moments, like welcoming a baby a month early, Exousia was able to step in and keep the grant on track.

Vision for the Future

Souls Harbor plans to expand its Hispanic and bilingual ministry by increasing attendance, adding in-ear translation devices as needed, and hosting more bilingual and Spanish events that help families feel welcome.

“Growth, of course, is the goal—not just in numbers, but in involvement,” Chelsey said. “We’d love to do more Spanish camp meetings and offer more bilingual services to make everyone feel included.”

Advice for Other Churches & Nonprofits

Chelsey encourages other churches and nonprofits to consider working with Exousia:

“Jump in and do it. Even if you don’t want Exousia to do it all for you, the co-writing process helps you learn. They’re there to help and answer every single question.”

Working with Exousia changed the way Souls Harbor thinks about funding and long-term planning.

“It’s opened up more ideas, thinking outside the box,” Chelsey shared. “We have Sunday School for kids with disabilities, bilingual classes, and we use our building for community programs. We didn’t realize those were things we could seek funding for.”

At Exousia, we are honored to come alongside churches like Souls Harbor, helping them build sustainable ministries that strengthen families and communities.