Granada Presbyterian Church of Coral Gables celebrated its first Spanish-language worship service at its newest campus extension on Saturday, a meeting room in a Hyatt Hotel in Doral.

Rev. Henry Rojas led the first prayer at the new church -- Granada Presbyterian Church at Doral -- then the sound of celebration filled the hotel as about 50 members of the congregation sang Abre Los Ojos de Mi Corazon (Open the Eyes to My Heart).

People stood, hands raised and swayed, and parishioners never missed a beat while following lyrics projected on a big screen.

``This is a dream that became a reality,'' said a Marta Cardona, a medical assistant at Mercy Hospital who lives in Doral and attended Granada in Coral Gables. ``We've talked about this for five years.''

Few churches lay along on the Northwest 36th Street corridor in Doral -- which is geographically larger than Coral Gables -- and Granada hopes to extend its reach to the people it refers to as ``living stones.''

``So many people who come to Granada in the Gables live in Doral, so we decided to come to them,'' said Rojas, who will serve as the pastor of the new community church.

While the majority of the church members in Doral hail from South American countries such as Colombia and Venezuela, its doors are open to people from all backgrounds.

``The church isn't just about a building, it's about people, and that's who we want to reach,'' said D. Worth Carson, a senior pastor with Granada. ``We met with (Doral) Mayor Bermudez and prayed with him and the council about this. Our prayers were answered.''

A seed was sown to venture out to Doral in January, when Rojas developed a project called ``Manos a la Obra'' (The hands-on work of the Lord). The goal was to bring the Presbyterian community to the neighborhood by establishing a church and day school in Doral, as well as Bible study and community service groups.

``All great cities have a vibrant faith-based community and Doral is no exception,'' said Juan Carlos Bermudez, mayor of Doral. ``We welcome Granada -- which has a fine record of serving the South Florida community -- to our city.''

Plans to start the day school for children 1 to 5 are in the works, according to Michael Woodham, an executive pastor at Granada in Coral Gables. Granada at Doral hopes to include students up to fifth grade.

Rojas said that Granada plans to offer community services that include parenting seminars, advice for new couples, support for couples in trouble and outreach visits to jails.

While the church searches for a permanent site, something it cedes will take a long time, worship services will continue every Saturday at 3655 NW 82nd Ave. in Doral. Services are in Spanish, but organizers say English-language services will start soon.

Granada Presbyterian Church at Doral's mission is driven by four ``pillars'' that were displayed on a large poster at the service: Know God, learn grace, love people and serve the world.

``The four pillars that hold up the church will sustain its mission into Doral,'' Worth said. ``That drives everything we do.''

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