Becoming A Multicultural Church

In [ital] Becoming a Multicultural Church[ital], Bowers reflects upon and shows how churches can benefit from the experience of First Congregational Church of Randolph, Massachusetts [em dash] the church she pastors [em dash] once a historically "traditional" one social grouping church, but now a "multicultural" church and one of the numerically largest churches in Randolph. She offers practical strategies and explores the processes involved, in a conversational style that will make it an easy read for pastors.

Rediscover the meaning of home -- Reconsider the church's name -- Learn to lead (differently) -- Be theologically generous -- Seek to understand as well as to be understood -- Learn the language -- Move beyond cultural stereotypes -- Consider what the flag might mean -- It's not the music (or the worship style) -- It's the meal (where strangers become friends)

David Anderson writes about multicultural leadership not from the perspective of an ivory tower intellectual, but as a hands-on practitioner who loves and believes in the body of Christ. . . . If you believe there is no solution to the race problem, I urge you to reconsider and to learn from someone who is on the frontlines of making multicultural ministry a reality in the church today.—Bill Hybels, founding and senior pastor, Willow Creek Community ChurchMulticulturalism isn’t a trend, it’s a reality. Evidence of this country’s rich racial mix is all around us in our schools, our stores, our neighborhoods, our recreational facilities—everywhere except our churches. Heaven may include every culture, tongue, and tribe, but in the United States, Sunday morning remains one of the last bastions of ethnic separatism. It’s time to stop merely talking about multicultural worship and start living it.In this groundbreaking book, David Anderson invites us all—African-American, Asian, Caucasian, and Latino—to learn how to dance the dance of multicultural ministry. We’ve all got different moves, but that’s the beauty of diversity: the various gifts we bring, the wisdom of our heritages, the different creative ways we express the same Lord. Think it can’t be done? Think again. As Anderson demonstrates, it is being done successfully by more and more churches. Wherever your church is now on the multicultural continuum, you can join the ranks of those moving toward a diverse and thriving ministry. Combining frontline insights with inspiring stories, Anderson takes you and your church into the strategy-level realities of what it takes to make multicultural ministry work in your setting.Do you hear the beat of the Spirit? God is calling your church to the dance of unity in diversity. Don’t hold back! Grab this book, get out on the dance floor, and let Multicultural Ministry show you the steps.Includes a Racial Reconciliation survey and six-session Racial Reconciliation curriculum.

The face of America is growing rapidly more diverse, and many churches are wondering what it means to carry out the Great Commission in a community where different ethnicities are represented. Being the Church in a Multi-Ethnic Community is an introductory guide, a basic primer for pastors and congregation leaders who are wrestling with how to reach the ethnic groups next door and welcome them into the multi-ethnic body of Christ. Gary L. McIntosh and Alan McMahan offer a research-based overview of the issues, challenges, and essential principles for developing multi-ethnic churches in the United States. Rather than being a one-size-fits-all, this book describes a variety of approaches for bringing multiple ethnicities together into a single congregation. Learn how your church can be effective in welcoming disciples of all ethnicities.

Many churches aspire to be more culturally diverse-but they find that they have no idea how to approach that goal practically. This book addresses that problem with ten ways churches can truly engage and welcome other cultures. In 2014 Douglas Brouwer, a seasoned American pastor, took on the unique challenge of serving a multiethnic, multiracial, multicultural church in one of Europe's largest cities. In this book Brouwer distills the lessons he has learned from that experience into timely wisdom on issues every multicultural church faces, including language barriers, theological differences, and cultural stereotypes. Honestly recounting his own questions and challenges in multicultural ministry, Brouwer shows how churches everywhere can adjust their attitudes and practices to embrace racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity.

Sticky Faith delivers positive and practical ideas to nurture within your kids a living, loving faith that lasts a lifetime. Research indicates that almost half of high school seniors drift from their faith after graduation. Struck by this staggering statistic, and recognizing its ramifications, the Fuller Youth Institute (FYI) conducted the "College Transition Project" in an effort to identify the relationships and best practices that can set young people on a trajectory of lifelong faith and service. This easy-to-read guide presents both a compelling rationale and a powerful strategy to show parents how to actively encourage their children’s spiritual growth so that it will stick with them into adulthood and empower them to develop a living, lasting faith. Written by Fuller Youth Institute Executive Director Dr. Kara E. Powell and youth expert Chap Clark--authors known for the integrity of their research and the intensity of their passion for young people--Sticky Faith is geared to spark a movement that empowers adults to develop robust and long-term faith in kids of all ages. Further engage your family and church with the Sticky Faith Guide for Your Family, Sticky Faith curriculum, and Sticky Faith youth worker edition. Sticky Faith is also available in Spanish, Cómo criar jóvenes de fe sólida.

Multicultural churches help us understand God’s will for us to become one in this multicultural world and experience a heavenly gathering in advance. This book, based on case studies of four multicultural churches, provides insights and knowledge regarding minority-dominant multicultural churches in the United States. Many multicultural churches in America are mainly concerned about racial reconciliation between the white and the black. On the other hand, resources concerning minority-dominant multicultural churches are scant. With the special attention on Korean immigrant churches, this book contributes to the body of knowledge regarding minority-dominant multicultural churches. Specifically, this book provides a model transition process, called the Windmill T-process, to facilitate the movement of monocultural/monoethnic churches in taking steps towards acquiring the characteristics of multicultural churches. In addition, this book touches on the issue of evangelism in the multicultural church. Although there is limited insight, the book describes what factors first draw different racial/ethnic people to a church and what factors cause them to stay there. All in all, this book will guide you to a deeper understanding on multicultural churches and its practices for all nations beyond ethnic/racial identities.

Christianity in the UK today is faced with growing cultural and religious diversity. Christian migrants bring with them new ways of doing theology, new styles of worship, and new expressions of the faith. Increased levels of migration mean that the Church needs to reconsider what a ‘mission-shaped church’ looks like. ‘Multicultural Kingdom’ explores some of the causes and implications of ethnic diversity on the British Christian landscape – and the implications on the landscape of theology itself. Why, it asks, do we prefer to remain segregated in our ecclesiology? Why indeed, do several churches of different ethnic heritage use the same building for services on Sunday but do not get to worship together? Articulating for the first time an extensive ‘multicultural missiology’ for the UK church, the book will offer an essential new perspective for scholars and practitioners alike.