Multicultural Ministry

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.

Outreach Magazine Book Award winner The world is becoming increasingly diverse. More and more of our neighbors are from a variety of cultures, ethnicities and cultural backgrounds. But most churches are still culturally homogenous and do not represent every tribe and tongue. What can we do to minister more effectively to our multicultural society? David Anderson and Margarita Cabellon bring together an experienced team of practitioners to share best practices for multicultural ministry. First they lay out the biblical rationale for multicultural community as God's vision for his people. Then key leaders share personal journeys and practical ideas for multicultural leadership development, worship, children's ministry, outreach and much more. Drawing on the pioneering expertise of Bridgeway Community Church and BridgeLeader Network, the contributors present a holistic and multifaceted portrait of what a dynamic, grace-filled and diverse ministry can look like. Our tribalized world is crying out for healing. Discover how you can minister to others as agents of God's reconciliation and hope.

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)

By the year 2050, the United States will no longer have a majority ethnic group. The nation's population will be majority-minority. This future nationwide reality has already been a present reality in several cities, including many in the urban south, for nearly a decade. In a 2011 State of the City Address, the mayor of pastor and author Mark Hearn's city said there were fifty-seven languages spoken at the local high school. Hearn left asking himself, How should our church respond? In the years that have followed, a phenomenal transformation has taken place. This transition has been chronicled in the Gwinnet Daily Post, the Christian Index, the Wall Street Journal, LifeWay's Facts and Trends, and the Atlanta Magazine. Now, Hearn shares the life-changing story through his own lens. By reading his firsthand experience of this transition as a pastor, you too can be equipped to make the shift to church in technicolor.

Over the past forty years, Canada has become an increasingly secular, multicultural, and religiously plural society. Indeed, the church in Canada, and Pentecostals in particular, face a challenging context for responding to the call to bear witness to Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. Like the disciples on the day of Pentecost, however, we need the Holy Spirit to come upon us and liberate us from our post-Christian pessimism. We need the Holy Spirit to enable us to proclaim the gospel to the nations, people that are no longer at the ends of the earth, but making their home in Canada. This book engages this new context, and considers and proposes ways that pentecostal Christians and churches can respond to the challenges of the increasingly post-Christian, multicultural, secular, and religiously plural context of Canadian society.

Ministering Cross-Culturally examines the significance of the incarnation for effective cross-cultural ministry. The authors demonstrate that Jesus needed to learn and understand the culture in which he lived before he could undertake his public ministry. The ideas in this book have proven to be successful for thousands of ministers, and the book is destined to be a resource of choice for years to come. Book jacket.

Despite the progress our country has made in Civil Rights over the past century, Sunday morning is still one of the most segregated times in America. It seems like the only people striving to lead in the area of racial reconciliation are politicians, activists, and celebrities. Pastor Dan Willis wants to know... Where is the church? What can the people of God do to become leaders again and not just be Johnny-come-lately followers? The art of bringing harmony to the masses lies in the love all should see in the church of God. If the church is to make a difference and return to relevance in this world, the only option is multicultural ministry. If leaders are not prepared to minister to this growing culture, then American Christianity is in danger of becoming nonessential to the body of believers. For years, Dan Willis has led a growing, multicultural Christian community in the suburbs of Chicago. In The Multicultural Church, Dan shares what he has learned, the mistakes he has made, and what can be done to successfully minister to a diverse culture.