One Healing The Racial Divide Study Guide

In his timely and compelling new book, pastor and author Dennis Rouse uncovers evidence of the racial inequalities that have plagued the United States and confronts the ways the white-majority church has--often unknowingly--ignored and even supported systems that have brought suffering to their brothers and sisters of color. Rouse challenges readers to examine these issues in the light of Scripture, calling the church to build a "kingdom culture" that transcends biases, preferences and even political loyalties and instead fosters unity and healing in the body of Christ. Having lived in the South and led a multi-ethnic church in the Atlanta area for three decades, Rouse reflects on his own cultural baggage and transparently shares his journey of listening, learning and even repenting for historic wrongs whose repercussions affected the lives of those he loved. Well-researched and written with both grace and conviction, One is not simply a critique of racism and injustice, but a call to action to build bridges of reconciliation on both personal and community levels that reflect the beauty of the gospel in a broken world.

What does it take to build a 'kingdom culture'? In his timely and compelling new book, pastor and author Dennis Rouse uncovers evidence of the racial inequalities that have plagued the United States and confronts the ways the white-majority church has-often unknowingly-ignored and even supported systems that have brought suffering to their brothers and sisters of color. Rouse challenges readers to examine these issues in the light of Scripture, calling the church to build a "kingdom culture" that transcends biases, preferences and even political loyalties and instead fosters unity and healing in the body of Christ. Having lived in the South and led a multi-ethnic church in the Atlanta area for three decades, Rouse reflects on his own cultural baggage and transparently shares his journey of listening, learning and even repenting for historic wrongs whose repercussions affected the lives of those he loved. Well-researched and written with both grace and conviction, One is not simply a critique of racism and injustice, but a call to action to build bridges of reconciliation on both personal and community levels that reflect the beauty of the gospel in a broken world.

"The good news is that the Bible has a lot to say about how to heal our persistent racial divides. In this book, popular Bible teacher Derwin Gray walks us through Scripture, showing us the heart of God--how God from the beginning envisioned a reconciled multiethnic family in loving community, reflecting his beauty and healing presence in the world. This message is central to the gospel itself. After reading this book, you won't read the Bible the same way again--and you'll want to walk through this eye-opening scriptural journey with your friends or small group. As founding pastor of Transformation Church, a multiethnic church located in the Charlotte metro area, Derwin knows firsthand the hurdles and challenges to the reconciliation that Scripture commands. That is why he carefully outlines in this book how to establish color-blessed discipleship in your own church" --

“That they may be one even as we are one” - Jesus the Messiah In a response to today’s racially charged climate, Dr. Tony Evans speaks from a spiritual perspective and discusses the need for racial healing in our nation and in our churches. He proposes that at the core of racial disunity lies the failure to understand and execute righteousness and justice from God’s perspective. In this timely digital ebook, which concludes with a personal challenge to all believers, Dr. Evans calls readers to be intentional about embracing God’s desire for oneness.

Racism is one of the most polarizing conversations in our world and in the church. But it's a topic that the church can and must take part in. In this twelve-session study (DVD/streaming video sold separately), Jemar Tisby will guide you and your group through deeper reflections and concrete solutions for improved race relations and a racially inclusive church. Based on the teachings of his bestselling book, The Color of Compromise, Tisby will take you deeper into the topic, so that you'll: Learn more about the history of racism in America—from the colonial era through the Civil Rights movement. Develop a stronger ability to see the role that the American church has played in that abuse. Consider what gospel-inspired role you and your church can play in the important work of racial healing. The Color of Compromise Study Guide asks that participants acknowledge some challenging truths—about themselves and their nation—but it also makes space for you to articulate how you feel about confronting these truths. Throughout the twelve sessions, you'll take part in a number of activities, including: Video teachings from Jemar (The Color of Compromise Video Study, sold separately). Written responses and personal reflections. Scripture readings and prayers. Group discussion questions. Before you embark, remember that peace among racial and ethnic groups is not something that we have to achieve by our own wisdom and strength. The foundation of all reconciliation was accomplished by Jesus on the cross. Through Christ's power, the church can become a model of racial unity in our country. Designed for use with The Color of Compromise Video Study (9780310102205), sold separately.

"The first step in the reconciliation process," Spencer Perkins writes, "is admitting that the race problem exists and that our inability to deal with race has weakened the credibility of our gospel." When longtime ministry partners and friends Spencer Perkins and Chris Rice began writing More Than Equals in the early 1990s, their goal was to offer an example of how racial reconciliation is possible—and also critical to Christian discipleship. This landmark book tells the stories of two men from very different backgrounds embarking on the complex, costly journey of healing across racial divides. Perkins, who witnessed repeated hypocrisy from white Christians and witnessed his bloodied pastor-activist father after a brutal police beating, wondered how it was possible to love white people. Rice, who grew up as a white missionary kid and thought of himself as progressive, was surprised by the tensions he encountered as a volunteer at a majority-black church—and by his own blind spots. As they served together in an intentionally multiracial ministry, both gained insight into why this work is so challenging and how Christians can do it well, in dependence on God. With biblical grounding, hopeful realism, and practical detail, More Than Equals provides a helpful framework for Christians engaged in the deep ongoing surgery of racial healing. Now available as part of the IVP Signature Collection, this edition includes a new preface by Rice and a study guide for group discussion.

See how the gospel affects issues of race and culture, and equip your group to take positive action.

Racial preference policies first came on the national scene as a response to black poverty and alienation in America as dramatically revealed in the destructive urban riots of the late 1960s. From the start, however, preference policies were controversial and were greeted by many, including many who had fought the good fight against segregation and Jim Crow to further a color-blind justice, with a sense of outrage and deep betrayal. In the more than forty years that preference policies have been with us little has changed in terms of public opinion, as polls indicate that a majority of Americans continue to oppose such policies, often with great intensity. In Wounds That Will Not Heal political theorist Russell K. Nieli surveys some of the more important social science research on racial preference policies over the past two decades, much of which, he shows, undermines the central claims of preference policy supporters. The mere fact that preference policies have to be referred to through an elaborate system of euphemisms and code words-- "affirmative action," "diversity," "goals and timetables," "race sensitive admissions"-- tells us something, Nieli argues, about their widespread unpopularity, their tendency to reinforce negative stereotypes about their intended beneficiaries, and their incompatibility with core principles of American justice. Nieli concludes with an impassioned plea to refocus our public attention on the "truly disadvantaged" African American population in our nation's urban centers--the people for whom affirmative action policies were initially instituted but whose interests, Nieli charges, were soon forgotten as the fruits of the policies were hijacked by members of the black and Hispanic middle class. Few will be able to read this book without at least questioning the wisdom of our current race-based preference regime, which Nieli analyses with a penetrating gaze and an eye for cant that will leave few unmoved.