Author: Scott Williams
Publisher: New Leaf Publishing Group
ISBN: 1614580243
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 194

View

Book Description
Diversity in the Church Matters to God The local Church is the hope of the world Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said it best over 45 years ago: “We must face the sad fact that at 11 o’clock on Sunday morning, when we stand to sing… we stand in the most segregated hour in America.” What an unfortunate reality that many still face today. Have you ever been asked the question, “Is your church a white church or a black church?”…No, it’s God’s Church! Church Diversity discusses topics such as: How we can begin to implement change today What key insights, strategies and practical tips can help Who are the leading voices in diversity and what can they teach the Church This resource is a tool to foster the tough conversations and encourage decision-making to change the face and heart of the Church. There is already a community out there passionate about this topic and moving the Church forward. Hundreds of them uploaded their photos and can be seen throughout the pages of this book. Their twitter names are also included so you can begin connecting with them today! WE ARE CHURCH DIVERSITY “Whatever racial woes we face in America, they cannot be dealt with by politicians or Washington D.C., but rather by the local church…help our nation navigate through this critical and much needed conversation on race.” - J.C. Watts, Jr., Former Member of Congress “…Scott Williams is ever seeking to see this gift opened and embraced. His book, like his life and ministry, is an invitation to the most rewarding of all human journeys.” - Jim Hanon, Writer/Director End of the Spear

Author: Mark DeYmaz
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 0310321239
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 242

View

Book Description
In this Leadership Network Innovation series book, Ethnic Blends, Mark DeYmaz will help you navigate seven common challenges in building a healthy multi-ethnic church. The rise of multi-ethnic churches could become the new Reformation in this century. Yet the movement is in a pioneer stage, and there have been few road maps ... until now.

Author: Irwyn L. Ince
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
ISBN: 0830853413
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 180

View

Book Description
The church is at its best when it pursues the biblical value of unity in diversity. Pastor and theologian Irwyn Ince boldly unpacks the reasons for our divisions while gently guiding us toward our true hope for wholeness and reconciliation. To heal our fractured humanity, we must cultivate spiritual practices that help us pursue beautiful community.

Author: David W. Swanson
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
ISBN: 0830848231
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 214

View

Book Description
Before white churches can pursue diversity, we must first address the faulty discipleship that has led to our segregation in the first place. Pastor David Swanson proposes that we rethink our churches' habits, or liturgies, and imagine together holistic, communal discipleship practices that can reform us as members of Christ's diverse body.

Author: Jarvis J. Williams
Publisher: Baker Academic
ISBN: 1493432605
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 224

View

Book Description
This book provides a comprehensive biblical and theological survey of the people of God in the Old and New Testaments, offering insights for today's transformed and ethnically diverse church. Jarvis Williams explains that God's people have always been intended to be a diverse community. From Genesis to Revelation, God has intended to restore humanity's vertical relationship with God, humanity's horizontal relationship with one another, and the entire creation through Jesus. Through Jesus, both Jew and gentile are reconciled to God and together make up a transformed people. Williams then applies his biblical and theological analysis to selected aspects of the current conversation about race, racism, and ethnicity, explaining what it means to be the church in today's multiethnic context. He argues that the church should demonstrate redemptive kingdom diversity, for it has been transformed into a new community that is filled with many diverse ethnic communities.

Author: Lamar Hardwick
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
ISBN: 083084161X
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 214

View

Book Description
Pastor Lamar Hardwick was thirty-six years old when he found out he was on the autism spectrum. This revelation prompted him to reconsider the church's responsibilities to the disabled community. Insisting that the good news of Jesus affirms God's image in all people, Hardwick offers practical steps and strategies to build stronger, truly inclusive communities of faith.

Author: R. Stephen Warner
Publisher: Rutgers University Press
ISBN: 9780813536231
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 324

View

Book Description
In this definitive collection of essays spanning fifteen years, R. Stephen Warner traces the development of the "new paradigm" interpretation of American religion. Originally formulated in the 1990s in response to prevailing theories of secularization that focused on the waning plausibility of religion in modern societies, the new paradigm reoriented the study of religion to a focus on communities, subcultures, new religious institutions, and the fluidity of modern religious identities. This perspective continues to be one of the most important driving forces in the field and one of the most significant challenges to the idea that religious pluralism inevitably leads to religious decline. A leading sociologist of religion, Warner shows how the new paradigm stresses the role that religion plays as a vehicle for the bonding and expression of communities within the United States--a society founded on the principle of religious disestablishment and characterized by a diverse and mobile population. Chapters examine evangelicals and Pentecostals, gay and lesbian churches, immigrant religious institutions, Hispanic parishes, and churches for the deaf in terms of this framework. Newly written introductory and concluding essays set these groups within the broad context of the developing field. A thoughtfully organized and timely collection, the volume is a valuable classroom resource as well as essential reading for scholars of contemporary religion.

Author: John Cleghorn
Publisher: Fortress Press
ISBN: 1506464858
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 211

View

Book Description
Resurrecting Church interweaves three strands. First, it is the remarkable turnaround story of Caldwell Presbyterian Church, which was on the edge of extinction when author John Cleghorn filled the role of pastor. Second, Cleghorn tells the story of his own growth and liberation from the myopia of privilege. Cleghorn traded his position as senior vice president of the nation's largest bank for ministry and the dusty and dated church office at Caldwell Presbyterian. The third strand includes the stories of several diverse congregations researched by the author. These congregations are examples of faith communities that have taken risks, deepening empathy and seeking justice. Through these stories, the book updates the "same old" conversation about church vitality in timely and surprising ways. Cleghorn raises these important questions: Can churches survive, even be resurrected, at the intersections of race, sexuality, class, and faith background? Can congregations be liberated by rebuilding around those on the margins who have been wounded by church? As more US cities become majority-minority, the "mainline" church remains stubbornly white and homogeneous. Church leaders and thinkers are seeking ways to build more racial diversity and radical welcome. This book provides hope and practical examples of how this can happen. Cleghorn declares, "God is doing what Isaiah calls 'a new thing'" in congregations where multiple types of diversity intersect, erecting spiritual hospitals for the wounded and marginalized. For the church, these intersections provide both a current lens of self-examination and avenues to growth in faith. With stories, people profiles, and insights from their leaders and members, this book breaks new ground with practical learning and lessons drawn from original research and the lived experience of intersectional churches across the US.

Author: Scott Williams
Publisher: New Leaf Publishing Group
ISBN: 0892217030
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 195

View

Book Description
Unifying insights for embracing racial diversity in God's House! The power of intentional change demonstrated by a leader from one of the largest and most innovative churches in America.

Author: Ken J. Walden
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN: 1620323796
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 147

View

Book Description
Cross-racial pastoral ministry and multicultural ministry are wonderfully complex endeavors. Practical Theology for Church Diversity suggests that they include a substantial amount of conversation, preparation, and prayer if they are to be done faithfully. Sacred spaces within Christian churches can have a meaningful witness through diversity in their particular locations. This book skillfully informs, gently challenges, and respectfully questions some widespread components of church life along demographic lines. Most importantly, it focuses on pragmatic approaches to cross-cultural pastoral ministry and multicultural ministry for readers to utilize. All persons of faith, religious institutions, professors, seminarians, and others interested in church diversity on any level will find this book a valuable resource.