Multicultural Ministry

Multicultural Ministry
Author: David A. Anderson
Publisher: Zondervan
Total Pages: 210
Release: 2009-08-30
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 031085556X

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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.

Ethnic Blends

Ethnic Blends
Author: Mark DeYmaz
Publisher: Zondervan
Total Pages: 252
Release: 2010-03-23
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0310321255

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In this Ethnic Blends Ebook, multi-ethnic church pioneer Mark DeYmaz provides an up-close and personal look at seven common challenges to mixing diversity into your local church. Through real-life stories and practical illustrations, DeYmaz shows how to overcome the obstacles in order to build a healthy multi-ethnic church. He also includes the insights of other effective, multi-ethnic local church pastors from around the country.Increasingly, church leaders are recognizing the intrinsic power and beauty of the multi-ethnic church. Yet, more than a good idea, it's a biblical, first-century standard with far-reaching evangelistic potential. How can your church overcome the obstacles in order to become a healthy, fruitful multi-ethnic church of faith? And why should you even try?“Ethnic Blends will help every church broaden its horizon of outreach, love and care for their city. Acts 1:8 commands us to reach the uttermost parts of the earth. Today, the "uttermost parts" are found within a few miles of where you live. God called us to reach people, love people and help them grow in Christ, no matter their background. Mark's book helps us recapture that vision in a powerful way.” —Jonathan Falwell, pastor, Thomas Road Baptist Church

Talking About Cultural Diversity in Your Church

Talking About Cultural Diversity in Your Church
Author: Michael V. Angrosino
Publisher: Rowman Altamira
Total Pages: 128
Release: 2001-09-24
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 0759116938

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Congregational workshop leader Michael Angrosino gives down-to-earth examples and practical information to make discussion of these tough issues for congregations much easier. Clergy and laity of any church that wants to embrace rather than avoid issues of diversity will gain much from this book.

Teaching across Cultures

Teaching across Cultures
Author: Perry Shaw
Publisher: Langham Global Library
Total Pages: 313
Release: 2021-11-05
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1839735260

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The growth of the church around the world has led to an increased need for qualified theological educators, both locally and from the global community. Yet teaching cross-culturally is fraught with overlooked challenges, and lack of cultural sensitivity can undermine educators’ credibility, distort their message, and threaten the fruit of their ministry. Teaching across Cultures is a deeply practical guidebook for teaching theology beyond one’s own cultural context. The first section of the book provides a rich theoretical framework for cross-cultural engagement, exploring the intersections of theology, anthropology, and pedagogy. It is followed by over thirty country-specific reflections as local contributors provide practical guidelines for living, teaching, and ministering within their contexts. The only resource of its kind, this book is straightforward and easy-to-use while providing a powerful reminder that transformative teaching has humility and careful listening at its core. It is a must-read for anyone embarking on the joyful journey of cross-cultural ministry.

Church Diversity

Church Diversity
Author: Scott Williams
Publisher: New Leaf Publishing Group
Total Pages: 198
Release: 2011
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9780892217038

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Church Diversity discusses topics such as:How we can begin to implement change todayWhat key insights, strategies and practical tips can helpWho are the leading voices in diversity and what can they teach the ChurchThis resource is a tool to foster the tough conversations and encourage decision-making to change the face and heart of the Church.

Look Who God Let Into the Church

Look Who God Let Into the Church
Author: David Lee Packer
Publisher: CreateSpace
Total Pages: 202
Release: 2013-08-15
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9781490532264

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"Look Who God Let into the Church" is a practical and relevant guide for church leadership and membership alike to understand the multicultural church, and to sharpen its impact in the world. The foreword is written by Dr James E. Plueddemann, PhD, Professor of Missions and Intercultural Studies, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Deerfield, IL, and Former International Director of SIM (Serving in Mission). International and multicultural churches are increasing in number around the world, but this work is not new to God. The very first church was not a small country church of one ethnic group, but a large city church with a multicultural congregation. For the Church of today to succeed in its mission of witness and worship, and in forming strong-binding fellowships with one another, the values of God's kingdom must be primary, superior over all individual cultural values. This is the focus of this book: to affirm the biblical standards of church life and to paint a realistic picture of the multicultural challenges the international church presents. David Packer and his wife Lana served as senior pastor and wife of the International Baptist Church of Singapore from 1992-2004, during which time the church grew from 500 in attendance to over 1,500. They are experienced veterans of the challenges and issues of leading a multicultural church. David also holds a doctoral in World Missions from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and has done further studies in culture with the Interchange Institute. This work helps guide the pastor of an international church through the different ways that various cultures can view the gospel, worship, church decisions, and the mission of the church. It is written largely from the background of experience of seeing the growth, development, and challenges of the International Baptist Church of Singapore, where the Packers served. Quotation from the book: "The Great Commission is to take the gospel into all nations and it can be fulfilled through the spread of mono-cultural churches as well as through ethnically diverse churches. It is the transforming presence of the Holy Spirit and the teaching of the word of God that bring about Christian maturity and not merely the experience of being in a multinational church... "Prejudices between ethnic groups are not broken down by segregation. The basic biblical doctrine is that humanity is one in God's eyes. There is one heaven and one hell. There is one Mediator between God and humanity. There is only one church universal and only one true work of God and one true people of God. Though to seek to bring people from different cultures together in one church is challenging and even hazardous on some levels, to leave this undone brings even more dangers. Is there no place on earth where the Prince of Peace is revealing Himself as the Prince of Peace? Is there no place on earth where the One to whom every knee shall bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, is bowing together now? "The risks and challenges are real, but so are the dangers of inaction. The human race must realize its essential unity and learn to live together harmoniously. What better place to experience this than among the redeemed of the Lord? The song of redemption and of joy must be sung among the nations, and even if the cadences are expressed differently, the hearts of believers still must be united in thankful praise of our Redeemer. If peace on earth will be a reality before Christ returns, the local church should lead the way as they are enabled by the Spirit of Christ." Chapters: Why the International church?; The Challenge of Continuity; The Power of Experiencing God; The Challenges of Multiculturalism; The Gospel through Different Eyes; Dealing with the Discontent; What I Would Do Differently; Reclaiming the Future. And an appendix: Building A Common Narrative in an International Church.

Multicultural Ministry Handbook

Multicultural Ministry Handbook
Author: David A. Anderson Margarita R. Cabellon
Publisher: ReadHowYouWant
Total Pages: 224
Release: 2012-02-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9781459636149

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2011 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.

The Multicultural Leader

The Multicultural Leader
Author: Dan Sheffield
Publisher: Clements Pub
Total Pages: 120
Release: 2005-01-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 9781894667302

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This book is intended as a resource and training tool for multicultural ministry practitioners and other professional Christians working in an urban ministry context. Along with the growing interest in the intentional development of multicultural congregations there is also a significant lack of practical resources to support such ministry. Dan Sheffield brings a missiologist's perspective to this discussion that has been shaped by experience in North America's multi-ethnic reality, by church planting experience in urban South Africa and by ongoing work with pastors in multi-ethnic megacities as diverse as Manila, Mumbai, and Budapest. The Multicultural Leader specifically deals with the role of congregational leadership in embedding the multicultural vision as a way of "seeing." The author draws from social theory, biblical studies, theological reflection, leadership studies, social research and intercultural communication skills to develop a profile of leaders necessary to initiate and sustain the multicultural congregation. The author's conclusion is that leaders in multi-ethnic congregations must move through a personal development process from ethnocentrism to ethno-relativism in order to truly serve as enablers of multicultural congregations. Dan Sheffield is Director of Global and Intercultural Ministries for the Free Methodist Church in Canada. He has served as a church-planting pastor in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa and adjunct lecturer at the Evangelical Seminary of Southern Africa, where he taught spiritual formation and conflict resolution to a multi-ethnic student body.

The Glory of the Nations, Ethnic Culture and Identity in Biblical Perspective

The Glory of the Nations, Ethnic Culture and Identity in Biblical Perspective
Author: Eric Christensen
Publisher:
Total Pages: 526
Release: 2011
Genre: Christianity and culture
ISBN:

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Christians engaged in mission and worship have been dealing with the issues of culture and contextualization since long before the word 'culture' was even used to describe what it does today in the the social sciences. Christian discussions about the importance of context for mission and worship employ the term 'culture,' 'cultures,' and their corresponding concepts in nearly identical ways to how the social sciences use them. Mission and worship proceed from Christian understandings of salvation history, the mission of God, and the role of the church which derive from theology rooted in Scripture. The terms 'culture' and 'cultures,' are usually defined, however, in ways that exclude any specific reference to Yhwh's involvement in them, from their origins to their destiny. This fundamental dissonance between common assumptions about culture and the biblical record may obscure important aspects of the uniqueness of human societies pertaining to mission and worship from our discussion. This study raises the question of whether Christians are adequately served in these discussions by the meaning invoked with the words 'culture' and 'people group.' If the concepts of mission and worship themselves proceed from Christian understandings of Scripture, then Scripture is a natural place to look for guidance about how mission and worship have taken place and are to take place in the present day. Here I emphasize certain categories that emerge by hermeneutical tracing of biblical themes related to the topic of ethnic cultures. I present the study in three parts. First Part I addresses questions about biblical theological views of ethnicity and ethnic cultures in Christian identity and worship. The studies center around the biblical theme of the glory of the nations with the research questions 1) What are the specific meanings of glory (doza) and nations (ethnē/ethnōn ) as they appear in Revelation 21:24, 26 in canonical perspective? 2) What are the origin and destiny of the nations (ethnē) in Scripture? And 3) How does the narrative of Salvation History clarify the development of the glory of the nations? In Part II an ethnographic case study of Sundanese Christian churches presents ethnographic data gathered with the following two questions in mind: 4) How have elements of traditional ethnic culture shaped the distinctively Sundanese Christian church movement? And 5) How do distinctive aspects of Sunda Christian identity and worship affect the appeal of the movement? Finally in Part III I seek to integrate the thematic biblical and ethnographic streams to expose the missiological significance of the glory of the nations as a distinctively Christian concept and category for understanding ethnic cultures. The study culminates with practical recommendations for the re-examination and incorporation of the biblical concepts of ethnos and doza and a focus on the Hebrew identity within Scripture into mission practice and application to worship and church formation in multicultural congregations.