10 Ways to Make Your Church More Inclusive
How can a church community move beyond conversations and aspirations to practice true inclusion in their daily life and ministry? Brandan Robertson shares ten key…
Browsing: Race
Articles
13 Do’s & Don’ts for Incoming Cross-Racial and Cross-Cultural Pastors
How can an incoming pastoral leader lay the groundwork for successful ministry in a congregation where most members are from a different racial or cultural…
What Would Martin Luther King Jr. Say to the Church Today?
Anthony Hunt reflects on how Martin Luther King Jr. would address today’s social challenges by reimagining King’s 1963 “Letter from Birmingham Jail.” Hunt posits a…
Leadership Lessons from Jackie Robinson
Lovett H. Weems Jr. shares inspiring leadership lessons from the life of Jackie Robinson. Robinson faced challenges and adversity with courage and faith, while striving…
Anti-Racism 4 Reals
How can church leaders counter racism in real time? Jessica Anschutz of the Lewis Center staff interviews Sheila Beckford about strategies for equipping church leaders…
“Anti-Racism 4 Reals” featuring Sheila Beckford
How can church leaders strive to be anti-racist? We speak with Sheila Beckford about strategies for equipping church leaders to do the hard work of anti-racism in order to work toward real change.
Centering Marginalized Voices to Lead Change
What practices can help church leaders learn from failures and address conflict in ways that lead to fruitful ministry? The Lewis Center’s Jessica Anschutz interviews…
“Centering Marginalized Voices to Lead Change” featuring Tyler Sit
What practices can help church leaders learn from failures and address conflict in ways that lead to fruitful ministry? We speak with Tyler Sit about centering marginalized voices, meeting the needs of the community, managing conflict, and other leadership lessons he has learned as a church planter.
Challenge and Opportunity for Predominantly White Churches
The demographic makeup of localities across the U.S. is rapidly diversifying. Some predominantly white congregations perceive this as a challenge or even a threat. But…
How to Organize an Intergenerational Morning of Service for MLK Day
Jessica Anschutz of the Lewis Center staff reports on how a Connecticut church has made the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday a time for intergenerational…
Tackling Tough Topics in Church
Do you long for church to be a place where people can discuss real life challenges openly and honestly? Ann Michel of the Lewis Center…
Episode 78: “Tackling Tough Topics in Church” featuring Elizabeth Hagan
Do you long for church to be a place where people can discuss real-life challenges openly and honestly? Pastor and author Elizabeth Hagan shares what it takes to be a “brave church” willing to tackle tough but important subjects.
5 Rules for Engaging Taboo Subjects in Churches
Are certain topics off limits in your church? If so, people may feel their real-life problems and concerns simply aren’t welcome in the church. Elizabeth…
Confronting 3 Crises: Pandemic, Racial Reckoning, and Political Violence
David Brubaker says congregational leaders are in the precarious position of responding to three simultaneous crises — the pandemic, racial reckoning, and political violence. This…
A Different Approach
Doug Powe of the Lewis Center suggests congregations take a different approach to Black History Month this year. He outlines ideas to encourage church members…
Top Leading Ideas Articles of 2020
Each December we take a look at the most popular Leading Ideas articles of the year and give our readers a second chance to glean…
Episode 62: “Honest Talk about Race and Racism” featuring Michael R. Fisher Jr.
How can your congregation initiate conversations about race? And how can pastors prepare themselves for this important work? In this episode Michael R. Fisher Jr. shares perspectives, questions, and resources that can help church leaders confront the challenging issues of structural racism and white privilege during these turbulent times.
Leading in an Age of Political Polarization
David Brubaker says leaders need different skills in this age when deep political divisions affect our families, congregations, and communities. It requires clarity, compassion, courage,…
Episode 39: “Pastor as Community Activist” featuring Heber Brown, III
How can pastors be on the frontlines of community activism while also being faithful to their call? In this episode we speak with Heber Brown, III, pastor of Pleasant Hope Baptist Church and founder of the Black Church Food Security Network, about his work for racial justice in Baltimore and beyond.
Episode 33: “How Can Your Church Draw the Circle Wider?” featuring Jacqui Lewis
How can we live into a more multi-ethnic vision for our congregations? In this episode we speak with Jacqui Lewis of Middle Collegiate Church about multi-cultural and multi-racial congregations, plus the joys and challenges of being a multi-ethnic congregation.
Cross-Cultural Pastor as Spiritual Bridge Builder
HiRho Y. Park has studied how pastoral leaders can be more effective in cross-racial and cross-cultural ministry contexts. These pastors can be bridge builders, she…
Telling a More Inclusive Story
Amanda Poppei’s Washington, DC, congregation is engaged in an anti-racism effort aimed at countering racist assumptions embedded in their congregational life and practices. This effort…
Episode 27: “Breaking Free of Racist Systems and Structures in Your Congregation” featuring Amanda Poppei
How can a congregation focus intentionally on addressing implicit racism within its own institutional and community life? In this episode Amanda Poppei, Senior Leader of the Washington Ethical Society, describes how her community has made anti-racism work an overarching priority — shaping its identity and congregational practices.
Is It Time to Acknowledge Where We Got It Wrong?
A recent editorial in Christianity Today magazine acknowledges how the magazine failed in confronting racism during critical years of the civil rights movement. Lovett H.…
4 Goals that Promote Healthy Multicultural Ministry
Drawing on his experience in a cross-racial/cross-cultural ministry setting, Albert Shuler explains that successful multicultural ministry depends on clear goals and objectives. The ultimate goal…
Episode 22: “Anxious to Talk About It: Helping White Christians Talk Faithfully About Race” featuring Carolyn Helsel
How can white Christians talk faithfully about racism? In this episode Carolyn Helsel discusses her book, Anxious to Talk about It, with Lewis Center Associate Director Ann Michel.
Reaching More Diverse People in Suburbs
Lovett H. Weems, Jr. shares recent findings indicating that mixed-race neighborhoods are becoming more common and enduring, even in the suburbs. Data suggest that Americans…
Episode 2: “Multicultural Goes beyond Race” featuring Jasmine Smothers
How do you do ministry with people who don’t look like you, sound like you, or think like you? Listen as Lewis Center Director F. Douglas Powe speaks with thought leader Rev. Jasmine Smothers about insights for doing effective ministry outside one’s native culture.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s 4 Key Principles of Prophetic Witness
C. Anthony Hunt explains how Martin Luther King, Jr.’s prophetic witness was grounded in four principles — call, conviction, courage, and commitment. Even fifty years…
4 Opportunities for the Church in the Current Political Tension
Pastor Carey Nieuwhof believes the church is uniquely positioned to respond to the political tension and division that characterize our age. He discusses four ways…