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…
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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…
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…
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…
When a Pastor Serves a Church of a Different Racial or Cultural Background
Unique challenges arise when a church is served by a pastor from a different racial or cultural background or as it struggles to engage a…
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.
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…
10 Ways to Strengthen Relations with Police and Public Safety Officials
Baltimore pastor Dr. C. Anthony Hunt says congregations need to work proactively to strengthen community relations and build trust with police and public officials. He…
Ten Ways to Build the Beloved Community
Baltimore Pastor C. Anthony Hunt lifts up Martin Luther King, Jr.’s powerful vision of the Beloved Community, calling on individuals and churches to continue to…
Starbucks, Communion, and Race Conversations
Many of us were skeptical and even downright hostile when Howard Schultz, the CEO of Starbucks, initiated the idea of “Race Together” to promote conversations…
Nelson Mandela — A Leader for His Time
Late last year, the world paid tribute to the remarkable life of Nelson Mandela. Some said there had been nothing like it since the death…
The Church and Race Relations — Then and Now
In reflecting on the church and race relations over the past forty years, and whether it is possible or even desirable for us to strive…
Divided by Faith and United by Faith
Ann Michel reviews two books abut the relationship between race and religion. Divided by Faith: Evangelical Religion and the Problem of Race in America by…
Leadership and Racism
Leadership requires us to declare that racism is wrong, and we must work constantly to confront it and end it, according to Lovett Weems, writing…