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t's almost 2020. Wow. And more faith leaders and Jesuspeople than ever are beginning to have conversations about how a multicultural worshiping community could look. It is a beautiful thing rising from the ashes of the not so beautiful happenings in our country and around the world. There is something about the division along cultural lines that we experience so often that makes the heart of a believer feel as if something should be done. Someone needs to respond. These cultural divisions are pricking the hearts of many believers. At the same time, genuine fears are rising alongside. I call them weeds—like those that grew along the path in Jesus' parable in the book of Matthew. These weeds prompt many to ask questions like, "What if our church moves toward this change and people leave? What if they take their offering money with them? Is it worth the risk?" I have my answer, but God leaves it up to us to decide. Before doing so, I want you to know that you have permission to take back your vision and mission, which you may have given away at some point. Outside influences, the Christian music industry, the church down the street, or the people who give generously every week can all command your attention to the point of paralysis. If your church is to expand its multicultural efficacy, you must lean in purposely. You are responsible to Him to help your community of faith become all that Christ intended.
ASK SOMEONE—YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU NEVER KNOW
Considerations, Not Quotas M U LT I C U LT U R A L
Moving towards intentional diversity in ministry can be challenging, particularly if you have existed as a monocultural community for a long time. You may not be aware that you need training and competency in this area, which can lead to unintentional missteps. I often observe leaders compromise their multicultural effectiveness by applying monocultural practices and strategies. Even worse, some develop their own set of strategies that may, unwittingly, cause more harm than good. A disturbing trend that I see is monocultural churches deciding that the first strategy is hiring someone from a different cultural background than most of the people in their church solely based on their ethnicity. While this may seem like an excellent first step in principle, I assure you that it is a dangerous one If your church or faith-based organization has not done the preliminary work. Preaching, teaching, and preparing the soil of your church community for a new way to experience worship and ministry life together is imperative if sustainable change is the goal.
T E A M - B U I L D I N G
PRINCIPLE: CONSIDERATION, NOT QUOTAS Quotas are dependent on numbers and analytics. They allow you to objectively evaluate a ministry year in terms of "how many" you have of any given thing, including people. Quotas can dehumanize the counted and even the counters. 20 W O R S H I P L E A D E R | W O R S H I P L E A D E R .C O M | VO L . 28, N O. 4