Leadership Town Hall — Tool Kit

LEADERSHIP TOWN HALL

Standing Together “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18-19

Toolkit

Table of

CONTENTS Letter from the President

3

The Ground Rules

4

Best Practices: Panel Discussions/Breakout Sessions

6

Hosting a Leadership Town Hall Gathering

10

Overview/Purpose/Goals 10 Roles 11 Elements

12 Sample Agenda

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Leadership Town Hall: Standing Together (Summer 2020) 14 Purpose/Objectives 14 Panel Discussion Questions 15 Day 1 15 Day 2 15 Breakout Session Questions (Days 1 and 2) 18 Diversity and Inclusion Stages 19 Facilitator Responsibilities 20 Real Life: Leaders’ Stories (Days 1 and 2) 22 Guidance 23 Media Kit 24 Resources: Pre-Reads and Questions 25 Ongoing Learning 26 Marketing/Communication Samples 28

Leadership Town Hall: After-Action Report After Action Report 33 Contact Information 34

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Letter from the

president Dear Friends, For such a time as this, the body of believers must circle in community to have difficult and important conversations. As we dig down deep and ask the Holy Spirit to fall upon us, just as Jesus did in Luke 4, we must be ready to do the work of crying out in lament, praying for change, believing in the redemptive and restorative power of the cross and walking this out in faith.

The senseless and horrific deaths of Black and Brown people, as well as the injustice endured by many across the globe, demands this from us.

These friends are the captives. These family members are the oppressed.

These individuals are our neighbors — the same people Christ calls us to love as ourselves. Jesus does not mince His words when He says that the proclamation of the good news will lead to freedom, recovery, liberty and the beautiful favor of the Lord. Now is the time to cry out in prayer and use our influence and platforms for change.

This has been an unspeakably difficult time for God’s people, especially our Black brothers and sisters — we see them, we care for them, we stand with them and we are called to minister alongside them, following our Lord Jesus in His calling to be agents of redemption and reconciliation. The work that is before us in standing together against racial injustice is gospel work. And, the time is now.

In this toolkit, you will find detailed information, how-tos, desired outcomes, resources and prompts to help you lead this courageous conversation in your community context. The expectation of our Mission Lead Team is that the conversations, self-reflection and learning that took place at the Leadership Town Hall will also take place in every space of responsibility (e.g., from the divisional to the area level, from the Service Center to our camps) and throughout our entire global community. Our aim is to provide everything you need to easily facilitate this for our mission as a whole.

We are praying now that as a mission we will listen to and obey our Lord Jesus, stand together in the power of the Holy Spirit and bring glory to our Father in Heaven by accomplishing the work He has given us to do.

In Christ,

Newt

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The Ground

rules

(Make these available to participants ahead of time)

1. We affirm that we are one in Christ Jesus, despite different opinions or cultural backgrounds. Because of Jesus, we are brothers and sisters.

2. We aim to speak the truth in love. We will not hide facts and feelings that need to be spoken, but we will always treat our listeners with God’s love.

3. We understand that, in the course of these conversations, we may offend others with our words or take offense at what others say.

Recognizing our own imperfections, we offer grace to others and ask for grace from them.

4. We will not think of ourselves more highly that we ought to think. Instead, we put the interests of others ahead of our own. We set aside defensiveness and pride, as we seek better ways to serve and honor Jesus Christ.

5. We will enter a process of learning and teaching — but more learning than teaching. We will teach others about our experiences, but we will make an extra effort to learn about theirs.

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6. We commit to to engagement in this process rather than isolation. No stewing in silence. We will take the risks necessary to share truth and receive it.

7. We renounce our political idols. We are more interested in following Jesus than in promoting a political point.

8. We will try to move the discussion forward, not backward. While we may need to review past problems, we don’t want to dwell there. We long to make plans together for a better future.

9. We understand that we’re not just wrestling against human forces, but against spiritual powers, and so we commit ourselves to prayer, seeking the power of God to work mightily in this situation.

Adapted from Loving the Neighbor Who Doesn’t Look Like You: Racial Reconciliation Discussion Guide © 2017 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.

Because of Jesus, we are brothers and sisters.

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Best

practices You are creating a situation in which some folks will say things that bother others. People will strongly disagree. Long-held, deeply rooted opinions will be painfully challenged.

All in the name of Christ.

You want this to happen. You want people to say what they’re feeling, not to cover it up. If everyone nods and smiles and mutters, “It’s all good,” it’s not really good at all. This is an opportunity for Christian people to hear the honest experiences of others in our community.

We are one in Christ, but what does that mean? Does our oneness require us to pretend we agree with others when we don’t? Not at all. It means we commit ourselves to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:25). We are brothers and sisters in Christ, which would suggest that we are deeply connected but not immune from family squabbles.

We are on 6

A ministry called Threaded describes three essential steps to the process:

Respect

Listen

Wrestle

It won’t work without all three elements. As a leader, you’re called to guard the respect in the room. Make sure people are listening to one another and not just talking past others, or over them.

But don’t let them downplay the conflict, either. There are major problems in our world, in our communities and in our churches.

You’re creating a safe space to wrestle with those issues that we can’t ignore any longer.

ne in Christ, but what does that mean?

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Here are some specific tips for managing a Leadership Town Hall.

Think of yourself as a guide, not a teacher. You’re not delivering

information. You’re not broadcasting your own opinion. You are drawing the thoughts and feelings of the group out into the open.

Set the ground rules early and often. Speaking the truth in love. Not hiding feelings. Looking forward more than backward. Grace. Humility rather than self-defense. Picture Jesus in the room — He had a few tough talks of His own, but He was always full of grace and truth.

Plan your own response to ground-rule violations. How will you lovingly defuse a situation that crosses the line? When someone keeps interrupting, or even shouting down someone else, how will you respond? Pray and plan ahead of time.

Steer clear of politics. In today’s contentious world, it’s hard not to get

political. But that’s a sure way to create division rather than understanding. And the fact is, we trust God, not government, for the ultimate answers. But avoiding politics may be difficult. We’re dealing with spiritual issues that have practical implications in society — and that may lead to political debate. Just keep coming back to our spiritual unity as followers of Christ. At the heart of every issue, we must identify as Christians first, rather than adherents of any particular party.

Learn to love an active silence. Best case, the leader doesn’t have to talk much; the group takes the discussion and runs with it. But that doesn’t always happen. There are awkward silences, often early in a session. But you can learn to read these silences. Look at people’s eyes. Are they thinking about what to say, or are they just dozing off? If it’s an active silence, let the gears turn a little, and maybe draw it out by asking, “What are you thinking?” If there’s a group member you know really well, maybe you could even tease out a thought-in-process from that person. But if it’s a dead silence, move on to the next question.

Seed the conversation with your own honesty (or just be ready to).

Be ready to share your own thoughts, experiences or admissions — if you need

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to. Fill those dead silences with your own life. Note that the group will only be as vulnerable as you are. Don’t present yourself as perfect, someone who has already figured everything out, but as a person in need of grace.

Master the “Yes, and . . .” response. You want to honor everybody in the

group by listening to what they say. But every so often, people will go off on a tangent or even say something hurtful to others. While healthy disagreement is valuable, there are times when certain people can do damage to the group process. Here’s where your leadership is crucial. Basically, you must reboot the conversation. The “Yes, and . . .” response will help you do that respectfully but firmly. Interrupt the offending person if necessary by affirming them. “Yes, I hear what you’re saying there, and that gives us a lot to think about, and it actually brings me back to what Kim said earlier . . .” Honor the person, but steer the conversation back to a safe place.

If using technology, prepare, but also have a backup plan. Plan ahead for the best way to access videos or other technology. Do a dry run in advance. And it wouldn’t hurt to have a backup plan in place, in case of some technological glitch.

Keep an eye on the clock. Some people won’t care if you run long, but others will. Bad clock management is an easy way to get people to stop coming to the group. They have committed to you a certain amount of time. If you say it ends at 9, end at 9. And it doesn’t help to ask, “Does anyone mind if we go an extra fifteen minutes?” What are they going to say? No one wants to be a spoilsport. NOTE: You could invite people to stay after the official end of the meeting if they want to talk further, but that has to be an entirely optional thing.

Practice Empathetic Listening. To get the most out of this courageous conversation, we must move past debate toward hearing and having empathy for one another. One of the best ways to demonstrate your empathy for another person is to listen to that person with reflective, empathic listening responses.

Empathetic listening is a way to communicate your understanding so that the other person will feel more of the respect that you have for him or her. It allows you to be intentional in the listening process. An empathic listener works to keep the speaker from feeling or becoming defensive. The goal in this moment is not to decide if you agree or not, but to concentrate fully on what is being said, how the person feels and focus on understanding.

Adapted from Loving the Neighbor Who Doesn’t Look Like You: Racial Reconciliation Discussion Guide © 2017 by American Bible Society. Used by permission.

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Hosting an LTH

gathering Overview Purpose To further our efforts to increasingly reflect the kids we are called to reach and teach with the gospel by becoming better agents of redemption and reconciliation for our Lord Jesus.

Goals & Objectives •

Build missional capability and cultural intelligence with an emphasis on a commitment to action.

•

Invite participants to assess their own journey and commit to learning and growing individually and as a community.

Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause. Isaiah 1:17 10

Roles • Leader/Host: Manages and facilitates the flow of the entire gathering, and ensures that the courageous conversation drives toward the desired outcomes.

• Panel Moderator/Expert: Provides knowledge expertise and facilitates a group learning conversation featuring a diverse group of panelists around the town hall’s core topics.

• Panelist(s): These contributors provide both personal and organizational insight around the town hall’s core topics.

Ultimately, they model what it looks like to have a courageous conversation.

• Breakout Moderator(s): Facilitates a small group conversation around the town hall’s core topics and insights shared during the panel discussion. These dialogues enable participants to practice what the panel has modeled for them.

• Real Life Storytellers: As at camp, these individuals provide context that grounds the insights and core topics discussed in personal story and experience.

• Participants: These are the audience members who both partake and participate in the courageous conversation. They are more than attendees as their voice should play an active part in the town hall.

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I was hungry and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was homeless and you gave me a room, I was shivering and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you stopped to visit, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’ Matthew 25:35-36,40 (MSG)

Elements • Panel Discussions: Before asking people to have a courageous conversation around a sensitive topic, we want to first model what that looks like. The panel discussion is a place where leaders, with the help of an expert/moderator, can demonstrate this practice in a safe, honest way.

• Breakout Sessions: Once participants see the model, we want to give them time to practice what

they have witnessed in real time. The breakout sessions offer a familiar space (e.g., cabin time) where participants can engage and learn together in a safe environment.

• Real Life Stories: Similar to camp, Real-Life Stories aims to help to ground concrete truths in actual experience. The Real-Life Stories session thus invites individual leaders to share their personal stories and help participants gain proximity to realities that are foreign to their own.

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Sample Agenda Day 1 9:00 A.M. - 9:05 A.M.

Welcome

9:05 A.M. - 9:10 A.M.

Prayer

9:10 A.M. - 9:20 A.M.

Opening Remarks

9:20 A.M. - 9:40 A.M.

Expert Talk

9:40 A.M. - 10:30 A.M.

Panel Discussion

10:30 A.M. - 11:15 A.M.

Breakout Session

11:15 A.M. - 11:45 A.M.

Break

11:45 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.

Breakout Read Outs

12:00 P.M. - 12:20 P.M.

Real Life: Leaders’ Stories

12:20 P.M. - 12:50 P.M.

Q&A

12:50 P.M. - 12:55 P.M.

Closing Remarks

12:55 P.M. - 1:00 P.M.

Prayer | Dismissal

Day 2 9:00 A.M. - 9:05 A.M.

Welcome

9:05 A.M. - 9:10 A.M.

Prayer

9:10 A.M. - 9:20 A.M.

Opening Remarks

9:20 A.M. - 10:10 A.M.

Panel Discussion

10:10 A.M. - 10:30 A.M.

Expert Talk

10:30 A.M. - 11:15 A.M.

Breakout Session

11:15 A.M. - 11:45 A.M.

Break

11:45 A.M. - 12:00 P.M.

Breakout Read Outs

12:00 P.M. - 12:20 P.M.

Real Life: Leaders’ Stories

12:15 P.M. - 12:45 P.M.

Q&A

12:45 P.M. - 12:55 P.M.

Closing Remarks

12:55 P.M. - 1:00 P.M.

Prayer | Dismissal

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LTH Standing

together

(Summer 2020)

Purpose Model open and effective dialogue on the topics of racial injustice/ prejudice/discrimination and dominant cultural realities (e.g., white privilege/power/supremacy/normalcy/colonialism).

Learning Objectives Day 1 Through listening, lamenting and processing together as a community about injustice, prejudice and discrimination, participants will begin to identify the places in our culture and mission where experiences vary and change is needed.

Day 2 Through listening, lamenting and processing together as a community, participants will recognize dominant cultural realities (e.g., privilege/ power/supremacy/normalcy/colonialism) and identify their responsibility to be an agent of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:11-21).

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Panel discussion questions: Day 1 Main Questions: •

Primer Question: If you had to put a number on it, how are you entering this conversation? (1 = Struggling; 5 = Thriving) Why?

•

Question 1: Talk to us about a theology of justice and how that relates to this moment here in the U.S. and others around the globe.

•

Question 2: Why is Young Life engaging in this conversation around racial injustice and discrimination to begin with? Aren’t these just cultural/social justice issues and distractions from getting the gospel in the hands of kids?

•

Question 3: Why is racial injustice important to you, and why do you think it should be a missional priority moving forward?

•

Question 4: Talk to us about recent events (e.g., Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd). Where do you find yourself in the current conversation? » As a white person, how are you processing the moment? Why? » As a person of color, how are you processing the moment? Why?

•

Question 5: What gives you hope about this moment?

Optional Questions: •

What are the missional implications of persistent injustice? For kids?

For teams?

•

Talk to us about your personal experience with racial injustice, prejudice and discrimination. Where/how have you seen or experienced these realities in your life? Your community? Within Young Life?

Continued on next page...

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Panel discussion questions: Day 1 (optional questions continued) •

As we think about racial/ethnic injustice, prejudice and discrimination, what do we need to know as individuals? Teams? An organization?

•

What does this mean for marginal people/voices within our community? History? Looking forward?

Day 2 Main Questions: •

Primer Question: If you had to put a number on it, how are you entering this conversation after yesterday’s time? (1 = Struggling; 5 = Thriving) Why?

•

Question 1: As a white person, what didn’t you know a month ago that you’ve now learned about racial and ethnic tensions?

•

Question 2: We’re hearing a lot of terms about white people these days, like “white privilege,” “white fragility,” “white supremacy,” “white normativity,” and “white exceptionalism.” Which one of these seems most important to understand and respond to in Young Life currently?

•

Question 3: In the midst of racial injustice, how do we become agents of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:11-21), and what is the connection to Young Life’s mission to reach and teach kids about Jesus?

•

Question 4: It’s been said by Peter Drucker and others that, “culture eats strategy for breakfast.” What needs to change in Young Life’s culture to make it less white-dominant and more inclusive?

So you, by the help of your God, return, hold fast to love continually for your God.” Hosea 12:6 16

•

Question 5: How will we know that engaging injustice in conscious, continuous, healthy, Kingdom ways is truly a priority for Young Life?

What signs should we be looking for that show it’s more than just checking off a box or looking “woke” in today’s heated environment?

Optional Questions •

What are the missional implications of failing to be aware of — or account for — these dominant cultural realities within Young Life’s community? The communities we serve?

•

How do we overcome dominant cultural realities and move toward a more Kingdom-minded community that eliminates racism and hatred?

•

What is our role as Christians in moments of racial injustice? As white people? People of color? As a Young Life community?

•

How do these dominant cultural realities contribute to healthy/ unhealthy supervision in our teams?

•

Talk to us about how we can move forward together in the face of persistent injustice?

•

What do we need to be mindful of/not do as we work to learn and become agents of reconciliation?

•

What should leaders take away from this town hall that will help them reach and teach kids about Jesus?

•

What are some practical steps we can take? What is next?

and justice, and wait

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Breakout Session Questions: Day 1 1. Scaling Question: Use the Zoom polling or whiteboard feature to

determine the group’s level of discomfort around the topic, and discuss their experiences with racial injustice, prejudice and/or discrimination. » Or, Using a scale of 1 - 5, invite participants to rate their level of comfort discussing issues of racial injustice, prejudice, and discrimination? 1 = Really uncomfortable; 5 = Completely comfortable (Discuss everyone’s why behind their number)

2. What stage do you think your team is currently experiencing?

The mission? (Using stages below)

3. What did you hear or learn or struggle with and why does it matter?

4. Where do you see differences in our culture and community?

Day 2 1. Scaling question. What was your level of discomfort during today’s presentations? 1 = Really uncomfortable; 5 = Completely comfortable (Discuss everyone’s why behind their number)

2. Did you have a breakthrough discovery and what was it?

OR What was difficult to hear today?

3. How will you move forward from here? What do you believe the mission could do to move forward?

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Diversity and inclusion stages

Stage #1

Stage#2

Stage#3

A superficial embrace of diversity. This ranges from being oblivious to race (e.g., “We are all united in Christ… Why does it really matter?”) to tokenization (e.g., “We have one of each.

One Black. One Asian. One Latino

Acceptance of the reality of racial privilege and structural racism. This can begin by acknowledging that oppressive histories are a part of our shared inheritance and can go as deep as digging into the pain that has transpired for individuals of color.

An awareness of each person’s beautiful, painful, complex identity and constant attempts to address these in the life of a faith community. We want to get there and are taking intentional steps in that direction.

*Adapted from Daniel Lee, Ph.D., Fuller Equip, Making Holistic Disciples

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Facilitator

Responsiblities Facilitate Facilitate the two, 45-minute breakout sessions across the two-day virtual gathering using the guidance/questions above to moderate conversation in alignment with the learning objectives.

Ensure Ensure that your breakout session makes it back to the main session after each 20-minute sprint.

Serve Serve as your group’s spokesperson and be prepared to offer a 5-minute recap focused on your group’s discussion.

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Increasingly reflect the kids we are called to reach and teach with the gospel by becoming better agents of redemption‌

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Real life:

leader stories Day 1 In 3 minutes, share with us your experience as a person of color concerning racial injustice, prejudice and discrimination in our world. What do we need to know as individuals? Leaders? As an organization?

Day 2 In 3 minutes, share with us your experience navigating/living with dominant cultural realities (e.g., white supremacy, privilege, power, normalcy and colonialism) in our world. What do we need to know as individuals? Leaders? As an organization?

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Guidance: As with Real-Life Stories shared at camp, we ask that speakers be specific and concise. However, as leaders, we also ask speakers to be practical and tangible so that we can learn together as a community while we process the truths wrapped in their experience.

More precisely, the role is important, but relatively simple. Here is what it would entail: •

Have speakers write out their story.

•

Have them also record it (a phone or laptop recording should suffice). Just be sure to have them get to a quiet place to reduce as much background noise as possible.

•

Have them submit both the written and recorded copy ahead of the event for you to review and approve. Please share with us too so that we can capture them and learn with you. (Send to Mandy Adkins: madkins@sc.younglife.org)

•

Have them come prepared to share that same story during the town hall in no more than 3 minutes.

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Media Kit: Purpose This media kit is meant to equip you in conversation. We’ve included expert talks, panel discussions, and real-life stories.

Please know the courage with which leaders shared stories (below), and use these resources to facilitate conversations for Young Life staff without sharing broadly.

Access To access the media kit, please visit townhall.younglife.org.

In order to access the site, you’ll need a username and password. This avoids making an internal conversation public and ensures those who shared their stories have a level of privacy. Please only share this username and password with those who are part of your local conversations.

Username: LTH2020 Password: Together

Highlights Expert Talk: Efrem Smith Day 1 Panel Discussion: Theology and Importance to Young Life Day 2 Panel Discussion: Understanding and Becoming Agents of Reconciliation

Individual Real Life Leader Stories •

Paul Coty

•

Terry Leprino

•

Cassaundra Marisett Banks

•

Kenny Nollan

•

Laudir Lugo

•

Lyn TenBrink

•

Marisa Avramovich

•

Brian Trost

•

Frank Ivey

Seed the conversation with your own honesty.

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Supporting Resources: Pre-Reads •

Racial Reconciliation May Not Be What You Think It Is by Pastor Rich Villodas

•

The Prophetic Voice by Arthur Satterwhite, D.S.L.

•

Good News About Injustice (Chapter 4 and Chapter 5) by Gary Haugen

Prompt Questions 1. As we consider both recent events and the broader history of societies’ relationship with race/ethnicity (i.e., in the U.S. and globally), where do we see the intersection of race/ethnic tensions, the gospel and our work in Young Life? How might God be calling us to be agents of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:11-21) in communities and the lives of kids such that they experience Christ’s love in new, transformative ways?

2. The history of the relationship between the Bible and race/ethnicity in the U.S. (and beyond) is one that is fraught with both pain and healing. What does the Bible offer that can help us better understand the challenges of race/ethnic tensions in our world today? What are some practical takeaways from Scripture that should inform how we engage with kids and communities that are of a different race/ ethnicity than our own?

3. We serve a God who is concerned about justice AND compassion.

As followers of Jesus, who are to model his example (Matthew 4:19), what does this mean for us? Our relationships with kids? The supervision of our teams? The fellowship with our peers?

4. As you reflect on the various pre-reads and the different Scriptures referenced within, what thoughts or revelations emerge? What are the implications for majority culture voices and leaders (e.g., white men, western society, etc.)? For marginal voices and leaders (e.g., people of color, women, staff in developing countries, etc.)?

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Ongoing

learning Assess: 1. We need to be Uncomfortable (Article) 2. Dr. Robin DiAngelo Discusses ‘White Fragility’ by Robin J. DiAngelo (Video) 3. White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Backpack (Article) 4. Beyond Colorblind: Redeeming Our Ethnic Journey by Sarah Shin (Book) 5. Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria by (Book) 6. Empathetic Listening & Curiosity by YL Learning Office

Learn: 1. George Floyd and Me (Article) 2. Facts About Lecrae (Podcast) 3. Grace, Justice, & Mercy: An Evening with Bryan Stevenson and Rev. Tim Keller (Video/Podcast) 4. Movies • The Hate You Give •

Selma

•

Do the Right Thing

•

Just Mercy

5. Inclusion/Equality Campaigners FTN 2019 6. GLC 2019 Professor Rah Keynote

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Grow: 1. 6 Ways to Show your Child God’s Design for Ethnic Diversity (Article) 2. Missio Alliance (Faith & Justice Website) 3. Unmasking Racism, Starting with Me (Article) 4. Woke Church: An Urgent Call for Christians in America to Confront Racism and Injustice by Eric Mason (Book) 5. The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness

by Michelle Alexander (Book) 6. Brown Church: Five Centuries of Latina/o Social Justice, Theology, and Identity by Robert Chao Romero (Book)

By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.

John 13:35

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Marketing and Communication

samples

We found it helpful to have attendees (1) save the date, (2) register and (3) receive pre-work in separate emails, since longer email messages are often hard to digest.

In addition, we strongly urge you to consider pre-work to begin to engage your teams before you meet, as it will both help attendees begin to think, wrestle and pray about these ideas in the days before coming together.

This will help “prepare the way� for the Spirit and give a common framework and understanding (and the two are not mutually exclusive).

For your use, here are the resources we used to invite leadership to this town hall, as you think about inviting your own teams.

We serve a God who is concerned about justice AND compassion.

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Save the Date Dear Global Leaders in Young Life, I am writing to you today on behalf of the Mission Lead Team, in the midst of our 91st day of prayer and lament, to ask you to save the date for an important and urgent virtual Leadership Town Hall: Standing Together on June 24 and June 25 from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. MDT. The focus of our time together will be the racial injustice we have been facing in the United States that has impacted and spread across many parts of the world. Our purpose for this leadership town hall is to begin an ongoing dialogue that will cascade throughout our organization in the coming weeks and months.

This has been an unspeakably difficult time for God’s people, especially our black brothers and sisters — we see them, we care for them, we stand with them and we are called to minister alongside them, following our Lord Jesus in His calling to be agents of redemption and reconciliation.

The work that is before us in standing together against racial injustice is gospel work. And, the time is now.

You will be receiving a more detailed email in the coming days with the desired outcomes and agenda for our time together in two short weeks, as well as ways you can prepare to be fully engaged as a leader of our mission. Please mark your calendars and make the necessary changes to be available for this vital time together.

Please pray that we will listen to and obey our Lord Jesus, stand together in the power of the Holy Spirit and bring glory to our Father in Heaven by accomplishing the work He has given us to do.

In Christ,

Newt

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Register Dear Global Leaders in Young Life, Thank you for making time and space in your calendars for the Leadership Town Hall: Standing Together on June 24 and 25 from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. MDT. We believe this time will be critical to the mission of Young Life as we lean into the pain of the moment and the realities of the many communities we serve.

Please register for this time with the email address you use for Zoom meetings. This registration will serve as your RSVP and help us assign you to a breakout group.

Register We are working quickly and thoughtfully to help you prepare ahead of time for our call. We plan to have pre-work and questions to you by Wednesday, June 16, to help you think deeply around this important issue. Please set aside time in your calendars to digest and consider the articles we share. During our meeting, there will be breakout group times where you will have a chance to discuss the material presented and the pre-work. These small group sessions will help us listen, lament and process together as a community.

If you have any questions, please reach out to Arthur L. Satterwhite III (asatterwhite@sc.younglife.org). Thank you, again, for making this time a priority.

Sincerely,

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Pre-Work Dear <NAME>, Thank you for saying yes to join us for the upcoming Leadership Town Hall.

This is a pivotal moment in our history. We believe that God is calling us to stand together against racial injustice and for the most marginal among us.

As such, during this gathering together, we will work to further our efforts to increasingly reflect the kids we are called to reach and teach with the gospel by becoming better agents of redemption and reconciliation for our Lord Jesus. To that end, here are the goals we have set for this town hall: •

Build missional capability and cultural intelligence with an emphasis on a commitment to action.

•

Invite participants to assess their journey and commit to learning and growing individually and as a community.

Over the course of two days, we will listen, lament and process together around: 1. Racial injustice, prejudice and discrimination.

2. Dominant cultural realities (e.g., white privilege, power, supremacy, normalcy, colonialism).

Together, we will work to identify: •

Places in our culture and mission where experiences vary and changes are needed.

•

Our responsibility to be agents of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:11-21) in kids’ lives and communities.

Continued on next page...

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To help you prepare for this time, we want to share a few things with each of you: 1. Event Agenda: Here is an overview of what you can expect throughout this time.

2. Pre-reads: Please log in to the LTH learning module using the blue Single Sign On button and the enrollment key: LTH2020. Read the articles in the ‘Pre-Town Hall Prep’ section and use the accompanying prompt questions to begin processing. Allow yourself 60-90 minutes to read and process. Please complete this no later than Tuesday, June 23. If you have any trouble logging in to the Training Online platform, please contact Matt Wolford.

3. Pre-Survey: Please take a few minutes to answer these questions about how you are entering this conversation. Answers are anonymous.

4. Register: If you have not done so yet, please take two minutes to register for next week’s Leadership Town Hall.

In closing, we realize that many of you have had to move meetings and adjust calendars to take part in this event. We are grateful for your commitment to the mission. We leave you with these words from our Savior in the hopes that they help us all keep our eyes on Jesus as we move forward together: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” — John 13:34-35, ESV In Christ for all kids,

MISSION LEAD TEAM

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After-Action Report Instructions As Newt shared during the town hall, the aims of the Leadership Town Hall: Standing Together gathering were as follows: 1.

To model a courageous conversation;

2.

Give space for leaders to practice what they have witnessed; and

3.

Send leaders out equipped to lead these important discussions in their context.

To that end, we want to know how things went as you leaned into this opportunity with your community. As such, here is a convenient, easy-tocomplete After Action Report cognito form (“AAR”) that will help us capture the story and impact of your local experience.

Additionally, we want to celebrate you and the work your community is doing as you engage in this courageous conversation. Our plan is to take over a Monday Morning in October. As such, please be sure to plan, complete and submit the AAR for your courageous conversation by September 30, 2020.

Should you have any questions or need support, please know that the Learning and Diversity Offices are here to help. Feel free to reach out at any time to your divisional training coordinator or directly to the Diversity Office: •

Mandy Adkins — madkins@sc.younglife.org;

•

Arthur Satterwhite — asatterwhite@sc.younglife.org

In closing, thank you. Thank you for your leadership. Thank you for your willingness to lean into the moment. Thank you for being obedient to hearing the voice of God and working to help Young Life reach and teach a diverse world about Jesus by being agents of redemption and reconciliation in the lives of kids.

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Contact Us We are here to help, be a thought partner and/or answer any questions that you may have. We look forward to hearing from and supporting you.

Learning Office Eastern Division Mike Cramer Divisional Training Coordinator mikecramer67@gmail.com Southeast Division Tom Combes Divisional Training Coordinator tcombes@mindspring.com Midwest Division Lindsey Osborne Divisional Training Coordinator Lindsey@af89.younglife.org South Central Division Brad Banks Divisional Training Coordinator bradbanks40@gmail.com

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Northwest Division Jacque Abadie Divisional Training Coordinator jacqueabadie@gmail.com Southwest Division Marisa Avramovich Divisional Training Coordinator marisa@southwest.younglife.org Diversity Office Arthur L. Satterwhite III, D.S.L. Vice President, Multiethnic asatterwhite@sc.younglife.org Mandy Adkins Multiethnic Initiatives Coordinator madkins@sc.younglife.org

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