Building Bridges:
Racial Reconciliation and Understanding
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Many of you have asked for tools to educate yourselves or your families. As Christians we must acknowledge pain and injustice when they exist. As realists we must acknowledge that any passionate topic can provoke partisan politics. How then should we respond to the request for resources?
On reflection, we need to seek the center, where all voices can be heard and where we can experience gracious open-minded dialogue. To do this well, we have to place our confidence in you. So we will. We believe in your compassion for those who suffer from racism, your desire to add understanding to your empathy and your motivation to promote racial equality where you can. This gives us confidence you can handle a resource list that includes cries of anguish, passionate appeals, personal points of view and well reasoned essays. If you are troubled by opinions expressed in a particular source, set it aside for now. Yet, keep this in mind, the critical skill learned by all superb therapists is to hear the pain, fear and anger of a client, even when it is amplified or distorted. Aspire to the interpersonal arts of the Holy Spirit. If we only listen to opinions we agree with, we will not grow. If we only value people like ourselves, we will neglect or reject some of God’s other children. We on senior staff don’t agree with every viewpoint expressed in the resources, yet we hope to hear and value each voice represented. More than some members, we are comfortable with strong disagreement between friends. Resources include books, essays, videos and movies. You can improve our resources by emailing your suggestion to our research team for racial equality issues. |
A conversation with our racial reconciliation teamOur Racial Reconciliation Team is: Glenn Aby, Sally Bryant, Jeff Cherniss, and Matt Hall
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Book Group
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We are currently reading and discussing Be the Bridge: Pursuing God's Heart for Racial Reconciliation by Latasha Morrison
This 4-week study meets via Zoom Thursday nights in February from 7-9. Contact Barb Clark or Sally Bryant to sign up. |
Raising PeacemakersIn September of 2020 we offered a 4-week online workshop series specifically for those who are actively parenting and appropriate for grandparents and others who are investing in the lives of children and teens.
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Week 1: It Begins With Us
If we are going to raise peacemakers and pursue racial justice, the work toward equality and justice begins with us. DOWNLOAD HANDOUT Week 2: Raising Peacemakers – Birth through Preschool While this stage of parenting is so physically demanding, it also sets the building blocks for raising peacemakers through what we expose our little ones to and how we talk about racial diversity. DOWNLOAD HANDOUT Week 3: Raising Peacemakers – Elementary School In this concrete stage of cognitive development with a strong emphasis on social development, raising peacemakers during these years creates opportunities to establish a Kingdom worldview and mutual relationships. DOWNLOAD HANDOUT Week 4: Raising Peacemakers – Middle School and High School The three primary tasks for adolescents is discovering their identity, purpose, and belonging. This stage of parenting is perhaps the most impactful for raising peacemakers who live out the Gospel for their lifetime. DOWNLOAD HANDOUT Choose Your Own Adventure Download the complete list of recommended next steps from each week in each category: Reflect + Discuss, Podcasts, Read, Watch, Do, and Follow on Instagram. Information doesn’t equal transformation. Transformation comes as we do the work. DOWNLOAD HANDOUT |
AUSTIN CHANNING BROWN, AUTHOR OF I'M STILL HERE
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ELIZABETH WOODSON, MINISTER AND THEOLOGIAN
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LECRAE, CHRISTIAN HIP HOP RECORDING ARTIST, SONGWRITER, MUSIC EXECUTIVE, AND ACTOR
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For Children and Families
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Coretta Scott King Book Award Winners
A list of books that "demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values,” searchable by age, from 2 years to 13+. |
1000 Black Girl Books
A list of books with black girls as protagonists, curated by a 13-year-old Marley Dias. |
Other Voices Interpreting Culture
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TED TALKS, TABLE TALKS, AND PODCASTS
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