How to Survive The Storms of Life

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Did you know that Jesus told us EXACTLY how to survive the storms of life?

He said that anyone who not only HEARS His words, but also PUTS THEM INTO PRACTICE is like a wise man who built his house upon a solid foundation that is like a rock. 

But, someone who hears His words and does not put them in practice is like someone who builds his house upon the sand.  And when the winds come and the waves come up against the house, the entire house crashes down.

Here, read the passage with me: 

Matthew 7:24-27 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.  The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (NIV)

This is a metaphor for life. 

Jesus is saying that if our life is built upon not only hearing His words but also putting them into practice, then that is what creates a solid foundation so our entire life doesn’t crumble when the trials of life come.

We have to be those who live the Word of God. 

Now, the good news is that Jesus wasn’t speaking in generalities here. He spent a significant time giving very practical advice to follow all contained within the Sermon on the Mount. You can read and study all of it in Matthew chapters 5, 6, and 7.

However, for brevity’s sake, here are a few good takeaways from both Matthew and John.

1. We must remain in Christ, not straying from Him:

John 15:4 “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.” 

2. We must be like Him in the way He forgave, or bitterness and broken relationships can overwhelm our lives and distract our focus:

Matthew 6:14-15 

“ For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” 

3. We must make our lives dependent on God through prayer: 

Matthew 7:7 “7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened..”

4. We must love God with our whole being: 

Matthew 22:37 “Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’”

Jesus said many other things all throughout the Gospels that help us guide our life by His words. 

What Bible verses would YOU add to this list? I would love to hear from you. Let me know what you think!

Until next time, 

Liz

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The SAME HANDS Do It All

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How crazy is it to think that the same hands that healed blind eyes, and touched the leper, and held small children are the same hands that were nailed to the cross?

Further, how mind-blowing is it to think that the Creator–who made the soldiers–was then hung to the cross by those same soldiers, while he was at the same time(!) sustaining their life, giving them breath, giving them the strength to wake up that morning?

Lastly, how insane is it to think that the Creator–who made the tree–was then hung up on the same tree when it became a cross?!  

Think about that for a second. He created the seed’s inherent DNA, which determined the type, size, and variant of the tree. He then sent the Sun to nourish it. He placed the nutrients in the soil to allow it to grow. He sent the rains to quench its thirst. And He did all that so He could die on its sturdy base.

When we worship God during this season leading up to Pentecost, I want you to remember that those same hands that chose to be nailed to a cross are the same powerful hands that are–one day–going to recreate new heavens and a new earth so that those of us who believe in Him will dwell with Him for forever (Hallelujah!)

Those hands were both meek and humble when He allowed himself to take on the penalty for our sin, but are also insanely and unbelievably powerful.

We can trust in those capable hands. 

They are the hands that comfort us when we are broken.

And they are the hands that hold the planets in their designated locations.

They are the hands that knelt in the dirt to tenderly bury Moses when he died.

And they are the hands that laid the foundations of the Earth. 

They are also the same hands that will set it all right again.

Keep clinging in hope to those capable, loving, strong hands.

Until Next Time,

Liz

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Undignified Isn’t Always Bad-Look at David!

I was reading the story of King David who danced before the Lord in 2 Samuel.

David danced half-naked because he was just so jazzed the ark of the Lord was coming back to his city. 

The Bible says he danced with all his might. His vigor must’ve been something to behold.

Wellllllll, his wife, Michal was extremely annoyed by this as she watched him out the window.

Later, she confronted him and was like, “Ugh. Why you out here dancin’ nakey in front of all these slave girls?” >>insert her jealous rage here<<

David was not a fan of his wife’s criticism and retorted that he was going to get even more undignified than this: “David said to Michal, ‘It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes…’” (2 Samuel 2:21-22) 

Why would he say such a thing?

Because the Lord had been good to him….in fact, He had been way too good to give Him just a measly praise.

In Psalm 63:3, David wrote these words: “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.”

David knew that God’s love was so epic that it was quite literally better than LIFE itself. 

So his wife’s criticism couldn’t touch his love for God.

God had been his protector.

God had been his defender.

God had been his provider.

God had been his healer.

God had been his forgiver.

God had been the one to call him, from the sheep pasture, and set him on the throne of Israel, despite his lowly status as the: 

1. Youngest in his family and 

2. A simple shepherd.

I want to encourage you, friend.

If God’s love to you has been so good that it has been better than life, then worship Him with wild abandon.

Demonstrate your devotion to Him.

That could mean a crazy, out-loud praise. Or it could be a defiant sacrifice that no one understands. Whatever He’s calling you to do, do that.

Give Him the praise due His name.

Even if people think you’re crazy.

Even if your own spouse thinks you’re a nutcase.

Worship Him in the beauty of who He is.

Until next time,

Liz

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Jesus Genuinely Loved Judas

It’s crazy to think that Jesus loved Judas SO well that NONE of the disciples could guess that Judas was the one who was going to betray Jesus. None of them. They were all like, “Who’s it going to be Lord? I don’t know.” 

They had no clue because of how equally Jesus displayed his love for all His disciples, including the one who He knew would betray Him.

I’ll be honest with you. I don’t know how to love like that, I really don’t.

If I’m being real with you, I even struggle to love my own family members with that level of love. They grate on my nerves sometimes and it causes me to lash out when I should be patient.

But even though that type of love will never come naturally to me, I do believe that with the Holy Spirit of Christ inside of me, I can get closer and closer to that.

I believe you can, too.

I really encourage you to ask Him to grant you the strength to love like that.

We have to remind ourselves that it’s God’s kindness that draws people to repentance. That’s what the Bible says in Romans: “Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4)

Perhaps you have a “difficult-to-love” person in your life.  I want to gently remind you that we will never come up with the best words or even the best argument that will finally help someone see their need for a Savior. And it won’t be our arguments or words alone that finally help someone see their need to repent.

No, we are truly reliant upon God. It will be God’s kindness that changes people’s hearts.

I think that’s why Jesus gave those opportunities to Judas over and over again to experience His type of love.

He washed Judas’ feet. He broke bread with him. He allowed him to sit at his feet and learn from him.

Even though I don’t have many things figured out, I do believe we would look a lot more like Christ if we loved people like Jesus loved Judas.

Who in your life is God prompting you to love more holistically? Can you pray for them now? Can you ask God for the strength to love and forgive them the way He loved Judas?

Til Next Time,

Liz

http://www.lizhouse.net

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Why Did David Dance Naked?

Here’s a thought that the Lord has been stirring in my spirit. 

I was reading the story of King David dancing before the Lord in 2 Samuel.

David danced half-naked because he was just so jazzed the ark of the Lord was coming back to his city.

The Bible says he danced with all his might. His vigor must’ve been something to behold.

Wellllllll, his wife, Michal was extremely annoyed by this as she watched him out the window.

Later, she confronted him and was like, “Ugh. Why you out here dancin’ nakey in front of all these slave girls?”

David was not a fan of his wife’s criticism and retorted, essentially, that he was going to get even more undignified than this. 

Why? 

Because the Lord had been good to him….wayyyyyy too good to give Him a measly praise.

In Psalm 63:3, David wrote these words: “Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.”

David knew that God’s love was so epic that it was quite literally better than LIFE itself. 

So his wife’s criticism couldn’t touch his love for God.

God had been his protector.

God had been his defender.

God had been his provider.

God had been his healer.

God had been his forgiver.

God had been the one to call him–from the sheep pasture–and set him on the throne of Israel, despite his lowly status as the: 

1. youngest in his family and 

2. a lowly shepherd.

I want to encourage you, friend.

If God’s love to you has been so good, it has been better than life, then worship Him with wild abandon.

Demonstrate to Him your devotion to Him.

Even if people think you’re crazy.

Even if your own spouse thinks you’re a nutcase.

Worship Him in the beauty of who He is.

Until next time,

Liz

http://www.lizhouse.net

Want more?

Memorize Psalm 63:3-4  in 2 minutes here: 

Or, watch the 1 minute reel I made talking about David’s devotion to God here: 

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What Was God Doing Before He Made The Earth? Now That We Know, How Should We Respond?

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Have you ever wondered what God was doing before He created the earth? Think about it. 

God is ETERNAL.

This is one of the reasons he calls himself “I am”. He simply IS.  He always has been. 

Often, when we think of the word “eternal”, we think of eternal future. In other words, we know heaven will last for forever, so a “forever future” doesn’t blow our mind.

But if God is eternal, that means there was never a time He didn’t exist. 

Which means, He also eternally existed in the past.  There is an eternity of time existing prior til now. 

The earth is somewhere as a blip on this eternal timeline of past and future. 

So…what was God doing in the past? 

We don’t know. All we know is earth’s history. 

But, my guess: 

He was likely creating things because HE’s a creator and that’s what creators do: they create. 

Chew on that. 

Yet, despite all we don’t know, there are several things we DO know: 

1. Prior to creating the earth, He pre-planned His death for our sake: 

Revelation 13:8 NIV “the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.”

And again: 1 Peter 1:20 NIV “He [Christ] was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for YOUR sake.”

2. Prior to creating the earth, He chose US:

Ephesians 1:4-5 NIV “For He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ in accordance with His pleasure and will.”

1 Peter 1b-2a NIV – “To god’s elect…who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father.”

3. Prior to creating the earth, He pre-gifted us GRACE since He knew we would need it by the time we showed up:

2 Tim 1:9 NIV”He has saved us and called us to a holy life–not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time.”

4. Prior to creating the earth, He Prepared an INHERITANCE for us before He made us: 

Matthew 25: 34 NIV “Then the king will say to those on His right: ‘come you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.'” 

5. Prior to creating the earth, He prepared GOOD WORKS–that were pre-planned assignments–for us to complete on earth: 

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s handiwork crated in Christ Jesus to do good works which God prepared in advance for us to do.” 

This last point is the part I want to focus in on.

He has pre-planned good works for us to do.

Have you ever considered that? 

That…along the timeline of our existence on earth…He has things He already planned ahead of time…since the creation of the entire world…generations and generations prior to our births…that he has ready for us specifically to complete.

Mind-boggling.

With this in mind, what should our response be? 

In other words:

1. Do we automatically complete the good works just because He preplanned them?

2. Or, does it require effort?

3. How do we discover what these good works are?

Let’s answer all these questions. 

1. Do we automatically complete our good works becuase God preplanned them?

Short answer: no.

The long answer (which actually answers  question #2  “does it require effort”) is this: 

We do not automatically complete our pre-planned good works because God does not force us into obedience to His will. He offers us freewill and ability to choose obedience or disobedience.

 As such, in order to accomplish the good works He has in store for us, it requires intentional effort.

Let me show you what I mean. In order to do so, lets read a story: 

Matthew 25 NIV:

14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

God gave 5 bags of gold, 2 bags of gold, 1 bag of gold ACCORDING TO THEIR ABILITY.

The one with 5 bags recognized he had simply been entrusted with a gift. It was given with a purpose. 

Yet, the one with 1 bag was so focused on protecting himself, he never used what had been given him. 

He was afraid so he did nothing and wasted the gift of life and talents given.

God only gave the talents based upon each individual person’s ability. He isn’t asking us to do “good works” that are outside our capabilities.  He didn’t ask me to go minister to the nuclearphysicists on the moon because that’s wayyyyy outside my wheelhouse. Likewise, he didn’t ask me to lead a fortune 500 company because that’s also outside my wheelhouse. He didn’t ask me to work on cars as a ministry because he knows I wouldn’t know what Im doing. 

Rather, He asks us to use what has been given based upon His omniscience in regards to our actual capabilities. 

After all, what use is an unused gift that we simply try to hand back to him at the end of the age? 

2. Does it require effort?

.Yes, it definitely requires effort (see above).

This leads to the last question, question 3: How do we know what good works were planned ahead for us? 

This can be straight forward. Or not. I’ll give you straight forward first: 

Often: our “good works” meet at the intersection of our talent and our opportunities. 

Let’s do a hypothetical example. Let’s say I know I’m skilled at cooking. If the local church asks me to cook each week for the ministry of those unhoused, this is likely a “good work” I may be called to complete. 

My talent intersected an opportunity.

Or another example may be this. Perhaps I know I’m skilled at computers and love kids. The local high school is looking for volunteers to minister to kiddos wthout fathers at home who need to learn computer skills. 

My talent intersected an opportunity. 

However, there’s also the non-straight forward way we might discover our pre-planned “good works.” In this way, the Holy Spirit will often lay an impression on our heart. We might be minding our business, and all of a sudden, we feel led to do something. 

This happened with me and my husband and our adoption.

It was out of the blue.

Not connected to anything else.

We received confirmation from the second person on the same day. 

Yet, not all opportunities are from God, so make sure you PRAY as you seek to discern your “good works.”

The Main Takeaway Is This: 

Are we reinvesting the bags (talents) that God has given us so His kingdom can expand?

You may feel ill-equipped to use your talents, but even when you don’t know how to proceed, the promise as Believers is that we have the Holy Spirit to guide us: 

We have been marked by the Holy Spirit! Marked with a seal…the promised HS   (Ephesians 1:13-14)

Look for these ways that He speaks and guides us to invest…

God asks us to invest: 

1. talents

2. time

3. energy

4. resources

5. faithfulness

6. resiliency

7. depedence upon Him.

There will be seasons of investing without knowing the outcome of where you’ve served. 

There will also be seasons of rest.

But overall, without a life poured out and surrendered to Christ, we have wasted it. 

As you go about your day today, ask God which areas of your life He gave you talents that He wants you to invest in His kingdom. Ask Him to give revelation where He wants you to invest your time so you can be obedient to the good works he has called you to. 

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A Plea for Afghanistan

Copyright 2021: BBC (no copyright infringement is intended)

Lord, 

I come to You brokenhearted. I come to You pleading.  I come to You knowing that You are the only One who is powerful enough to make significant changes in the heart of mankind. HELP!  Lord, please help. 

There is no one like You here on earth, under the earth, over the earth…no one like You in this galaxy…no one like You in all TWO TRILLION galaxies. You are powerful enough to exist even beyond all of that. You are so massive that the heavens are your throne and the earth is your footstool.

And so–with that knowledge in hand–we ask you to please have mercy.

Have mercy on the small children, trapped in Afghanistan. Trapped under Taliban rule. Trapped within their countries borders. Trapped under an oppressive rule.  Trapped in constant danger.  Trapped within the terror happening right now.  They say the eyes are the window to the soul, Lord, and each time we glimpse a picture of a small child on the news–their souls cry out through the screen. 

Bring salvation!  Please shield them, Father.  Please hold them in your arms.  Place a guard over their eyes.  Place a guard over their minds. Place a guard over their bodies.  Protect them from the wickedness and oppression surrounding them. Even as wickedness happens near them, please protect their innocence.  Please send your angels to create a shield around them that they would not be aware.  That when wickedness prevails, you would shelter them in an imaginative space in their mind that You create. That their innocence would be preserved. 

I plead for the nursing mothers, Lord.  Terrified for their lives, as they still go about providing daily sustenance for their vulnerable infants.  Terrified of what the future holds for themselves and their baby.  Terrified of what will happen to them or their child if the Taliban find a reason to enact terror on their family. Please show your mercy.  May they cry out to You in their hearts.  I pray that if any seeds of Truth have been planted in their minds in the past, that you would heavily water them and make them grow.  Show them how REAL You are.  Move their spirits deeply inside so they gravitate to You.

I plea for the terrified daddies, wondering how they will keep their family safe in the midst of the Taliban takeover. For those wondering how they can protect their wives and children…brothers and sisters…aunts and uncles.  Terrified for the future…toxic anxiety wracking their brains and bodies.  Lord, please be merciful.  You see them.  You know them.  Please draw them close to You…that they would know–beyond a shadow of a doubt–that you are a LOVING Father.  That you desire to protect them, even as they try to protect their earthly families.  That you desire to wrap them into your arms of safety. That you desire to keep watch over them under your protective wings. Let them know that you are Trustworthy. Have mercy.

I pray for all the vulnerable women and girls in Afghanistan.  I pray that You would teach them–deep in their spirits–of their worth.  That You have created them, and therefore You find them to be immensely valuable. That you have stitched them together in their’s mother’s womb with specific plans and purposes for their lives. That, as you formed their minds, You had a plan. That, as You formed their bodies, You had a plan. That, as You formed their spirits, You had a plan. That, as You formed their emotions, You had a plan. That, before You even formed one cell of their lungs, You saw every breath. That, before their lips were even formed, You knew every word that would ever proceed out of their mouths. Speak to them of Your plans for them.  Holy Spirit, please draw them deep into a close relationship with You. 

Lord, I plead for the Christians in Afghanistan.  We ask for supernatural protection over them.  We know they are particularly vulnerable to attacks and persecution right now.  We know you will be faithful in life as well as faithful in death. And yet, we also ask that you would preserve them here on this earth right now so they can minister during this difficult time.  Please place powerful and protecting warring angels around them and their families. Please give them boldness of faith to continue to offer the hope of Christ to all those around them who are terrified. Give them sound minds. Give them sound spirits.  Give them the supernatural peace that ONLY comes from basking in Your presence. Help them maintain an eternal perspective, even amidst their fear. May they never forget how You are described in Revelation….

You are the One with eyes like blazing fire…

You are the One with a face shining like the sun in all its brilliance…

You are the First and the Last…

You are the Living One…

You are the One who holds the seven stars and walks among the seven golden lampstands…

You are the One who died and rose Your OWNSELF back to life!…

You are the Son of God…

You are the One who is holy and true…

You are the One who holds the key of David…You are the one who opens doors that no one can shut…and shuts doors no one can open…

You are the Faithful and True God. Ruler of ALL of God’s creation…

You are the One who holds the Power…

You are the One to whom all creation must one day bow…

And so, Lord, PLEASE help in Afghanistan.  Strongly convict members of the Taliban that their deeds are wicked.  Speak straight to their spirits.  Directly communicate to them on a soul-level that they were created for SO much more than this. Only You are powerful enough to have immediate access to our minds, souls and spirits at a moment’s notice. Please intervene. You alone have the power to convict.

So many are deceived.  Many believe they are enacting ‘holiness’ in their terror, but they are being used by Satan…until he destroys them, too.  WAKE THEM UP, LORD.  We saw you speak to wicked kings repeatedly in Scripture.  Please, speak.  Draw them towards repentance.  

We see their faces on the news, and all we can do is stare into their eyes.  Eyes so full of hatred.  Their spirits must feel so deeply heavy. Speak to them in visions and dreams.  Warn them of their wickedness. Show them the path of life so they can choose differently. Cool their tempers.  Remind them of compassion. 

As young children—freshly born in the world–their innocence abounded.  Remind them of what it was to be loving. Remind them of what it meant to have care and compassion for their fellow man. Remind them of the pureness they once had. Remind them of what it felt like to be just a small little boy, eyes wide, taking in the world. Before the hardness set in.  Before bitterness took over. 

Send Your messengers to speak your truth.  Give the messengers boldness of speech.  Give Your messengers access to those Taliban members walking in darkness. Send your prophets to speak to their rulers.  Just as you sent Elijah to speak to the wicked king Ahab. Demonstrate Your supreme power, just as You did with the prophets of Baal before King Ahab.  Perform signs and wonders!

Bring justice for the oppressed.  Do what only You can do.  We need your intervention.  We need Your help. The people of Afghanistan are suffering.  Please show them that You are a real God to whom they can cry out. Lord, now is the time for tremendous spiritual growth. Please water the Gospel-planted seeds of the past now.  In the midst of the upheaval, show them just how real you are.  

Lord, give the people of the world a heart for Afghanistan.  Heal old wounds that have festered due to the ongoing war.  And help them see Afghans as a people-group dearly beloved by You.  That they are image-bearers of You as You are their Creator.  You designed each Afghan with gifts and talents.  May Believers around the world lift them up before your throne. 

We anxiously wait for the day when Revelation 7:9 comes to pass “After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb….” 

Lord, we know that the Afghan people–who choose to believe upon Your Name–will be in that number.  Lord, we know that your Word says that it is your KINDNESS that draws people into repentance.  So, please demonstrate your kindness during this time. 

Demonstrate your kindness through Christian aid groups who help. 

Demonstrate your kindness through the Believers still in Afghanistan. 

Demonstrate your kindness as you speak to people’s spirits.  

Demonstrate your kindness in providing adequate food and shelter for those struggling. 

Demonstrate your kindness in providing safety for those in fear.  

Demonstrate your kindness through your Body of Christ.  And please use it all to draw those who have been far from You into repentance. 

We need your help, Lord. Please bring soul-rest to the country of Afghanistan.  To the people of Afghanistan.  Please bring your peace. 

We are pleading with You.

And when we don’t know what to pray–please fill in the gaps…  

May Your name be honored. May Your kingdom come. May YOUR will be done here on earth just as it is in heaven.  Give those in Afghanistan a healthy portion of what they need both for today, and for tomorrow.  Forgive their sins. Show them the way of forgiveness towards their own brothers and sisters.Protect them from Satan’s tricks and deceit so they may turn from his temptations.Deliver them from his wickedness.

For, at the end of it all, YOURS is the kingdom. And the power. And the glory. Forever and ever and ever and ever.

In Jesus’ Powerful, Unmatched, Undisputed, Unmatchable name,

AMEN

**FOR THOSE ASKING: YES, you have my FULL permission to pray this from your pulpits this Sunday, your small groups on Wednesdays, or any other day of the week….Pray it in your house and pray it in your cars…Pray it in groups and pray it alone. Pray it over and over. Let’s cry out to God together!!!!***

How To Diversify Your Church: A Guide PART IV

Creator: Lyubov Ivanova | Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

I hope you were able to tune in for parts I, II, and III of this series.  If not, click each one of those three links and catch yourself up so the rest of this will make sense. 

10. GENERAL IDEA: Offer Diverse Programming

SPECIFICS: Like anything in the world, what you offer drives who attends. For example, if you desire barbecue, you go to the best local barbecue joint. If you desire delicious pho, you go to the best Vietnamese restaurant in town. So, when it comes time to look for Christian programming, you will go to the church that offers what is most interesting to you. Therefore, play around with your offerings. If you generally offer new programming in the fall and spring, then try to mix up what you are planning.

I will give you some examples.

Considering offering the community a Christian hip hop workout class each week. Of course, you need to make sure you have a teacher who can do justice to this type of workout–please don’t put someone who cannot dance/has no rhythm/doesn’t understand hip hop in this position. There is something so powerful about connecting with others through dance and music. Music can breakdown walls like nothing else.

Or, if you already offer a hip hop workout class, consider offering free movement classes at the church set to a diverse range of worship music. Again, please get a teacher who knows what they are doing. This type of class can be invaluable to lifting the spirits of your community and helping many different cultures connect with one another.

Or, if you already have workout classes at your church, then try to move into a different lane. Perhaps you have someone in your church who is a gifted flutist. So, consider offering the community discounted or free flute lessons.

Or, if music lessons already occur at your church, then consider offering an evening of free childcare for the surrounding community who perhaps is already struggling.

Or, if you’re already offering childcare, then perhaps you may wish to offer an evening of teaching English as a Second language each week to reach out to the local immigrant community in your area.

Or, why not offer community cooking classes each week? You could highlight a different country’s food each week (reach out to your community to see if there are local restauranteurs who would want to come). You could teach cooking classes for soul food, Korean food, Italian food, etc. This would be a great way to bring different cultures together as many people are interested in how to cook other culture’s foods.

Make sure that regardless of what new programming you decide to offer, you also use this also as an opportunity to build great relationships and draw people into the broader church community. Do not neglect my former advice. Be respectful, have a willingness to learn and have open ears, don’t demean, and don’t expect people coming to your events to assimilate to your church’s way of being and doing. And don’t try to be someone who you are not. If you a horrible hip hop dancer, no problem. Own that. Put words to it. People will respect you if you are trying to love, not if you are trying to snatch aspects of their culture away from them and cram them into your own culture’s mould.

Make it clear in your advertisements that all are welcome to your events. Then, make sure you over-communicate with the church members running your event that you wish for them to welcome–with open arms–anyone who comes. Purposefully advertise in more diverse areas. I know this seems obvious, but it needs to be stated. If you are hoping to diversify, but then advertise your events in homogenous areas, you might as well be spitting in the wind.

And of course, do not neglect prayer. This, like the rest, must be covered in prayer.

One important note as you begin the work of racial reconciliation in your church: It is critical that we, as a Church, acknowledge the atrociously racist history of some American churches.  

Here’s a great example of this. In this photo, the KKK is welcomed to a Baptist Church service in Portland, Oregon, 1922. (Oregon Historical Society, OrHi 51017.) “This image shows a photograph from the early 1920s, probably in Portland, in which robed and hooded Ku Klux Klan members share a stage with members of the Royal Riders of the Red Robe, a Klan auxiliary for foreign-born white Protestants. A large banner reading “Jesus Saves” occupies a prominent position on the wall at the rear of the stage and testifies to the strong role that Protestantism played in the KKK philosophy of “100 percent Americanism,” says Dane Bevan, © Oregon Historical Society, 2004.

I wish I could say that this picture was a stand-alone congregation.  Yet, we all know this not to be true.  In fact, James Henry Thronwell said the following in a famous 1861 sermon, “As long as that [African] race, in its comparative degradation, co-exists side by side with the white, bondage is its normal condition.”  Thornwell regularly touted slavery and white supremacy as a Christian value of his as he preached to his 3,000 member congregation at First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, S.C., where he was the senior pastor in the years leading up to the Civil War. 

Many churches of all denominations participated in this segregation. (Gratefully, similarly, many denominations have since denounced white supremacy and racism as well. This is, therefore, not meant to point out any one denomination, for it was widespread among all.)

This racism was prevalent in the days of slavery. In fact, slaves were never allowed access to the entire Bible.  In its place was something called a “Slave Bible” which had all references to freedom and escape from slavery eliminated. Meanwhile, passages that encouraged obedience and submission were emphasized. In other words, slaveowners used God’s holy word to manipulate and subjugate fellow human beings. The editors included only 10 percent of the Old Testament and half of the New Testament in an effort to deceive and abuse their fellow man.

(Bible printed for reading to slaves, London 1807. Passages such as the Book of Exodus are removed. Original book: Law & Gilbert; digitisation: Oxford University/Google.)

No wonder there has been division in the church for centuries. 

Satan thrives on division. He loves it so much because he recognizes that it hurts our witness for Christ. He sees that our lack of genuine love for one another turns people off from ever drawing close to God. Therefore, it is on us to actively fight to change the landscape of our churches.

And yes, I’m talking to all churches. All-white churches need to diversify. All-black churches need to diversify. All-latino churches need to diversify. All-asian churches need to diversify. Etcetera. You get my point. Even if your church is semi-diverse right now, you likely could diversify even further!

If you hear nothing else from my entire post, hear this: The church in America may have had its roots in segregation, but we do not have to continue it. The Gospel is a GLOBAL gospel that, quite frankly, had it’s origins in the Middle East (Hello Eden! Hello Canaan! Hello Jerusalem!) It’s America that is on the Struggle Bus.

How is it that the Church of God (the God who says His entire definition of Himself IS love) continues to be a point of separation and not unity? 1 Corinthians 1:10 says, “I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.” (ESV) Meanwhile, 1 Peter 3:8 says, “Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind.” (ESV)

Colossians 3:14 says, “And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” (ESV)

If we can’t get it together, then we will continue to struggle reaching those who don’t yet know Christ.  They are able to see that our ‘brand’ of love is only as good as our comfort level.  They aren’t seeing this type of love:  “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13 ESV) 

If you are scared of taking the first steps, don’t ever forget 1 John 4:18 “There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” (ESV). As you love, the fear will be extinguished. 

And don’t ever forget, “Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:8 ESV). 

The kingdom has never been about our personal comfort levels, but how we can glorify God.

We’ve got work to do, Church.  Let’s get to it.

P.S. As I said, this four part guide is not an exhaustive list.  I would love to hear from y’all: Have you seen other tactics and methods work to diversify your own church? I would be honored to hear about it in the comments. I look forward to hearing your responses. 

(In the meantime, come connect with me on twitter and let’s keep the conversation going: https://twitter.com/authorlizhouse )

If you don’t want to miss out when I post something new, add your email below and you will receive an email each time I post a new blogpost!

How To Diversify Your Church: A Guide PART III

Creator: Lyubov Ivanova | Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

If you missed part I, click here.  If you missed part II, click here. Otherwise, this list won’t make sense. 

Alright, let’s continue onward regarding some specific steps you can take to begin the process of diversifying your church.

7. GENERAL IDEA: Be aware of your approach.  Gentleness goes a long way. 

SPECIFICS: 

I want to first address White individuals.  We need to be realistic.  The majority of individuals in America are White. According to the 2019 US Census, approximately 76% of Americans were White, 18.5% Latino, 13%  Black, 1.5% Native American, 5.9% Asian, less than .5% Pacific Islander,  and 2.5% two or more races. 

Due to this majority status of White individuals, that means that the majority of minorities in this country have spent their whole lives assimilating to a majority “White way” of doing things in their jobs, interactions in broader society, in school, etc.  Many have become incredibly skilled at interacting with all ethnicities, shifting their approach where necessary. 

Many less White individuals have developed this same skill.  Due to the fact that White individuals are the majority in this country, many have simply continued to persist in their White cultural norms, belief systems, and ways of being and doing. Many White individuals have never even walked into a room in America where they were the minority. (Some have, but only while in other countries. I’m talking about in your own home country if you are American.) This is in direct opposition to most minorities, who regularly walk into rooms where they are the only one of their particular ethnicity. 

White church-goers need to be humbly aware that the ‘White way’ is not always the ‘right way’ just because we are in a country that often chooses the ‘White way’ as the default. 

If we want to genuinely connect with other ethnicities, we need to be very, very good listeners. We need to hear with our hearts and not just our ears.  Here is a critical point that you cannot miss: we cannot come barrelling in ready to share our viewpoints.  Keep your viewpoint to yourself for a while.  Just listen. I’m serious. Unless someone directly asks you for your perspective, keep it to yourself.  Ask tons of questions that show that you are willing to learn and just want to connect with others.  You’re not there to ‘fix them’ or ‘change them’; you are just there to be friends.

 I make this point in particular because all minorities have experienced the phenomenon of the “White Savior.”  What does this mean? It means that often, when White individuals come into minority spaces, they try to ‘fix everything’ to change it to the White norms of doing things.  Minorities can be especially wary of a group of White individuals showing up, as their experiences have taught them that as soon as White individuals arrive, they are there to tell the minorities all the ‘wrong ways’ they have been doing things for centuries. 

 This is not Christ’s approach. The Gospel is a global gospel, so there is no right or wrong except what is explicit in Scripture. So, like I said, as your church starts to do the hard work of diversifying, ensure that in White conversations with minority individuals, please remain humble and listen with open ears and hearts. 

This can also go the opposite direction, so I need to be clear that I am not only addressing White individuals here.  Due to centuries of racism and maltreatment, this can cause many minorities to develop callous hearts towards White individuals for good cause. There is zero judgment here if this is the place you are in mentally right now. Yet, I want to gently encourage you that despite the root of the pain our life, we are not given a free pass not to forgive. The way of Christ is always forgiveness. (That does not mean I am advocating for lack of boundaries. If someone is toxic, you may need to love “from a distance” for awhile. You definitely need to pray for them [ie: pray for your enemies and those who persecute you]) But, also–excluding these toxic situations–if you are an ethnic minority, then take an honest look at your heart. Is it open? Are you willing to listen and be a true friend to someone new? Are you willing to learn new ways of doing things, or are you entrenched in your own culture’s norms? Have you hardened your heart towards your White brothers and sisters because of what others have done? Ask Christ to help you forgive.

Be gentle. Be tender. 

Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” 

Please remember that in all your interactions.

8. GENERAL IDEA: There is no right way.

SPECIFICS:  All churches can get so caught up in their way of doing things that they alienate people who do church in a different way. Be cautious when you come together.  Be aware of your unintentional biases. 

Transformation Church, in Tulsa Oklahoma, has a great idea that I think could go a long way.  Once a month, they cancel their own services.  They encourage all of their members to visit other churches in the area.  They want to communicate several things:  

1. Our church is not the ‘best church.’ Every church has its own strengths and weaknesses.  As such, visiting other churches allow the members to experience different ways of being and doing.
2. We need to connect as a larger Body of Christ.  So, attending other churches in the community help us all connect as one massive Body in the city that can bring about larger change. 
3. Getting together with others helps improve our services as well, as we bring back new ideas and thoughts of how to run our own services.
4. Sometimes, it’s okay to share church members.  Some church members will come to our church as a result of our visit.  Sometimes, our members will leave and join another church as a result of their visit.  This creates a constant melting pot in all the churches versus stagnation.

One of the biggest criticisms I hear from non-Believers about the church is that they (non-Believers) do a better job at loving people than the church does.  They see our segregation and are not impressed with the love of our God as a result.  When we communicate love and multiculturalism outside our churches, it can draw non-Believers inside as they see us choosing to exhibit the attitudes of Christ. 

9. GENERAL IDEA: Serve towards reconciliation.

We don’t just talk about racial reconciliation, we serve towards it.

SPECIFICS:  Who are you choosing to serve as church? Are you specifically willing to serve in different communities than your own? If you’re located in a poor, rural area, are you willing to serve in a rich, suburban area? If you’re located in a rich, suburban area, are you willing to serve in a poor, urban area?  If your community is primarily Latino, are you willing to serve the local Black community? If your community is primarily Black, are you willing to serve your White brothers and sisters? If your community is primarily White, are you willing to serve your Asian brothers and sisters? 

Serving softens our hearts like nothing else in God’s kingdom. Serving creates moments when we look more like our Savior than ourselves. ( “For even the Son of Man did not come expecting to be served by everyone, but to serve everyone, and to give his life as the ransom price in exchange for the salvation of many.” (Mark 10:45 TPT)) When we can choose to serve in true humility, not believing ourselves to be ‘better than’ others, then the radical love of Christ is sent forth. 

But remember this important caveat: when you are serving, you are humble, not believing yourself to be above those you are serving. You need to enter the act of service with a strong recognition you all are on equal grounding.  Perhaps dig into the recesses of your mind and remember a time that you, yourself, needed a helping hand.  I’m guessing you had people help you in a way that felt great!  I’m also guessing you had people help you in a way that made you feel gross afterwards. Remind yourself of which approach helped and which hurt. 

Generally speaking, Great Approaches To Help include these concepts: 

1. Start any act of service by simply sitting down and getting to know someone.  Find your commonalities.  You both need to see the humanity in each other.  Don’t skip this step.  Many ‘service days’ simply show up and get immediately to work, believing that getting the most work done is of utmost importance.  While important, it’s not to be placed at the expense of the feelings of those you are serving.  Plan ahead your service schedule to include an opportunity for fellowship at the beginning of service. Include it again at break time or at the end of the day.
2. Invite the people you are serving (ahead of time) to join alongside you (if appropriate.)  For example, if you are offering to fix someone’s house, then offer to work alongside them. This not only gives them ultimate say-so in what repairs are done on the house, but also gives them the sense of pride of ownership that they are working on their own house, and you all are simply extra workers there to assist them in what they are already doing.  Make sure you allow them a voice to explain what they would like done on their house.  Ask them if they want to be the ‘point person’ for anyone who has questions throughout the day, or if they would prefer a member of the team be the ‘point person.’ 

Now,  this would not be appropriate if the person you are assisting is very sick or otherwise incapacitated and unable to help.  Use discretion.   

3. Allow a reciprocal relationship of serving to occur.  I remember when I was in high school, I went to Mexico for a week to build a house for a family.  The organization I was working with did an excellent job at including the family in the building process. They were there the whole time building alongside us.  Yet, when lunchtime came, they also got ready to fix us an entire meal.  There were at least forty of us, and I immediately balked at the idea!  I could not fathom how expensive it was to prepare the enormous feast that was being prepared right in front of our eyes.  I wanted to shout that they did not have to do that! In fact, please don’t do it!  I was wrong. Not only was their desire to feed us strongly based in their own cultural values, but their ability to fix us lunch everyday created a reciprocal relationship.  It made them feel like they weren’t just taking-taking-taking…instead, they also had something to give.  And, in fact, from their perspective, being able to feed the forty of us for a week was a much lesser gift than we were giving them–a new home. 
4. Remember there are multiple ways of ‘doing things.’  I know I keep harping on this point, but if you are ever going to be successful in becoming multicultural, remembering this point is of utmost importance. Thus, when you get ready to serve, ask their opinion regarding how they would like the service to be completed.  Ask as many questions as possible.  If you are there to serve a meal to their community, ask things like: 1. Where would it be best to set up? 2. Where would it be best to have fellowship with your community? 3. Would you like music to be played? If so, what is your preference? 4. Would you prefer to play games, or do you prefer we just stick to feeding the community? 5. Who is generally ‘in charge’ in this area? Would they still like to be in charge while we are here or would you prefer we ‘take charge’? 6. What do you all normally do to distribute food? 7. Are you guys open to ________, or do you prefer we do it like this _________ ?  We can never forget that communities almost always have their own norms, and it can be considered disrespectful if we come in and completely disregard what they are comfortable doing.

Conversely, generally speaking, Gross Approaches To “Help” include these concepts: 

1. Coming in and immediately getting to work.  Keeping your interaction with the community to a minimum and just sticking to the ‘plan.’  In most minority cultures, this approach is considered to be pretty sterile at best, and offensive at worst.
2. Coming in and assuming that your way is best and barreling past anyone who suggests something different.  Or, coming in and ignoring the body language of those around you. Most likely, they are communicating that they are not a fan of what you’re doing, but you’re ignoring it. 
3. Coming in as the ‘expert’ in all things. Being rigid and unwilling to be flexible.
4. Not being aware of cultural norms.  For example, most minority cultures place a heavy emphasis on respect for the elders of the church.  If you come in and brush aside the elderly in favor of whatever you’re doing, you’re going to build walls, not tear them down. 
5. Sending people who really aren’t equipped to do it. Yes, I do think that willing servants is what God calls us to be. I also think that He stretches us beyond our limits.  He often asks us to do things that scare us. But that doesn’t mean that if you feel terrified, and judgey, and triggered by crime that you should go join a prison ministry! There are some people that are just not going to be equipped for the specific service you are doing. They would be better utilized elsewhere, so let them do that so that you don’t do more damage to people already hurting. After all, how loved would someone in jail feel if the ‘servants’ come in and don’t want to talk, or pray, or hug anyone because they are not in the mind-space to do it?

…Tune in tomorrow for the fourth and final part of this series…

(In the meantime, come connect with me on twitter and let’s keep the conversation going: https://twitter.com/authorlizhouse )

If you don’t want to miss out when I post something new, add your email below and you will receive an email each time I post a new blogpost!

How To Diversify Your Church: A Guide PART II

Creator: Lyubov Ivanova | Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

If you missed part I, click here.  Otherwise, this list won’t make sense. 

Alright, let’s continue onward regarding some specific steps you can take to begin the process of diversifying your church.

4. GENERAL IDEA: Diverse Leadership and Staff

Okay, this might step on a few toes, but please stick with me here.  

There have been anointed men and women of all colors, nations, and languages for as long as the world has been in existence.  God has always been concerned with the heart of mankind, not with their skin color, education level, official training, spoken language, etc.  If He has someone’s obedience and allegiance, He is more likely to use them and the natural gifts He put in them over all other things.  

Therefore, there are quality people for any role you seek to fill.  As such, if diversity is not represented within your leadership staff, then it may be time to evaluate your heart to see if that was intentional, whether subconsciously or not. 

Now, perhaps you know it wasn’t intentional.  In fact, you tried to look for more diverse candidates, but qualified, diverse candidates don’t currently live where you are located.  I definitely recognize the struggle there!  It can be so tough if you’re living somewhere where diversity is not widespread.  

However, don’t allow that to completely stop you! Many people are willing to move if they feel led by the Spirit.  Not only that, many times people will be more willing to apply at a church if they know that church is seeking to be a place of diversity, even if it is not quite diverse yet.  Additionally, you may simply need to be more intentional on where you are seeking candidates. Have you made any community partnerships in areas that are of differing ethnicities? Start informally advertising in these spaces that you are seeking diverse candidates.

SPECIFICS:

 If you are seeking to diversify staff, then as I mentioned back in point one, start with prayer.  Ask God to help make your staff look closer to what the council of leaders in heaven will look like:  diverse, ranging in color, background, country of origin, etc. 

Whether you realize it or not, your staff is being evaluated before people even walk in the door.  Most people in 2020 will check out a church’s website long before they walk in the door. Who do they see when they scroll the pictures of church staff? Is it mostly homogenous? Can they scroll through all departments and see diversity?

I will be frank: this is especially critical in upper level leadership. If I can go to a church’s website, and I see all one type of person in upper level leadership, and very minimal diversity (or none at all) even in lower levels, then something very specific is being communicated before I even walk in the door.  

Ask yourself: 

-Do we have diverse elders?

– Do we have diverse deacons? 

-Is there diversity in the executive leadership staff?

-Are some of our department directors of differing ethnicity?

-Have we created an environment where people of differing backgrounds and skin colors feel their ideas will be accepted and considered?  Or are we set in our ways?

Now, you might be thinking to yourself, “Well, we tried to diversify a while ago, but our diverse elders and/or staff members left within the year.”  If you are noticing high turnaround among diverse leadership, then you need to start asking yourself some hard-hitting questions.  Were you simply expecting them to assimilate to your way of being, or were you open to their ways of doing ‘church’?  Were you willing to incorporate new ideas or did you expect them to always conform to your church’s norms?  Did you listen with open ears to their perspectives? Or did you try to cram them into the box of how you were used to doing church? Did you label them as ‘difficult’ and ‘unwilling to get along with others’ when they pushed back on some of your current church’s rituals?

We cannot forget that Jesus was not an American White man. Likewise, he wasn’t an affluent Black man from the best part of town. We have to understand that at times, our comprehension of the Gospel is not the only accurate interpretation. Despite all of our best efforts, it can sometimes be difficult to interpret Scripture apart from our own experiences. We must be aware of this about ourselves. We cannot dismiss different expressions of worship and connection with God and ‘ways of doing church’ just because they differ from how we’ve always done it.

Many people in recent years have pointed this out, but perhaps you are not yet aware: the average Christ-follower is a poor woman from the southern hemisphere, not an affluent White man from America.  How would a poor, single-mother from Nigeria worship? Think about the average Christian believer in China.  Most have never stepped inside a traditional, four-walled church, yet their faith is burning like white-hot coals. Think of those in Saudi Arabia, who are fighting hard to cling to their faith in the midst of persecution. How would they do ‘church’? 

We need to listen and learn from voices in the church from all walks of life. There are hundreds of ways to ‘do church’, and if we don’t allow our methods to be malleable, we may very well be destined to stay stagnant in homogenous church communities. Unless someone’s idea is anti-Biblical, then it needs to be considered. It is up to us all to be open to slightly changing protocols and ways of doing things so that people of varying cultures do not have to change who they are at a fundamental level in order to attend.  

Let’s be honest: one of the best parts of diversity is that it stretches all of us.  We all learn new ways of being and doing, that perhaps are often even better than the way we were doing them before!

We are called the BODY of Christ for a reason.  Perhaps you needed a Left Hand this whole time, who would be better at opening certain doors than the Ear you’ve been trying to force into that position for a while.  

Each culture will have its strengths and weaknesses.  When we come together, we balance each other out.  When we force people out because they didn’t conform to our ways of doing things, then we are stuck using an Ear to try to open doors. 

One important note:  Please don’t hire someone or appoint someone to a position simply due to their skin color.  It is an insult to their gifts–and the plan that God has for their lives–to simply appoint someone based upon some melanin. Their melanin is not a good qualification for a position. No one wishes to be demeaned in this way, so please don’t do it. Pray hard that God will help you diversify with people who have the right gifting to be in that position. 

5. GENERAL IDEA:  Website

Is it clear from the moment you land on the church’s website page that diversity is a value to you all? I mentioned that people will be searching staff, but they will also be searching church values, church beliefs, and pictures of church activities. What will they see when they search these things?

SPECIFICS:  

Even if you are just in the beginning stages of diversifying, it is easy to put a mission statement right on the front page that makes it abundantly clear that diverse membership is something you are yearning towards.  You can be honest if it’s only a goal right now, not yet a reality.  Or, you can simply say something to the effect of: “Becoming a church that represents every tribe, tongue and nation is of utmost importance to us as a congregation because it is on the Father’s heart.  As such, we are praying for further diversification of our church body.  We are actively seeking to be a multi-ethnic, multi-generational, and multinational church who walks in unity.  We wish to demonstrate to the world what it looks like when the Love of Christ is actively moving among His people.  When it is, there is unshakeable peace as we follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance in our actions towards one another.”

This will actually play into what comes up in google searches as well.  Many people will specifically search for “diverse churches” in their city.  When they do so, if you have nothing on your website about being a diverse church, it will likely not pop up for them.  

The people who are searching for diversity are likely those who are themselves diverse.  Multi-ethnic families in particular will often search for ‘multi-ethnic’ churches.  They will likely not show up to your church if they can’t tell from your website that diversity is a value of yours.

6.GENERAL IDEA:  Street signage and other communication outside the church.

Generally speaking, most churches have some type of signage on the street.  What does it say?  Can people tell just by driving by what you value as a church?

What about your pamphlets/radio advertisements/billboards/newspaper ads? Do they communicate what you value?

SPECIFICS: 

Signage: This can be as involved as you want it to be. Or you can keep it small.  Something small would look like a tagline on the church’s sign.  Something to the effect of, “[Church’s Name]: A multicultural church seeking to love God and love people.”  A small mention of your church’s multicultural belief system will speak volumes to anyone who drives by the church.  You are communicating your church’s values without anyone ever walking through the door. This will also automatically grab people’s attention.

Outside Advertisements: Meanwhile, whatever other means you utilize to bring people to the church also need to be clear that you are a church who values diversity. If you are leaving flyers on people’s doors, or doing radio advertisements, using billboards, etc., then you need to communicate your church’s multicultural belief system…

…Tune in tomorrow for part III

(In the meantime, come connect with me on twitter and let’s keep the conversation going: https://twitter.com/authorlizhouse )

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