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 )
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