This racial reconciliation curriculum was designed by Christian Reformed pastors and leaders, under the auspicious of the Office of Race Relations, for the churches they serve and the church denomination they belong to. These training modules are for everyone in the Christian Reformed Church. People in leadership capacities of various communities are strongly encouraged to attend—the seminary and seminary students, denominational agency staff, urban congregations in changing neighborhoods, pastors and council members, youth pastors, campus ministers, missionaries, small group leaders, church planters, members of the Board of Trustees, college professors, executive staff, antiracism teams, youth groups and Sunday school teachers, and Christian educators/school teachers.
Frequently, most of the participants will be members of the dominant culture, overwhelmingly white, and often defensive regarding racism. The workshops will be carried out in partnership with people of color. The facilitators will come from different ethnic backgrounds.
This workshop is designed to be offered to groups of 20-25 persons. See our list of upcoming events.
Mission
The essence (mission) of the church is to proclaim the message of salvation in Jesus Christ. The intended consequence of this is to gather the nations, build peace in the communities we live in, become disciples and make disciples, and be one body united by one Spirit serving one Lord (Matt. 28, I Cor. 12). God’s vision is for a church of all nations. The church is therefore called to diversity; failure to comply is disobedience to the will of God!
Racism is a sin—a barrier to realizing God’s vision. Racism hurts all. It violates the image of God in us. Racism is present throughout our society, including in our church and congregations. All societies, including our own, suffer from the debilitating effects of racism. Many of us do not understand racism, its effects, and how to undo racism. Institutions, cultures, and influential persons embody and transmit racism from one generation to another; therefore, we need to examine our individual roles, as well as our communities’ roles in either maintaining or dismantling racism in our lives.
In 1996, Synod mandated the Office of Race Relations to initiate and provide effective and collaborative training, programs, and organizing actions in ways that mobilize Christian Reformed agencies and educational institutions as well as classes and congregations to recognize, expose, and dismantle racism in all its forms and to experience true biblical reconciliation as a diverse and unified people of God. This provides us with an opportunity to strengthen the impact of the gospel; in fact, the survival of the Christian Reformed church may depend on it. We all need to be equipped with reconciliation skills. We want to work toward a reconciled diversity, to move from principle to action, from head to heart to hands so that all might experience comfort in a multicultural Christian Reformed Church.
In workshops, we specifically want to solicit feedback on the quality and appropriateness of the design in order to strengthen learning tasks, sharpen content, and check for congruence between racial reconciliation theory and practice.
Format
Opening
Introduction
Task #1: Warm-up: Church
Task #2: Race Relations in the CRC
Task #3: Program Review, Purpose, Expectations, Guidelines
Session One
The Kingdom Value of Diversity
Task #4: The Biblical Perspective on Diversity
Task #5: The Advantages of Diversity
Task #6: Internal vs. External Culture
Task #7: Demonstrate the Need to Know and Make Changes
Session Two
Dismantling Racism
Introduction: Images of Hate
Task #8: White Privilege
Task #9: Defining Our Terms
Task #10: Institutional Racism
Task # 11: The Four Barriers to Dismantling Racism
Session Three
Racial Reconciliation
Task #12: Racial Reconciliation / Restoration
Task #13: Calling, Clothing, and Commitment
Task #14: Skills for a Reconciler
Task #15: Reconciliation Skills Worksheet
Task #16: Models for Overcoming Racial Division
Task #17: Action Ideas
Task #18: Our Priorities
Final Session
Transformation
Task #19: Review
Task #20: Belhar Confession
Task #21: Feedback
For more information or to schedule a workshop, please call the Office of Race Relations (877) 864-3977 and ask for Rev. Esteban Lugo, director or Jan Ortiz, administrative assistant.
