5 Ideas to Help Your Church Work Toward Racial Justice and God's Shalom

There are many divisive issues that we would love to forget as 2020 fades into history. But there is one issue that made headlines this past year that should not be silenced in our churches and our communities: the pursuit of racial justice.
Without racial justice, we cannot have shalom, and unless we seek shalom, we will not be joining in God’s mission of proclaiming the good news in our neighborhoods and around the world.
As someone who grew up in a homogenous neighborhood, school, and church, I am still on a learning journey about the impact of race on my neighbors and community. I am learning from you, as I have a front-row seat to see how churches and classes invest in this collective conversation. Which of these ideas inspires you to keep listening and learning so that together we can join in God’s mission?
In closing, I’ll share this paragraph from the Classis Grand Rapids North Diversity Committee’s mandate that ties racial justice to the mission, in hopes that it inspires you to take steps towards racial justice in your own classis and congregation:
"God’s mission is mainly propagated by his church—and therefore, the body of Christ must be the embodiment of his shalom and unity. We cannot proceed in proclaiming the message of salvation to the world when forms of 'dividing walls of hostility' still have footprints in our congregations. We must have a deliberate engagement and reflection on what it means to co-exist as the diverse body of Christ."
Written by Amy Schenkel, Resonate Global Mission's regional mission leader for the Great Lakes region. Resonate is here to help you and your church work toward racial justice and join in God's mission in your communities and throughout the world. Want support, or want to share how you and your church have been working toward shalom? Connect with Amy Schenkel by email at aschenkel@crcna.org.
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Biblical Justice, Racial Reconciliation
Racial Reconciliation
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