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Why It’s Worth It

Is it really worth the extra effort, energy and planning to establish and maintain a multi-ethnic church? Do the benefits outweigh the costs? After all, only 2.5% of mainline Protestant churches can be described as multi-ethnic so why should my church be any different?

The short answer is a resounding, “Yes!” It is absolutely worth it. That only leaves the question of why it’s worth it. A multi-ethnic church:

•  truly mirrors culture - We are a diverse world, nation and, more often than not, community. Should not our churches look like the community we serve?

• greatly impacts culture - It illustrates the available potential we have when we tear down walls of prejudice and various -ism’s.

• rightly represents heaven - There are no seating assignments in heaven based on race, socio-economic status, denomination, education or any other box society likes to put people into. Wouldn’t it be nice to get a taste of that before we get there?

Yes. It takes extra effort, energy and planning to be multi-ethnic. But the rewards are unbelievably limitless. Imagine what we could do in our world when we stand united: one voice, one people serving one God.

Move Your Cheese

Spencer Johnson wrote an incredible book on how to deal with change called, “Who Moved My Cheese.” In it, you find two mice in a maze. They are trained to run the maze to a specified end where they find cheese awaiting them. One day, the cheese is moved. One of the mice decides to look for the cheese. The other, determined to stick with the status quo, stays put hoping the cheese will come back to him.

Nobody really likes change. But, if you want to successfully lead a multi-ethnic church, change is constant and inevitable. You have to be able to adapt to an ever-changing congregation. The way you did church when you were 80% white and 20% black will not work once you become 50/50. Keep yourself ready to adapt to your church culture by:

•     Putting a structure in place to force change. Don’t let people get too comfortable with the way things are. If people get too comfortable, they starve when you have to move the cheese.

•     Be ready to act and respond quickly. Your church culture will change quickly when you truly become intentional about being multi-ethnic

•     Know the temperature of the culture and adjust as needed. There cannot be any “sacred cows” in your church. EVERYTHING has to be up for change.

5 Musts for Multi-Ethnic Churches

Being ethnically diverse is at the heart of who Cornerstone is and why we do church the way we do. On more than one occasion we’ve been asked how we maintain such a multi-ethnic congregation. We have found there are 5 "musts" for any church that wants to be multi-ethnic:

1.   You must have conviction.

2.   You must have intention.

3.   You must have education.

4.   You must have adaptation.

5.   You must have exclusion.

The first must is conviction. Breaking ethnic barriers must be a conviction your church carries. Miriam-Webster defines conviction as a “strong belief.” You must strongly believe that:

-   God’s desire is that His church be multi-ethnic

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations (people groups), baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19 (NLT)

-   Not being multi-ethnic in approach is a sin

My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism…if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin...You are guilty of breaking the law.  James 2:1 & 9 (NIV/NLT)

-   Multi-ethnic unity reflects God’s love

I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.  John 17:23 (NIV)

Remember, conviction drives choices. In choosing to be a multi-ethnic church you must first have a conviction to be one.

5 Great things to see on Sunday!

5 things I love to see on Sundays

1. Someone you have poured your life into... SOAR!
2. Children telling their parents they LOVE THEIR church
3. People reaching for the tissue under their seats
4. Conversations about the miracles God is doing
5. People from different nations, tribes & tongues, loving one another

I love to see these things because they are outward signs that a great God is moving on the inside!

10 Signs of a Mult-Ethnic Church

1. The Pastor has a Hip-Hop station on memory
2. The staff goes to Tyler Perry Movies together
3. The staff is able to laugh and celebrate differences
4. On Sunday morning a "newcomer" asks "is this a black or white churc 
   h?"
5. Members feel comfortable inviting ANNNYYYYBODDDDYYYY
6. The church closes on Martin Luther King day
7. The staff tells Seinfeld jokes, and they all get it
8. Everyone knows "The Office" is not just the place they work
9. You can ask cultural questions and feel safe
10. A Multi-Ethnic church wants WORLD PEACE (just so we can all get along)