John Ortberg's Story Of Rehoboam In The Bible

Galindo analyzes that the fundamental “mission” of a congregation is the same as any other congregation that exists in any part of the world. He argues that though every congregation has a mission and a vision, at the same time, it shares a basic common mission. (43) This reminds me of my home church The First Church of Evanston and my Field Site, The Evanston Vineyard Church. Both churches have a common mission of welcoming people to the church, irrespective of their ethnic, cultural, racial, and economic and, gender backgrounds. The mission is to help people be received in the house of God with due and deserved Christian love so that they feel loved and welcomed. Both these churches encourage church attendees to attend the service and receive the Eucharist.

Since, “Religion's initial and primary thrust is conservative”(Pg. 17), as such, the Church today is open to racial reconciliation, but the initial thrust is conservative in nature, thus leading us to take a passive approach. Though admirable, it isn’t taking the necessary and progressive steps needed for a racial reconciliation within itself, let alone society at large, which is why Evangelicalism has fallen short of brining forth change towards this issue.

In his book, Rah highlights cultural insensitivity of the Western white Evangelicalism and advocates for multiethnic and immigrant churches. He argues that the Evangelical churches have failed to embrace racial diversity or address the growth of the immigrant population. As the contemporary American society becomes more diverse and multicultural, the American church needs to move beyond its identity as Western and become truly multiethnic. Then, Rah goes after the church growth movement and American megachurches, arguing that they focus on marketing and mass production techniques instead of proclaiming the gospel. He boldly proclaims that "the church growth movement of the twentieth century reflects the cultural values of individualism, materialism, and racism" (2009, 107). He also criticizes the emergent church movement for remaining predominantly white and not acknowledging the non-white voices within Christianity. Ran encourages leaders to learn from multiethnic communities and the Immigrant Church in America.

African American women represent a significant proportion of congregation in most African American churches. “African American women make up about 66-88 percent majority in African American churches though they are not well represented in the church leadership.” The greatest variation that can be observed in women’s leadership is in the pastoral category. The situation is worse for unmarried women who want to be church ministers, pastor or preacher but it becomes complicated for women who are in relationships but not yet married. Nonetheless, unmarried women are still being ordained and appointed as pastors and bishops at a growing rate. One of the remarkable appointment which also marked a milestone

The Rise to Respectability: Race, Religion, and the Church of God in Christ, by Calvin White, Jr. Fayetteville: The University of Arkansas Press, 2012. 239 Pages.

God loves his Church and Jesus is the one who builds the Church. Then, it goes without saying that God loves the local church and Jesus builds the local church. Unfortunately, there are many factors that come into play, causing churches to become complacent or stagnate before entering into a season of decline. Yet this can be avoided through the process of revitalization.

The article explains the importance of understanding race. Racial diversity is spreading in numerous organizations, including religion. The author states that “interracial churches will need to placate white members’ and affirm their religiocultural preferences and interests in order to sustain a racially diverse

There are many challenges to ministry in today’s world and having a vital and relevant ministry is even harder. Churches across all denominations face drastic declines in both attendees and financial giving. With this as the background, it is imperative that vital ministries seek out opportunities to grow and engage groups and communities that have previously been overlooked, missed or not involved for other reasons including some theological reasons. With this idea and goal in mind, this essay sets out to examine and design a process by which the Churches of Cherokee, Oklahoma can successfully connect with and minster to the new Hispanic community in Cherokee. Using the pastoral cycle method, a process will be designed in this essay to

Regardless of my town’s homogeneous population, I grew up accepting diversity and valuing individual differences even amid the same racial group. One of the first experiences of diversity I can vividly recall is the various religious beliefs within the Black community. My parents believed “exposure to the world around you” was one of the primary factors for raising a well-rounded individual. Therefore, we often visited different churches of various faiths.

The members of the local congregation are “Christ’s body” (v. 23) and that Christ is the Head of the church worldwide (v. 22). Those who are born-again comprise the parts of the local body with each person having gifts to use in benefit of the collective group and others as well. Involvement is crucial for any congregation, and small groups are they key to ensure that all are able to be involved in the life of their church. If small groups operate as they should, the benefit to the corporate body should be realized in terms of faith, service, prayer and edification. Comiskey, Dempsey, et.al underscore service to all with the term “body” fleshing away ethnic patrimony against the “unity and universality of the church, for the church reconciles Jew and Gentile into one body (1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 2:16; cf. 4:4)”. No distinction is made in Scripture regardless of nationality, and that means Jew and Gentile as both are expected to work together in accord with the Spirit as he wills. The ministries of small groups facilitate the idea “on multiple levels by incorporating missional/intentional principles which are exponents of the transformational when one has become born-again in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.”

“For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many.” (1 Cor. 12: 12-14). Diversity was established by God, not to separate us but to build his church. I think that Northwestern’s Vision for Diversity shows the clear strive they have to encourage and celebrate each other’s differences along with what we have in common in order to bring one another closer, to Praise God, and thank Him for the beauty and gifts he has blessed and surrounded us with.

Christ is the leader of the Church, Paul in Ephesians 1:22 said “God placed everything under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the Church” however, God entrusted the authority to lead to his servant whom he set them aside to lead the community. Pastor as a public Leadership is to lead community. A person who is called by God to lead public has a responsibility to be in the community, with the community and for the community. One of best questions raised in the class during public leadership discussion was “How we can be a community pastor rather than just a church pastor?” This really a kind of question we are to consider as pastor especially as rural congregation pastor. In most cases when pastor are called to

Leaders are appointed to serve here on earth on behalf of Christ since Christ is the good and chief shepherd. Leaders should lead the believers based on how Christ related with the church when he was on earth[5]. Shepherds had to feed the people of God and to protect them from predators[6]. Churches today ought to do things how the New Testament churches did[7].

Gilbert Bilezikian gives four areas that need to be addressed when administering the church here on earth, 1. A shared faith, 2. A share purpose, 3. A shared lifestyle and 4. A shared authority (Bilezikian, 1993, p. 195-197). A shared faith is noted in Ephesians 4:5 where God’s people are told to have “one Lord, one faith, one baptism” (NIV). Gilbert tells his readers, “every church needs to formuloate clearly its understanding of the Christian faith” ( (Bilezikian, 1993, p. 195). With this written statement everyone within the church will have a common ground from which to govern, with all people knowing what the belief of that church is.

This is the first church we have gone to where the previous ‘retired’ preachers worship together. This is the first church we have seen attempt to assimilate 3 different congregations equitably and peaceably. It hasn’t been easy for you. There must have been times where each and every one of you wanted to quit, or at best – wondered if your herculian efforts were in vain.