Don’t Pursue Multi-ethnic or Multicultural Ministry Without Asking These Questions: Part 7

As expected, my list of questions in this series continues to grow.  So, I've added two more as Part 7 of this series.

Here are the prior questions with their links:  

Part 1 - "What is our church’s track record with Otherness in our community?"  

Part 2 - "Do we see those with different languages, cultures and beliefs as a threat to cohesiveness in our community?" 

Part 3 - "How does God want us to relate to Others in our neighborhood?"

Part 4 - "If mission among our Neighbors is biblical (and not just recently biblical with the sudden interest in ‘missional’ ministry), why are we not already in relationship with Others in our midst?"
Part 5 - "What in our church life and practice has prevented us from living in relationship with Others in our community?" and  "What would such scrutiny entail for a congregation contemplating a move toward multicultural ministry?"

Part 6 - Can we presume to be ready for a multicultural ministry when we have only had homogeneous church experiences?  and  What is the outcome we envision for ministry among diverse peoples in our community?

>Are we prepared for lifelong relationship with Others in our community?

God sovereignly determines the times and the exact places where people live (Act2 17:26).  The demographic realities in America today are God’s will for this place at this time.  He knows what we need; he is showing it to us.  How will we respond?  Instead of leading the way in intercultural competency, our churches are primarily temples of homogeneity, testifying before the watching world that God has nothing better than “I like being with those like me.”  We are called as the people of God to be a preview of the kingdom, the progeny of Jesus, who is the perfect human, and display what God intended perfect human community to be.   In this day and time, for Christ-followers, this means a multicultural existence through intercultural proficiency.

God’s kingdom mission is about New Creation.  He is about restoring all things as he intended them to be.  This is God’s Story, his good news.  Thus, our embrace of mission must be just as comprehensive as the whole good news of God...   The people of God have no other existence, no other mission, than to be the representation and witness of God’s good news in the world.  We were created for relationship, designed for community and destined to bless the nations!   

>How well do we know those who are already engaged in multicultural ministry?

 Far too often we latch onto a ministry direction, start crafting plans, and arranging our launch without ever spending time with those who have already spent years  in that same realm of ministry.  Such a scenario is often repeated when suburban churches embrace a vision to undertake an urban outreach ministry.  They presume they possess the capacity to repeat in an urban context the success they have known in their own.  In this sort of narrative leaders assume they understand the needs and designate their strategy as the solution.  I call this the the presumption of the privileged.  

For example…

Not too long ago I came across a brochure from a local megachurch promoting their missions programs: “The love of Christ compels us to serve the poor in ______’s inner city (our ‘Samaria’) and globally (‘to the ends of the earth’).  We’ve created local and global service opportunities that will challenge you, stretch your faith, and allow you to experience the joy of obedience.”  At first glance this blurb seems missionally-motivated, but look more closely.  The statement reveals much about the vantage point of the congregation.  It shows that “the poor” are ‘them, not us’ and ‘not where we are’.  Likewise, ministry opportunities are programmed, managed, self-contained and ultimately for the benefit of the those ‘acting upon the needy’ so they can feel good about their goodness. 

This type of ministry is ‘mission-from-above’ without true connection and interaction with those who are living the experience every day.   

What do you think about these questions?  this series?