Barriers to Mental Health Care for Boston-Area Black Residents [Report]

Barriers to Mental Health Care for Boston-Area Black Residents [Report]

by the ARC Team

Does Boston-area mental health care adequately serve Black residents? Community Health Network Area 17 (CHNA 17) invited EGC to partner in addressing this question for six cities near Boston.

CHNA 17’s 2018 report cites seven major barriers to American-born Blacks receiving mental health care as needed. Barriers include:

• a double-stigma associated with mental health issues in the current social climate

• a dearth of Black mental health providers

CAMBRIDGE, MA - Focus group for Cambridge mental health service providers, facilitated by EGC’s Applied Research and Consulting.

SOMERVILLE, MA - Nika Elugardo (left) and Stacie Mickelson (right), former and current Directors, respectively, of EGC’s Applied Research and Consulting co-facilitating a mental health care focus group with Somerville residents.

TAKE ACTION

Not That Kind of Racism

Not That Kind of Racism

How Good People Can Be Racist Without Awareness or Intent

By Megan Lietz

Megan Lietz, MDiv, STM, directs Racism Education for White Evangelicals (ReWe), a program of EGC’s Race & Christian Community Initiative. The intended audience of ReWe ministry and writing is White Evangelicals (find out why).

In the tragedies of Charlottesville, VA, as a White person, it’s easy for me to see such hate and think, “How awful! That’s racist. Thank God I’m not a racist like that.” In doing so, I affirm my sense of being a good moral person and find comfort in the fact that I’m not like those I’m condemning.

In reality, White people cannot separate ourselves from the problem of racism. Even if we consciously reject racism, the biases and behaviors that contribute to and sustain injustice crop up in our actions. Racism persists not because of the hate of a few White supremacists, but because well-intentioned White people regularly contribute to racial inequity in ways that we may not be aware of or intend.

Expanding our View of Racism

Institutional and structural Racism

While interpersonal racism between people is still common, racism occurs as much if not more at the organizational and systemic level, which can be more difficult for White people to recognize.

For example, people with Black-sounding names are 50% less likely to get called for an interview compared to people with White-sounding names. This bias is one of many contributors to vast disparities between the median net worth of White people as compared with Black people or Hispanic people.

Implicit Bias

How we see and respond to situations is shaped by unconscious personal biases and stereotypes. We all have them, and they don’t necessarily align with our explicit beliefs. These can come out in casual interactions that can make people of color feel disrespected or devalued. They can also have a broader impact when shaping the decisions of policymakers, the prescriptions of doctors, or the actions of law enforcement agents.

To perpetuate racism, people don’t have to be ill-intentioned, or even aware they are contributing to injustice. By not actively resisting racist dynamics—and sometimes even by attempting to do so without proper understanding—we can contribute to a system that sustains inequality and racism.

Reflecting On Our Experiences

White people need education and reflection to see how we may be participating in injustice. We must look inward with openness, intentionality, and humility.

I’ve uncovered racism in my own life—how I’ve participated in it, benefited from it, and perpetuated it—which I share below. May my examples inspire your reflection, awareness, and action.

MY INSTITUTIONAL RACISM

Institutional racism is discriminatory rules, policies, and practices within organizations or institutions.

• I’ve supported businesses known to treat people of color in unfair ways because using their services was convenient for me.

• I’ve encouraged ways of thinking and doing that reflect my culture. For example, I feel that a meeting has gone well if we’ve followed my linear-thinking agenda, avoided conflict, and produced certain kinds of outputs. I tend to devalue people who don’t excel in the skill sets I value and prefer to work with people who think and act like me. If the leadership of my organization shares my lens on what “being effective” or having a good meeting looks like, I’ll thrive while people from other cultural experiences, who may have their own methods and practices for effectiveness that are just as valid, will be at a disadvantage.

My Structural Racism

Structural racism is persistent racial injustice worked into and maintained by society.

• Media and historical narratives that paint White people as dominant leaders and valuable assets have shaped my self-perception. I have assumed my presence and leadership is desired even in spaces where racially I am in the numerical minority. I’ve had to learn to be intentional about taking a support role.

• Because, historically, people of my skin color have had economic opportunities unavailable to people of color, my family and I had the financial resources to buy a home—one in a predominantly Black neighborhood. While we moved with the intent to learn from and invest in our community, we also contributed to gentrification and its associated displacement.

My Implicit Biases

Implicit biases are unconscious personal biases and stereotypes.

• White ideologies have shaped in me a pro-White view of how the world works. I grew up with the belief that people can succeed if they try. As a result, when I interact with people of color who are struggling, my initial reaction may be that they need to work harder, must be doing something wrong, or don’t have what it takes, rather than considering the impact of systemic racism.

• After hearing a Black man talking about the ways he loves and cares well for his daughter, I found myself being especially encouraged. Upon further reflection, I realized that I wouldn’t have had the same response to a White man because I would’ve expected him to be a good father. Sadly, my encouragement came from an expectation that men of color are less likely to be involved fathers.

• I spoke Spanish to a woman who appeared to be Hispanic/Latino, assuming it was her first language. Though this was my attempt to value her culture, she could’ve perceived it as reflecting a belief that people from her ethnic group don’t speak English, or must speak Spanish.

 

A Call to Self-Reflection

In acknowledging ways we’ve been perpetuating racism, we need not label ourselves as bad people. We need not declare we are “a racist,” in the sense that we often use that label—as a damning marker of our identity.

But we must admit that we can, and often do, perpetuate racism. We can have a racist impact, even without intent or awareness.

Acknowledging our potential for racist impacts is the first step in changing our thoughts and behavior. We can lead in our spheres of influence by first changing ourselves.

Exploring our racist tendencies isn’t an easy journey. But we can make real progress, one step at a time, empowered by God’s grace. I invite you to join me in self-reflection.

Reflection Questions

1. How do any of my life’s examples of institutional or structural racism resonate with your experiences?

2. As you discover any unjust attitudes or behaviors, how might you want to connect with God about it—in expressing lament or confession, in seeking wisdom, forgiveness, courage, or hope? What does the Gospel mean for you in this moment?

3. Do you notice attitudes or behaviors in your workplace, church, or other groups you participate in that contribute to racial disparity and division? With whom could you share your concerns?

Take Action

Connect with Megan Lietz

Connect with Megan Leitz

What Is Homelessness?

What Is Homelessness?

by Rudy Mitchell, Senior Researcher

Life can be destabilizing for those who don’t have a permanent place to live.

To address local homelessness, we need a clear picture of whom we seek to help. You may be surprised by who qualifies as part of the homeless population. What follows is an overview of how homelessness is defined in the U.S.

Pine Street Inn, New England's largest homeless shelter in Boston

Who Defines Homelessness in the US?

Definitions of homelessness vary due to differing political and program purposes:

• The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has a somewhat narrow and precise definition aimed at determining eligibility for housing assistance.

• Advocates for homeless programs often have broader definitions to access more care resources.

• People and programs seeking to prevent homelessness among at-risk people include in their definition people who are in unstable or irregular housing. For example, some definitions include families who are doubled up or people sleeping on couches, both of whom are without permanent housing.

• Health centers most often use the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) definition in providing health services.

 

Homelessness in Detail

For a quick look at the practical realities, observe the precise way HUD defines a state of homelessness. The HUD definition includes four qualifying situations: 

1. “An individual or family who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence” (including people who are sleeping in a car, a park, abandoned building, station, or who are sleeping in a shelter, transitional housing, or motel paid for by government or charitable organization).

2. “An individual or family imminently (within 14 days) losing (being evicted from) their primary nighttime residence with no subsequent residence identified and the household lacks the resources or support networks to obtain other permanent housing.”

3. “People, including unaccompanied youth or families with children and youth, with persistent housing instability evidenced by several characteristics.”

4. “Any individual or family who is fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or other life-threatening conditions, and has no other residence or resources to obtain other permanent housing.”

Not all Homelessness is created equal

The experience of homelessness follows many paths and forms, and each person has a unique story. But Kuhn et al. have identified three main types of experiences in the US.

Shelter Guests by Life Situation

Data from Kuhn, R. and D.P. Culhane, Applying Cluster Analysis to Test a Typology of Homelessness by Pattern of Shelter Utilization: Results from the Analysis of Administrative Data. American Journal of Community Psychology, 1998. 26(2): p. 207-32.

1. Transitional Homelessness — an individual spends a short time in a shelter before transitioning into permanent housing 

2. Episodic Homelessness — an individual who is frequently in and out of shelters and stays for a short time

3. Chronic Homelessness — an individual who has been homeless for 12 consecutive months or has had four or more episodes of homelessness totaling 12 months over three years and has a disability. In Boston, chronic shelter guests are even lower, only about 6%.  But the chronic homeless typically use half of all shelter days over the course of a year.

Take Action to End Homelessness

According to U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, ending homelessness is achieved when individuals who fall into homelessness experience it as a brief crisis and quickly move forward on a path to housing.

"We believe that better cooperation amongst churches and community organizations could better serve the current need," writes Rev. Cynthia Hymes-Bell of EGC's Starlight Ministry. "Our vision is that every church and Christian group in Greater Boston who wants to engage people affected by homelessness will be equipped to do so wisely." 

Volunteer / Intern with Starlight

Connect with Starlight Ministry

Connect with Starlight Ministries

Contact Starlight Ministries

Understanding Jamaica Plain Today: Overview + Resources

Understanding Jamaica Plain Today: Overview + Resources

by Rudy Mitchell, Senior Researcher

Affectionately known as "JP", Jamaica Plain's reputation includes diversity, friendly community, unique businesses, socially-conscious activity, increasing gentrification, and natural beauty.

JP is in a period of rapid growth. Hundreds of new residential units are recently completed or underway. The JP/Rox Plan for the Washington Street and Columbus Avenue areas is likely to bring additional changes in the coming years. While Jamaica Plain continues to transition into the future, its beautiful green spaces will keep it true to its nickname as the “Eden of America.”

Copper European Beech Tree at Forest Hills Cemetery, Jamaica Plain, MA. Photo licensed for public use.

JP AT A GLANCE

Residents by Race

Total Population - 39,240. Data from Boston By the Numbers, 2017.

Residents By Age

Data from Boston Planning and Development Agency, "Boston in Context: Neighborhoods, American Community Survey - 2011-2015." Boston: B.P.D.A., January, 2017

Educated   More than 63% of Jamaica Plain residents 25 years or older have obtained a bachelor’s degree or higher. This is much higher than the percentage for the U.S. (30%) or Boston (45%).

Increasingly Young   The proportion of 25-34 year olds in Jamaica Plain has risen from 23% in 2000 to 27% in 2015. The percentage of young adults aged 20 to 34 in Jamaica Plain is exactly the same as in Boston - 34.7%  (a very high proportion).  The median age of Jamaica Plain residents is 33 years compared to 39 years for Massachusetts.

Family Friendly   Jamaica Plain had 6,719 children under the age of 18 years (6th highest number of children out of 22 Boston neighborhoods).

“Jamaica Plain has been a wonderful neighborhood for our family. JP is rich in diversity, full of green space, and yet densely urban and teeming with energy. It’s a neighborhood that cares a lot about the world and about building stronger community.
”

— Pastor Brice Williams

Rev. Brice Williams spent two years researching JP as a church planter. He lives in JP with his family and is the new pastor of the South End Neighborhood Church.

Language Diversity  8,611 Jamaica Plain residents speak Spanish at home (23.4% of the population); 765 residents speak Chinese at home; 586 speak French or Haitian Creole; 382 speak Portuguese or Cape Verdean Creole. About 23% of the population – 8,879 residents – are foreign born.

Income Inequality  The poverty rate in Jamaica Plain is 18.3% with 7,039 people living below the poverty line. However, the median household income is a relatively high $76,968, which indicates significant income inequality between a large number of low income residents and many high income residents. Almost 63% of the neighborhood’s employed adults have occupations in management, business, science, and the arts.

“With all of its beauty, JP is also a neighborhood burdened with gentrification, miscommunication, and fragmentation. Be a cultural anthropologist. Be a community member before a Christian leader. Listen well and learn from men and women who have lived and built the story of JP as we see it today, no matter their religious background or bent. 
”

— Pastor Brice Williams

Bike-Friendly  Although most residents commute to work by car or subway, 1,318 people commute by bicycle, and 1,292 walk to work.

Natural Beauty

Jamaica Pond, Jamaica Plain, MA.

Jamaica Pond

One of the attractions of this neighborhood has always been Jamaica Pond, which is surrounded by a biking/walking trail. Beginning in the early years of the neighborhood’s history, residents built homes and summer estates which overlook the pond to this day. 

In the past, ice skating was a popular recreation at the pond, while boating, fishing and jogging or walking continue to be enjoyed by many. In the late nineteenth century, the pond became a part of the Emerald Necklace designed by Frederick Law Olmstead. One popular activity today is the annual Lantern Festival.

Lantern Festival, Jamaica Pond, Jamaica Plain, MA.

Small pond within Arnold Arboretum. Photo by Daderot, English language Wikipedia.

Arnold Arboretum

Founded in 1872, the arboretum has one of the largest and best documented collections of woody plants in the world. More than 15,000 plants from some 4,000 species grow here. Among these are about 400 lilac bushes of 179 types featured every spring on Lilac Sunday. The arboretum’s 281 acres are managed by Harvard University and have been designated a national historic landmark. The residents of Jamaica Plain as well as Boston enjoy the unique beauty of the arboretum in all seasons. 

 

Recommended Resources

Plan JP/Rox – Boston Planning and Development Agency

The PLAN: JP/ROX document provides recommendations and strategies around affordable housing, jobs and businesses, guidelines for urban design, and suggestions for improvements to transportation, connections, open space, sustainability, and the public realm in Jamaica Plain. 

Jamaica Plain Neighborhood Council

The Jamaica Plain Gazette 

Getting to Know Your Neighborhood: Jamaica Plain

Too Much Feel-Good Funding—Nonprofits' Recipe for Disaster

Too Much Feel-Good Funding—Nonprofits' Recipe for Disaster

By Nika Elugardo, EGC Leadership Systems Architect

Most people enjoy the immediate gratification of giving money to organizations that count impact in letters from children, goats delivered, or shoes donated. Grant-making organizations, too, want to see as much as possible of their money going towards visible impact in the community.

For this reason, non-profits and ministries often fund much of their work through "project" grants and donations. Project funding covers a specific event, program, or service, allowing organizations to add immediate value to the people they serve. If the project funding is properly aligned to a ministry's mission, it also keeps the ministry attuned to their near-term impact outside their walls.

But serious problems arise if a ministry relies too heavily on project money to fund their entire organization.

RECIPE FOR DISASTER: 4 PROBLEMS WITH a PROJECT-HEAVY FUNDING STRATEGY

1. Priority Drift

Project funding can create incentives for ministries to “follow the money", instead of working to discern which ministry activities would most strategically advance the vision. This "feel-good funding" at times may be driven more by emotion or trends than by commitment to system-wide, sustainable impact.

2. Custom Evaluation + Reporting

While project monitoring and evaluation are necessary for any ministry, project funding often creates additional burdens on the ministry to track special types of changes the funder cares about most. Such customized reporting requires additional personnel hours to satisfy, eroding the bottom-line benefit of their funding dollars.

3. Short-term Gains

Project funding often measures impact in near-term project outcomes, not in markers of sustainability. Focus on funding for short-term success can distract us from the equally important need to fund the longer-term viability and ultimate impact of the project and the organization.  

4. Unfunded Sustainability Work

“Their dollars go further when they invest in ministries with the discipline for proper organizational self-care.”

Project funding is restricted to use on staffing and expenses for specified projects, defined activities, and target populations. Activities critical for organizational health, like partner development and project redesign, may be invisible to project investors. Organizations who value long-term sustainability—and all healthy organizations do—still must spend significant time and resources on these activities—but unfunded.

Broken for Good, a new documentary film about why non-profits are paralyzed because of the way we think about funding.

THE ANTIDOTE: BALANCE PROJECT + STRATEGIC FUNDING  

1. Make the Case

Ministry leaders must make the case to funders that investing in ministry sustainability is just as important as saving babies, or whatever the ministry goals may be. Successful return-on-investment is about more than short-term outcomes—it's also about how the funding is ensuring the organization's health and stability for long-term impact. Demonstrate for funders how their dollars go further when they invest in ministries with the discipline for proper organizational self-care.

2. Report on Organizational Health + Sustainability

Wise strategic funders see the crucial role of activities like professional and leadership development, collaboration building, and communications, and they want to see regular progress in those areas.

Healthy organizations and their funders need reports with concrete indicators of sustainability work as the tangible fruit of their investment. For example, report on leadership trainings, new partnerships, and progress in vital infrastructure.

3. Look for Funders Who Value R+D

No two communities are the same—each demands contextualized services and relationships. Keeping up to date with the changing needs and priorities of the community requires significant, ongoing investment. Ministries that last:

“When a ministry is new or growing, strategic investment funding is even more critical than project funding.”

• keep their finger on the pulse of community demand for their work

• continue to learn from new models and best practices

• build relationships with stakeholders who care about the community at all levels

• recruit and develop leaders who will invest in long-term community transformation

• craft stories and multimedia to communicate the real-time impact of their work

Strategic investors will underwrite the critical cost of research, development, and innovation that allow ministries to function robustly over the long-term.

When a ministry is new or growing, strategic investment funding is even more critical than project funding. Cultivating local ministry relevance grounded in data, strong leadership, and communication takes time and money—long before visible community impact.

4. DON'T BE AFRAID TO SPEAK BUSINESS LANGUAGE

Philanthropists with a business background understand that you have to pay for innovation if you want to a company to survive. Investing in leadership development, partnerships, infrastructure, technology, and communications is essential practice for most for-profit entrepreneurial ventures.

But these investors may not be accustomed to viewing non-profit ministry this way. You can draw on the management values they understand intuitively, in service of a humanitarian goal.

New and growing ministries, who work tirelessly for the well-being of the community, deserve no less than the basic supports required—in any sector—for a robust impact.

Nika Elugardo

EGC's Leadership Systems Architect, Nika began her career as a coalition-builder and advocate in 1996, managing the National Consumer Law Center’s Foreclosure Prevention Project, a research-driven, private-public sector partnership. Nika’s work since has focused on equipping corporate, nonprofit, and public leaders to work together to plan and impact sustainable and data-informed social movements. She holds a B.S. from MIT, a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and a J.D. from Boston University. Before attending law school in 2007, Nika worked at EGC for seven years in development and consulting. She has also served on EGC’s Board of Directors.

Understanding Roxbury Today

Understanding Roxbury Today

(header photo: Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building, the new headquarters for Boston Public Schools, in Dudley Square, Roxbury. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.)

by Rudy Mitchell, Senior Researcher

Boston's Roxbury neighborhood is home to many of the city’s African American and Hispanic residents and offers many historic and contemporary assets to the city as a whole.

Community culture is celebrated through visual and performing arts, and in many houses of worship. Several parks, including Franklin Park with its Zoo, greenspace, and Golf Course, offer recreational outlets to the community. The Reggie Lewis Center offers space for exercise and a world-class track and field venue.

Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center

Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Boston – The Center for Urban Ministerial Education (CUME) and Resurrection Lutheran Church in Dudley Square

As a result of several stages of community development and renewal, this neighborhood at the geographic center of the city is on the rise. New business and housing initiatives are renewing the Dudley Square and Grove Hall districts. Blue Hill Avenue is no longer a street full of vacant lots.

Like many Boston neighborhoods, Roxbury is in transition. Long-term residents seek to benefit from positive changes, while preventing displacement and other negative effects of development and potential gentrification.

First Church of Roxbury

Franklin Park, Hole #6, on the William J. Devine Golf Course

---

Roxbury Voice: Life in Roxbury 

“I love it. I love living in Roxbury. I love the location. God created an optimum situation for us to move [here]. It’s worked for us as a family, as well as for ministry."

—Pastor Cynthia Hymes Bell, Director of Starlight Ministries

Pastor Cynthia Hymes Bell, Director of Starlight Ministries of Emmanuel Gospel Center

Cynthia moved into Roxbury in 2005 and has been deeply involved in the community up to the current day.

---

Residents of Roxbury

Residents By Race

Total population – 51,714

Total Population – 51,714

Population Growth – Roxbury grew by 23% from 2000 to 2016, (doubling Boston's growth of 12% over the same time period).

Children – 29% of Roxbury residents are children (aged 0-19 years), higher than the 21% of Boston as a whole.

Female Householders – 34%. Roxbury, along with Mattapan, has the highest percentage (34.3%) of households headed by a female householder with no husband present of all Boston neighborhoods. The percentage for Massachusetts is 12.5%.

Foreign-born population – 14,006, or 27.1% in 2016, (up from 20.2% in 2000).

Language – 26% of Roxbury residents speak Spanish in the home.

Income – The median household income in Roxbury in 2016 was $26,883, which is less than half the Boston median of $58,769.

Black Culture – With over half of its residents identifying as Black/African Americans (compared to Boston’s 23%), Roxbury is still considered by many to be the heart of Black culture in Boston.

Roxbury Center for the Performing Arts website

The Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists (NCAAA) is a gateway that "fosters and presents the finest in contemporary, visual and performing arts from the global Black world. " 

The Roxbury Center for the Performing Arts opened in 2005, and continues to celebrate the culture of the community through visual and performing arts.

The Roxbury International Film Festival is the largest film festival in New England that annually celebrates people of color.

The Roxbury Cultural District "identifies and recognizes Roxbury's cultural assets and establishes the tools, strategies, resources, and spaces that elevate the community of Roxbury as a living repository of arts and cultural expression—past, present, and future."

---

Roxbury Voice: Advice to Christian Leaders

“I’m planning to get more involved with my neighborhood association this year...to understand different viewpoints and political standpoints in regards to development...[housing and failing schools]...to show up at meetings and to have a voice."

— Pastor Cynthia Hymes Bell, Director of Starlight Ministries

---

New Academy Estates

Housing – Roxbury has an unusually large percentage of its housing units that are renter-occupied (80%) compared to owner-occupied (20%). This is the highest rate of any non-student neighborhood in the city. (The U.S. proportion of renter-occupied units is 36%.)

Roxbury has the third highest number of housing units of any Boston neighborhood – 20,779. 

Roxbury’s growth is poised to continue, with 2,711 new units of housing approved from 2010 through 2017 (including new residential units being added to the Whittier Choice Neighborhood project). In addition, 626 additional residential units have been proposed and are under review. If all 3,337 units are built, this could add 8,500 or more new residents to the Roxbury neighborhood.

Roxbury Community College is a state-supported two-year coed liberal arts institution, founded in 1973.

Educational Attainment – From 2000 to 2016, the share of adult residents without a high school degree fell (32% to 25%) while the share with a bachelor’s degree rose (13% to 20%). Even though the percentage of college graduates increased, it is still the second-lowest of any neighborhood and far lower than the percentage of college graduates in most neighborhoods and Boston as a whole (46%).

(Primary source of data in this section: Boston in Context: Neighborhoods, Boston Planning and Development Agency (BPDA), March 2018, based on the 2012-2016 American Community Survey (ACS), U.S. Census.)

The Shirley–Eustis House is a National Historic Landmark, built in Roxbury as a summer residence between 1747 and 1751.

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

Roxbury – Boston Planning and Development Agency

This site provides a short overview of Roxbury's history, as well as comprehensive details on the city's projects—past, present, and future. 

Roxbury Historical Society

To learn more about Roxbury's extensive history, visit this site. The Roxbury Historical Society headquarters are located at the Dillaway Thomas House in the Roxbury Heritage State Park.

Stopping Racism Starts Here: 5-Minute Entry Points

Stopping Racism Starts Here

Five-Minute Entry Points

by Megan Lietz, EGC Race & Christian Community Initiative

Busy? We get that. Troubled by racism? Good. Here are five resources you can explore in under five minutes about racism in America today.

The current face of racism

Some forms of racism—the legalized segregation in Jim Crow laws, for example—are thankfully behind us. But other forms of systemic racism—such as the mass incarceration of Black men—still create inequitable experiences for people of color to this day.

The Racism is Real video by Brave New Films explores some everyday ways racism creates different experiences for White and Black people today.

Racism is Real

April 29, 2015

 

How RacisT History Impacts Today

Do you live in a pretty homogeneous neighborhood? Most people in the US do. While we may like to think that where we call home is shaped by our personal preferences or “just the way things are," the racially segregated neighborhoods we live in today are the product of our history.

Play around on PBS’ Race: The Power of Illusion website to learn how housing policies in the 20th century have had a profound impact on today’s neighborhoods and the resources that are available to them.

Race: The Power of Illusion

Implicit Bias

No one likes to think they’re biased. The six brief Who, Me? Biased? videos from the New York Times explore how we have all been unconsciously shaped to have biases. When we recognize this, we can see that even good, well-intentioned people can contribute to inequality. We’re all part of the problem.

The good news is that, with education and exposure, we can all take steps to be less biased. We can take intentional action towards equality.

Who, Me? Biased?

 

Color-Blind

One thing that I often hear among White people is that they are “color-blind.” This is intended  as a positive comment, implying that they don’t treat people differently based on the color of their skin. While well-intentioned, this lens can be counterproductive. This article by Jon Greenberg explains why.

Greenberg, Jon. “7 Reasons Why ‘Colorblindness’ Contributes to Racism Instead of Solves It.” Everyday Feminism. N.p., 20 July 2016.

Microaggressions

Microaggressions are day-to-day things we may say or do that can hurt people of color, sometimes without our intending or realizing it. Check out this Buzzfeed photo journal for some examples of microaggressions.

21 Racial Microaggressions You Hear On a Daily Basis

To explore a broader list of microaggressions, what they can subtly communicate, and why they are problematic, check out this chart:

Microaggressions

What do you think is the next step in dismantling racism?

Tell us here

What do you think is the next step to eradicating racism?

Hidden Treasures: Celebrating Refugee Stories [photojournal]

Hidden Treasures: Celebrating Refugee Stories

by the GBRM Team

Refugees are hidden treasures in our midst. At Arabic Evangelical Baptist Church in West Roxbury, the Greater Boston Refugee Ministry’s third annual fundraiser on November 18th honored refugees with a themed event, "Hidden Treasures at Home & Work".

We designed an evening where guests could encounter the richness of gifts, talents, and stories of Boston area refugees that we’re blessed to know.

Guests enjoyed catering stations hosted by refugee entrepreneurs, as well as stories, panels, and videos. Each shared activity offered new ways to explore:

• What are refugee’s life dreams?

• How can the Christian community come alongside them?

• How might the Christian community innovate to better address refugees’ needs in resettlement (i.e., housing)?

““GBRM lit the candle of hope to my world by supporting me to share my future dream. GBRM is there if you are a dreamer or a [hoper].” ”

— refugee attender

Cultural Journeys

Diverse catering stations let guests sample and learn about the cuisine and geography of refugees' countries of origin, as they captivated guests with the stories behind their food. As guests went on a cultural journey through the stations, refugee entrepreneurs also chatted about their life experiences, unique gifts, and growing businesses.

““I was struck by how talented the refugees are...and how creative! [They were] not just thinking about ‘How can I make it here?’ but ‘How can I help others?’””

— guest

This multifaceted experience was a rare learning space for guests, opening their eyes to the hidden treasures that are the refugee community. Local refugee businesses also got new exposure to people potentially interested in supporting their work.

A New Lens on Refugees

The fundraiser debuted three videos, two produced by EGC Films, and a third by Park Street Film. Saffron and The Mechanic are stories of aspiring refugee entrepreneurs. The third, Kataluma House, shares our vision for a refugee hospitality house.  

After viewing Saffron, one guest responded, “I saw a parallel between the [saffron] flower and the wealth inside—the hidden beauty.  It’s great to see the potential refugees have and the contribution they make."

These short pieces capture the essence of our work. We invite you to view them here.

Saffron, by EGC Films, 2017.

The Mechanic, by EGC Films, 2017.

Kataluma House, a Luke Zvara film, Park Street Films, 2017.

With Appreciation

We'd like to highlight the following businesses connected with the refugee community in New England. Some are refugee owned, others employ refugees. All contributed to the evening with product displays.

Carina’s Dolce

Bintimani Restaurant

Authentic Iraqi Family Food by Lubna

Blue Nile Ethiopian Cuisine

Beautiful Day 

Makomas 

Prosperity Candle 

Threads By Nomad

Connect with GBRM

Connect with GBRM

Leading By Letting Go: Skills in Courageous Leadership for Healthy Collaborations

Leading By Letting Go: Skills in Courageous Leadership for Healthy Collaborations

By the Woven Team

At Woven, Christian women leaders gather to encourage and consult one another. For this year’s consultation, we focused on igniting local collective-action movements. Morning plenary sessions gave practical tools and best practices for effective collaboration and movement building. In the afternoon, women participated in one of two workshops, where they advised local networks focused on social justice and church unity. This blog celebrates the leadership growth we observed from that gathering.

Godly leadership is not about taking control on behalf of God—it’s about taking the lead in making room for God. Knowing how to make space for the movement of God is especially true in collaborative situations.

When we work for a collaborative mission—without seeking individual accolades—Jesus moves freely. And when Jesus moves freely, God’s design for the Church comes alive.

As the women engaged at Woven, they showed courage and growth in collaborative leadership. Here we celebrate that growth and share it with you for your reflection and action in your spheres of influence.

GROWTH AREAS FOR Christian LEADERSHIP IN COLLABORATIONS

Growth Area #1: Surrendering the Mission Back to God

Once you enter a collaborative situation, prepare to lay down what you think is “the mission” on the altar of trust in God’s wisdom. While God may call you to pick it back up, allow yourself time to hear from God—maybe through others—about God’s assignment and priorities.

Unity is not inviting or bringing people along towards your mission statement. Our own mission statement is not the whole of God’s mission within a collaboration.

“Unity is not inviting or bringing people along towards your mission statement.”

Instead, as we put ourselves into a broader array of work God is doing, we piece together all the missions, like a stained-glass window.  Our mission is just one broken piece of glass that God fits with others. If you’re in a leadership role within the collaboration, prepare to facilitate discovery and clarification of a shared mission.

In past years, we designed the Woven consultation day to invite women to discuss their own leadership challenges and supports. This year we decided to focus on building skills for collaboration. We designed a time that would challenge the women to apply the values described here.

Towards that end, we designed workshops that would require the women to lay aside their expectations and agendas to work together towards a concrete goal, in this case, building movements for social justice and Christian unity. We are grateful to the women for their flexibility.        

Growth Area #2: Letting Go of Control

As you step into a community of people who are thinking differently, prepare to experience a new level of trust in God.

Letting others change your perspective is uncomfortable. But as women who have let go of needing to be the one with all the answers know, this openness is critical to engaging in unity work.

In the social justice workshop, one Woven team member was taking whiteboard notes while a group of women was refining language for a discussion question. She noticed that women were using the word “difference” in unexpected ways. Seeking further clarity, she started asking clarifying questions about what the women meant by “difference” and advocated for a specific definition. In doing so, she confused some people and distracted the group from brainstorming ideas. On later reflection, she realized that she needed to set aside her need for precision in order just to listen and capture what the women were saying.

As you listen, try not to “correct” others' thoughts. Instead, focus on gaining perspective. This different focus sometimes requires laying aside how you think a conversation or activity should go.    

Growth Area #3: Sharing Resources

Sacrificial giving is critical to collaboration. If you offer your resources into God’s hands, you might receive them back from the woman next to you, who is giving up her stuff for you. Or you might be the one giving up things for her benefit.

Everyone in a collaboration needs to come into a sharing posture. One participant describes, “Coming in, I didn't realize I'd be engaged in consultancy.  So I had to shift from ‘What do I get out of this immediately?’ to a ‘How do I serve/give?’ mindset and trust that my purpose for being here will be revealed—maybe even after today.”

“Everyone in a collaboration needs to come into a sharing posture.”

By laying aside her agenda, this woman gave herself as a resource. She decided to share her focus, her listening ear, and her expertise as a gift to the workshop group.

Growth Area #4: Role Shifting

Be prepared that you may need to play a different role than the one you are accustomed to. When entering a collaboration, ask God to remind you what has served you in the past, and what has proved useful others. He’ll guide you to the best ways to lead and collaborate in the present situation.

All the Woven participants are experienced leaders, serving in leadership roles in their homes, churches, and organizations. But in the workshop times, many women saw the need to take a follower posture, playing a supportive role—sometimes even for a topic in which they are accomplished experts.

One woman notes, “I did need to continually remind myself of the different places that people were coming from to have this discussion.” In seeing this diversity, she was able to adjust her participation to what the larger group needed.

Growth Area #5: Admitting Failure & Celebrating Success

“Don’t wait for an “end” to celebrate!”

Collaboration doesn’t happen overnight without setbacks or missteps. Learning together requires honest evaluation and continual reflection. Admitting failure builds trust and transparency—prerequisites for genuine cooperation.

Conversely, celebrating successes as we realize them is foundational. Collaboration is a journey, not a destination. Don’t wait for an “end” to celebrate!

When you observe others sharing themselves generously or with bravery, call it out and praise it. When the group pushes through obstacles or engages in hard conversations, celebrate that dedication together.

Woven participants give day-end feedback surveys, and many also seek out team members to share their input in person. We’re grateful that women let us know what tools worked and which felt bulky or distracting. They shared how we could have fine-tuned our facilitation. We welcome and celebrate this feedback. How could any of us improve without honest evaluation?

We see Woven as successful, not because it is flawless, but because it’s an adaptive space that grows based on feedback. We’re honored to support a space where women can come and share as they are, learning and growing together.

One participant shared, “It is not easy for me to share my opinions/thoughts in other circles because of traditions, etc. I tend to be shy anyway. Woven is a place that I felt welcome to speak up. More than that, Boston needs women working towards transformation in all spheres, and Woven encourages me and others.”

The Woven Team 

(Left to Right) Liza Cagua-Koo, EGC Assistant Director, facilitated the social justice workshop. Jess Mason, EGC Supervising Editor, took notes. Nika Elugardo, EGC Leadership Systems Architect, led a plenary session and facilitated the unity workshop. Stacie Mickelson, EGC Director of Applied Research & Consulting, facilitated the consultation day.

EGC Annual Report 2017

Pastor Eva Clarke, Board Chair, & Jeff Bass, Executive Director of EGC

FROM JEFF & EVA

In the past year, the Emmanuel Gospel Center worked to strengthen over 1,200 Christian leaders from over 200 churches across Greater Boston.  

You can read the stories of some of these amazing leaders and churches in Highlights and Impact areas below.

We are excited about what God is doing through his people in Greater Boston. And we are grateful for what you do to cooperate with God’s work, and for your partnership with us in ministry.

Be encouraged. God’s plan is that Christ will be glorified through the church. Let’s keep working together to make that an obvious and powerful reality in Greater Boston!

““God is able to do much more than we ask or think through His power working in us. May we see His shining-greatness in the church. May all people in all time honor Christ Jesus. Let it be so.””

— Ephesians 3:20-21 (NLV)

HIGHLIGHTS FROM EGC PROGRAMS

View fullsize

EXPLORING CONGREGATIONAL THRIVING

View fullsize

GENERATIONAL LEADERSHIP

IMPACT FROM EGC PARTNERS

View fullsize

The Rising Voices Initiative

View fullsize

SHELTON OAKLEY HERSEY

FINANCIAL HEALTH

STRATEGY

We believe healthy leaders lead to healthy churches and related systems, which lead to healthy communities and positive change in the world.

We strengthen leaders by helping them:

• Learn: by taking time to understand the city and the systems in which we operate.

• Connect: By getting to know the people involved and facilitating strong working relationships, and by connecting the dots of stories and narratives to facilitate understanding.

• Equip: By providing teaching, training, tools and resources for effective ministry, and to help others learn and connect.

Learn, Connect and Equip always works together and leads to action.

What's your next step?

Additional Annual Report Resources

Connecting Multi-Site Church Leaders [PhotoJournal]

On November 20, Vision New England brought together 38 current and aspiring multi-site leaders from across New England for a Multi-Site Forum at LifeSong Church in Sutton, MA. The full-day event provided a space for peers to build relationships with fellow multi-site leaders, exchange insights, and share successes and failures in their multi-site experience.

Bob Atherton, VNE Vice President of Member Services and the forum's organizer initially thought the event would draw a handful of leaders. As registration grew to include leadership teams from 17 churches across seven states, it became clear that current and aspiring multi-site leaders were eager for time to learn and connect.

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

The plenary sessions, facilitated by veteran multi-site leader, Pastor Rex Keener, focused on seven critical questions for current and aspiring multi-site leaders.

7 Critical Questions

1. Why should our church go multi-site?

2. How do we determine which multi-site approach fits us best?

3. What constitutes success?

4. How do we get our church ready to launch its first site?

5. How do we manage the multi-site monster?

6. What are the persistent challenges of a multi-site church?

7. What is the multi-site movement’s “dirty little secret”?

Pastor Rex presented best-practices and personal experiences around each of the critical questions. He made it clear at the start of the day that he wasn't trying to talk anyone into multi-site leaderships.

"If you wanted a sales guy today, you got the wrong guy, but I'll tell you the truth about it as I see it.” His transparency and candor about both his success and failures set the tone for how participants would share in their small group discussion.

““What is needed it this—to share both success and shortcomings.”
-participant”

Participants were grateful that the small group discussions were both honest and practical. One participant noted that "learning about the realities of the challenges was very sobering and very helpful." Another said, "What is needed is this—to share both success and shortcomings."

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

View fullsize

Based on small group report-backs and participant surveys, Vision New England and EGC’s Applied Research & Consulting team discovered four key insights multi-site leaders repeatedly shared.

We believe their insights clarify—both for leaders exploring the multi-site option and for current multi-site staff facing vexing challenges to sustainability—the need for four life-preserving team commitments:

Staying Afloat in Multi-Site Ministry: 4 Key Commitments for Long-Term Health

Staying Afloat in Multi-Site Ministry

4 Key Commitments for Long-Term Health

By the EGC Applied Research & Consulting Team and Vision New England

Multi-site church leadership is risky. Enough funding, attendance, and facilities for a site launch provide a great start. But for a new worship location and community to survive and thrive long-term, more is needed. 

The multi-site church movement—wherein a single team manages the operations and shepherding of multiple co-branded churches—hit a major stride in the US just 25 years ago. So multi-sites are not yet old enough to assess their long-term impact on American Christianity. But lead teams are swimming in deep enough waters to have learned some key factors crucial to sustainability.

On November 20, Vision New England brought together 38 current and aspiring multi-site leaders from across New England for a Multi-Site Consultation at LifeSong Church in Sutton, MA. The full-day event provided a space for peers to share insights, successes and failures, and a few dirty little secrets of the multi-site experience.

Based on small group report-backs and participant surveys, Vision New England and EGC’s Applied Research & Consulting team discovered four key insights multi-site leaders repeatedly shared. We believe their insights clarify—both for leaders exploring the multi-site option and for current multi-site staff facing vexing challenges to sustainability—the need for four life-preserving team commitments.

1. Connect with Other Multi-Site Teams

Opportunities are rare to talk openly and honestly about the unique challenges of multi-site ministry. But regular connection to peers in the multi-site experience is make-or-break crucial for team health and practical insights.

Actionable ministry team learning and development happens best with others in the multi-site boat. Other church structures—church plants, missional communities, denominational leadership—are not comparable. The multi-site situation involves logistical challenges not relevant to other leadership experiences.

““What is needed is this—to share both success and shortcomings.””

— participant

Furthermore, spending time with multi-site peers means the conversation won’t shrink away from addressing real-world hazards or the ugly side of multi-site. “Hearing from others and their success and failures” added value in the table discussions.

According to a 2014 Generis report surveying 535 multi-site leaders from around the world, multi-sites also grow faster than single churches or church plants. To stay ahead of the whirlwind, multi-site leaders acknowledge the wisdom of ongoing relationships with others who are currently leading a multi-site or exploring it as an option.

Get Connected with Other Local Multi-Site Leaders

Get Connected with Other Local Multi-Site Leaders

2. Clarify Your Multi-Site Approach & Leadership Structure

Org charts aren’t sexy, and little to no attention is devoted to organizational strategy in seminary training. But a prayerfully and carefully constructed chain of team responsibility and support can mean the difference between a failed experiment and a thriving multi-site community.

“Getting a grasp on different models of multi-site ministry was tremendous," reflected one participant.  Lack of clarity on multi-site approach and leadership structure was the most commonly cited ministry challenge by both current and in-process leaders.

View fullsize

Adapted from Pastor Rex Keener's plenary presentation at the Multi-Site Consultation, November 20, 2017, in Sutton, MA. Click to enlarge.

In plenary session, Pastor Rex Keener clarified that multi-site is not a single organizational approach, but three: franchise, localized, or church-plant style (with multi-site governance). For leaders to thrive, they need to be clear about which multi-site approach they’ve chosen. Asking and agreeing upfront, “What are we going to standardize?” avoids unnecessary community stress.

In Pastor Rex’s experience, asking leaders to adjust, for example, from a more controlled role towards more autonomy is usually not difficult. But asking leaders to adjust mid-stream from more autonomy to less can be painful and demoralizing.

“A prayerfully and carefully constructed chain of team responsibility and support can mean the difference between a failed experiment and a thriving multi-site community.”

In addition, different multi-site approaches require different gifts and skills. Intentionally choosing your church’s approach from the start allows your team to avoid squandering your leaders’ gifts in the wrong role.

For example, sustainable franchise leaders tend to excel in interpersonal skills for partner-, leader-, and community building, whereas effective church plant pastors require strong communication gifts for regular preaching.

But more than any other topic, leaders cited the leadership org chart conversation as the most helpful and impactful part of the day. There Pastor Rex shared multiple, legitimate options for chains of authority and leader support.

View fullsize

Adapted from Pastor Rex Keener's plenary presentation at the Multi-Site Consultation, Nov 20, 2017, in Sutton, MA. Click to enlarge.

For example, in some multi-sites the senior leader directly supervises the campus pastors as well as other key leaders. In other multi-sites, the senior leader supervises another pastor who oversees and supports the campus pastors. Pastor Rex recommended the latter structure especially for churches with more than two sites, because it tends to be more readily scalable—adding a fourth or fifth site will not require a lead team restructure.

3. Go Deeper on Timeline, Location & Real Cost

Participants agreed that not enough conversation has been happening around the logistical challenges of multi-sites.  According to one participant, “The conversation around the way to think through location, timeline, and budgeting were helpful in that they didn’t offer what to think but how to think.”

The financial realities of multi-sites were of particular interest. The most impactful topic of the day was, as one leader put it, “the budget stuff—NO ONE has written a book about that yet!” Published estimates for the first-year cost of launching a multi-site vary wildly. Participants in the room shared estimates ranging from $250,000 to $1 million. In the Generis survey of 535 multi-site churches, first-year estimates ranged from $46,000 to $1.4 million.  

“Not enough conversation has been happening around the logistical challenges of multi-sites.”

The budget discussion raised a number of factors responsible for the wide range of estimates, including: the number of staff; the combined attendance at all sites; whether the site is buying, leasing, or renting property; and the leadership structure.

The leaders broadly appreciated the time devoted to this level of logistical detail, and expressed a desire for more opportunities for such practical deep dives.

4. Prepare to Face Hard Realities

The idea of launching a multi-site in some ways can feel to a church community like a reward for a job well done. When a church community multiplies beyond its capacity, it must expand or risk crowding people out—Yay, growth!

“Going multi-site fixes nothing, it only multiplies everything.”

— from Multisite Church Pitfalls, D'Angelo and Stigile

But leaders can hold an unconscious assumption that multi-site ministry will “just flow”—that the “repeat performance” will be easier than the sweat and spiritual labor that went into the original. Similarly, churches struggling to address the needs of a community bursting at the seams may assume that the multi-site launch will bring relief for overworked ministers.

The reality can often be the opposite of these assumptions, and churches considering a multi-site need to enter such a commitment with eyes wide open. D’Angelo and Stigile warn,

Multi-site creates more problems than it solves—it multiplies exactly who you are today, nothing more, nothing less. It’s not only the good that grows, it has a way of expanding everything in your church…Going multi-site fixes nothing, it only multiplies everything.

For example, despite its efficiencies multi-sites require substantially more—not less— leadership development. Multi-sites boast a higher average level of lay participation that individual churches. Wise lead teams plan to exercise intensive leadership development as a given duty, and prepare for even higher levels of leadership skill and maturity themselves.

Pastor Rex candidly shared the pain with which his church learned the need to restructure their lead team. As the senior pastor, he had been overseeing each campus pastor directly. But he was spread too thin and ministry quality visibly suffered.

His church has now taken the hard transition to a model where he supervises another leader who oversees the campus pastors. This mid-stream shift has involved significant growing pains. Pastor Rex hoped with his radical candor to spare other church communities of this kind of potentially avoidable team stress.

As a reality check for those exploring multi-site, or those bewildered by their multi-site experience, consider how the participants in this conference honestly describe multi-site leadership:

““More is not necessarily better, just different.” ”

— a current multi-site leader

““A difficult road, if you choose it.””

— a leader exploring multi-site

““Think about your systems and structures and make sure you are ready for the challenges.””

— a current multi-site leader

Experienced leaders agree that leading a multi-site is not trivial—it’s a hard upward calling. But take heart—leaders also shared measured words of wisdom and hope:

““No one has done this perfectly. Keep working on a solution that fits your situation.” ”

— a current multi-site leader

““Take it slow.” ”

— a leader exploring multi-site

Vision New England unifies, encourages, and equips the diverse Body of Christ in New England for intentional evangelism. VNE recently convened the Multisite Consultation to create an opportunity for peer fellowship, support, and shared insights among multi-site church teams in New England. Bob Atherton, VNE's Vice President of Member Services, would be happy to connect you with other local multi-site leaders.

Get Connected with Other Local Multi-Site Leaders

Get Connected with Other Local Multi-Site Leaders

Multi-Site Ministry In-Depth: Reading List

Multi-Site Ministry In-Depth: Reading List

By Rudy Mitchell, Senior Researcher

Highly Recommended

Bird, Warren. "Leadership Network/Generis Multisite Church Scorecards: Master Growth, More Believers and Greater Lay Participation." Leadership Network, 2014.

D’Angelo, David, and Ryan Stigile. MultiSite Church Pitfalls: 7 Dangers You Cannot Afford to Ignore. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016.

Surratt, Geoff, Gregg Ligon, and Warren Bird. The Multi-Site Church Revolution. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2006.

Tomberlin, Jim, and Warren Bird. Better Together: Making Church Mergers Work. San Francisco, Calif.: Jossey-Bass, 2012.

Also Recommended

Banks, Adelle M. “Multisite Churches are Outpacing Growth of Megachurches.” The Christian Century, 19 September 2012, 17-18.

Barna Group. More Than Multisite: Inside Today's Methods and Models for Launching New Congregations.  Ventura, Calif.: Barna Group, 2016.

Bettis, Kara. “Beyond the Screens: How Can Multisite Churches Convey Pastoral Presence?” Leadership 36, no.3 (Summer 2015): 55-57.

Collier, Bryan. The Go-to Church: Post Megachurch Growth. Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon Press, 2013.

Ferguson, Dave. “The Multi-site Church: Some Strengths of this New Life Form.” Leadership 24, no. 2 (Spring 2003): 80-84.

House, Brad, and Gregg Allison, MultiChurch: Exploring the Future of Multisite. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2017.

McConnell, Scott. Multi-Site Churches: Guidance for the Movement’s Next Generation. Nashville, Tenn.: B&H Books, 2009.

Pope, Randy. “3 Reasons We Stopped Doing Multisite Church: It's Hard to Lead Locally from a Distance.” Leadership, 36, no. 3 (Summer 2015): 58-59.

Smietana, Bob. “Flip This Church: More Small Churches Are Joining Big Ones In Order To Keep their Doors Open: Can The Multisite Movement Grow Without Treating Congregations As Little More Than Real Estate?” Christianity Today, June 2015, 42-48.

Surratt, Geof. Of Course People Prefer Live Preaching, But Video Venues Work When You Work Them. The Exchange: A Blog by Ed Stetzer, Christianity Today online, December 17, 2013.

Surratt, Geoff, Greg Ligon, and Warren Bird. A Multi-site Church Roadtrip : Exploring the New Normal. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2009.

Tomberlin, Jim. 125 Tips for MultiSite Churches, MultiSite Solutions. Scottsdale, AZ, 2011.

Tomberlin, Jim, and Tim Cool. Church Locality. Nashville, Tenn.: Rainer Publishing, 2014.
 

Join the Conversation: Honor-Shame Culture in US Cities & Churches

Join the Conversation: Honor-Shame Culture in US Cities & Churches

By Jess Mason, Supervising Editor

Before I had the pleasure of meeting Sang-il Kim, a Ph.D. candidate at BU School of Theology, I thought honor-shame dynamics were limited to specific cultures of the Far East, Middle East, and Africa. I was wrong.

My limited personal experience with honor-shame culture comes from my brief journey to China with a team of pastors. There I witnessed our cross-cultural guide go to an ATM, withdraw a wad of cash, and present it to our Chinese host, after we had unknowingly offended our Chinese friends in some way. She had received our shame and made the culturally appropriate gesture to restore our honor in their eyes.

Last month, Mr. Kim opened my eyes to the surprising levels of honor-shame dynamics now present in US cities, including Boston. Notably, he said that the American face of honor-shame dynamics today goes far beyond immigrants from traditionally honor-shame cultures.

I was inspired to brainstorm with him what it could mean for Boston area pastors—what does it look like to shepherd well amidst this emerging dynamic of honor and shame?

Mr. Kim's full article (below) aims to raise the awareness of Boston Christian leaders to honor-shame culture in their congregations, communities, and theology. EGC invites you to join him for conversation, and consider with others how you might engage honor-shame dynamics to the glory of God. 

Join a Conversation

Thank you for your interest in honor-shame dynamics! I’d love to connect with you! - Sang-il Kim

Sang-il Kim is a doctoral candidate in Practical Theology and Religious Education at Boston University. His dissertation delves into the harmful effects of shame and how teaching and learning Christian doctrines can be an antidote to them. Sang-il plans to balance teaching and research on human emotion and Christian theology, with youth and adult Christian formation in view.

Getting Ahead of Boston's Homelessness Crisis: Starlight's Collaborative Approach

Getting Ahead of Boston's Homelessness Crisis: Starlight’s Collaborative Approach

by Rev. Cynthia Hymes Bell, MPH

The face of homelessness on Melnea Cass Boulevard in Boston has changed. When we think about homelessness in America, we tend to think of single adult males living in a shelter, in a car or under a bridge. They may have a mental illness, or drug or alcohol addiction.

However, increasingly the single adult male is no longer the dominant face of homelessness in the Melnea Cass Boulevard area of the city. While traveling through this neighborhood on my way to work or to the airport, I have observed that the faces of the individuals congregating on the Boulevard are now younger, Caucasian and increasingly women.  

As the Director of Starlight Ministries, I am constantly asking, what can be done—what is being done—by Christian leaders in this city to eradicate the problem? What is the Church’s response to this crisis?

THE CURRENT CRISIS

Just in the past three years, the face of homelessness on Melnea Cass Boulevard has changed completely. The Woods-Mullen women's shelter on the corner of Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard in Boston’s South End serves women ages 18 years or older. Their 200 beds have not met the need of an increasing number of young women sleeping on the Boulevard and the streets of the city.  

Street involvement is becoming more prevalent and severe for both women and men. On any given night in the city of Boston, the first-come-first-served overnight shelter beds are usually full or beyond capacity, leaving those who cannot be served sleeping on the streets in bags, in makeshift houses or on corners of the city’s streets.

“Families have become the fastest growing segment of the homeless population.”

In January 2016, the annual City of Boston Homeless Census counted 7,549 men, women and children sleeping in shelters, treatment centers and on the streets of Boston. What is even more startling is a recent report published by the Boston Foundation which highlights that the number of individuals in families who are homeless in Massachusetts has more than doubled in nine years to 13,000, an increase that’s among the highest in the nation.

Historically, homelessness has meant individuals living on the streets. But families have become the fastest growing segment of the homeless population, comprising nearly 40 percent nationally, according to the National Center on Family Homelessness. Children make up 60% of those who are experiencing family homelessness on any given day in Massachusetts.  

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Chronic homelessness is a persistent and pervasive problem in the metro-Boston area, where limited shelter options, unemployment, and excessive rents are forcing more people onto the streets.  The housing crisis undermines the life and dignity of so many of our sisters and brothers who lack stable housing, employment and a permanent place to live.

“Christian leaders best address the homelessness crisis by building healthy community networks that relationally engage and support people affected by homelessness.”

Homelessness is a multifaceted problem—there is no one-size-fits-all solution.  I recognize that the current crisis in the city of Boston poses a particular challenge for church leaders who do not have the capacity, or do not feel well-equipped, to deal with the problem.

The “no loitering” signs that recently have been posted by the city of Boston along the fences on Melnea Cass Boulevard certainly are not the answer. These are our sisters and brothers—nameless faces of women and children and men sleeping on the city streets, outcast, turned down, closed out and invisible.

What is the church’s response to this crisis?  At Starlight, we believe Christian leaders best address the homelessness crisis by building healthy community networks that relationally engage and support people affected by homelessness. 

STARLIGHT’S COLLABORATIVE MODEL

“In a partnership, each church community can find their unique contribution, and no one church is overburdened. ”

This past year, we at EGC’s 27-year-old Starlight Ministries have honed our approach. We began a re-learning process, identifying 30 prospective church partners that currently have outreach ministries to people who are poor or marginalized.

We were disheartened to learn, after the first 12 meetings and interviews, that many of these ministries are using a model of service—the food pantry model—that is not effectively serving people dealing with homelessness. People without housing need ready-to-eat foods that do not require cooking or preparation.

We believe that better cooperation amongst churches and community organizations could better serve the current need. We are now developing church and community partnerships aimed at implementing holistic approaches, sharing resources, and coordinating services.

In a partnership, each church community can find their unique contribution, and no one church is overburdened. Partners will jointly address the physical, spiritual, and practical needs of people in their neighborhood to foster healthy community.

Our vision is that every church and Christian group in Greater Boston who wants to engage people affected by homelessness will be equipped to do so wisely. In turn, people affected by homelessness will have more opportunities to participate in “healthy, effective communities” that can support them in transitioning out of homelessness and achieving their full potential.

Rev. Cynthia Hymes Bell

Rev. Bell leads Starlight Ministries in its mission to build the capacity of Boston’s churches and leaders to create life-changing relationships with people affected by homelessness. She has a degree in mental health from Tufts University, a Master of Public Health from Yale, and a Master of Divinity from Harvard. From 2002 to 2008, Cynthia traveled to South Sudan with “My Sister’s Keeper,” where she participated in the redemption of more than 1,200 slaves. She is a licensed and ordained minister and serves on the ministry team of Morning Star Baptist Church in the Mattapan neighborhood of Boston.