A Vision for Boston

This year, the Emmanuel Gospel Center celebrated 80 years of fruitful ministry in urban Boston! By the grace of God, and through your prayers and generous support, we continue to invest in Christian leaders and work to see God glorified through his church in our city. I am excited about the opportunities and challenges that are before us as we enter our next 80 years, and our vision for this work continues to grow.

We have a vision for increased unity and impact among churches in Greater Boston, manifested through collaborative learning and collective action. Our projects are designed to result in more and better connections among Christian leaders, and sense a deeper pulse on the needs and resources of Boston communities and churches. As a research hub, EGC investigates on-the-ground, changing realities using a community-based approach that is practical and actionable.

For example, at the request of and in partnership with the Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston and the Institute for the Study of the Black Christian Experience at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, we are launching the Boston Black Church Vitality Project. This multi-year, in-depth project will work with many partners to enable Black Christians and church communities to identify assets and growing edges as well as areas of need and innovative models for addressing them.

We have a vision the Church will gain a reputation for developing innovative solutions to the city's most intractable problems. As an innovation lab and coaching collaborative, EGC instigates and incubates new and innovating ministries, providing training, consultation and spiritual mentoring to help Christian leaders nurture collaborative action for relevant and sustainable gospel impact in the city.

Our approach, called Living System Ministry (LSM), incorporates systems thinking into urban ministry. We have taught LSM concepts for 40 years, and people say it changes the way they do ministry. One of our recent students called this approach "revolutionary" and "the favorite class I've ever taken." We are committed to making LSM more accessible by developing an online course and practical ministry tools.

We have a vision for an expanded narrative about Boston Christianity that includes underrepresented yet vital parts of the community, such as immigrant churches, women-led churches, churches that are majority Black, and communities happening outside the walls of the formal church. Compelling storytelling about what God is doing in and through Christians inspires and catalyzes change.

As story tellers, we will continue to increase our collective storytelling capacity through our publications, EGC Films and continued development of the Filmmakers Collaborative (a grass-roots gathering of videographers from across Boston's church community). We will tell stories, and help others tell stories, of God at work in our midst.

Our prayer, hope and expectation is that EGC's next 80 years will be even better than the first 80. We are doing all we can to position EGC for a fruitful future, and your faithful giving will help turn these visions into reality. You can make a year-end donation at egc.org/give or clicking the button below. You can also send a check to Emmanuel Gospel Center PO Box 180245, Boston MA 02118.

Thank you for your partnership with us in this work!

Sincerely,

Jeff Bass

Executive Director

PS. We could not do our work without you. Your support empowers our staff to dedicate themselves to partnering with others to turn these visions into reality. Thank you for joining us in this important mission!

Resources for Christians Navigating Political & Theological Divides

Resources for Christians Navigating Political & Theological Divides

Compiled by Andrew Tsou and Dean Borgman

We live in polarizing times—but we’re not the first. Many time-tested kingdom principles about how to engage with others in political matters are already recorded in insightful Christian books and resources.

““Moving out to do something has to have a deeply spiritual basis.” - Professor Dean Borgman”

On November 9, 2018, the Emmanuel Gospel Center held its first Long View Session—a new series of gatherings where seasoned, visionary ministry thinkers discuss matters crucial to the future of urban ministry and Christian engagement in society. At the inaugural session, Professor Dean Borgman discussed Christians’ call to engage in political conversation amidst explosive and frayed emotions in our nation, state, and communities, and he offered tips and resources to light the way.

Upcoming Long View Sessions

Tell me about upcoming Long View Sessions!

Long View Session participants also had the opportunity to share ways that they’re already engaging—well, poorly, or not at all—with friends and family on issues of political relevance.

“Moving out to do something has to have a deeply spiritual basis,” Prof. Borgman cautioned. For biblical principles on how to engage well about politically-charged issues when talking to friends, family, and people on the other side of political divides, check out Dean’s recommended resources below.

Suggested Resources

The New York Times, September 29, 2018

“What should the role of Christians in politics be? More people than ever are asking that question. Christians cannot pretend they can simply transcend politics…. Those who simply avoid all political discussions and engagement are essentially casting a vote for the status quo.” - Pastor Tim Keller

Evangelicals on Public Policy Issues: Sustaining a Respectful Political Conversation by Harold Heie (2014)

“…One of my primary proposals for a “Way Forward” beyond the debacle of current American Politics that emerged from my recent eCircle on “Reforming American Politics” is that politicians and their supporters need to ‘develop personal relationships of mutual understanding and trust by listening to and talking respectfully with those who disagree with them’. …To develop such a personal relationship is to become a friend.” - Harold Heie

The Politics of Jesus: Rediscovering the True Revolutionary Nature of Jesus’ Teachings and How They Have Been Corrupted by Obery Hendricks (2007)

Obery Hendricks is an ordained Elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church, a former Wall Street Investment executive, and a scholar, professor, and author also of Living Water and The Universe Bends Toward Justice: Radical Reflections on the Bible, the Church, and the Body Politic (2011).

God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It by Jim Wallis (2006)

God’s Politics covers the taboos of talking about religion and politics, and how spiritual values impact international relations, economic justice, social issues, and social change.

The Politics of Jesus by James H. Yoder (1994)

“Tradition has painted a portrait of a Savior aloof from governmental concerns and whose teachings point to an apolitical life for his disciples….Such a picture of Jesus is far from accurate,” argues John Howard Yoder.

Yoder gives us a picture of a political Jesus, and offers a polemic for Anabaptist pacifism.

Other Movements, Organizations & Resources

Civilitas, Doug Birdsall

Civilitas represents a foundational commitment to strengthen the influence of the Bible and the role of the Church as a means of bringing healing and cohesion to our fragmenting society.

Civil conversations will work to change the tone of our society by supplanting vitriolic public discourse with respectful listening, constructive exchange, and positive partnerships.

Revive Civility, from the National Institute for Civil Discourse: To Restore and Call for Civility in our Democracy

Integrated research, practice and policy to support and engage: 

• Elected officials who are capable of working to solve the big issues facing our country.

• A public that demands civil discourse as well as government that works in the best interests of the country as a whole. 

• A media that informs citizens in a fair and responsible way.

Citizen Engagement and Civil Discourse Resources

National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) is committed to the success of all legislators and staff. Its mission is to:

• Improve the quality and effectiveness of state legislatures.

• Promote policy innovation and communication among state legislatures.

• Ensure state legislatures a strong, cohesive voice in the federal system.

The Value of Making Youth Voices Heard [VIDEO]

The Value of Making Youth Voices Heard [VIDEO]

The BEC was privileged to work with some amazing youth leaders last school year, training them to be community researchers in the Lenox/Camden area by using the tool of participatory action research. We were also blessed to collaborate with Vibrant Boston, St. Stephen's Youth Programs, CrossTown Church International, and Boston College School of Social Work to make this program a success. See the video for a short intro.

Making Youth Voices Heard

2018

EGC is on the Move!

EGC has sold our building in the South End, and we are preparing to move to Second Church in Codman Square, Dorchester!

Innovation is in our DNA. Over our 80-year history, our focus has always been the same—to strengthen Christian leaders to serve urban communities. But our methods grow and evolve as we learn from and adapt to the ever-changing realities of Boston.

EGC Staff Photo

Our decision to move stems from our desire to be agile and sustainable, allowing us to concentrate our time and resources into serving leaders and loving the city.

We have sold our building in the South End to IBA (Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción), the local community group that operates Villa Victoria. We are excited that their plan is to build affordable housing on this site. Funds from the sale will both finance our move and seed an endowment that will increase EGC’s financial stability to be more agile in  pursuing our mission.

Second Church in Codman Square, Dorchester.

We are excited to partner with Rev. Dr. Victor Price of Second Church in Dorchester. Together we hold a common vision for faith, collaboration, and innovation with partners across the city. We look forward to sharing more details with you in the coming days about how  our relocation is the “smart move” for pressing on in that call!

I’d Love to Hear from You

What do you think about EGC’s move? Do you have thoughts on how EGC can better encourage and strengthen Christian leaders in the city? Send me your thoughts at jbass@egc.org.

Part of EGC’s new space at Second Church.

Hungry for more details? Here are some FAQs:

Why are you doing this?

Our Board and staff have been considering a move like this for over 8 years and it is not one we make lightly. In prayerful response to changes around us and within EGC, we are making this significant change to put EGC in a stronger position to advance our mission—to strengthen Christian leaders to serve urban communities. It's a long story, but we felt we needed to make a choice between investing to maintain a large, aging and in some ways challenging facility (in an increasingly gentrified and expensive neighborhood), or streamlining so we can more fully invest in our mission. We love the South End neighborhood, but we feel that selling our buildings and moving into a rented space in a less-gentrified urban neighborhood best positions EGC for ministry today and tomorrow. We want the next 80 years to be even better than the last 80 years!

You’ve sold your buildings?

Yes, we sold our buildings in the South End to Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion (IBA), the local community group that operates Villa Victoria. We are excited that their plan is to build affordable housing on this site. Funds from the sale will both finance our move and seed an EGC endowment that will increase our financial stability to be more agile  in pursuing our mission.

What will happen to the South End Neighborhood Church?

The three churches that meet at EGC will need to find new homes. Thankfully, IBA will be taking some time to implement their designs. So the churches can stay in this space through all of 2019 if they want to, which gives them time to make new plans.

What about the house (the Hall Hotel)?

EGC sold the Hall Hotel to Brian and Cathy Corcoran last winter. They are working to fix it up and continue its use as their family home and a center for Christian community. They will be neighbors to the new affordable housing that will be developed by IBA.

Where is EGC moving?

We plan to move to a rented space at Second Church (the historic church building in Codman Square, on the corner of Washington and Talbot). We will have over 3,000 square feet of dedicated space, and use of other spaces in the building for EGC meetings and our convening ministry. Three other churches, a few small ministries, and a solar business also share space in Second Church’s large building, so we are joining a robust and dynamic ministry community.

When are you moving?

We have work to do to configure the space at Second Church for our needs. Timing will depend on construction (and more importantly, on construction permits). At this point, we expect to move sometime later in 2019. IBA is graciously letting us stay in our current space until we are ready to go. We will make an announcement when we know a moving date, but at this point middle to late 2019 is a good guess.

What happens next?

Not many changes immediately. EGC and the churches that meet here will be working on our plans in the coming months. In the meantime, EGC will still be in the South End, doing our work of strengthening Christian leaders across urban Greater Boston from this space. Nothing will seem different until we get much closer to a moving date later in 2019.

What can I do?

Thanks for asking! You can pray for EGC at this significant point in our history. We’ve been in the South End for all of our 80 years, so this is a significant journey  for us. Our mission is to strengthen Christian leaders to serve urban communities throughout urban Greater Boston, and we are excited to be transferring our work base to another significant urban neighborhood in Boston.

Also, please let me know what you think about the move, and how EGC can best encourage and strengthen Christian leaders in our city. You can email your thoughts or questions to me at jbass@egc.org.  I’d love to hear from you!

Loving Everybody is Powerful

Loving Everybody is Powerful

by James Seaton

““When we were told to love everybody, I had thought that that meant everybody.” ”

— James Baldwin

The summer of 2018 evoked in me a complex mix of positive and negative emotions.

I witnessed my beautiful, intelligent sister graduate from her Long Island high school. Amidst the burgers, jokes, and laughter during our family celebration at IHOB (IHOP? IHOB? I can’t keep up), I felt as close to my family as I ever have. At the same time, I was saddened to learn about the thousands of immigrant children separated from their parents at the Mexico-United States border.

I had the pleasure of immersing myself in beautiful Boston neighborhoods such as Dorchester and the South End as part of my summer internship in city missions. But I also learned about how wealthy residents have moved into these same neighborhoods and, whether they meant to or not, have contributed to increases in rent, making way for the displacement of lower income, long-time residents.

In my living situation, I experienced the embrace of a diverse Christian community of 11 students from places ranging from Singapore to New York. But I also watched the news as White Americans called the police on others with darker skin just for using a coupon or selling water.

Such is this world—a place full of dichotomies and complexity.

James Seaton (center), Rev. Cynthia Bell (back left), director of EGC’s Starlight homelessness ministry, Stacie Mickelson (back center), EGC director of Applied Research & Consulting, Liza Cagua-Koo (back right), EGC assistant director.

Love and the Church

I have often asked myself whether we, the Church, are loving well in these times. The Church—what began as a small group of people following Jesus, sacrificing their money and possessions to help others and spread the gospel, a group some predicted would become irrelevant—has developed into a body of over two billion people.

I’ve heard many stories about how the Church as the Body of Christ has been a positive agent of change. In my own life, I’ve witnessed how much I’ve matured  because of the community surrounding me at my home church, the House of Judah, in Long Island. I believe that the Church has had a unique ability to tackle tough individual and broad-spectrum issues like racism, homelessness, poverty, lack of healthcare, and more. But all of that begins with one word: love.

In one of my favorite Bible passages, Titus 3:3-4 (ESV), Paul writes that he and Titus were once “hated by others and hating one another,” until the “goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared.” We now have the Holy Spirit to aid us in loving everyone—even those who are not like us or who do not agree with us.

Despite this message of hope and truth, the Church has sometimes struggled to love. Many perceive a lack of love within the Church as some Christians demonstrate hatred towards undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers, remain silent on racism and police brutality, condone misogyny, and take a pro-birth but not pro-life stance.

Because of this, some brothers and sisters have decided to leave the Church. James Baldwin, a prominent gay, Black author of the 20th century who once identified as a Christian, is one example of someone who immersed himself in the Church and, after finding various hypocrisies, decided to abandon it. In a sobering paragraph in The Fire Next Time, he writes,

“The transfiguring power of the Holy Ghost ended when the service ended, and salvation stopped at the church door. When we were told to love everybody, I had thought that that meant everybody. But no. It applied only to those who believed as we did, and it did not apply to white people at all. I was told by a minister, for example, that I should never, on any public conveyance, under any circumstances, rise and give my seat to a white woman. White men never rose for Negro women. Well, that was true enough, in the main - I saw his point. But what was the point, the purpose of my salvation if it did not permit me to behave with love toward others, no matter how they behaved toward me? “

In this instance, Baldwin speaks about agape love, the sacrificial love by which we love everyone, even those who have hurt us or have a different skin color.

This summer, I was an intern at the Emmanuel Gospel Center and on Boston summer mission with Cru, a Christian campus ministry. In my time there, I experienced several ways that I and others can better love one another.

2018 EGC Interns praying together: Chelsie Ahn (left), James Seaton, (center), and Evangeline Kennedy (right).

Love Others As You Love Yourself

First, to love others, it is critical both to understand and love yourself. True self-understanding starts with confronting our personal myths. In The Fire Next Time, Baldwin writes,

The American Negro has the great advantage of having never believed that collection of myths to which white Americans cling: that their ancestors were all freedom-loving heroes, that they were born in the greatest country the world has ever seen, or that Americans are invincible in battle and wise in peace.

What myths do we cling to, as individuals or as the body of Christ? Whom do we believe ourselves to be? Whom does God say that we are? I think that, by coming to a clear understanding of who we are, we can then treat ourselves with love and empathy.

Love Reaches Out

Secondly, it is critical to get to know people across dividing lines—whether it be friends, neighbors, or leaders of various organizations.

I regret that I have often prioritized comfort and individualism over relational development and sacrifice. I’ve preferred to stay within my room at Cornell University or the box of my schedule without making time to be interruptible or learn more about the community that I inhabit.

Love Pays the Cost

Perhaps the hardest lesson I’ve learned is that to love means to sacrifice or “do the hard thing.” To love those who hate us is a sacrifice of pride and personal will, as well as a representation of Jesus’ love for us. The great Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in a sermon entitled, Love Your Enemies, said,

Click on the image to hear Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King give the sermon, Love Your Enemies.

Another way that you love your enemy is this: When the opportunity presents itself for you to defeat your enemy, that is the time which you must not do it...That is the meaning of love. In the final analysis, love is not this sentimental something that we talk about. It’s not merely an emotional something. Love is creative, understanding goodwill for all men.

Loving someone who hates us or looks at the world differently from us is difficult. But the Holy Spirit equips us to complete this action in a society in which hate is rampant in various forms. “That,” as King says it, “is the meaning of love.”

I hope that we as individuals and as the Body of Christ will love everybody better in the future: the homeless veteran, the hungry child, the immigrant fleeing dangerous circumstances back home, the widow, and any other person we may deem challenging to understand and help.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James Seaton is a senior at Cornell University, studying communication. In 2018, James interned with EGC’s Applied Research & Consulting. His research focused on urban housing and racial justice.

Shepherding the Seriously Ill: 3 Workshop Takeaways

Shepherding the Seriously Ill: 3 Workshop Takeaways

By Bethany Slack, MPH, MPT, and Evangeline Kennedy

Serious illness brings up serious questions—for both patients and their families. Individuals facing the end of their life often call on Christian leaders for support in their time of grief and questioning. With the right training, pastors and other caregivers can play a crucial role in helping medical staff and family decision-makers honor the ill person's wishes in a manner consistent with his or her beliefs and values.

In April, Emmanuel Gospel Center, in conjunction with Greater Boston Baptist Association and Blue Cross Blue Shield, facilitated the workshop Pastor, Will You Pray For Me? Shepherding Those with Serious Illness. Bethel AME Church hosted the morning workshop, which featured local pastors and clinicians as speakers. The gathering gave pastoral caregivers:

• an orientation to the world of end-of-life care

• a tool for open communication between pastoral caregivers and seriously ill congregants

• an opportunity to network with diverse pastoral caregivers shepherding the seriously ill in their faith communities.

Pastoral caregivers from 15 local churches and organizations from Greater Boston gathered to discuss helpful approaches and tools for shepherding individuals with serious illness.

TAKEAWAYS

We asked participants what elements and discussion points of the workshop were most valuable to them.

1. Talking About Serious Illness Presents Emotional Challenges

Caregivers, patients, and their family members experience mental and emotional obstacles to serious illness conversation.

Workshop participants spoke of their sadness, emotional ties to patients, and their desire to engage more confidently and proficiently in conversations around serious illness.

These caregivers also noted that the patients and families were often reluctant or completely unwilling to deal openly and realistically with the situation. One participant said "Some people don't want [to] talk about these issues/answer these kinds of questions. Sometimes they don't know how to think about [it]." Disagreement between a patient and their spouse adds another layer of emotional challenge to such conversations.

Another noted the challenge of talking openly about serious illness amidst "fierce reliance on a miraculous healing."

However, participants mentioned the Conversation Guide (described below) as a helpful tool for approaching these anticipated barriers.

2. The Conversation Guide Helps

The "Serious Illness Conversation Guide" for caregivers was the most important takeaway for many participants. The Guide offers a list of specific questions as a tool for initiating and navigating serious illness conversations.

The caregivers valued the Guide content as well as the opportunity to practice using it through role play. One participant responded, "I need to ask some people some of these questions now!"

Some also appreciated the specific directives for using the Conversation Guide, including that:

• repeating the same questions is effective

• having the Guide in hand during conversations is perfectly acceptable

“Every situation is different and should be approached prayerfully.”

— participant

Panel discussion: (left to right) Dr. Michael Balboni (speaking), Dr. Janet Abrahms, Dr. Gloria White-Hammond, and Dr. Alexandra Cist.

3. Medical Decisions are Spiritual

Participants valued learning about clinicians' and pastors' complementary roles in helping Christians navigate decision-making consistent with their spiritual beliefs. One person summed up his/her thoughts with a quote from Dr. Michael Balboni, "Medical decisions are spiritual decisions."

The degree of overlap between the medical and spiritual spheres in serious illness decision-making surprised many participants. One caregiver was struck by the number of Guide questions he perceived as “clinical”. Another appreciated hearing the perspectives of the four-person panel, which included individuals working as physicians, pastors, or both.

“Medical decisions are spiritual decisions.”

— Dr. Michael Balboni

Another participant summed up the event as, "Every situation is different and should be approached prayerfully."

TAKE ACTION

If you're a pastoral caregiver interested in learning more about shepherding those with serious illness, consider joining us for our next workshop!

Connect

Connect

Learn More

Some Thoughts on Ministering to the Sick and Dying - The Gospel Coalition

"Where's God?" Counsel for the Sick and Dying - Biblical Counseling Coalition

Pastoral Visitation Resources - Head Heart Hand

Bethany is EGC's Public Health & Wellness research associate. Her passion is to see Jesus’ love translated into improved health and health justice for all, across the lifespan and across the globe.

Evangeline Kennedy was a Summer 2018 Applied Research and Consulting intern at EGC. She studies Public Health and Spanish at Simmons University. Her heart for the city continues to grow as she sees the vitality and vibrancy present in Boston and the work God is doing in churches and among Christian leaders.

5 Mind-Blowing Realities About Race (That White People May Not Know)

5 Mind-Blowing Realities About Race (That White People May Not Know)

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). 

Race is a complicated subject. We’re all at various points of understanding race issues and their impact. I want to share five realities White people may not know that I believe can transform our perspectives about race.

Reality #1. Society—not biology—defines race.

Differences in skin color have existed throughout history. But the meaning we in the U.S. ascribe to skin color is an artificial social construction that emerged in the 17th century—and has changed over time.

No genes are shared by all members of a given race that determine qualities by racial classification. Our experience as racialized beings isn’t defined by our biology, but by our society.

Racial classifications have shifted over time based on the interests and influence of people in power. In the 20th century, Irish, Italian, Greek, Jewish, and Eastern European people were all considered “non-White,” and they experienced discrimination because they were not considered a part of the dominant racial group.

These groups gained privilege only when those in power expanded the definition of Whiteness to include their nationality. Similarly, people of color who petitioned for “White” status were denied it, based on changing—and, at times, contradictory—legal interpretations that allowed White people to define racial classification.

To learn more about how the concept of race is rooted in society, not biology explore this interactive website or this article from National Geographic.

To learn more about how the social construct of race developed over time, click here.

Because society has ascribed meaning to race, inequality is both created and dismantled by working towards societal change.

Reality #2. Racism Goes Beyond Interpersonal Interactions

What first comes to mind when you hear the word “racism”? You may picture personal biases or racist interactions between people. While this is one form of racism, organizations and social systems can also take actions that uphold the reality of racism.

Internalized

Race-based beliefs and feelings within individuals.

E.g., consistently believing that your way of doing things is better than that of your colleagues of color.

Interpersonal

Bigotry and biases shown between individuals through word and action.

E.g., leaders exclude people of color from a team because they “just aren’t a good fit with the team dynamic.”

Institutional

Discriminatory policies and practices within organizations and institutions.

E.g., resumes that have Black-sounding names are 50% less likely to get called for an interview compared to people with White-sounding names.

Systemic

Ongoing racial inequalities maintained by society.

E.g., in 2015, the median net worth for White families in the Boston area ($247,500) towered over that of Hispanic ($3,020 for Puerto Ricans, $2,700 for other Hispanics) and Black families ($12,000 for “Caribbean Blacks” and $8 for “U.S. Blacks”). Additionally, in 2014, Asian American individuals in Boston were more than two times as likely to find themselves in poverty compared to their White counterparts.

Total Assets and Net Worth By Race in the Boston Area

Data from Federal Reserve Bank, March 25, 2015, https://www.bostonfed.org/publications/one-time-pubs/color-of-wealth.aspx

Because racism exists on many levels, racism can be at work in dynamics that don’t seem obviously racist. So we can contribute to racism without awareness or intention to do so.

Reality #3. Individuals can have an unintentional racist impact.

There’s false binary thinking in many people’s minds about racism that sounds like this: “Good people aren’t racist, racist people are bad people.” But well-intentioned people can have a racist impact without knowing it. Below are some realities that contribute to unintentional racist impacts.

Systemic racism

As larger social systems perpetuate racism (see Reality #2), people don’t have to be ill-intentioned, or even aware that they are helping these systems to do so. By supporting organizations and systems that contribute to racial injustice, we are complicit in their racist impacts.  

Implicit biases

Unconscious personal biases and stereotypes shape how we see and respond to situations. We all have biases that don’t match our explicit beliefs. We may believe God created all people in his image and we should show no favoritism. But our unconscious reactions may not uphold this belief.

For example, we may think that we don’t see Black men any differently than anyone else. But when we’re walking down the street at night, if we find ourselves holding on to our belongings a little tighter when we pass by a Black man, that’s a flag for us that we’re conditioned to see Black men as more dangerous than others.

This one-pager clarifies common misunderstandings about implicit bias—how it operates, and what we can do about it.

This test that can help reveal some of your own implicit biases.

Intent vs. Impact

What we say or do can have a different impact than what we mean. Even if we act with the best of intentions, by the time our action is translated through a history of overt discrimination, we may hurt another person in ways we didn’t anticipate.

Example

A Christian leader who lives in a largely White area of the suburbs is motivated to partner with city leaders for broader ministry impact. She enters a gathering with urban leaders who are mostly people of color and proceeds to “school” the city leaders about the importance of collaboration. She is assuming God wasn’t already working in the city in those ways, reinforcing historically degrading narratives about leadership capacity and the gifts of God among people of color. Such assumptions can be offensive to urban leaders of color and have a counterproductive impact, in race relations and beyond.

We are broken people in a broken world. Because we contribute to the problem, we bear a measure of responsibility in helping make things right.

Reality #4. Racism is a daily stressor to people of color.

A Day in the Life: How Racism Impacts Families of Color. Click on the infographic to expand.

Racism doesn’t just exist when people of color experience occasional, blatant, intentional racism. Racism profoundly impacts people’s daily experiences, both in everyday interactions and in ongoing disparities.

Subtle Racist Jabs are Commonplace, Accepted

People of color endure slights, indignities, and insults on a regular basis. These may come from people who don’t mean harm, but who don’t have the cultural awareness to know that what they are saying or doing may be hurtful. These incidents are called microaggressions.

For example, asking a person of Asian descent, “Where are you from?” may seem innocent. But remember that they get asked this question—sometimes in hostility—more often than you. The question implies that they aren’t American born. If they are American, it can make them feel like they don’t belong in their homeland, or aren’t welcome. While each incident may seem minor, repeated experiences add up to a demoralizing impact over time. “Did you grow up around here?” is a less presumptuous way to ask the same question.

See this chart of a broad list of microaggressions, what they can subtly communicate, and why they are problematic.

Disparities in Daily Life

People of color endure systemic racial inequalities in their everyday life. For example, a national study reveals that a majority of those in Black communities feel that racism has a negative impact on their daily experiences of neighborhood safety (80%), access to quality public schools (73%), access to financially viable jobs (78%) and access to quality, affordable healthcare (74%).  

Take a look at this infographic for more examples and consider the way these realities might impact your life.

Microaggressions and systemic disparities have a demonstrated negative impact on the mental and physical well being of people of color. The stressors created by regular experiences of discrimination have been correlated with and are thought to cause both a measurable psychological burden and long-term adverse health outcomes.

While White people can choose how often to engage with issues related to race, racism is part of the daily experiences and stressors of people of color.

Reality #5. Racism Harms All of Us

Racism is one of the sins the enemy uses to separate people from God and one another.

God created humanity in right relationship with himself and each other. But when sin entered the scene, our relationships became broken, divorced from God’s design. Racism in America idolizes White physical features and White values as supreme over those of others, denying that all people are equally image bearers of God.

The negative impact of racism on White people doesn’t compare to its effects on people of color. But everyone is degraded by a culture sick with sin. Living in a society that elevates White values as supreme over others diminishes White people in the following ways.

As people of a dominant culture, White people may be more likely to do the following:

• Be unreflective and unquestioning about our cultural values and assumptions.

• Have a diminished capacity to persevere in the face of obstacles or discomfort.

• Experience fear, anxiety, guilt, or shame around issues of race, and react in broken ways as a result.

• Feel barriers to authentic and intimate relationships with people of color, as well as with White people who have different opinions on race.

• Hold an incomplete view of God, as our theology and faith traditions are shaped mostly (or exclusively) by a Euro-American perspective.

• Contribute to racial tension, hatred, and violence in our homes, communities, and world.

• Have more limited imagination and creativity due to complacency in the status quo.

• Have more limited exposure to the enriching cultures, perspectives, and assets of people of color.

• Struggle to work across racial lines in addressing shared concerns and contributing to an improved society.

Reflection Question

How have you been diminished by a society that assumes the supremacy of White values?

Share Your Examples With Us

Share Your Examples

Conclusion

Racism is one more reminder that we live in a fallen and hurting world—a world where the enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy in ways we can and can’t see. But with God, there’s hope of redemption. God continues to call humanity back to himself, working to restore the right relationships God intended in creation.

We have much work yet to do. God, through Jesus’ death and resurrection, has redeemed and is redeeming us in our brokenness. God can heal us and make us agents of healing as we invite him to do transformative work in our lives.  

Pray with me

Lord, help me to see where I’m blind.

Help me to reflect on what you are showing me, even when it makes me uncomfortable.

Help me to open myself up to your work in me so that I can experience freedom, healing, and wholeness.

Help me to be a part of the restorative work you’re doing in the world. Amen. 

Take Action

Racism is complex and multi-layered. If simple answers were enough, racism would not persist as it does today. We believe that growing as an agent of racial healing happens best in a learning community. RCCI cohorts are White evangelicals learning together about race.

Join an RCCI Cohort

Join an RCCI Cohort

Where to Plant a Church in Boston: Areas of Growth

Where to Plant a Church in Boston: Areas of Growth

by Rudy Mitchell and Steve Daman

Want to know where to plant a church in Boston? You might consider Boston’s newest or soon-to-be-built residential growth sites. New neighborhoods and new residents mean new opportunities for planting new churches.

Take a look at these eight neighborhoods of current or immanent growth, based on public and private development plans. Given the general population trends, these are priority areas for outreach and new churches.

Map showing plans for potential expanded neighborhoods, from Imagine Boston Expanding Opportunity, City of Boston, Draft November 2016, p. 25

Neighborhood change is ongoing. Boston’s new neighborhood development will not happen all at once. Some areas have residential developments in process or already completed, like the Seaport District, the South End, Jamaica Plain, and to some extent Allston-Brighton. Other areas, like South Boston and Charlestown, already have many new young professionals and some new housing, but much more will be built in the next five years. Other areas, specifically Suffolk Downs and the Beacon Yards part of Allston, will most likely take more than five more years to develop.

Your geographic and demographic focus. Of course, reaching into newer neighborhoods is not for everyone. Ministry leaders should prayerfully select their geographic focus and adapt their strategies to the types of residents they are called to serve. The church in the city can be adapted in countless ways, and church planters can reach and serve a diversity of current and newer residents because the Gospel is for all people. Congregations may—by their form, style, or language—be better equipped to reach specific groups of people with whom they can make the most impact.

Church planters seeking primarily to reach specific immigrant groups like Nigerians, Brazilians, or Vietnamese, for example, need to know where these nationalities are more concentrated. Churches seeking to serve college students need to find meeting space within walking distance of campuses or in reach of public transportation while being sensitive to the needs, concerns and culture of students. Leaders seeking to reach and serve Boston’s new population growth areas will need to take the time to understand the characteristics, cultures, work, and interests of the people who will be living there.

Here’s a look at eight of the bigger residential development areas across the city:

1. Seaport District by the Waterfront. While there are many new high-rise housing and office buildings being built here, there are very few churches in the area.

2. South End. The northeastern and eastern parts of the South End from the Ink Block to the Boston Medical Center between Albany and Washington Streets will soon have hundreds of new apartments and condos which are being planned and built. Will the South End churches be ready?

3. South Boston from Andrew Square to the Broadway MBTA stations. Although still in the future, “Plan: South Boston Dorchester Avenue” calls for 6,000 to 8,000 new housing units. DJ Properties is also building Washington Square, a mixed use development near Andrew Station with 656 residential units. The nearby Widett Circle and New Market/South Bay areas are also potential major development sites proposed by the City of Boston. Currently there are already many new housing units and new residents around Broadway and in South Boston generally. The neighborhood has few Protestant churches.

Nine-building Washington Square Development with 656 residential units approved and to be completed in the next four years.

4. Charlestown – Sullivan Square and other areas. The Sullivan Square area is one of the six main areas the City of Boston has proposed for major housing expansion. Meanwhile the 1,100 units of the Bunker Hill Housing Development will be totally redeveloped into 3,200 units of mixed housing. Charlestown has very few Protestant churches.

Bunker Hill Housing Development Plans

5. Allston Brighton – Beacon Yards. This is one of the six major areas proposed by the City for development into new expanded neighborhoods. The Boston Landing Campus of New Balance is an area with new residential units and Stop & Shop will be building 1,000 new housing units. Other major housing developments are in the works as well.

Boston Landing in Allston near New Balance (NB Development Group and HYM)

Residential development with 295 units for 2018 opening.

6. Roxbury – from Dudley Square area to Ruggles MBTA station. Coming up in the next several years is the recently approved $500M Tremont Crossing development with over 700 apartments. The nearby Whittier St. Housing Project received funding for a full redevelopment into an expanded mixed income development. Other significant residential developments are also in the works, and Northeastern University is expanding in the area with high-rise dorms.

Tremont Crossing, just one mile from EGC

Whittier Choice redevelopment with 387 units of mixed income housing in three new buildings.

Whittier Choice redevelopment near Ruggles Station.

7. Jamaica Plain – Forest Hills Station. This area is booming with several large new housing developments in various stages of planning and completion. Also, the nearby Washington Street corridor recently completed a new (and controversial) plan which includes potential new residential development in addition to what is already being built in the area. Although there are some thriving churches in this area, because there will be so many new residents there is room for more churches not only here, but throughout Jamaica Plain.

The Residences at Forest Hills

8. Suffolk Downs. In the future, this former racetrack will likely become a whole new community. This massive 161-acre site is one of the six major areas proposed by the city for expansion, and was recently purchased by a developer, HYM Investments. This could become one of the largest developments in the whole region.

Planting now for future harvest. As these new communities emerge across the city, the need to plant new congregations should be high on the list for Christians in Boston as we think about the witness and work of the Kingdom of God over the next few decades.

Take Action

Learn more about the City’s plans for housing new residents.

Connect with the Greater Boston Church Planting Collaborative.

Local Youth Insights: Community Youth Survey Lower Roxbury

Local Youth Insights

Community Youth Survey Lower Roxbury on Violence, Employment, and More

Youth are a resource to their community. The DELTA Youth (Diverse Excellent Leaders Taking Action) are a group of nine youth participating in the South End/Lower Roxbury based Making Youth Voices Heard initiative, a collaboration for community learning among youth, social work students, youth-focused non-profit programs, and community members.

In the spring of 2018, the DELTA Youth conducted a Community Youth Survey, using the Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) model. The survey gathered insights from 55 youth aged 13-24 living in the Lenox/Camden area of Lower Roxbury, Boston, MA.

Survey Insights

The Community Youth Survey gathered insights about violence, employment, poverty, drugs, and gangs. The DELTA Youth team further explored responses on violence and employment.

Have any close family members or friends been killed in violence?

Source: Making Youth Voices Heard Community Youth Survey of youth in Lower Roxbury, Boston, MA, by the DELTA Youth, 2018.

Community Presentation

In June, the DELTA Youth made a presentation of their findings to local residents, to facilitate community conversation.

 

Partner Stories

Ruth Wong - Director, EGC's Boston Education Collaborative

“It’s a learning process. This can be a launch pad—that’s the prayer and the desire."

Brent Henry - Founder and Director, VibrantBoston

"Rather than gentrification, there should be integration."

Sarah O'Connor - St. Stephens Youth Program's Lead Organizer for Lenox Community

"I want the young people who live there to see themselves as being a part of the future of that neighborhood."

Cherchaela Spellen, CrossTown Church partner, BU Social Work student, EGC Intern with Boston Education Collaborative

"Who knows best about the community but the members who are living in the community itself?"

Urban Youth Culture Research [Resource List]

Urban Youth Culture Research [Resource List]

by Rev. Dean Borgman, Professor of Youth Ministry

How are people of faith to understand urban youth culture? How can the Church best interact with urban youth?

This post provides qualitative research resources for the urban youth practitioner to develop a framework and approach for more effective ministry.

Current Resources

“Barking to the Choir: The Power of Radical Kinship,” by Gregory Boyle (2017)

Though not social science, Barking to the Choir offers what I call “qualitative research snapshots”. This spiritual and biblical reflection on the lives of L.A. homies illustrates what is required for effective qualitative research: time spent and trust felt.  Urban researchers will see possible results of their work, as this book describes how homies from negative origins can transform into effective workers and young entrepreneurs.

“Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion,” by Gregory Boyle (2010)

Though Father Boyle is not a social science researcher, what this white, adult, professional (a priest) displays in the way relationships can provide the most "human" kind of information, and serve as a passage from gang-ridden neighborhoods to positive community development (a thriving bakery business). This book is about a God who shows up in surprising ways and places with unconditional compassion, sense of humor, strength and firmness.

Urban Research Network

This site includes description of “Community-Based Participatory Research,” “Research, Action, Activism: Urban Gathers for Third National Meeting: ‘critical solidarities and multi-scalar powers,’” and “From Youth Organizers to Social Justice Activists' Experiences of Youth Organizers Transitioning to Adulthood.”

Emmanuel Gospel Center, Boston

Teens of the Making Youth Voices Heard program meeting with students of Boston College School of Social Work in Roxbury, MA, February 2018.

EGC has engaged in urban applied research in collaboration with other agencies for decades.

• EGC Youth Resources

• Youth Violence Systems Project

• Making Youth Voices Heard

 

 

 

 

Resources on Economic Systems

Without understanding economic realities surrounding urban youth, we do not have a complete picture of what drives youth culture. Employment challenges and informal/underground economic systems are two of these realities. For a recent study of global informal underground economic systems, see Edgar L. Feige and Paulina Restrepo-Echavarria.  

“Defining and Estimating Underground and Informal Economies: The New Institutional Approach,” by Edgar L. Feige (10 Jun 16)

“Measuring Underground Economy Can Be Done, but It Is Difficult,” by Paulina Restrepo-Echavarria (Jan 2015)

Classic Resources

Article:  “The Code of the Streets,” by Elijah Anderson (May 1994), The Atlantic

Understanding the influences, behaviors, and motives of urban communities and their youth has been greatly furthered by the work of African-American sociologist Elijah Anderson, Professor at the University of Pennsylvania (and now Yale). Anderson’s work is must-reading for urban street workers and should be understood by all serving urban neighborhoods. It is worth quoting from this insightful article:

“Of all the problems besetting the poor inner-city black community, none is more pressing than that of interpersonal violence and aggression…. The inclination to violence springs from the circumstances of life among the ghetto poor—the lack of jobs that pay a living wage, the stigma of race, the fallout from rampant drug use and drug trafficking, and the resulting alienation and a general lack of hope for the future.”

Code of the Street: Decency, Violence, and the Moral Life of the Inner City by Elijah Anderson (1999)

Anderson’s book further builds on his 1994 article and describes the details of the code of the streets that so strongly influences inner-city life. Inner-city youth come out of their apartments to “Win-Win/Lose-Lose” street situations… as part of a “zero-sum game.” They are forced into a “campaign for self-respect,” where “juice” (or power over others) are crucial. Code of the Street details the bigger picture—the systemic context for what average citizens see as a stereotype of urban lives from the evening news.

Streetwise: Race, Class and Social Change in an Urban Community by  Elijah Anderson (1990)

Anderson’s earlier book, Streetwise, is a careful analysis of social neglect and intrusion (gentrification) in urban life.

Street Corner Society: The Social Structure of an Italian Slum by William Foote Whyte (1993)

Back in the late 1930s William F. Whyte, on a fellowship from Harvard, lived in Boston’s North End. As an early social scientist he attempted to describe life in that Italian-American community of first-and second-generation immigrants. First published in 1943, it was entitled Street Corner Society: The Social Structure of an Italian Slum. Whyte’s work is important to us as it pioneered what he described as “participant observer research,” and provides a foundation for systems thinking ministry.  

Street Corner Research: An Experimental Approach to the Juvenile Delinquent by Ralph K. Schwitzgebel (1993)

Also coming out of Harvard and influenced by the work of William Whyte is Ralph Schweitzgebel’s Streetcorner Research: An Experimental Approach to the Juvenile Delinquent. Its considerations of qualitative research emphasizes the importance of genuine relationships for urban study of youth, and describes delinquency as having a variety of psychological and sociological causes.

Ain’t No Makin’ It: Aspirations & Attainment in a Low-Income Neighborhood by Jay MacLeod (1995)

Any urban program using interns, and certainly urban interns themselves, should be interested in the story of three students wandering into an urban housing project seeking to set up a youth program.

Working with youngsters in a poor neighborhood for several summers, the author decided to write his undergraduate thesis on the occupational aspirations of two contrasting cliques of older teenagers in the project—the Hallway Hangers and the Brothers: “I immersed myself in their peer cultures for a year and tried to understand the two groups from the inside. Exploring their aspirations led me into a thicket of enduring social issues about the nature of poverty, opportunity, and achievements in the United States.” MacLeod’s book continues to be a classic sociology text.

In Search of Respect: Selling Crack in El Barrio by Philippe Bourgois (1995)

A study emphasizing the importance of urban economics is Philippe Bourgois’ “In Search of Respect: Selling Crack in El Barrio”. This anthropologist and urban researcher moved into Spanish Harlem, NYC, and established long-term friendship and trust with Puerto Rican, street-level drug dealers... spending many a night in crack havens. “I was interested in the political economy of inner-city street culture…. I wanted to probe the Achilles heel of the richest industrialized nation in the world by documenting how it imposes racial segregation and economic marginalization on so many of its Latino/a and African-American citizens.”

Our America: Life and Death on the South Side of Chicago, by LeAlan Jones and Lloyd Newman with David Isay (1997)

Community programs hoping to use youthful residents for urban research can learn from Jones and Newman, two young teenagers who retrieve a story about the incomprehensible dropping of a five-year-old boy from a 14th floor window by 10-and 11-year old kids because he wouldn’t steal candy for them. With transistor recorders and some coaching from Isay, these teens collected what can be considered informal, qualitative research for two years—when they were thirteen and fourteen years old. Reading their report allows for a better understanding of inner-city values and attitudes.

“Constructing Meaning About Violence, School, and Community: Participatory Action Research with Urban Youth,” by Alice McIntyre (2000), The Urban Review, Vol.32, No.2, 2000.

A scholarly article describing how a group of adolescents were equipped to study and report on “a toxic environment, limited social services, poverty, crime, drugs, and inadequate educational resources.”

Final Note:  Most of the above suggest going beyond relief and incarceration and even prevention to community development. But few go as far as to suggest what needs to be changed in the realm of what might be called systemic injustice, which includes racism and classism. 

God Met Me in Boston [Interview]

God Met Me in Boston: Interview with Cherchaela Spellen

If you’re ministering in Boston, you’re probably familiar with the well-worn “godless New England” narrative. Academic reports and popular publications have cited Boston as one of America’s most “post-Christian” cities, reinforcing this image in the national consciousness.

But there’s another reality—of today’s Boston Christian vitality—that such reports do not capture.

We sat down with Cherchaela Spellen, Lead Facilitator of the Making Youth Voices Heard initiative in Roxbury.  She shares that despite being raised in a ministry family she didn’t personally connect with God until she moved to Boston. Here are excerpts from our conversation.

Tell me a little bit about yourself and what brought you to Boston?

I’m 21. I’m from St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. I grew up there. I came to Boston through a student exchange. I did a semester at UMass Boston, for my undergrad in Biology. I went back home, graduated, and was like, “Hmm, I really like Boston!” So I decided to take a risk and apply to grad school in Boston.

Tell me a little bit about your spiritual background growing up.

My grandfather started a church called Zion Assembly in St. Thomas. Honestly, I was just going to church because I sort of had to, not really because I had a personal relationship or experienced God in some sort of magnificent way.

Then my grandmother fell sick with Alzheimer’s Disease, and my mother ended up taking over the ministry, which was mind-blowing! My mom had wanted nothing to do with preaching. She was like, “I’m NOT going to be a preacher!” But she ended up taking over the ministry.

But I feel as if I really started understanding God at a better level when I came here to Boston. Christianity was always my parents’ faith. When I came to Boston, I had the freedom to choose whether I wanted to keep a relationship with God, or I wanted to explore other things. Then the Lord just moved in my life magnificently.

“I feel as if I really started understanding God at a better level when I came here to Boston.”

I had done my undergrad in Biology, but I ended up switching to social work for grad school because I felt Him calling me to do that.  Also, I had met some really cool people at CrossTown Church International. I started volunteering there, just as an administrator, and then God was telling me to do more. So I did an open mic night for the youth in the Roxbury community.

What are some challenges you’ve experienced on this journey?

There were some relationships that I’ve had to let go of, and I believe that God brought me here to make it easier, because those relationships were back home. So it was a transition state for me. I just put my full attention on Him and I was like, “Lord, lead, me, direct me, wherever you want me to go, I’ll go.”

And honestly, when I accepted BC’s package to me, I was like, “Why am I going to BC? I’m not equipped to go to BC! I’m just this island girl! I don’t even know how to talk the lingo. I know nothing about social work.”

But He was like, Trust me. And I trusted Him. I still trust Him. I have a better relationship with Him now since I’ve been here. I feel like God is using this time to minister to me, telling me to focus on Him, and get to know Him better.

What would you say is your passion?

I hope it doesn’t sound too cliche. But I feel like my passion right now is to honestly win souls for Christ. I feel like that only started like January or February of this year.

I was just reading Scripture and praying, and I was like, “You have to show me some sort of direction, Lord! I feel as if I’m just going about my life, not knowing what I’m going to do. It has to be more than a career that you have me on this earth for.”  I just heard, evangelism.

“I just really want people to give their lives to Christ. It’s the best decision I ever, ever, ever made.”

My pastor preached that we have to choose whether we’re serving Christ or we’re going to serve someone else—we can’t have two masters.

I was thinking, “Lord, I think I’ve made fear my biggest idol. I’m so fearful of what people will think of me. I don’t want to go out and say, ‘Oh, do you know Jesus?’ I know You’ve done so much for my life. But I’m the type of person who wants people to love and accept me. Not everyone loves and accepts God. So how will they embrace me if I’m outside prophesying about You, Lord?”

But that message kept ringing in my head, “You can’t serve two masters.” I want other people to experience the same joy and contentment that I have, just developing my relationship with Him. So I was like, “Ok, Lord. If they don’t like me, then that’s fine.”

Now I’m being more keen to listen to Him and who He wants me to speak to. I just really want people to give their lives to Christ. It’s the best decision I ever, ever, ever made.

3 Movements Against Gender-Based Violence in the Church

3 Movements Against Gender-Based Violence in the Church

by Rudy Mitchell, Senior Researcher

The #MeToo movement has brought unprecedented public awareness of the scope of sexual assault against women in the U.S. experience. These three additional movements bring to light sexual and gender-based violence in the Church.

#ChurchToo Movement

Image from #ChurchToo: A Conference on Responding to Professional Sexual Misconduct, Columbia Bible College, March 25-46, 2018.

A nod to the extremely popular #MeToo movement, Emily Joy and Hannah Paasch coined #ChurchToo to emphasize that sexual grooming and abuse happen in church too, and are often covered up or sometimes even rewarded by those in power.

Read about the origin of the Twitter #ChurchToo movement

Read a Sojourners reflection, "Listening To and Addressing the Reality of #ChurchToo," from December, 2017

#SilenceIsNotSpiritual

The #SilenceIsNotSpiritual Twitter movement “calls on evangelical congregations and leaders to speak up and act on behalf of victims of gender-based violence who fear their stories will end up ignored or marginalized.”

“This moment in history is ours to steward. We are calling churches, particularly those in our stream of the Christian faith [evangelical churches], to end the silence and stop all participation in violence against women,” the statement reads.

WeWillSpeakOut.US

WeWillSpeakOut.US is a movement of diverse faith groups from across the U.S. joining together with other leaders for action and advocacy to end the silence around sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). 

WeWillSpeakOut.US produces "One in Three: Preventing Sexual Violence in Our Communities. A Guide to Help Faith Leaders Educate Congregations and Communities about Sexual and Gender-Based Violence." It includes guides and ideas for three sermons.

What Are We Missing?

2018 Fundraiser Recap [Photo & Video Journal]

2018 Fundraiser Recap [Photo & Video Journal]

God Party!

On April 7, 300 of our friends and ministry partners gathered to celebrate 80 years of EGC ministry in Boston! Our theme for the evening was ABIDE—a reminder both of our ongoing need for God's power and of God's faithfulness for eight decades and counting! We also highlighted the work of two of EGC's ministry teams, Greater Boston Refugee Ministry and Starlight Homelessness Ministry.

But the event also felt a little different this year. We at EGC find ourselves called by God to enter hard spaces in deeper ways. We felt led to give a prophetic challenge to the church in Boston.

So this year's event included two presentations that challenged us all to abide with Christ in the issues facing the Church today. God continues to prune us, His branches, for greater fruitfulness. 

Thank you to everyone who attended, donated, and volunteered to make the evening a success!

PHOTO Gallery

This year's theme was ABIDE—a humble reminder that Christians who abide in Jesus are fruitful only because of God's power. Watch Rev. Dr. Emmett Price give God glory for 80 years of His faithfulness to EGC and Boston:

Rev. Dr. Emmett Price, EGC Board member and Director of the Institute for the Black Christian Experience at Gordon-Conwell Seminary, gives God thanks for his faithfulness and asks the guests to give to the ongoing work of EGC.

Team presentations and videos by EGC Films also highlighted the work of two EGC teams—the Greater Boston Refugee Ministry and Starlight Homelessness Ministry. 

Greater Boston Refugee Ministry

Saffron, by EGC Films.

GBRM trains and accompanies churches forming holistic, "wrap-around" communities for refugees in the Boston area. These communities of 8-12 members from local churches form a loving team of "ambassadors" to walk alongside our refugee friends as they adjust to life in a new place and culture.

Starlight Homelessness Ministry

Rev. Cynthia Hymes-Bell, Director, and team representing Starlight Ministries.

Starlight Ministries Video, by EGC Films.

For over 28 years, Starlight Ministries has equipped individuals to build life-changing relationships with people affected by homelessness. Starlight trains individuals and groups to build communities where all can experience personal transformation through Jesus Christ. 

 

ABIDE: Past, Present & Future

The event included two presentations that challenge the church to abide with Christ in the issues facing the Church today.

““I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.””

— John 15:1-5

Lament & Challenge

Stacie Mickelson delivered a brief reflection and lament based on Nehemiah 5. The message implores Boston Christian leaders to consider ways we have been sabotaging or hindering each other across the city. She laments lingering inequalities and abuses among the Christian community, and she envisions how much stronger the gospel's impact could be if we addressed them.

EGC's Director of Applied Research & Consulting Stacie Mickelson delivers a message from Nehemiah 5.

Spoken-WorD Prayer

Caleb McCoy, EGC Development Manager and OAK Music hip-hop artist, delivered a prayer for EGC and city. This spoken-word piece reflects on God's faithfulness, our hope in Christ, and the work we still have yet to do.

Spoken-word prayer for EGC by hip-hop artist Caleb McCoy.

If you would like further conversation with Stacie or Caleb about their messages, they would love to connect with you.

Connect with Stacie Mickelson

Connect with Stacie Mickelson

Connect with Caleb McCoy

Connect with Caleb McCoy

Our heartfelt thanks to the many leaders who have attended, donated, volunteered, prayed for, supported EGC in obeying God's call over the decades. Thank you for your partnership with us in ministry!

2018 Resources for Urban Youth Workers on Cultural Trends

2018 Resources for Urban Youth Workers on Cultural Trends 

by Rev. Dean Borgman, Professor of Youth Ministry

While nothing can substitute for personal relationships of understanding and trust with youth, we also need to get a grip on the bigger picture. We need to see beyond our kids, family, church, and community—to what’s going on in the society and culture. These resources provide a wide angle lens on what our kids step into when they leave the house.

BEST GENERAL RESOURCES

Watch the watchers. Way back in 1980, I found out that the people who know the most about youth in this country are not the youth ministry professors (of which I am one), but the marketers. 

So I’ve been following the marketers and what they find out about young people. YPulse is one of the marketing sources I regularly visit. They regularly update information on trends in youth culture.

The Diversity Tipping Point, Experiencification, Adulting

Two scholars I’ve looked to for information especially in the last few years on trends in youth culture are MIT's Sherry Turkle and San Diego State University's Jean Twenge. 

Jean Twenge uses four major youth studies that come out every year from the government and universities, so her research is based on a sampling of 11 million teenagers—ample data to back up her conclusions.

Finally, the Barna Group, a broadly reputable Christian organization, does generational research.

 

SPECIAL FOCUS

If we're talking about youth in 2018, we're already talking about Black Panther and activism against gun violence. But two other issues deserve our special focus this year. These are depression and cell phone use.

DEPRESSION

 

CELL PHONE USE

Half of Teens Think They're Addicted to Their Smartphones

Teens and Dangerous Levels of Cell Phone Use

Teen cellphone addiction: How bad has it gotten?

We Need to Talk About Kids and Smartphones

Parents' Guide to Teens and Cell Phones

A Bigger Fire: 2018 New England City Forum

A Bigger Fire: 2018 New England City Forum

By Kelly Steinhaus, Director of UniteBoston

New England has the reputation of lacking a Christian presence. But my experience shows otherwise—Christians in New England are some of the most faith-filled, gospel-driven people I’ve ever met.

At times, I get discouraged by what I think I should see of gospel impact in New England. But when I come together with other Christian leaders, my perspective changes. I get filled with faith and excited about how God is at work in our midst.

For this reason, I love working with UniteBoston and the New England City Forum. Within the walls of our churches and church networks, we can feel isolated. Coming together, we can see the larger story of God’s movement emerging.

 

Learning Together at the New England City Forum

This year’s City Forum brought together 96 leaders from 17 cities throughout New England. Many participants expressed to us how refreshing it is to be with people from different settings with similar visions and goals.

We heard city presentations in the morning from New Haven and Springfield. In the afternoon, we hosted a “world cafe” style discussion, where people chose topic tables to discuss and collaborate on how to advance the gospel in New England.

We then asked participants in the forum to share with us what they took from the day that would most impact their ministry. Here’s what we learned.

1. God is on the move across New England—but we don’t hear about it.

We asked participants why they came to the forum. The most frequent reason they shared was to discover what God is doing more broadly in New England.

“I felt led to get out of my comfort zone and engage with others,” said one, wanting to “know New England better and what God is doing here.” Another attended “to learn about what God is doing in New England and meet some of the people He’s doing it through.”

Looking back over the day, one participant responded with the observation, “God is doing much in terms of our cities/movements. Most Christians are unaware beyond their own church, much less in other New England cities.” Another came away with the conviction that “God is moving—stay the course.”

2. Collaboration is the next normal.

Both of the city reports from New Haven and Springfield stressed the need for collaboration. Collaboration is celebrating the uniqueness of each community while partnering across differences.

“God has given charisma to all the churches, so we need to ask for them and each other,” shared one, acknowledging our need, “to humble ourselves and stop saying to other parts of the body, ‘I don’t need you.’”

Another added that we need collaboration across denominational, racial and socio-economic lines for the Church to “fulfill her calling and fully grow into her potential,” so that “revival can become a reality.”  

Through Christ, we're all adopted into God’s family, and thus we are all on the same team—like it or not. So we have to be intentional about partnering across the beautiful diversity of Christ’s Church: across race, denomination, and generation, to name a few.

Rather than individually blowing on our own fires and hoping for success, it is time for us to take down the walls and come together to build a bigger bonfire. As we humbly open our hearts for greater partnership, a vision bigger than preserving our individual ministries will emerge.

I believe such unity is a tangible sign of the “revival” for which many have been longing and praying. To this end, the Luis Palau Association’s City Gospel Movement website was recently launched to help people to connect with gospel-oriented collaboration throughout the nation.

3. Building diverse leadership and sharing power are essential.

Building kingdom collaboration requires diverse leadership. To make this goal a reality, we must commit both to racial reconciliation and power-sharing.

After viewing a video of Christena Cleveland, which emphasizes Jesus’ way of the first to be last, many participants echoed the need to develop diverse leadership.

Watch Video

“Racial reconciliation can be modeled by pastors becoming friends,” wrote one participant, “learning to trust one each other and serving together as individuals and churches.”

Another responded in the form of a prayer, “God, please give me the heart and mind that is curious to genuinely seek to hear the power and truth of the person in front of me.”

Working together across our differences isn’t easy. As Pastor Todd Foster of the New Haven multi-church collaboration Bridges of Hope observed, “Being in the same room doesn’t mean you’re on the same page.” In his experience, we need to deal with the issues intentionally if we are to tear down the necessary walls.

But a fuller movement of God will come when we take the next step beyond mutual understanding. Real momentum will come when, as one participant shared, we become “ruthless about developing diverse organizational/neighborhood leaders,” with a commitment to “share the airtime.”

I’m convinced that if there is one thing needed in New England, it's a humble willingness to lay down our power to serve one another. I believe now is a God-ordained season where we must recognize we need one another like never before.

When we asked how we could improve the forum, many people suggested taking steps towards greater diversity among forum participants on various dimensions—ethnicity, vocation, and cities represented.

Internally, we’ve also held multiple conversations about what it could look like to develop more diverse leadership within the forum and ways we have not yet hit our own marks.

Looking Forward

Each Christian—each church—is a part of something much bigger than we can see. A united vision emerges the more we come together. The Emmanuel Gospel Center, Vision New England, and UniteBoston are committed to supporting unity-focused collaborations and creating spaces to learn from one another.

We’re grateful to NECF hosts and participants for fruitful conversations over the past three years. We’ve been encouraged to hear what God is doing and privileged to connect leaders in a shared learning space.

At this point, we do not plan to reconvene the New England City Forum next year.  Instead, our team would like to take some time to reassess God's leading as we support more learning opportunities for Christians across ethnicity, vocation, denomination, and New England geography. We welcome your input.

Contact

We'd Love to Hear From You!

We are grateful for your participation in the New England City Forum and are eager to see how the Lord will bring us together again in the future.