Healing Racial Trauma: Fresh Resources

Healing Racial Trauma: Fresh Resources

We at the Race & Christian Community Initiative (RCCI) at EGC would like to draw your attention to an essential upcoming book, Healing Racial Trauma: The Road to Resilience, by Boston area Christian counselor, speaker, and author Sheila Wise Rowe.

Racial trauma awareness—by both people of color and white people—is critical to healing our racial wounds and racial divides. Sheila’s newest book fills this crucial gap with an exploration of the reality and scope of racial trauma, along with interviews that honor real people’s paths toward resilience.

Sheila is the executive director of The Rehoboth House, an international healing and reconciliation ministry that provides counseling, spiritual direction, art therapy, retreats, and life coaching in Greater Boston and Johannesburg, South Africa. Spanning these two racism-charged settings in her work has yielded vital insights into racial trauma. In her 2018 article “Healing from Race-Based Trauma,” she shared poignantly about her journey from South Africa back to the US, when she observed more deeply the extent and impacts of race-based traumatic stress in the US.

In June of this year, RCCI was honored to welcome Sheila to give a keynote address on racial trauma at the RCCI Community Gathering & Fundraiser. There she explained the cycle of racism-based traumatic stress that people of color accumulate and carry with them daily. She challenged white people seeking racial reconciliation to understand and acknowledge racial trauma.

Watch brief clips from the 2019 RCCI keynote address:

SPECIAL OFFER

Pre-order Healing Racial Trauma: The Road to Resilience HERE and get 30% off with promotion code: OFFER20W. Offer good only until Monday, January 6, 2020!

You’re also invited to join Sheila at the Book Launch Party on Saturday, January 11! RSVPs are appreciated!

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Victims, Threats, Leaders: Uncovering Our Mental Models About Refugees

Victims, Threats, Leaders:

Uncovering Our Mental Models About Refugees

By Olivia Blumenshine

I asked Rev. Torli Krua, a Liberian refugee and Boston ministry leader, what assumptions Americans make about him after learning of his refugee status. He shared, “Sometimes when I speak, they say, ‘Oh! So you speak English! Ah, when did you learn that?’” The Americans’ surprise suggests they hold a “mental model” about refugees. 

A mental model is an assumption we make about how the world works—and a driving force behind how we act. Americans who are taken aback by Rev. Krua’s fluent English may hold a variety of mental models. They may believe that refugees come from non-English speaking countries, that refugees are uneducated, or that refugees don’t have the motivation or opportunity to learn English.

Some Americans might even believe that poor non-Westerners have a lower mental capacity than wealthy Americans or that refugees are lazy moochers who likely can’t be bothered to learn English. Our mental models are generally unconscious, meaning we are not readily aware of them, and they take work to uncover.

Some mental models are roughly accurate if oversimplified. Most current refugees do speak another language besides English as their native language, but Liberia happens to be an exception. When asked this question about his English skills, Rev. Krua responds, “Come on now! My country [Liberia] was started by the United States government!” 

But other mental models are misleading or wholly inaccurate. They’re rooted in misinformation, prejudice, trauma, or historical realities that are no longer true. 

Rev. Torli Krua (left), executive director of Universal Human Rights International, with fellow pastor Sam Boadu (right) at the 2018 fundraiser for the Greater Boston Refugee Ministry.

Mental models, which we form based on our limited information and experience, influence our reactions to the world every day—often without our awareness. Peter Senge, who first coined the term “mental model,” explains, 

Mental models can be simple generalizations, such as “people are untrustworthy,” or they can be complex theories, such as my assumptions about why members of my family interact the way they do.…But what is most important to grasp is that mental models are active—they shape how we act. If we believe people are untrustworthy, we act differently than we would if we believed they were trustworthy. — The Fifth Discipline, p. 164.

Uses & Limits of Mental Models

Everyone has mental models. Our brains are designed to gather and store information for quick retrieval to help us more quickly process the world around us. Our experiences thus shape our perspectives about the world and our place in it. But mental models can backfire—with harmful consequences—if they’re inaccurate or we’re unwilling to challenge them.

To uncover our mental models, we’ll need to engage our minds and spirits intentionally. We’ll need to push against our automatic brain process to identify our assumptions and their roots. 

Checks on our mental models can come from circumstances (where we gain insight into ourselves and the world), reading (which challenges our thinking), and especially through discussion with others. Because others hold diverse mental models due to their different life experiences, input from others is necessary and helpful for surfacing our mental models.

My Shift in Perspective

I have never been a refugee. When I started volunteering with the Greater Boston Refugee Ministry (GBRM) four years ago, I found that my perspective on refugees needed to be tested and refined. I had seen the photographs—emaciated people drifting in rafts or crouching in tents. From those images, I had formed the belief that refugees are people who needed saving—who aren’t able to protect themselves. 

Over the years, I have spent more time with people with a refugee background through my work with GBRM. In that time, I’ve learned that humans can endure intense pain and loss and still retain their generosity, hospitality, goodness, and strength. 

My mental models about refugees continue to evolve. I’m currently learning more about refugee innovation and leadership. I thank God that, by His grace, we are always learning and growing. 

Opening Reflection

As you begin to consider the mental models you may hold about refugees, you may find these questions helpful for your reflection:

1. When I think of the word ‘refugee,’ what images and feelings first come to mind?

2. What words and phrases do I associate with refugees?

3. What do these images, words, and feelings tell me about my perspectives on refugees?

4. How would I explain who a refugee is to someone else?

5. What information or experiences have led me to hold those perspectives?

6. Am I willing to test my mental models about refugees with updated information?

Hold on to these reflections as you consider the specific mental models in this article.

5 Mental Models ABOUT Refugees

I want to share just a few of the many ways I’ve observed Americans viewing refugees. As you read them, consider with which views you agree or disagree. For those you agree with, I encourage you to go deeper—ask yourself, What mental models are at the root of my perspective?

MENTAL MODEL #1: Refugees are victims.

When I first started volunteering with the Greater Boston Refugee Ministry, I was operating under the assumption that refugees are victims. My mind was filled with stories of people forced to flee their country under horrible circumstances. From those, I developed an image of people who are powerless to the harm they experience. 

Refugees have, in fact, experienced tremendous suffering at the hands of others. I soon learned, however, that the “victim” label falls short of describing the strength of mind, body, and spirit it takes to leave one’s home, community, possessions, and family to start a new life in a different land. 

If you see refugees as victims, how do you define “victim”? If you, like I, associate victimhood with helplessness and passivity, what might that mean for how you think and act towards refugees? 

Maybe you see refugees as people who need to be helped. Perhaps you see Americans, with their resources and social programs, as people who can provide that help. Here is where it can get ugly: where do we mentally draw the line between “needing help” and “being helpless?” When Americans see ourselves as rescuers and refugees as powerless, we reduce the value of both groups, limiting opportunities for creative collaboration and new initiatives.

To go further, why might Americans see ourselves as people in the position to rescue others? Maybe we have heard so many times that the United States is the greatest nation in the world, and we have grown to believe it without question. Perhaps our perceived authority to save is rooted in how we see our political structure or our material resources. Or, it may be rooted in the majority whiteness of our population and the privilege and assumed responsibility that comes with that.

Furthermore, some Americans also see refugees living in the US as needing rescue. They may think, If they couldn’t handle the pressures in their country, how will they manage life in the US without help?

If you find yourself identifying with any of these assumptions, to what extent does that lead you to believe that US citizens are responsible for ‘saving’ refugees? What, then, does that reveal about your view of US citizens’ role in the world? What does it say about your sense of American superiority or resilience?

Mental Model #2: Refugees are a drain on societies.

When we think of refugees as people who need help, we might assume there is nothing refugees can contribute in return. Many Americans are concerned that welcoming refugees to the US is too costly or that it will jeopardize Americans’ jobs. This assumption is not just untrue—it’s the opposite of true. For example,  welcoming refugees boosts national economies, according to a study by German economists Marcel Fratzscher and Simon Junker. However, in the present article, I am more concerned with the mental model that is the basis of this assumption. 

Seeing refugees as a burden reveals an underlying view that refugees are “other,” and therefore, their entitlement to resources and legal protection is different than that of native-born US citizens.

If you find yourself identifying with this assumption, ask yourself: Who do I believe is entitled to American resources, and why? Who belongs in the US? What gives them the authority to reside there? You may uncover a mental model that informs your perspective.

Mental Model #3: Refugees are terrorists. 

Americans consume media at an unprecedented rate, some of which contain images and information that helps create the generalization that refugee groups are full of terrorists. This assumption remains, even though the Cato Institute reports that of the near three million refugees admitted to the United States since 1980, no refugee has killed an American in a terrorist attack. 

By contrast, Americans don’t label all teenagers as terrorists, despite the many school shootings carried out by teenagers. Why, then, do Americans believe that refugees are more likely to be terrorists?

Data from Terrorists by Immigration Status and Nationality: A Risk Analysis, 1975 – 2017, by the Cato Institute, May 7, 2019.

If you hold the assumption that refugees are more likely to be terrorists, take a moment to identify its origin. When you think of the word ‘terrorist,’ what images first come to mind? What memories and feelings arise in you?

You may feel instinctive anger or fear toward people who match your image of a terrorist, and that could shape your perception of many people. Perhaps the Black or Brown people coming to the US—sometimes with head coverings—remind you of the faces, clothing, or head coverings of terrorists you have seen in the media. 

We often overgeneralize based on appearances, especially in situations of fear or threat. If you agree with the view of refugees as likely terrorists, perhaps the way the government or media presents information confirms what you already believed about who is a threat to US safety. 

Mental Model #4: Refugees are far away and not our problem. 

When hearing about refugees fleeing from far-off conflicts, many American Christians may feel a moment of sympathy before returning to their daily concerns. If you think of refugees as belonging to a distant reality from American Christians, why do you think that is? 

The traumatic ordeals that many refugees have undergone are so far outside the experience of most Americans that it makes it hard for us to empathize fully. We might then develop a mental model about the “otherness” of refugees, where the injustice done to them does not affect us.

Country-to-Country Net Migration, snapshot taken October 22, 2019 from “All the World’s Migration in 1 Map”.

The reality is that war and displacement can happen anywhere, and our empathy for refugees is directly related to our capacity to acknowledge this vulnerability. Many refugees lived in places that were once peaceful, and they struggle to understand what has happened to their community. 

Some Americans have difficulty picturing an interrelated world where the problems of one nation also belong to others. In truth, we are more interdependent than we like to think. In acting in its immediate interests, the US has sometimes contributed to instability around the world. 

For example, Rev. Krua mentioned above the founding of Liberia by the US government. He elaborated, “Liberia was founded unlawfully through the American Colonization Society (ACS) by high-ranking American government officials who were slaveholders and white supremacists. Using American taxpayers’ money and the United States Navy, they colonized Liberia with Black Americans and mixed-race Americans to prevent a slave revolt.”

What do such realities say about our responsibility to accept and support refugees displaced by the ensuing chaos? What is the US’ duty, for example, to Liberian refugees who continue to be denied work permits over 16 years after they arrived in the US accompanied by US soldiers?

If refugees feel like far-away “others” to you, you might wish to learn more about refugees in Massachusetts who contribute to our local communities. Pay attention to what surprises you about this information. Consider what mental models you hold and how the current data helps you update those mental models.

Mental Model #5: Refugees are survivors & leaders.

American Christians who consider the resourcefulness of refugees begin to see them as resilient, agile innovators—people who can survive, succeed, and lead. Rev. Krua defines refugee leadership as “a leadership that adapts to the circumstances around itself. It’s a leadership that looks to the future. So it’s a resilient leadership—and I think it’s necessary leadership.” 

Photos from GBRM Refugee Entrepreneurs Gathering, June 10, 2017.

While this positive image of refugees is still a simplification (as all mental models are), in my experience, it better captures the truth about this remarkable population. If we imagine the ingenuity and grit needed to make a new home, we grow in understanding and respect.

Photo from the 2018 GBRM Fundraiser Party.

Learn More

About the Author

Olivia Blumenshine worked a dual internship at EGC during the summer of 2019, serving both as a writing intern in Applied Research & Consulting and a ministry intern with Greater Boston Refugee Ministry. Originally from Greater Boston, she is a double major in English and Anthropology at Washington University in St. Louis. She loves experimenting with the power of story to connect people across cultures and backgrounds.

The Good You All Are Doing: Youth Research & Community Dialogue

The Good You All Are Doing

Youth Action Research Sparks Community Dialogue in Lower Roxbury

By Elizabeth McColloch

Youth who know how to ask the right questions of their community have the power to make a positive difference in the city. With knowledge of their community’s history and some innovative thinking, young people from the Lower Roxbury area of Boston are contributing to the growing conversation and action around Boston’s housing and development crisis. The 2019 Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) project connected young people from the Lenox/Camden neighborhood with mentors to foster neighborhood unity in the face of gentrification and its local impacts. 

Video by Malcolm Thomas.

Unlike many nearby neighborhoods, the Lenox/Camden neighborhood of Boston struggles to build cohesive activism. The many housing developments in the area are each run by different management companies. Furthermore, the Lenox/Camden neighborhood has no common space to bring people across housing developments together. There is no neighborhood association for the area, as the housing developments mainly focus on serving their residents.

Thus, collaboration—and even communication—between businesses, individuals, and groups in the neighborhood poses a severe challenge. To face this challenge, the youth of the 2019 YPAR project focused their research on building neighborhood unity by learning from senior citizens about this community’s past.

About Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR)

Since 2017, EGC’s Boston Education Collaborative (BEC) has worked with Lenox/Camden area organizations to oversee Youth-led Participatory Action Research (YPAR) projects. According to YPAR Hub, the YPAR model is “a cyclical process of learning and action. Research is done not just for the sake of it but to inform solutions to problems that young people themselves care about.” The project model empowers youth to develop “skills in inquiry, evidence, and presentation” to become “agents of positive change.”

The 2019 YPAR project, called “Learning from the Past to Build a Stronger Future” project, the team focused on learning from senior citizens in the community. The project was the brainchild of the late Brent Henry, a beloved community leader who passed away suddenly in April. 

In 2012, Henry co-founded Vibrant Boston, a drop-in after school program intended to provide community and support to children and youth to pursue their unique dreams. Through Vibrant Boston, he served and loved students and families selflessly and wholeheartedly for many years. He was a mentor, father-figure, and positive role model to the children and youth involved with Vibrant Boston.

For the YPAR projects, Henry collaborated with the BEC, who added research support, resources and project oversight, and Crosstown Church, who provided a facilitator and other project needs. Vibrant Boston recruited local youth and community participants for the project.

The local partnering organizations are all connected through the Melnea Cass Network, a collaboration that began in 2016 with the mission of “ending youth poverty and violence one neighborhood at a time.” For the 2018 YPAR project, 11 youth explored neighborhood opinions and experiences about education, poverty, drugs, violence, and employment in the Lenox/Camden community. 

For the 2019 project, the team focused on building neighborhood unity. Melany Arevalo (BEC intern), Malcolm Thomas (CrossTown Church member), and Ruth Wong (BEC director) partnered to train eight local youth in community research methods, facilitate discussions with elderly community members, and inspire community action. Throughout the YPAR experience, dialogue between the young people and seniors in the neighborhood meant fruitful exchanges of reflections, advice, and shared aspirations for the future of the community. 

COMMUNITY PRESENTATION & Dialogue

Eight young people from Lower Roxbury persevered through a six-month research journey filled with challenges and setbacks. In the end, they, along with Ruth Wong and Malcolm Thomas, hosted community meetings to share their research findings. 

The events, held at St. Augustine & St. Martin’s Church on June 26 and Mandela Residents Cooperative Association on June 29, consisted of a formal presentation followed by a question and answer session. The audience included project partners, the seniors interviewed for the project, and other community members. Lengthy question and answer sessions created space for honest dialogue between youth and members of the community. 

The atmosphere was respectful and engaging, with both groups desiring to learn from one another. One participating senior expressed appreciation for the opportunity: “We never hear about the good you all are doing!” 

View Presentation Slides

What the Youth Learned

Students asked seniors a variety of questions about the Lenox/Camden community. Topics included the community’s level of connectedness, positive qualities, challenges, safety, sources of tension among residents, and transitions the neighborhood has experienced. They also asked the seniors for reflections and suggestions for improving neighborhood unity. 

The young researchers learned from their assessment that seniors have mixed feelings toward their community. Some seniors said they felt connected to the Lenox/Camden neighborhood through church and neighborhood groups, while others pointed to gentrification as a catalyst for division and decreasing involvement in the community. While all respondents felt a general sense of safety, they expressed frustration at the tensions that have emerged from rising housing prices, transient college students, and gang violence. 

Community Input

Community members offered suggestions for building neighborhood unity, including: 

• encouraging people to attend community events

• creating meeting spaces for both the youth and seniors

• improving respect for elders

• increasing police engagement with residents.

One senior also proposed the need for a “positive mission.” She explained, 

I have thought about the one thing that this territory could unite around. When people get united, it seems to be about anti-gentrification, which I think is legitimate, but it’s not a winning strategy. It’s a negative strategy. If you go to war with somebody and defeat them, then that’s what you’ve done. You’ve defeated them. But you haven’t done anything for yourself. So I’m hoping that at some point we will figure out how to develop something that we can all get behind that will help us all to thrive.

During the second presentation, discussion arose regarding the significant role a community center could play in bridging divides and addressing loneliness among younger and older generations. A community center is one example of a positive mission—something to fight for, rather than to fight against.

Seniors also offered life advice to youth, such as: 

• Hold onto a “taste of home” wherever you go.

• React with a positive attitude toward others, even in the face of ignorance and prejudice.

When asked what the youth learned throughout the research process, one student responded, “Senior citizens have good advice. They know a lot about the community, and they should get more credit for what they give.” 

Another youth added, 

I thought this community was taking care of its senior citizens, but I guess not. Based on what they were saying, they’re not getting the support they need. And that is kind of odd to me because I thought they would prioritize them because they have certain needs to be met.

Youth Action

Throughout the presentation and in the question and answer session, students also discussed action steps they would take as a result of their findings:

1. They dedicated themselves to honoring Henry’s legacy through their work.

2. They agreed to help coordinate activities at a “Shawmut Avenue Community Day.” One of the seniors proposed the event, and the young people committed to plan it with the support of several churches, Mandela Homes, and neighborhood residents.

3. They planned to organize a Bingo night for seniors, responding to the seniors’ frustration about the isolation their generation feels in the community.

Much work remains to be done in the Lenox/Camden community to build neighborhood unity in the face of deep-rooted city issues. The YPAR project youth took concrete steps in that direction: they created opportunities for constructive community discussion, and they participated in community-led solutions.

About the Author

Elizabeth McColloch is a junior at Boston College, studying Operations Management, with minors in International Studies and Public Health. She interned with EGC’s Applied Research and Consulting division in the summer of 2019, where she loved learning about the Lord’s heart for justice through the work of her and her colleagues.

Power Dynamics in Multicultural Congregations

God’s Word gives us a beautiful vision for multiracial community (Rev. 7:9). This vision, however, is challenging and complicated to live out in practice. Broken power dynamics is just one of the ways that the sin of racism can show up in the Church. Research reveals that, even well-intentioned congregations can perpetuate inequitable power dynamics, instead of the mutuality and reciprocity God intends for the body of Christ.

Take time to learn how power dynamics make a difference in the life of multiracial congregations. While getting people together across racial lines is a first step, more work is needed to nurture a healthy and authentic community.

Wrestling with Inequitable Power Dynamics

The Elusive Dream: The Power of Race in Interracial Churches - Kori Edwards' groundbreaking research explains how and why multiracial congregations tend to conform to the White ways of doing things instead of creating a more inclusive community.

Having identified the problem, Edwards didn't stop there. She is now working on the Religious Leadership Diversity Project that is helping us understand the type of leadership and qualities needed to lead a genuinely integrated multiracial church.

Why Do Multi-ethnic Churches Fail? - Check out this brief Pass the Mic podcast where Jemar Tisby and Pastor Earon James get real about why multi-ethnic churches fall short of God's intention. Spoiler alert: It has to do with inequitable power dynamics.

Multiethnic Churches: A Foretaste of Heaven or Bulwark of White Supremacy ? - Listen to the ladies of Truth's Table, a podcast for Black women by Black women, discussing in a 4-part series if multiethnic churches are a foretaste of Heaven or bulwark of White supremacy. If you haven't wrestled with this question, these conversations will get you thinking.

Working Toward Authentically Integrated Multiracial Community

Intercultural Churches: Moving Beyond Mere Statistical Expression of Multi-ethnicity - Intercultural congregations are those that attend to power dynamics and work to make sure that no one culture dominates, but that cultures interact in mutual and reciprocal ways. Check out an article expressing Rev. Dr. Nam-Chen Chan's vision for such communities and offering steps to make this vision a reality.

Continuum on Becoming a Multiracial and Multicultural Church - Explore these handouts from McSpadden's "Meeting God at the Boundaries" that offers perspective on the journey of moving from lack of cultural awareness to becoming a multi-cultural church.

The Color of Church: A Biblical and Practical Paradigm for Multiracial Churches - Hear from Rodney Woo, former Pastor of one of the nation's most successful multiracial congregations, on how to develop healthy and biblically-based multiracial churches.

One Body, One Spirit: Principles of Successful Multiracial Churches - Check out George Yancey's short and sweet book on principles for leading a successful multiracial church. Do note, however, that Yancey's research on worship has been qualified and expanded by Gerardo Marti in A Mosaic of Believers. If you're interested in worship in multiracial congregations, be sure to explore Marti's more updated and nuanced work.

Courage for Troubled Times: The Surprising Power of Hymn Poetry

Courage for Troubled Times

The Surprising Power of Hymn Poetry

By Rev. Dr. Dean Borgman

Dear friends, in my distress concerning our country’s political turmoil, I’ve often felt anxious and confused. For this reason, I’ve found myself drawing back from discussing “the elephant in the room,” as many Americans do when we face opposing opinions in our families, workplaces, and churches. What then can I and other followers of Jesus Christ do with our feelings?

The Apostle Paul suggests encouraging ourselves and one another “with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5:19). As I confront this new political climate, I look to these forms of poetry for the inner peace which leads to godly action. 

I’d like to acquaint you with some hymns that may be unfamiliar to you. The best hymns combine sociopolitical laments with personal emotions, confessions, and spiritual hope. I find that reading them as poems allows me to take in and soak up their richness of spiritual comfort and inspiration.

god moves in a mysterious way

William Cowper’s life was described by biographer John Piper as “one long accumulation of pain.” Cowper came to faith in the asylum at St. Albans when he happened to pick up a Bible in the garden. After this experience, Cowper was forced to reconcile a life marked by death and mental illness with the goodness and sovereignty of God.

God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform.

He plants His footsteps in the sea and rides upon the storm. 

Deep in unfathomable mines of never-failing skill,

He treasures up his bright designs and works His sovereign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take—the clouds you so much dread

are big with mercy and shall break in blessings on your head. 

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, but trust Him for His grace.

Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast, unfolding every hour.

The bud may have a bitter taste, but sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err and scan His work in vain.

God is His own interpreter and He will make it plain.

Reflection Questions

• As you take your time to read Cowper’s hymn, what most resonates with you?

• In a world and life like Cowper’s—and ours—in what ways do God and God’s actions often seem mysterious?

• How do you see our Creator and Redeemer becoming His own interpreter amidst our cultural chaos?

God is working his purpose out

In writing the refrain of “God Is Working His Purpose Out,” scholar Arthur Campell Ainger drew inspiration from Habakkuk 2:14: “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God, as the waters cover the sea.” It, too, speaks to trying times.

God is working his purpose out as year succeeds to year.

God is working his purpose out and the time is drawing near.

Nearer and nearer draws the time, the time that shall surely be

when the earth shall be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.

From utmost east to utmost west wherever feet have trod,

by the mouth of many messengers goes forth the voice of God:

'Give ear to me, ye continents, ye isles, give ear to me,

that the earth may be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.’

What can we do to work God's work, to prosper and increase

the love of God in all mankind, the reign of the Prince of peace?

What can we do to hasten the time, the time that shall surely be,

when the earth shall be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea

March we forth in the strength of God, with the banner of Christ unfurled,

that the light of the glorious gospel of truth may shine throughout the world.

Fight, we that fight with sorrow and sin to set their captives free,

that the earth may be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.

All we can do is nothing worth unless God blesses the deed;

vainly we hope for the harvest-tide till God gives life to the seed.

Yet nearer and nearer draws the time, the time that shall surely be

when the earth shall be filled with the glory of God as the waters cover the sea.

Reflection Questions

• Do you ever feel yourself asking with Habakkuk, “Why, God? How can you stand by while such things happen?”

• What do you do when you feel this way?

• What possibilities for action does this hymn offer to you, even when you feel directionless?

once to every man & nation

Concerned about slavery and the impending Mexican-American War, professor and abolitionist James Russell Lowell penned “The Present Crisis” early in his career. This poem later became “Once to Every Man & Nation,” and as a hymn retains its message about social responsibility. Though the gender-exclusive language is dated, what can we take from this 1845 hymn to use in our own lives?  

Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide

In the strife of truth and falsehood, for the good or evil side.

Some great cause, some great decision, offering each the bloom or blight,

And the choice goes by forever 'twixt that darkness and that light.

Then to side with Truth is noble when we share her wretched crust

‘Ere her cause bring fame and profit, and 'tis prosperous to be just.

Then it is the brave man chooses while the coward stands aside

Till the multitude make virtue of the faith they had denied.

By the light of burning martyrs, Christ, Thy bleeding feet we track, 

Toiling up new Calv'ries ever with the cross that turns not back. 

New occasions teach new duties, ancient values test our youth. 

They must upward still and onward who would keep abreast of truth. 

Though the cause of evil prosper, yet the truth alone is strong.

Though her portion be the scaffold and upon the throne be wrong. 

Yet that scaffold sways the future, and behind the dim unknown 

Standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above His own.

Reflection Questions

• What stands out to you from this hymn? In what ways is it different from the earlier two?

• How are we as Christians asked to follow Jesus, carrying our crosses up “new Calvaries”?

• What does Truth mean to you? Do you think that this is a moment when all Americans must decide about Truth?

In conclusion

Although changing our world is an enormous task, encouraging ourselves and others with psalms and hymns is a doable first step. Can you give yourself some time daily or weekly to devote to songs like these? 

As you do, may this powerful poetry lift your spirit and give you the courage to cooperate with our Father, who is fulfilling our prayer that God’s Kingdom might come to this world.

Boston Housing: Facts and Resources

Editor’s note: This resource was updated with the most recent research in May 2022.

Boston Housing: Data & Resource Guide

by Rudy Mitchell, Senior Researcher

Housing remains a critical and controversial community issue in Boston.

In the “Boston Housing Facts and Resources” guide below, we have compiled a list of resources with the latest information on housing data and plans, demographics, innovative models, organizations working in housing-related justice, and the mayor's Housing Innovation Lab.

Boston Housing Facts and Resources

Basic Facts

• Total number of housing units in Boston: 301,702 (2020 Decennial Census)

• Occupied units: 91.5% (276,057)

• Vacant units: 8.5% (25,645)

• Rental vacancy rate: less than 3%

• Owner-occupied units in Boston: 96,502 (35.3%) (2016-2020 ACS 5 yr. est)

• Renter-occupied units in Boston: 176,686 (64.7%) (2016-2020 ACS 5 yr. est)

• Over 50% of Boston housing units were built in 1939 or earlier.

• The percentage of owner-occupied housing increased from 33% in 2012 to 35.3% in 2020.

• BPDA Board Approved Projects in 2021

  • Number of new Residential Units: 6,555

  • Number of new On-site Income Restricted Housing Units: 2,366

• In Boston, the median owner-occupied home value was $581,000 in 2020, up from $395,000 in 2010 — an increase of $186,000.

• In Greater Boston in April 2022, the median price for a single-family home hit $845,000, and the median price for a condo rose to $716,500, according to the Greater Boston Association of Realtors.

• In Massachusetts, prices of single-family homes increased 28% between 2019 and 2021. (Kara Miller, Boston Globe, 12 May 2022).

• Over 40% of renters pay more than 35% of their household income for gross rent.

Boston Housing Authority (BHA)

• Kate Bennett, administrator

• (617) 988-4000

“In total, BHA currently owns and/or oversees approximately 12,623 rental units of public housing in Boston and houses more than 25,000 people under the public housing program. BHA owns 63 housing developments. Of the 63 developments, 36 are designated as elderly/disabled developments and 27 are designated as family developments. Three of the 27 family developments have elderly/disabled housing on site and one of the elderly developments has designated units for families.

In addition to housing developments, BHA administers approximately 11,469 rental assistance vouchers, otherwise known as Tenant-Based Section 8 vouchers, that allow families to rent in the private market and apply a subsidy to their rent. A similar state program assists an additional 700 households. With this assistance, residents are able to pay approximately 30-40 percent of their income toward rent, and BHA pays the remainder. BHA helps provide housing to approximately 29,000 people under these programs. In addition, BHA provides subsidies to more than 2,100 households under its Section 8 Project-Based Voucher and Moderate Rehabilitation programs as well.”

Overall, the BHA is involved in assisting almost 60,000 people.

Finding Affordable Housing

The City of Boston website listing new and existing affordable housing units also has the link to sign up for the MetroList through which you can receive up-to-date information on new housing opportunities as well as housing programs and events. Some other resources for finding housing include the following Boston City webpages:

• www.bostonplans.org/housing/finding-housing

• www.bostonplans.org/housing/finding-housing/more-housing-resources

Resources

The Boston Foundation

The 2021 Greater Boston Housing Report Card recommends:

• Build on recent legislative momentum around zoning and housing production by legalizing small-scale multifamily housing and expanding the mandate for multifamily zoning in MBTA communities.

• Improve the quality and frequency of transit service, both to better serve transit-dependent populations and to better support new or planned housing development.

• Advance housing equity by making local inclusionary zoning policies more universal and more effective and by advancing state and local policies that limit displacement.

• Advance building techniques and strategies with great potential to reduce housing production costs.

City of Boston

Housing Boston 2030

Released in 2014, Housing a Changing City: Boston 2030 was former Mayor Marty Walsh’s original housing plan.

Housing Boston 2030: 2018 Update

By 2018, the original 2014 Housing plan was revised to account for the greater population growth that was being projected by 2018 and thus a need for even more new housing.

2020 Annual Report for HOUSING BOSTON 2030

According to the report, 3,300 new housing units were permitted in 2020, which included 1,023 income-restricted units.

In 2019, 40,933 students were living on campus or in university-provided housing, 9,917 lived off-campus in their family home, and 36,288 lived off-campus and not at home. 5,245 new beds were completed or were in the process of being built by 2020.

Quarterly Housing Progress reports on Housing a Changing City: Boston 2030

• Boston 2030 includes quarterly reports for 2015 through 2018.

City of Boston Department of Neighborhood Development

• 26 Court St., 8th & 9th Floors, Boston, MA 02108-2501

• neigborhooddevelopment.dnd@cityofboston.gov

• 617-635-3880

• The Department of Neighborhood Development works with communities to improve Boston’s neighborhoods through investing public resources. Its main jobs are to create housing options, support tenants, foster homeownership, end homelessness, and manage the City’s real estate.

Imagine Boston 2030 Housing Goals

• General goal: Reduce housing cost burden for Bostonians.

  • Decrease portion of low- and middle-income households that are severely housing-cost burdened.

• Initiatives to encourage housing production, increase affordable housing options, and reduce displacement. The city seeks to:

  • Work to increase overall housing supply.

  • Deploy a suite of tools to support the preservation of affordable housing citywide.

  • Pursue policies that encourage the production and maintenance of deed-restricted low-, moderate-, and middle-income housing.

  • Aspire to higher levels of affordability in geographies where this is feasible.

  • Stabilize housing and reduce displacement. (The City established the Office of Housing Stability to prevent evictions, foreclosures, and displacement.)

  • Partner with neighboring municipalities to identify and consider regional solutions to housing challenges.

  • Support homeownership by: › Assisting moderate- and middle-income Bostonians to purchase and maintain their first home through a variety of homebuyer and homeowner programs including prioritizing pathways to homeownership for tenants.

Community Preservation Act

A significant amount of money is now available from this tax supplement.

• Thadine Brown, director, THADINE.BROWN@BOSTON.GOV

• 617-635-0545

Churches may apply for Community Preservation Funds (with some limitations). Examples: Charles St. AME, Roxbury Presbyterian, and Second Church in Dorchester. Grants will be made available for three types of initiatives or projects:

1. Affordable housing

2. Historic preservation

3. Parks, outdoor recreation, and open spaces

The Mayor’s Housing Innovation Lab

It seeks to increase housing affordability by testing innovative housing models and accelerating the pace of innovation in the housing sector.

• 26 Court St., 11th Floor, Boston, MA 02108-2501

• HOUSINGILAB@BOSTON.GOV

• 617-635-0259

Projects of the Housing Innovation Lab:

1. Plugin House Initiative: The Plugin House demonstrates the possibilities of backyard homes and smaller living to provide housing affordable to all.

2. Housing with Public Assets: Could building housing on top of, or next to, city buildings, such as libraries and community centers, benefit our communities?

3. Intergenerational Homeshare Pilot: We’re offering affordable housing to graduate students while helping local homeowners and communities. This plan aims to encourage age-friendly development in the City. We’re also exploring different housing options in communities through a “Homeshare” network. This network matches older homeowners with extra rooms to rent to people who need to rent a room. This uses the Nesterly housing app.

4. Additional Dwelling Unit Pilot: This pilot program seeks to streamline the process for homeowners looking to create an additional unit. This 18-month pilot program allows owner occupants in East Boston, Mattapan, and Jamaica Plain to carve out space within their homes to create smaller, independent units, known as Additional Dwelling Units (ADUs). The program aims to help homeowners take advantage of the existing space in their homes, which can help people age in place and prevent displacement.

5. Urban Housing Unit Roadshow: Through our interactive exhibit, we heard from the Boston community about what they think about compact-size living units. The Urban Housing Unit was a compact apartment on wheels. The Housing Innovation Lab took it from downtown Boston to Roslindale, Mattapan, Dorchester, Roxbury, and East Boston. The 385 square-foot, one-bedroom unit was modular and fully furnished. Evidence shows that smaller, modular units can be built much cheaper than traditional housing.

6. Housing Innovation Competition: The Lab asked development teams to propose innovative compact living designs. The goal of the competition was to show that small, affordable family units are feasible. The competition took place from November 2016 to June 2017. This wasn’t just an ideas competition. The subjects of the competition were five city-owned properties in the Garrison Trotter neighborhood in Roxbury. The winning proposals in the competition would be built there.

7. Density Bonus Pilot Program: This pilot initiative allowed developers in the program to increase the height or floor area of their units. In exchange, they would restrict the income on a percentage of their residential units. The City created new density bonus zoning for the Strategic Planning Areas of PLAN: JP/Rox and PLAN: Dot Ave. This seeks to increase the number of affordable housing units.

8. Simplifying the Homebuying Process: After research with recent first-time homebuyers, the Housing Innovation Lab developed a framework to better support first-time buyers through the complex process. This framework keeps in mind the unique paths different individuals take in buying a house. The results were put into use by the Boston Home Center.

The Boston Home Center

• 26 Court St., 9th Floor, Boston, MA 02108

• 617-635-4663

The Boston Home Center is the City’s one-stop-shop for homebuyers and homeowners. The Boston Home Center helps Boston residents purchase, improve, and keep their homes. We offer training, financial help, and counseling to first-time homebuyers, guidance and funding for homeowners for home improvements, and counseling to help families avoid foreclosure. The Home Center also markets homes developed for income-eligible, first-time homebuyers. The website also has information on current home-buying lottery drawings for income-eligible families.

Other Organizations

Boston Neighborhood Community Land Trust

• 550 Dudley St., Roxbury, MA 02119

• (617) 237-6015

• Meridith Levy, executive director, mlevy@bnclt.org

Mission: “Boston Neighborhood Community Land Trust works to combat displacement and racial injustice by creating permanently affordable, community-controlled housing in the Boston area, with a specific geographic focus on Roxbury, Dorchester, and Mattapan. BNCLT builds neighborhood stability, housing equity, and community strength among low- and moderate-income residents most at risk of displacement; and through the collective strength of partners working toward a shared, equitable, and just future.”

Massachusetts Affordable Housing Alliance (MAHA)

• 1803 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester MA 02124

• 617-822-9100

• Symone Crawford, executive director

MAHA’s mission is to educate and mobilize to increase affordable homeownership opportunities, break down barriers facing first-time and first-generation homebuyers, and close the racial-wealth and homeownership gaps.

The Massachusetts Housing Partnership (MHP)

• 160 Federal St., Boston, MA 02110

• 617-330-9955; Toll-Free 877-MHP-FUND

A statewide public nonprofit affordable housing organization that works in concert with the Governor and the state Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to help increase the supply of affordable housing in Massachusetts.

See also the MHP One Mortgage Program.

Massachusetts Area Planning Council (MAPC)

• 60 Temple Place, Boston, MA 02111

• 617-933-0700

The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) is the regional planning agency serving the people who live and work in the 101 cities and towns of Metropolitan Boston. Its mission is to promote smart growth and regional collaboration. Its regional plan, MetroFuture, guides its work as it engages the public in responsible stewardship of the region’s future.

MAPC recently released a new long-range regional plan for Greater Boston, called MetroCommon 2050.

The housing chapter of this plan recommends these goals:

Homes for Everyone

• Ensure that people of all races and income levels have equal access to affordable housing through homeownership and rental opportunities.

• Ensure adequate protections against displacement for communities and residents of color, low-income communities, and renters.

• Accelerate the production of diverse housing types, particularly deed-restricted affordable housing, throughout the region.

The Planning Council produced an influential report on projected population and housing trends: Reardon, Tim, and Meghna Hari. “Population and Housing Demand Projections for MetroBoston,” 2014.

“To help the region and its communities plan for a changing and uncertain future, MAPC has prepared projections of population change, household growth, and housing demand for Metro Boston and its municipalities. ... More than 400,000 new housing units — mostly multifamily, and mostly in urban areas — will be needed by the year 2040 if the region is to keep growing its economic base.”

Boston’s Inclusionary Development Policy (IDP)

This city policy requires that developers of buildings with 10 or more units seeking zoning relief or building on City of Boston-owned land set aside a percentage of their units as affordable to moderate- to middle-income households. The IDP leverages resources from the strong private housing market to build or finance affordable housing. Any proposed residential development of 10 or more units that is either (1) financed by the city, (2) on property owned by the city or BPDA/BRA, or (3) that requires zoning relief must designate 13% of the total number of units on-site as affordable units. The developer may meet the requirement under certain conditions with special approvals by a financial contribution to the IDP Fund. Another alternative allows the developer to create new affordable units separate from but within the vicinity (within one-half mile) of the project in an amount equal to or greater than 18% of the total number of units.

The term that units will remain affordable is generally 30 years with the city’s right to extend that another 20 years. The policy contains various details defining affordability and financial details for three zones of the city (Zone A: downtown; Zone B: middle zone; and Zone C: outer neighborhoods). In general, affordability is calculated on percentages of income compared to the Area Median Income (AMI).

Over the life of the program, developers have directly created 2,599 income-restricted units, and IDP funds have created 1,414 income-restricted units. Thus, the IDP policy has resulted in 4,013 income-restricted housing units in Boston. If the restricted units have higher percentages of the AMI, they may still not be affordable to some lower-income residents.

Habitat for Humanity, Greater Boston

• 240 Commercial St., 4th Floor, Boston, Massachusetts 02109

• (617) 423-2223

• James Kostaras, president and CEO

• volunteers@habitatboston.org

Retail Outlet: ReStore (Habitat’s Donation and Home Improvement Outlet store)

• 1580 VFW Parkway, West Roxbury, MA, 02132

• 617-327-1170

• ReStore@habitatboston.org

A faith-based, charitable nonprofit organization dedicated to building simple low-cost homes by forming partnerships with low-income families in need of decent and affordable housing. Habitat for Humanity believes homeownership is a vital step to help families break the cycle of poverty and contributes to pride in families and communities.

Mission Statement: Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope.

Habitat for Humanity Greater Boston builds strength, stability, and self-reliance through shelter. They bring people together to build homes, communities, and hope by revitalizing neighborhoods, building sustainable and affordable housing solutions, and empowering families through successful homeownership.

Through volunteer labor and tax-deductible donations of money, land, and materials, Habitat Greater Boston builds simple, decent houses. Families are selected based on their level of need, willingness to partner, and ability to repay a mortgage. They complete 300 hours of sweat equity by helping to construct their future home or working in other capacities alongside staff, volunteers, and sponsors. They also participate in homeowner education classes, like financial management and estate planning. Qualified families purchase Habitat homes with no down payment and pay an interest-free mortgage to Habitat, which enables them to afford owning their own home.

Habitat’s ReStore Outlet receives donations and either uses them in the homes they build or resells them at 50-70% off retail to the general public. These items include building and construction materials, home furnishings, and appliances, etc. Sales help fund new homes.

Habitat Greater Boston is a participant in the Neighborhood Revitalization Program. They are taking a holistic approach to creating change in our neighborhoods that have the greatest need for stability. This means joining residents, nonprofits, businesses and local government to discover what is needed most in a neighborhood, and helping to implement a shared vision of revitalization. Our focus neighborhood is Codman Square in Dorchester. They have partnered with the Codman Square Neighborhood Council to identify important ways to improve the neighborhood and surrounding areas.

Habitat has mobilized volunteers and future homeowners to build homes in Dorchester, Roxbury, Roslindale, South Boston, Mission Hill, and other communities. Although they only work on a few projects each year, they keep building year after year, resulting in many homes being built over the last 25 years with and for low-income families.

Additional Resources

• Dorchester Not For Sale

• Dudley Square Neighborhood Initiative

• Greater Boston Interfaith Organization

• Office of Housing Stability

• Reclaim Roxbury

• City Life/Vida Urbana

• BMA Tenpoint (Black Ministerial Alliance / Ten Point Coalition)

• Massachusetts Affordable Housing Trust Fund

Contact Rudy

Contact Rudy Mitchell

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?"