Kelani’s Groove

An address to the 7^th Annual National Multicultural Conference of the Presbyterian Church (USA). May 27, 2006.

Individual Expression

The third area for consideration is individual expression. Rather than fixating on quotas of demographic representation, let’s find and celebrate the uniqueness of the folks around us. There are two ways to eliminate issues of diversity: to become homogenous, or to completely be blind to the differences in race/ethnicity, gender, age, etc. Even if either were either state were desirable or achievable, we would be faced with the God-given uniqueness that comes in the form of personality, talents, passions, creativity, etc.

One way to lift up each person is to offer a myriad of engagement points for people to get involved with. These could include participation in worship music, flags, praise dance, set design, drama teams, class leadership, and more. God created each of us with a unique gifting of creativity. We need to identify, utilize and celebrate these giftings. The broad cross-section of activities will also provide more potential avenues for community connections. St. Paul’s has been blessed by great individual creativity, we need to find ways to engage it more fully.

Personal Relevance

The last idea I would share is that we need to be personally relevant. If someone waked through our doors by accident, there should be something they can relate to long enough for them to hear at least part of Christ’s message.

This speaks to the look and feel of the environment. And the sound – style of worship comes into play. Now, no church can, or should even try to, be all things to all people, But we should have appeal across a significant range of today’s society. And this is as much generational as it is about ethnic diversity. We should be dreaming of making our churches relevant to our children 10 years from now.

Another form of relevance addresses the natural human tendency to connect with others like us. As we found people coming to us from other ethnic groups, we responded by facilitating a mixture of in-group and across-group connections. For example, we have a Caribbean group that meets for study, service and socialization. For those who are interested, the in-group need is met there. Yet some of the couples in that group and also in our “Couples with young children� fellowship group, an ethnically diverse group with a common lifestage. Others do mission work and ministry together. Most people end up with a diverse array of people they are in relationship with. So we allow and encourage people to form broad networks in the church, to feel connected to Christ’s body through multiple points.

Conclusion

So to wrap up:

1. Embrace change, promote change, BE CHANGE.

2. Develop a missional mindset – give ourselves away to a diverse world.

3. Promote and celebrate the individual.

• Creativity, passion and personality are the most fundamental differences among us
• We were all created uniquely in the image of one loving God

4. Be personally relevant to as many people as possible.

Why go through the effort? Why suffer the discomfort? Why not just “hold out� and fade away? I’ll tell you, it’s not worth it just to say we’re diverse – to show pretty pictures of us all singing Kum-by-ya.

We need to make ourselves culturally relevant today, because we need to make Christ relevant in today’s culture, and tomorrow’s.

If St. Paul’s and the rest of our churches fail to develop a new “apostolic ethos,� we will fail to advance Christ’s kingdom in this wonderfully opportune age.

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